Northwest Sportsman Mag - Jun 2019 by Media Index Publishing Group

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Sportsman Northwest

Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 11 • Issue 9

Your Complete Hunting, Boating, Fishing and Repair Destination Since 1948.

PUBLISHER James R. Baker EDITOR Andy Walgamott THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Scott Brenneman, Jason Brooks, Scott Haugen, Doug Huddle, Sara Ichtertz, MD Johnson, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Troy Rodakowski, Dave Workman, Mike Wright, Mark Yuasa EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Kayla Mehring, Jake Weipert PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker OFFICE MANAGER Katie Aumann INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGER Lois Sanborn WEBMASTER/DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@nwsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email letters, articles/queries, photos, etc., to awalgamott@media-inc.com, or to the mailing address below. ON THE COVER Tegan Yuasa, son of Northwest Marine Trade Association Grow Boating and Northwest Salmon Derby Series director, Mark Yuasa shows off a nice Chinook caught on Puget Sound. (MARK YUASA)

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 9

FEATURES 67

OREGON’S AWESOME FISHING OPS From bottomfish to mountain trout, the opportunities shine this time of year in the Beaver State. Native son Troy Rodakowski shares his best bets for summer fun from the coast to the valley to the Cascades and beyond.

GET READY TO CRACK CRABS With crabbing season in Puget Sound coming up and the best time to chase Dungeness and red rock crabs on the Oregon Coast not far behind, Jason Brooks gets us ready to catch one of the most delicious dinners the Northwest’s fishing, hunting and foraging world offers!

NORTHWEST SUMMER SALMON PLANNER No, the Northwest’s 2019 seasons aren’t anywhere what we’d like them to be, but there are still Chinook, coho, sockeye and more to catch – Mark Yuasa details the whats, wheres and whens!

103 A TALE OF TWO RIVERS With its clean, cold headwaters in the southern Canadian Rockies, the Kootenay/Kootenai River and its tributaries are a haven for bull trout, but the system holds other fishable populations as well as it cuts through Northwest Montana and North Idaho. Join along as Mike Wright details its fisheries in British Columbia, Lake Koocanusa and the tailrace of Libby Dam. 117 SPECIAL CATCH FOR FISHY KID The last school night of the year and his final day of being 8 years old proved to be a fine time to hit the river for Sara Ichtertz’s son Nate. Relive their adventure and the inner strength they both drew from it. 123 ARE YOU CAT FRIENDLY? Channel catfish provide an overlooked but largely self-sustaining fishery in some Northwest waters, primarily in the lower ends of rivers east of the Cascades but also a few west of the crest. MD Johnson and guide Craig Dowdy walk us through the simple rigs needed to land these easy-to-catch and great-for-kids fish. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Go to nwsportsmanmag.com for details. NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Periodical Postage Paid at Seattle, WA and at additional mail offices. (USPS 025-251) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $49.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2019 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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SOUTH SOUND:

Southwest Washington Steelhead On Tap It’s been many years between the time Jason first hooked a summer-run steelhead on the Cowlitz and today, but he’s enjoyed fishing several Southwest Washington rivers for the fish and shares tips for where to get after chromers this season. (JASON BROOKS)

COLUMNS 73

CHEF IN THE WILD: Clamming With Hank Chef Randy lives about as removed from the ocean as you can get in the Northwest, but when he got a hankering to go clamming he had an expert in fellow foodie Hank Shaw. See what the Boise boy and his buddy brought home from the beach!

THE KAYAK GUYS: Get Into Trout At Offut The Olympia area’s Offut Lake is well-stocked with trout, as Scott B. discovered during a spring kayak fishing trip. He shares how to work the popular water that fishes from good to great for most of the year!

BUZZ RAMSEY: Switch It Up With ‘Crawl Retrieve’ Method Who are we to say, but if Buzz has added the “crawl retrieve” – a fishing method that combines light equipment and a small, scented plastic worm to catch trout – to his arsenal of options, you might want to too. Find out from the expert how to do it!

