Four ravens cut a cacophonous course across a snow spackled sky. They are seekers but they don’t know what they want to find. Fir cones grow heavy again and release their tenuous grasp, tumbling toward the earth’s sponge cake crust and coming to rest where they intend to grow.
Honeybees shuffle about in an anxious congregation at the hive’s condensed entrance. They shake the brittle wax of winter from the creases of their weathered wings then take short flights in spiraling circles above the hive that has been their world for nearly six months. Blossoms have yet to come into bloom but tiny buds have begun to dot the branches of future fruiting trees. Soon the birds and the bees will do their forbidden, but sustaining, dance around the fragile folds of supple flowers. One day soft pedals will fall away and fruits will begin to bulge as sustenance is pulled skyward from rumpled roots into antenna chutes.
Nightcrawlers writhe in the warmth of the steaming compost pile while snow melts off the tops of pencil point fence posts that trace the gopher’s pockmarked pasture. Rich brown dirt erupts at odd but predictable intervals as the rodents work to turn the earth inside out.
Deer have grown comfortable in the interim since hunters were called off the trail. Now they amble mindlessly across busy roads and graze carefree on the first green sprouts of false spring. Soon they will be picking prime red tomatoes fresh from the vine and decimating precious rose gardens under the cover of night and the complimentary light of the moon.
In due time the seasonal shift will cause the murky bottoms of rivers and lakes to turn upside down. The upheaval will leave waters murky for a fleeting moment in time before providing 12-step clarity that reveals an entirely new slate of prospects. Sleepy fish who have been hiding away through the dark and dreary months will soon start to venture out in search of new food stuffs. Of course anglers are not the only ones who know this. Likewise, eagles, and hawks, and herons, and bears have all come to understand the subtleties of The Rite of Spring. They sense the silver streaks slinking upriver and each has staked claim to its preferred perch for snagging the gilled and scaled sacks of fat for a much needed later winter snack.
The final months of the winter can turn pesky scavengers and relentless predators ever more brazen. The unending drum of hunger pangs will always drive a beast to make unnerving decisions. Hawks patrol the pastures in dead eyed unison in hopes of finding farm fowl caught out in the great wide open. Red footed coyotes with curdled milk coats crisscross the hedgerows and treelines as they whoop at the moon in their hunting packs. Even bandit raccoons are busy making moves to ensure the security of their bristle haired brood.
Rhubarb shoots begin to burst through the soil and cultures of new weeds jump the gun by sprouting in between fickle frosts. Where heat waves rose from rejuvenated patches of earth on one good day the cobwebs of frost etch a chalk outline around the corpse of hope the very next morning.
Either way, the days for huddling around the fire and hiding out from the unpleasant elements of the great out of doors are growing shorter at every instant. After all, the woodshed is running short on fire logs and a restless soul can only stave off cabin fever for so long. When the wood runs out the only option remaining to keep the cold at bay will be to dress warm, move briskly, and brave whatever madness the lions and lambs can muster up this spring.
That’s just the way that the world goes round.
FISHIN’
Odds for winter steelhead are up (some) and down (more often) from one river to the next these days and regulations for a downtrending run of spring kings are all over the map this month. With that in mind, some anglers may be inclined to try their odds for panfish of a different stripe, or freckle, as it may be.
Cutthroat trout are biting in Puget Sound as well as the streams of the Olympic Peninsula. A report from the WDFW noted that this time of year anglers can often have success from the shore near the mouths of rivers during the tidal shift. Flies and spinners are the most popular bait for the small fish who feature so much fighting spirit.
In more sheltered waters the WDFW continues to stock rainbow trout in area waters. Those recent deposits include 375 large rainbows at Rowland Lake, 2,500 mid-size rainbows at Battle Ground Lake, and 4,469 small fry at Lake Sacajawea. While those fish get settled in the bite for kokanee has reportedly kept anglers entertained at Merwin and Yale reservoirs.
Conversely, the cold snap of February turned the bite off for many warmwater fish. As the sun makes itself more familiar in the coming weeks the bite for those panfish is likely to be back on the rise. Meanwhile, walleye continue to provide opportunity for anglers who find themselves near the Columbia River dam pools. Last week the WDFW sampled three rods on one boat at Bonneville with three walleye in the box. At John Day 25 rods on 11 boats showed nine walleye on board with another eight reportedly released.
On the Chehalis River the steelhead bite was so slow last week that guides were cancelling trips that were already on the books. Still, some boats were still running the stretches from Centralia down toward Oakville all weekend and through the middle of this week. With a mix of rain and snow in the forecast through the end of the week anglers who keep putting in time on the river are likely to bump into a new influx of winter steelhead soon. This time of year the Skookumchuck, Wynoochee, and Satsop rivers also provide good odds for landing a hatchery steelhead. Midweek the flow on the Wynoochee River was about 690 cubic feet per second above Black Creek, and just 288 cfps at Grisdale.
Puget Sound is open in several areas this month for a blackmouth salmon fishery. Those areas include Marines areas 5 (Seiku) and 6 (Strait of Juan de Fuca), 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island, 12 (Hood Canal) and 13 (South Sound). Retention regulations vary by area but all wild Chinook must be released. On Tuesday the Nisqually River was running at 1,200 cfps below LaGrande Dam.
