Just the other day I wandered down an old overgrown trail and wound up at the river’s edge. It was a hot day but the trail was shaded. Off to the side of the path the scorched tall grass scratched like grasshopper legs in the wind that precedes a warm desert rainstorm. Overripe seed pods shrivel in the sun’s glare and burst like boxed pop-its from the resultant heat. All of its life’s promise scattered in that instant to the far flung four corners.
When the trail reached the waterside, slick round river stones clacked underfoot. The river rushed by in mumbled phrases too hushed and hurried to clearly hear. An unseen fish surfaced and kerplunked a mysterious ripple across the water top. A cocksure bird swooped against the wind, feathers fluttering like flags on a rust bucket pickup on a rutted out backroad. It changed angles on a whim, skimmed the surface near the ripple’s edge and plucked a bluegill clean with its clenching claws. Beads of water blooped back into the river in a long rosary strand. As it settled into the fork of a swaying tree the bird shrieked a shrill acknowledgement of delight.
Around the burbling bend hard bodies hang and lurch and launch from braided rope swings. They land in a mangled mass of limbs and bravado and laugh maniacally at their dumb luck as they surface again. Soft eyed girls carrying blankets and chasing puppies wondered aloud which way the should really go. They spoke in baby soft tones that poochers seem like they should understand. When the little doggy did not obey the old English commands though the words suddenly turn sharp and break like glass in the heat flaked air.
Along the shore’s recesses rowdy youngsters hardy-har-har as they hide away in the shade of old growth trees that creak beneath the growing girth of their existence. Cacophonous exhales crackled across the river to reveal secret places. Youngsters are to be seen and not heard. Unless they are trying to be sneaky, of course, in which case they should be neither.
Overhead, Screaming Eagle rockets arced high and exploded in what must have been an ethereal ashen asterisk. The joyous screams of children echoed down the block as fresh lemonade stands went untended and semi-friendly smoke bomb volleys took attention’s center stage. Roman candle wars pound clapboard siding with glowing concussion grenade rimshots. Angry old neighbors swing open screen doors and scream outdated obscenities as bucktoothed towheads laugh like mad hyenas in the alley.
The sound of summer silence, like curfews and firework bans that fly in the face of freedom, is obviously made for breaking.
FISHIN’
Since July 1 anglers on the lower Columbia River have been required to release all adult summer Chinook between the Megler-Astoria Bridge and Bonneville Dam. The fishery for the late spring kings was shuttered after fish officials determined that the catch quota had been reached. Managers have left open the possibility for a reopening of the season but only in the unlikely event that the run winds up outpacing the poor preseason projections.
Below Bonneville Dam anglers are still allowed to keep any sockeye salmon, hatchery steelhead and hatchery jack Chinook. However, several restrictions are in place for steelhead in anticipation of the lowest projected return in the last 37 years. The following waters are subject to a one hatchery steelhead per day limit:
• Columbia River, from the Astoria-Megler Bridge to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco.
• Cowlitz River, downstream from the Lexington Drive/Sparks Road bridge.
• Lewis River, downstream from the confluence with the East Fork Lewis River.
• Wind River, downstream from Shipherd Falls.
• Drano Lake.
• White Salmon River, downstream from the county road bridge.
At the base of Bonneville Dam the shad angling continues to titillate those who attempt to lure in the long lost cousin of the herring. Through June 27 nearly 2.5 million shad had passed by Bonneville Dam. Shad are relatively easy to catch, with no daily limits, and tend to tip the scales at about 8 pounds each.
Summer steelhead are about to take off on the Cowlitz River now and the annual recycling effort is underway but that doesn’t mean that things are all said and done up at the barrier dam.
“I’ve gotten reports that a few guys are catching them (steelhead) now down by Blue Creek and believe it or not there’s still some tasty kings up at the barrier,” said Jerry Barr, spinner of tales and spinning reels at the sporting goods desk at Sunbird Shopping Center in Chehalis. “On the trolling scene Mayfield and Riffe are both fishing well right now.”
Barr noted that the Mossyrock side of RIffe has been particularly hot for silvers, many of which have been in the 18 to 19 inch range. He added that smallmouth bass have been hungry in Riffe as well.
“They’ve been hitting a lot of different lures lately,” said Barr, who listed off blue fox spinners, crank baits and rubber worms as popular choices.
Barr pointed out that the Chehalis River is still shuttered to any salmon fishing but the bass continue to bite. Barr noted that a coworker recently hit the muddy banks near Adna and, “It’s pretty hot out there right now. He was just slaying them with everything he was throwing at them.”
As the lowlands heat up like a goldfish in the windowsill bowl, high lake fishing season is finally upon us. Those upper altitude waters stay cooler in the summer and allow for a longer bite window for their reclusive, and hungry, fish. John Weinheimer, a WDFW fish biologist, says Takhlakh and Council Lakes near Mt. Adams are perfect for anglers who prefer drive-up access.
"Both of these lakes are large, and will be stocked with thousands of large catchable rainbows the first couple of weeks of July," said Weinheimer in a press release. "Takhlakh will also receive broodstock rainbow running 5-6 pounds apiece, and both of these lakes are terrific places to camp and fish. Recent reports indicate both lakes have some very nice holdover trout from last year."
Weinheimer added four drive-up access lakes from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to his recommendation list as well. The first was Horseshoe Lake, which contains eastern brook trout, browns, and tiger trout. Then there’s Big Mosquito Lake near Trout Lake which also contains eastern brook and tiger trout. Flotation access there is largely limited to float tubes and car-top boats, however.