133 NORTH SOUND: Skagit Springer Action Heads Upstream; Beaver Ponds Open Lower Skagit anglers got their first crack at spring Chinook in 43 years, and now the action turns to the upper river and Cascade. But that’s not all there is to fish for in June – carefully balanced on a shaky, gnawed-on tree trunk, Doug details what’s to be had in those “mind-bendingly-difficult-to-fish animal-engineered impoundments” known as North Cascades beaver ponds! 141 ON TARGET: Prep Now For Fall Bird Hunts Dave talks a lot about getting ready for upcoming big game seasons, but there’s another autumn hunt you can’t just waltz into and expect success without some prep work – birds. He gets us ready with a little clay target shooting and shares some new shotguns to check out. 147 GUN DOG: School’s Out, But Gun Pup Training Is Still In Session Taking your pup on as many adventures as possible this summer – to the beach, for a hike or a stroll in the park – will help in forming the best gun dog companion you could ask for. Scott H. has tips for socializing and combining bumper training.

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(ANDY WALGAMOTT)

THE BIG PIC:

Out With Skamanias, In With South Forks Forced by a lawsuit to end production of Skamania-strain steelhead for the popular Skykomish summer-run fishery, WDFW aims to replace them with a local broodstock.

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THE EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE Hope in dark times for fish

FISHING AND HUNTING NEWS ODFW Commission nominees get hearing; 4 tons of trash removed in Yaquina River cleanup; Columbia endorsement expiring; Support shown for Lake Washington sockeye restoration assessment

READER PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD Trout, turkey, tiger musky and more!

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Yo-Zuri, Ontario Knife Co. monthly prizes

THE DISHONOR ROLL Corvallis man sentenced for gun violations, poaching; Kudos; Jackass of the Month

DERBY WATCH Westport $10,000 Chinook derby; Lake Pend Oreille spring trout derby results; Ongoing, upcoming events

OUTDOOR CALENDAR Upcoming openers, deadlines, events, minus tides, more

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

’m naturally optimistic, despite my wolverine-like exterior, but to be honest it’s hard to be a glass-half-full guy these days. The Northwest angling world as we’ve known it seems like it’s crumbling around us as massive, all-encompassing, long-term habitat degradation, as well as decreased hatchery production, increased predator protections and Endangered Species Act listings come to bear on our favorite species and fisheries. With fewer Chinook, coho, steelhead and other stocks to go around between all the fleets and the orcas, and commensurately shrinking opportunities, we’re getting angrier and angrier all the time. It comes out especially sharply on social media – big surprise in these divided times. Seems like I can’t post anything without folks taking a bite out of not only the news I’m trying Rather than sit and sulk about sh*tty to report but the messenger seasons, the editor plans to take advantage as well. Youch! of the opportunities we still have, including crabbing. (ANDY WALGAMOTT) It all makes me want to find a new career, something far, far away from fish and game – maybe buy a herd of goats and hire them out to chew down blackberries ...

BUT AS I literally wrote the above words, a cute video shared by Trey Carsakadon at O’Loughlin Trade Shows in Portland popped up on my Facebook feed. It showed a turtle head-butting an upside-down buddy back to right-side-up status, saving it, and I thought, maybe I should stick with it through these lows of the fish cycle. And honestly, I’m actually excited to get back out after summer salmon and crabs, and that is in no small part because of stories this issue previewing seasons and getting us all set up for success. Turns out that there’s more to catch off my local beach than just resident coho – red rocks and maybe even Dungeness are available too! With Jason Brook’s tips, you betcha I’ll be putting down my Buzz Bombs and surf rod to poke around the eel grass at low tide with a net in search of crabs. Hell, I didn’t even know that was legal when I spotted big ones in shallow last year! Then guide Gerardo Reyes texted me a pic of a nice-sized Tri-Cities largemouth, and I thought about bass and all the other species we still have to fish for, including channel cats, which MD Johnson details a few pages east of here. As Sara Ichtertz shares the inspiring story of her son’s largest Southern Oregon steelhead yet, I’m also intrigued about Washington’s plans for the Skykomish summer-run program. And I gotta say, Doug Huddle’s (ahem, late-arriving) piece on beaver pond troutin’ just absolutely nailed it for me yesterday: “(Just) one sleek cutthroat or eastern brook brought to hand, despite your being bloodied, dripping wet and exhausted, will provoke a sense of satisfaction unlike any other angling experience.” Yes, it’s hard to get stoked about things, but I’m going to stay involved to help make them better. How about you? If not us, who? Hold the goats, Amy, and let’s go fishin’ instead! –Andy Walgamott

