Fishers find kings bonanza on Chehalis

BOB BROWN, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published October 19, 2001

Fishers are catching easy limits on the Chehalis River and landing some near-record king salmon.

Last weekend, Reona Dierick of Montesano caught a 55-pound king using a Hotshot lure. Dierick said it took more than 20 minutes to land the fish.

Ray Dean of Monte Square Food Mart in Montesano said another fisher caught a 50-pound king last Thursday.

Large schools of kings are moving into the river and fishing has been terrific, Dean said. Some fishers are limiting in less than an hour.

The fish have been hitting Blue Fox lures, Wiggle Warts and Flash-n-Glows. Eggs and herring also have produced good results.

Angler pressure has been heavy, Dean added.

Other rivers

- LEWIS: A fresh batch of silver and jack salmon has moved in and fishing has been great, said Brad Sehoenborn of Bob's Mercantile in Longview. The average has been two to four fish per angler. The fish have been hitting Spinners, Wiggle Warts and eggs.

Some hatchery coho are also being caught, but quite a few are being released. Flows below Merwin Dam were expected to be about 2,040 cubic feet per second this week.

- GREEN: Lots of fish are in the river, but most are dark. Eggs have been the best choice of bait. Fly fishers have done well.

A creel check last weekend tallied 81 anglers who had caught and released 156 chinook, kept 77 coho and released 425 coho.

- COWLITZ: Fishing has been good for chinook, but not so good for silvers, said Karen Glazer of Barrier Dam Campground. Many of the chinook being hooked are dark, but a fair number bronze-colored chinook are being landed, too.

The mouth of Blue Creek is producing steelhead and the mouth of the Toutle is producing coho, but quite a few are being released. Flows below Mayfield Dam have been 2,560 cubic feet per second.

- SKOKOMISH: Fishers are doing well catching silvers by using small amounts of eggs, said Walt Harvey of Verle's Sports in Shelton. The fish have been hitting both red and chartreuse corkies and yarn.

- KLICKITAT: Boat fishers are having some success catching hatchery coho. The best fishing has been where the river empties into the Columbia. Boaters averaged one fish per rod last week.

- TOUTLE: The North Fork is producing chinook and coho, but many are being released.

- GRAYS: The river is closed to all fishing from the mouth to the South Fork to protect chum salmon. Fishing for hatchery steelhead reopens Nov. 15 from the mouth to Highway 4 Bridge and Dec. 15 from the bridge to the South Fork.

- NISQUALLY: Results have been mixed.

- KALAMA: Producing some hatchery coho, but lots of fish are being released.

- YAKIMA: Fishing was fair to good at Prosser, but slow elsewhere.

- WASHOUGAL: Not a lot of fisher effort on the river, but there has been a fair number of boats in Camas Slough.

- COLUMBIA: Fishing for sturgeon has been good around Blind and Portuguese points, said Luke Miller of Ed's Bait and Tackle in Ilwaco. Church Hole has also been productive, however the lower Columbia is saturated with crabs and anglers are having to wrap their bait.

Sturgeon fishing also has been good from Kalama up to Bonneville Dam, said Joe Hymer, a biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife's Vancouver office. Near the dam, the average has been nearly one legal-sized fish per boat. Fishing also has been good between Woodland and Kalama. Hymer reported that a late stock of coho is moving into the lower Columbia.

Saltwater

- TACOMA: Fishing has been fair for blackmouth around the clay banks and the slag pile. A couple of 12-pound blackmouth have been taken, but most range from 5 to 8 pounds. A few chum have been caught.

Mooching appears to be more productive than trolling, said Tom Cromie of Point Defiance Boathouse and Marina.

- SOUTH SOUND: Fishing has been slow both in South Sound and Hood Canal.

Fly fishing

- SALTWATER: Large coho are biting around the Tolmie and Johnson Point areas, said Tom Bolender of the Streamside Anglers store in Tumwater. The fish are hitting both orange and gold Flash flies.

Vaughn Bay north of Harstine Island is full of coho.

Orange spiders are working with an intermediate sinking line. Anglers are reporting lots of chum at the Arcadia Point shoreline. Chartreuse Crazy Charlies and Chum Candy are recommended for coho at Arcadia, Johns Creek and for chum moving into Kennedy Creek.

- RIVERS: Recent rains have moved fish into many local rivers. The Cowlitz is crawling with fish and hatchery workers are trucking chinook and coho to the Tilton and Cispus rivers and the upper Cowlitz.

Egg sucking leeches and hairball leeches are effective.

The Kalama and Green rivers are loaded with fish and the same flies are working in those waters.

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

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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