The WDFW recently released dates and harvest quotas for the upcoming coastal bottom fish seasons and the forecast looks promising. The coastal sport fishery for bottom fish and lingcod will open on March 9.
Steady or improving populations of the ocean fish led the WDFW to expand opportunities for rockfish, Pacific cod, whiting, sole, lingcod, cabazon and numerous other species. Anglers are allowed up to nine bottomfish per day, which can include as many as seven rockfish, two lingcod, and one cabazon.
Changes to this year’s regulations include fewer depth restrictions that will result in about an extra month of deepwater fishing. Those changes were spurred on by an improvement in yelloweye rockfish stock. Canary Rockfish are also on the rebound after 19 years of efforts to recover their stocks so extra limits on their harvest have been removed. Similarly, a size limit for Cabazon was removed in Marine Area 4. In Marine Areas 2 (Westport) a 30-fathom restriction will be in place from March 9 through May 31, which is two weeks shorter than years past. The deepwater area will be open from June 1-15. In Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) there are no depth restrictions.
Heading in from Buoy 10 the spring Chinook fishery has been open on the Columbia River since March 1 but the outlook is depressed due to a poor forecast. Upriver bright returns are supposed to be down about 14 percent from last year and less than half of the recent ten year average. Those disappointing projections have resulted in a pinch on the typical parameters of that fishery.
“Anglers will still find some good fishing opportunities in the Columbia River Basin this spring, but conservation has to be our first concern,” insisted Ryan Lothrop, Columbia River policy coordinator, in a press release.
Below Bonneville Dam anglers are allowed to target salmon and steelhead through April 10 between Warrior Rock and the boundary line below the dam. However, anglers below Warrior Rock will be prohibited from any salmonid fishing through April 10 in order to protect paltry returns to the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers.
Last weekend the WDFW conducted creel checks at several areas along the lower Columbia River. From Bonneville Dam to Warrior Rock 47 salmon boats and six Washington side bank anglers were counted. Near Longview two bank anglers and four boat rods had no catch to report and around Cathlamet three bank anglers and two boat anglers also had no catch. In the Vancouver area more anglers came up with the same empty creels.
Last week on the East Fork Lewis River the WDFW checked 16 bank anglers with two steelhead released while one boat rod had no catch at all.
Fishery managers anticipate that the return to Lower Columbia River tributaries will likely be even worse than the upriver contingent. In particular, the Cowlitz River is expected to only return about 11 percent of its recent 10-year average of spring Chinook. Salmon fishing on both the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers is currently closed to help conserve limited broodstock resources for hatchery operations. However, the Kalama River will remain open to both salmon and steelhead fishing with a reduced harvest limit of just one fish per day.
Elsewhere, anglers have through March 15 to fish for steelhead on the Coweeman, Elochoman, Grays, East Fork Lewis, South Fork Toutle, and Washougal rivers. The same holds true for the creeks of Abernathy, Germany, Skamokawa and Mill.
Fishing may be shuttered but last week at the Cowlitz salmon hatchery crews retrieved a dozen winter-run steelhead. Three steelhead were then released into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton and one steelhead was dropped into the Cispus River near Randle. Early this week river flow below Mayfield Dam was reported at 5,060 cfps with ten feet of visibility and a water temperature of 41 degrees. A report by the WDFW noted that smelt are rumored to be showing up in the lower Columbia and Cowlitz rivers but there are no sport openings for smelt scheduled this year.
HUNTIN’
In just a few days the onslaught will finally be over for area wildlife when the sand runs out on the very last of the general season waterfowl hunts. Goose season will end in the inland portion of Area 2 on March 9.
However, most cougar hunts remain open but hunters should be sure to check with the WDFW before heading out. That extra effort has been recommended since the New Year when cougar areas became subject to restrictions based on cumulative harvest numbers from the fall and winter season. In areas where the take remains below the quota hunting will continue through April 30.
Additionally, bobcats, fox, raccoons, snowshoe hares and cottontail rabbits will continue to exercise caution through March 15 when those seasons close. Trapping seasons for beaver, badger, weasel, marten, mink, muskrat and river otter will continue through the end of March. And, as always, coyotes are fair game all year round.
Looking forward, general spring turkey hunts are set to begin on April 15.
Roadkill salvage is also legal in Washington with the use of an emergency permit provided by the WDFW. Permits are available online and must be obtained within 24-hours of any deer or elk salvage. Permits can be found at wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/game_salvaging/application.html.
Hunters who wish to obtain a multiple-season hunting tag for next fall and winter have through the end of March to submit their applications. Successful entries will be entered into a drawing for a limited supply of multiple-season tags. Those drawings will be used to award 8,500 extended tags for deer and 1,000 bonus tags for elk.
Those hunters who are selected will be able to purchase a special tag that would allow them to hunt during archery, muzzleloader, and modern firearm general seasons for their particular animal.
"With the multiple season tag, hunters have the opportunity to extend their seasons this fall," explained Anis Aoude, WDFW game division manager, in a press release. "Winners do not need to choose one hunting method over another, so they have more options and flexibility."