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Northwest Sportsman 19

Out With In With

Skamanias, South Forks

New plan for popular Skykomish summer-run fishery would replace out-of-basin stock with local steelhead following WDFW-WFC lawsuit settlement.

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PICTURE By Andy Walgamott

Pressed by federal overseers, Washington fishery managers want to switch hatchery summer steelhead production on the Skykomish River from Skamania-strain fish (above, right) to a locally adapted broodstock trapped at Sunset Falls on the South Fork in the coming years. (MAIN IMAGE: THOMAS O’KEEFE, AMERICAN WHITEWATER; RIGHT: YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

he hacking away at the last Puget Sound consumptive steelhead opportunities as we’ve known them continues, though there’s also a glimmer of hope to save a popular fishery. Releases of Skamania-strain summerruns will be ended in the Skykomish River in the coming years following a lawsuit settlement between a highly litigious environmental group and state managers, who are also making a bid to replace the fish with locally adapted broodstock. The deal reached in federal court in early May allows the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to release 116,000 Skamania smolts this spring and next from Reiter Ponds, ensuring fair numbers of returning adults will be available for harvest in the river in coming years, but drops that number to 60,000 and then 40,000 in 2021 and 2022. Technically, the agreement with the Wild Fish Conservancy would allow the agency to continue to produce Skamanias in the Sky afterwards if the National Marine Fisheries Service provides Endangered Species Act coverage for the hatchery program. But in reality, the feds are the ones who have been pushing WDFW to stop releasing the out-of-basin fish in Puget Sound waters. In a July 2017 letter, NMFS regional chief Barry Thom told then WDFW Director Jim Unsworth he should look for “alternative” stocks to hold Sky and other fisheries over. So afterwards the agency considered using steelhead from the Tolt, a tributary elsewhere in the Skykomish-Snoqualmie watershed, for a very long-shot broodstock replacement bid. For a Big Pic feature I did last summer (Northwest Sportsman, August 2018), that plan was described to me as the best hope to save the fishery. But the consent decree signed in U.S. District Court for Western Washington in Seattle by current WDFW Director Kelly Susewind, WFC’s Kurt Beardslee, and Judge James L. Robart, specifically bars

using any fish out of the South Fork Tolt for the next eight years.

IN A TWIST, another option has emerged. WDFW and the Tulalip Tribes submitted a hatchery genetic management plan to NMFS to use steelhead collected in the South Fork Skykomish instead. It’s “a new path forward,” in the state’s words, and one that would seemingly secure the hatchery program from potential budget cuts coming out of the dismal end of this year’s legislative session for WDFW. The plan still needs federal buy-in, but those fish are a mix of wild and naturalized hatchery steelhead that since 1958 have been collected at a fish trap at the base of the impassable 104-foot-tall Sunset Falls just east of Index and been trucked upstream around two more cascades. Those fish have less Skamania heritage than Tolt summers, according to a WDFW genetic analysis, thus the reason for the stock switch-up in the agency’s plans. Last year, 348 summer-runs showed up at the falls, with the 221 unclipped fish released into the South Fork near the town of Skykomish and the 127 clipped ones not allowed to pass. Edward Eleazer, WDFW’s regional fisheries manager, says that that “pretty robust” population will help reach production goals a lot more quickly than under the Tolt plan. That called for pumping the few redds on that river for

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Northwest Sportsman 23

PICTURE

If federally approved, using South Fork fish would help spread out fishing pressure from the Reiter Ponds area, where Chris LaPointe was photographed taking a cast three seasons back, to the upper watershed, expanding opportunities, although boat access is poor – and dangerous, what with a series of falls. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

proposal as of early last month. Eleazer says that where in the future our fisheries will necessarily become more and more “surgical” and adaptive because of ESA constraints, that’s not the case in the waters above Sunset Falls. He says that the program will also provide a “key tool in recovering that wild population” on the North Fork Skykomish. It’s another testament to WDFW standing by the Sky and its importance to anglers. “We know that transitioning to a local stock is better for fish, and that the Skykomish is a tremendously popular steelhead river,” says the agency’s Susewind. “People will be able to continue enjoying the experience here much as they have in the past.”

