Spawning fish heat upriver angling

BOB BROWN, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published October 12, 2001

OLYMPIA -- Many Western Washington anglers are finding success river fishing for migrating salmon.

The Chehalis and the Cowlitz rivers are among the top producers.

- CHEHALIS: Fishing has been outstanding, said Ray Dean of Monte Square Food Mart in Montesano.

More king salmon are being caught than coho, but about all sections of the river are producing fish, Dean said.

The fish have been hitting both bait and lures.

Dean also said angler pressure has been heavy and recommends fishers come early for parking space.

- COWLITZ: Fishing for chinook salmon has been good at the barrier.

Some of the fish have been dark and anglers need patience to wade through them, said Karen Glazer of Barrier Dam Campground.

A few silvers and lots of silver jacks are being seen.

The adults have been heading straight for the hatchery, Glazer said.

The mouth of Blue Creek has been fishing well for steelhead and anglers also have caught a few silver salmon.

Some winter-run steelhead have been sighted.

At the mouth of the Toutle River, one of every two bank fishers caught a coho last week.

Other rivers

- NORTH FORK TOUTLE: Fishing has been decent.

Bank fishers have averaged just over one chinook released each.

- KALAMA: Bank anglers averaged one adult hatchery coho kept for each three fishers and just over one adult coho released for each angler last week.

- LEWIS: One of every eight bank anglers caught and kept an adult hatchery coho last week, said Lisa Harland of the Department of Fish and Wildlife's Vancouver office.

Boaters did better, averaging an adult hatchery coho for every three anglers.

Flows below Merwin Dam are expected to be 2,000 cubic feet per second this week.

- KLICKITAT: Boat fishing has been slow, but one of every two bank anglers caught and kept a chinook last week.

- PUYALLUP: Lots of dark silvers reportedly are in the river. Fishing has slowed, but is expected to pick up as more fish move in.

- COAST: The lack of water is still holding down success, said Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks.

The Hoh River has been the best choice.

- COLUMBIA: The number of anglers on the lower river has been dropping as returning salmon move into the tributaries, said Fish and Wildlife's Harland.

One out of five bank fishers caught a chinook or hatchery steelhead last week.

Boaters were a little more successful with one chinook or hatchery coho kept per every three anglers.

One of every five sturgeon fishers caught a legal-sized fish last week.

The average for boaters was one out of seven. The best fishing was just below Bonneville Dam.

Saltwater

- TACOMA: Fishing was fair last week with anglers catching a mixture of silvers, blackmouth and chum, said Art Tachell of Point Defiance Boathouse and Marina.

None of the fish weighed more than 12 pounds. The best fishing was 0in front of the boathouse, at the clay banks and Gig Harbor. Fishers mooching with herring caught both chum and blackmouth, Tachell said.

- SOUTH SOUND: Fishing has been slow. There are silvers around, but the bite has been off, according to angler reports.

- HOOD CANAL: Fishers caught a few silvers around Tahuya and Ball Point last week, said Walt Harvey of Verle's Sports in Shelton. Fluorescent red and orange Wiggle Warts were good producers, as were chartreuse Buzz Bombs.

Fly fishing

- SALTWATER: Coho and cutthroat trout are providing good fishing in South Sound, said Tom Bolender of the Streamside Anglers store in Tumwater.

Bolender recently caught a 4-pound silver on a No. 6 Olive/White Clouser and landed many cutthroat on the same fly and a few variations. The coho are not biting well, but persistence pays off.

Small waiting-period flies such as Polar Shrimp and Knudsen Spider patterns are good choices for jumping coho.

Chum are starting to show and reports of large coho have been coming in from the Nisqually Flats area. Tolmie State Park may be good beach fishing for these big fish.

- RIVERS: The rivers continue to fish well despite low water.

The Cowlitz, Kalama and Toutle have good numbers of chinook, coho and summer-run steelhead.

South Sound fisher Bo Wittmer has hooked and landed a fair number of steelhead on dry flies on the Kalama and he said anytime of the day seems to be good.

On the Deschutes and Tilton rivers, October Caddis pupa are effective now. The cutthroat and rainbows are reported to be feeding aggressively.

- LAKES: Most area lakes are fishing well during the cool evenings and warm days. Woolly Buggers, Water Boatmen and Chironimids patterns are being recommended.

Bob Brown is a correspondent for The Olympian. He can be reached at 754-5432.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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