Next was Walupt Lake, which features wild cutthroat and rainbows, with a fan favorite campground for fish fries. Lastly, Weinheimer recommends Goose Lake. Located north of Carson, Goose Lake fishes well for coastal cutthroat that are planted each year as catchables. It also contains rainbows, browns, and eastern brook trout.
In Woodland, the Merwin Special Kids Day fishing event is scheduled for July 14 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. About 3,000 trout ranging from one to four pounds will be planted in the hatchery’s wheelchair-accessible waters prior to the event which is open to all children with disabilities. Volunteers will be on hand in order to provide assistance and fishing tips to young anglers. Additional information can be obtained by calling Tom Gauntt at 503-813-7291.
Out in east Lewis County ol’ barbed hook Jerry Barr says that time spent at Swofford’s Pond continues to be time well spent.
“It’s still very good right now. It’s not all algaed up now or anything,” noted Barr. “The big mouth bass are biting. The smallmouth bass are biting and there’s quite a few trout in there, good sized.”
LEARNIN’
The Washington Outdoor Women are currently making plans for their 20th annual fall weekend workshop which will take place from September 15-17. Participants get to choose four classes from a selection of 20 offerings including archery, basic freshwater fishing, fly-fishing and fly-tying, big-game hunting basics, map and compass reading, survival, beekeeping, birding, Dutch oven cooking, duck hunting, wildlife awareness and wilderness first aid.
Additional information can be found online at washingtonoutdoorwomen.org. Specific questions may be directed to WOW director Ronni McGlenn by phone at 425-455-1986 or by email at info@washingtonoutdoorwomen.org.
PICKIN’
Huckleberry pickers headed for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest will need to pick up a free pass first. The passes became available online as of July 5 and are required for all personal huckleberry gathering.
“To maintain the crop of huckleberries for now and for generations to come, the forest needs to know how much huckleberry harvest is occurring,” said forest supervisor Gina Owens in a press release. “Filling out the new free use permit is quick and easy and will provide us this valuable information.”
The release noted that the majority of huckleberry harvest areas are located on former Native American lands that were ceded through a treat that reserved tribal hunting, fishing and gathering rights. Personal use permits allow for up to one gallon per day per person or three gallons per year, per person. A commercial permit is required for larger harvests as well as the selling or bartering of huckleberries.
Free use permits are available online at https://apps.fs.usda.gov/gp. Commercial permits can be purchased at Forest Service District offices.
PADDLIN’
Free canoe trips are being offered in southwest Washington thanks to the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership. The trips are intended to promote public understanding of the lower Columbia River and the fish and wildlife that are dependent on its habitat.
Canoe ride will be offered at Vancouver Lake, Lacamas Lake and Lake River near Ridgefield. Spots on board are available on a first-come first-serve basis. The rides, in a 29-foot, 14-person canoes are suitable for travelers age 5 and older. Additional information on trip dates and registration is available online at http://www.estuarypartnership.org/get-involved/canoe-paddles.
HUNTIN’
The WDFW is currently contemplating hunting seasons for the 2018-20 seasons and the department is asking the public for input. There will even be meetings.
Those meetings, scheduled from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., will take place as follows:
• July 25 – Spokane Valley: Center Place Regional Events Center, Conference Room 110, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley.
• July 26 – Wenatchee: Wenatchee Convention Center, Fuji Rooms (lower level), 121 N. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee.
• July 27 – Yakima: Fair Bridge Inn, Suites & Conference Center, 1507 N. 1st Street, Yakima.
• July 31 – Lynnwood: Lynnwood Convention Center, 3711 196th St. SW, Lynnwood.
• Aug. 2 – Olympia: Red Lion Hotel, 2300 Evergreen Park Dr., Olympia.
• Aug. 3 – Vancouver: Heathman Lodge, Howard/Marshall Conference Room, 7801 N.E. Greenwood Dr., Vancouver WA.
Public comments will be accepted through Aug. 31 of this year. Season alternatives can be viewed, and comments logged, online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/seasonsetting/.
SPRAYIN’
A plan by state fishery managers to use rotenone in treat several lakes and two streams in eastern Washington will be the subject of five public meetings later this month. Rotenone is a pesticide commonly used to eliminate “undesirable and illegally stocked fish,” according to a press release from the WDFW.
The bodies of water proposed for the treatment are in Stevens, Spokane, Grant and Pend Oreille counties. The lakes are subject for treatment in the fall in order to remove species ranging from bass and bullhead to stunted panfish.
“The goal is to restore trout populations by removing competing species that have essentially taken over these waters,” said Bruce Bolding, WDFW warmwater fish program manager, in a press release. “Illegally stocked fish compete with trout fry for food and prey upon them, rendering efforts to stock trout ineffective.”
WDFW has scheduled public meetings to discuss the planned lake and stream treatments as follows:
• Colville: 6:30 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 12, in the WDFW District 1 Office, 755 S. Main Street.
• Ephrata: 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 12, at the WDFW Region 2 Office, 1550 Alder Street NW.
• Olympia: 6 to 7 p.m., Thursday, July 13, in Room 175 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington Street.
• Spokane: 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 13, in the WDFW Region 1 Office, 2315 North Discovery Place, Spokane Valley.
• Cusick: 6:30 to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 13, in the Cusick Community Center, 107 1st Avenue.
Additionally, public comment will be taken at the meetings as well as in written form through July 21. Comments should be addressed to Bruce Bolding, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.
A decision on whether to proceed with the planned treatments is expected from the WDFW director in late July.
According to the release, “Rotenone is an organic substance derived from the roots of tropical plants, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved for use as a fish pesticide. It has been used by WDFW in lake and stream rehabilitations for more than 70 years, and is commonly used by other fish and wildlife management agencies nationwide.”