IT’S BAD NEWS for the river system to the

eggs, rearing them at Tokul Creek Hatchery, releasing the smolts and then transferring first-generation returning adults to Reiter Ponds to build up broodstock there and eventually replace the Skamanias, a process that would have taken a decade. The proposed HGMP calls for the release of 116,000 smolts reared from naturalorigin South Fork parents annually and says it would provide “important harvest opportunities primarily for recreational fisheries but also for treaty tribes.”

IT’S A LIFELINE of hope for the last, best summer steelhead fishery in all of Pugetropolis. “Once the South Fork broodstock is established, it should provide stable, reliable, and perhaps enhanced summer-run fishing on the Skykomish for the foreseeable future,” says Mark Spada, president of the Snohomish Sportsmen’s Club. It could also spread out the fishery so we’re not all focused in the half mile of water at and below Reiter. Spada says that under the HGMP, smolts could be scatter-planted into the Sky’s South and North Forks, and that that “could provide a lot of additional angling opportunity.” Both branches and their tribs are 24 Northwest Sportsman

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paralleled by state, county and logging roads through national forest lands. “There are a lot more options to expand the fishery,” confirms WDFW’s Eleazer, who sounds pretty excited about it. “Now we can recycle fish. Before we weren’t allowed to … There’s a lot of river miles.” He acknowledges that it all still does depend on NMFS approval, but the feds hadn’t expressed any negative comments or asked for more information on the The plan to switch broodstock would also help rebuild wild populations on the North Fork Skykomish. (JOE MABEL, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CC 4.0)

north, however. The WDFW-WFC court settlement essentially ends releases out of Whitehorse Ponds into the North Fork Stillaguamish with this year’s 90,000 Skamania smolts let go for return in 2021. With an HGMP covering the stock, production could resume, but again, that seems unlikely with NMFS directives to “just say no” to out-of-region stocks. As the two parties moved towards a deal, members of the Steelhead Trout Club of Washington were warned they’d need to “really work hard” to save the Stilly program, which produces fish for

PICTURE one of the Westside’s rare fly fishing-only opportunities for hatchery summer-runs. It wasn’t immediately clear if WDFW has any plans to develop a local broodstock on the Stillaguamish like it does on the Skykomish, but Susewind says he wants to work with tribal comanagers to “explore alternative fishing opportunities.” “While we never want to lose a fishery like the Stilly summer-runs, saving the Sky was the highest priority,” notes Spada. “The potential risks of this hatchery program are minimal compared to the risks of failed steelhead habitat protection and restoration measures or adequately anticipating and addressing the effects of climate change,” the proposed HGMP states.

LAST FEBRUARY, WHEN WFC announced it planned to sue the state within 60 days, the organization claimed that continued

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releases of Skamanias into Puget Sound streams represented a threat to ESA-listed steelhead, but the real strength of their argument was that WDFW just didn’t have an HGMP to operate the programs. That has been a problem throughout the Northwest for several years as NMFS’s collective desk has been buried with hatchery and fishery plans to approve, biops to write, sea lion removals on the Willamette to OK, etc. That WDFW has settled yet again with WFC will piss anglers off, but without that federal permit, the agency is highly vulnerable to the organization’s lowhanging-fruit lawsuit racket. The settlement also includes a $23,000 check from WDFW to pay WFC’s legal fees and orders the state to perform five years’ worth of snorkel surveys in the North Fork Skykomish and South Fork Tolt to count fish. That effort will cost an estimated $400,000, a not insignificant amount considering the agency’s projected $20 million shortfall in the coming two years.