Additional information can be found on the WDFW website or by calling 360-902-2464.
CLAMMIN’
Razor clam enthusiasts will need to wait at least another week before they are unleashed for another round of succulent bivalve digging. The next proposed set of coastal clam digs are scheduled to begin on March 16, but are still awaiting final approval that is contingent upon marine toxin testing results.
That proposed dig, along with beaches, dates and evening low tides, is listed below:
March 16, Saturday, 3:43 p.m.; 0.3 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
March 17, Sunday, 4:43 p.m.; -0.2 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks;
The WDFW has also announced additional proposed openings that reach into April and include a switch from evening digs to morning digs. Those proposed digs, along with low tides and beaches, are listed below:
March 21, Thursday, 7:48 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Mocrocks
Switch to a.m. tides:
March 22, Friday, 8:14 a.m.; -0.2 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
March 23, Saturday, 9:01 a.m.; -0.3 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis, Kalaloch
March 24, Sunday, 9:49 a.m.; -0.3 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
According to the WDFW’s coastal shellfish manager, Dan Ayres, additional digging dates will be considered if data indicates that enough clams remain for harvest.
Ayres always recommends that diggers hit the beach about an hour or two prior to low tide for the best results. He also advises diggers to bring sufficient lighting for evening digs. All razor clam diggers age 15 and older are required to possess a valid fishing license in order to partake. State law allows diggers to harvest up to 15 clams per person and each clam dug must be taken regardless of size or condition.
CONVICTIN’
Late last week a charter boat captain, and his brother, who operated out of Ilwaco, were convicted by a jury for crimes of illegal fishing.
David Gudgell, 58, of Seaview, was convicted on 10 counts of unlawful recreational fishing in the second degree, and one count of waste of fish and wildlife. Meanwhile, Robert Gudgell, 57, of Longview, was convicted on eight counts of unlawful recreational fishing in the second degree. More than 25 witnesses were called to testify by the WDFW during the eight day trial and sentencing is expected to take place on March 13.
The WDFW says that a tip from numerous clients of the charter boat led to an 18-month investigation into the practices aboard a boat known as Westwind, which was contracted with Pacific Salmon Charters. According to initial reports small halibut were placed into a fish hold with water while larger halibut were bled out and put in a hold without water. Those clients reported that before returning to port as many as seven halibut were tossed back overboard in order to bring the boat back under its daily catch limit. At least three of those fish had reportedly already had their gills cut.
An undercover trip conducted by WDFW officers on another vessel that was also contracted with Pacific Salmon Charters discovered similar violations. According to Todd Dielman, the lead investigator with the WDFW police, more than 100 passengers described similar violations on multiple vessels, including the Katie Marie which was sometimes captained by Robert Gudgell. Witnesses who spoke to the WDFW said that more than 70 halibut were temporarily retained and later tossed overboard in favor of larger fish. Testimony indicated that many of those fish sank lifeless into the ocean.
“This illegal activity is what we call called high-grading. It’s something we’re watching for and we rely on tips from the public; they were our eyes and ears on this one. The case would not have been possible without their testimony and the support of the community, including the many local charter boat captains who were appalled by this behavior,” WDFW captain Dan Chadwick said, in a press release. “We are very grateful for the efforts put forth by Pacific County Deputy Prosecutors Joe Faurholt and Ben Haslam who worked tirelessly on this case. We would also like to thank the witnesses who provided firsthand accounts of these violations.”
SNOWIN’
Winter Carnival has come and gone at White Pass but there are still plenty of good times to be had.
Early this week the slopes were cold and a bit icy after a lull in the consistent snowfall that fell throughout February. On Tuesday the temperature was about 17 degrees at the base around noon and 10 degrees at the summit at noon. There had been no new snow over a 24-hour period and overall snow pack had dipped to just 100 inches up top and 76 inches down below.
A condition report online noted, “BLUEBIRD (skies) to the west, low cloud cover to the east - a bit of an east wind - bring face protection, it's cold outside.”
Wednesday brought better conditions on the mountain though as temperatures increased ever so slightly and the pow pow made its triumphant return. Currently the Ribeye and Progression areas are open daily while the nordic area is open Thursday through Sunday each week. The tubing terrain is open on weekends only and night skiing operations have closed for the season.
Powder Heads can still hitch a ride to the white stuff via the White Pass Shuttle seven days a week. The shuttle picks up riders in Olympia at 6:30 a.m., and at the Grand Mound Park and Ride off of Tenino-Grand Mound Road at 6:50 a.m. The shuttle arrives at the Safeway parking lot in Centralia at 7 a.m., with the flag pole as the designated pick up spot, and then stops at the Chehalis park-and-ride on West Main Street at 7:10 a.m. The final stop is at Packwood around 8:30 a.m.
The shuttle typically arrives at White Pass at 9 a.m. and leaves at 3:30 p.m. A round trip ticket costs $40, or $95 with the addition of a lift ticket. For additional information call 360-970-9619.
Up to date information on conditions and activities at White Pass can be obtained online or by calling 1-509-672-3100.