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This is the second time in the past half decade that WFC has targeted WDFW hatchery steelhead operations on the Sky and elsewhere in Puget Sound. In 2014, it was over early-returning Chambers Creek winter-runs, a Tacoma-area stock that has been used for decades. That lawsuit resulted in continued releases of Chambers fish into the Sky, but a pause elsewhere until WDFW had an HGMP in hand, the end of stocking in the Skagit for 12 years, and a $45,000 settlement check. Prevented from releasing their fish, hatchery workers at Kendall Creek on the North Fork Nooksack and Whitehorse on the Stilly had to get creative to save their Chambers programs until federal ESA coverage came through. They reared their steelhead to adulthood at the facilities and spawned them there, as well as reconditioned kelts at Kendall. This latest WFC lawsuit focused on a 1950s’ mixture of Klickitat River and Washougal River steelhead that came from the hatchery on the latter stream and was nicknamed Skamanias for the region of their origin. Besides Great Lakes streams, they were once planted in numerous Puget Sound rivers, providing decades of good fishing on the Dungeness, Green, Skagit, Cascade, South Fork Stillaguamish, Canyon Creek, Sultan, mainstem Sky and its North and South Forks, Snoqualmie, Raging and Tolt. But they also have a propensity for interbreeding with native fish and between that and the 2007 ESA listing of the region’s steelhead, they have been largely discontinued, leading to shrinking releases and opportunities. Regionwide, summer steelhead harvest has shrunk from 5,745 in 2000 to 1,824 in 2015, with four-fifths of that on the Sky alone. That 2017 letter from NMFS’s Thom states that a WDFW researcher concluded “that genetic impacts to the two native summer steelhead populations in the Snohomish Basin have been so large that they are now considered feral populations of Skamania-stock fish.” Now those from the South Fork may help keep summer steelheading going on the system. NS

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Northwest Sportsman 27

NEWS

ODFW Commission Nominees Get Hearing

our Oregonians who want to serve on the Fish and Wildlife Commission received do-confirm nods from a state Senate committee that also declined to consider a fifth nominee. The move means that senators would take up the appointments of Mark Labhart, Robert Spelbrink, Mary Wahl and Jill Zarnowitz on the floor of the upper chamber, while the dismissal of Capt. James Nash continued to stir debate. Nash, a Northeast Oregon hunter, outfitter and conservationist, drew the ire of environmental groups who poked around his Instagram account and brought images to the attention of reporters, which resulted in puzzling headlines at the Willamette Week and The Oregonian, as if it was somehow wrong to have a hunter on the panel overseeing the management of the state’s fish and wildlife. They also didn’t like that he was a member of a longtime Wallowa County ranching family and the son of a critic of wolf management in the area. As the Oregon Outdoor Council rallied to Nash’s defense, there was also pushback from both Jayson Jacoby of the Baker City Herald and Bill Monroe, longtime outdoor writer at The Oregonian. “Photos of his hippo and crocodile kills triggered an unfair rush to judgment

Brig. Gen. James Lukeman presents 1st Lt. James Nash of Northeast Oregon with one of two Purple Heart medals he received in March 2013 for wounds sustained in a mortar attack and from an IED while deployed in Afghanistan. Nash’s nomination to ODFW’s commission was derailed after environmentalists objected. (CPL. AUSTIN LONG, DVIDS)

Robert Spelbrink, Mary Wahl and Jill Zarnowitz speak before a state Senate committee during a hearing on their nomination to serve on the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. A fourth nominee, Mark Labhart, phoned in to discuss his qualifications. (STATE OF OREGON) of a man who, after medical retirement from the Marines, dedicated his life to the environment, river restoration, responsible range management and teaching others to hunt and fish,” wrote Monroe in arguing Nash deserved a hearing in the senate. “The implication, at least based on the headlines and photographs, is that a man who not only kills animals but does so, in some cases, for sport rather than for food, is incapable of responsibly overseeing the conservation of wildlife,” observed Jacoby. After Rules Committee Chairwoman Sen. Ginny Burdick (D-Portland) spiked Nash’s nomination, it came out that “his big-game hunting was never the real issue.” So what was? “The real issue, [environmental groups] say, is that Gov. Brown had a rare

opportunity to change the culture at the top of her fish and wildlife agency and instead chose not to,” reported OPB. It all led regional gun writer and Northwest Sportsman On Target columnist Dave Workman to wonder if “social prejudice” and “political correctness” wasn’t at work. “The irony of environmentalists blocking the nomination of a veteran and lifelong outdoorsman to serve on the Fish & Wildlife commission – which is responsible for setting hunting and fishing seasons and regulations – seems overwhelming,” he wrote for Ammoland.

AS FOR THE other four commission nominees, they detailed their interests to the Rules Committee on May 8. nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

Northwest Sportsman 29

Labhart, who worked for the state Department of Forestry, was a Tillamook County Commissioner and now lives in Sisters, told senators that he’d been involved with ODFW “for decades” and would approach the commission position with an open mind and wasn’t coming in with an agenda. Spelbrink, a retired commercial fisherman of 40 years and fishing guide of 20 years on the Siletz, said the state’s natural resources had “been a huge part of my life” and hoped that his background would be valuable to the citizen panel. Application documents show that both men hunt and fish. Wahl, who managed toxic cleanups for the state and watershed operations in Portland and now lives in Langlois where she coowns her family’s ranch and is on the board of Wild Rivers Land Trust, said with her on-the-job experiences and policy work would make her “an effective, enganged commissioner.” Zarnowitz operates a winery near Yamhill and said she had had a 40-year career in natural resources management in Oregon and Washington, and was “pleased” to offer her services to the state. Their nominations, as well as dozens of others, including outgoing ODFW Commissioner Bruce Buckmaster to the Oregon Water Enhancement Board, were given en bloc do-confirm recommendations by the committee. If approved by the full state senate, Labhart would serve on the commission from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2023; Spelbrink through May 31, 2020; Wahl through May 13, 2023 and Zarnowitz from Sept. 1, 2019 through Aug. 31, 2023. They would replace current Chair Michael Finley, Holly Akenson, Buckmaster and Bob Webber. –Andy Walgamott

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NEWS

4 Tons Of Trash Removed In Yaquina River Cleanup O n Saturday, April 20th, the U Da Man (UDM) Fishing Tournament, in conjunction with Oregon SOLVE, held its 3rd Annual Port to Port Yaquina River Clean Up. This event is sponsored by the Ports of Newport and Toledo, Dahl Disposal of Toledo, Thompson’s Sanitary Service of Newport, JC Thriftway Market and Englund Marine & Industrial Supply of Newport. Fifty-two volunteers worked from boats and the road shoulders from the Port of Toledo airport boat launch starting at 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. This is the largest group of volunteers we have had for this event. Two 20-yard dumpsters were filled with an estimated 8,000 pounds of debris and trash by the end of the day. Volunteers represented community members, along with the many members

Participants in the Port to Port Cleanup pose with trash collected along the lower Yaquina River during the April event. (U DA MAN) of the Longview Hills Fishing Club, Central Coast Fly Fishers, students from the Newport and Toledo High Schools, Angell Job Corps, First United Methodist Church Youth Group of Corvallis, ODFW, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol, Depoe Bay Salmon Enhancement, Oregon Hunters

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JUNE 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com

Association and Oregon SOLVE. The UDM group wants to thank all the sponsors and volunteers who assisted us this year. We simply could not have this much impact on the Yaquina River habitat without all the people power and donations provided for this yearly event. –U Da Man

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NEWS

Columbia Endorsement Expiring After June 30

Wind River spring Chinook anglers fish during foggy conditions during the 2011 fishery. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

es, state lawmakers cut bait with Washington’s Columbia salmon and steelhead endorsement. No, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to buy one if you fish the big river or its tribs this month. “Anglers pursuing salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and its tributaries will still need the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement through June 30, 2019,” said Nate Pamplin of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. That date later this month is the end of the current budget biennium, but the $8.75 fee was not extended past that point as the legislative session came to a close in late April. What that means for WDFW and its recreational Chinook, summer-run, coho and sockeye fisheries held everywhere from Asotin to Brewster to Cathlamet between this July and June 2021 has yet to be determined, but should become clearer as staffers parse through the agency’s budget for the coming two years. Though lawmakers passed neither the endorsement nor license fee increase, they did provide a one-time $24 million bump in state sales tax revenues to fill what was originally estimated as a $31 million shortfall but which subsequently grew by $13 million to now leave a $20 million hole for 2019-21.

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THE COLUMBIA SURCHARGE has been an important funding source for WDFW. “We relied heavily on the revenue from the CRSSE to monitor and enforce recreational fisheries, in particular above McNary Dam, to comply with our ESA permits,” said Pamplin. That’s because to hold seasons over Endangered Species Act-listed salmon and steelhead stocks, the National Marine Fisheries Service requires WDFW to watch those fisheries much more intensely than, say, those on your garden-variety trout, bass and kokanee lake. The endorsement was passed by the 2009 legislature to patch in part a gaping WDFW budget hole caused by the Great Recession and sharply decreased General Fund contributions. From April 2010, when it went into effect, through 2017, it has been purchased 1.6 million times and raised $12.1 million. That money went towards “the costly activities necessary for managing fisheries while minimizing impacts to several wild fish populations in the basin that are federally protected. These management activities include enhancing fishing access, conducting research, and monitoring and enforcing fisheries,” the agency stated in a pitch to lawmakers before this year’s session.

WITH THE ENDORSEMENT expiring at the end of this June, three bills extending it were introduced by legislators. The initial versions of WDFW’s license fee increase request bills – HB 1708 from Rep. Brian Blake (D-Aberdeen) and SB 5692 from Sen. Christine Rolfes (D-Bainbridge) – would have OKed it through June 30, 2023. And a stand-alone bill, SB 5871 from Sens. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake) and Dean Takko (D-Kalama), had it running through that date too. But following the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s early March vote to delay implementing Columbia reforms, in early April, the endorsement was pointedly not included in the Senate operating budget proposal and was also reduced to June 30, 2021 in an amended version of Substitute SB 5692 by Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Sequim), who also included a number of policy items targeting fishery management on the big river. Ultimately both license increase bills died – 1708 with a proposed amendment from Rep. Pat Sullivan (D-Covington) that would have limited the endorsement to two years instead of four and another from Rep. Drew Stokesbary (R-Auburn) that would have tied its extension to at least $14.9 million for hatchery salmon production. Then in the final hours of the session, SB 5871 was reactivated, and on the floor of the Senate Sen. Jesse Salomon (D-Shoreline) proposed an amendment with a one-year extension instead of four. Neither were voted on, and they were dead in the House anyway, Rep. Blake said. HERE’S WHERE IT all gets a little convoluted as fish politics come into play. Yes, the endorsement was part of Blake’s HB 1708 and as chairman of the House natural resources committee, he said he has certain duties to the community and the state to bring up fish and wildlife bills. But no, he’s “never wanted to extend” the endorsement. Blake said that the June 30 sunset clause forces WDFW to “chase the string” to get it reauthorized, and that he receives and sees

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a lot of complaints about the charge. “The whining and crying is not worth it in my mind,” he said. Anglers are angry about a lot of things these days, including decreasing runs and opportunities and piniped predation, among others, and the fish commission’s Columbia reforms vote certainly raised hackles. In a post-session legislative wrap-up, the Coastal Conservation Association of Washington termed that decision “the greatest roadblock to its [the endorsement’s] reauthorization.” But Blake, who is known to advocate for commercial fisheries and is also a big game hunter, maintains the citizen panel was being intimidated well beforehand to vote one way or WDFW’s license fee increase would die. In the end, no fees were passed, leaving holes to half fill with General Fund dollars. Asked how he would instead fund the Columbia monitoring and enforcement that the endorsement pays for, Blake said he would roll it into an underlying fee bill so it is just part of the cost of a license, say, the Fish Washington package. Blake said he would also like to take another stab at a fee bill as well as “stabilize” WDFW’s General Fund disbursement next January, when the legislature reconvenes for the short session. That one-time $24 million bump was split into two-thirds for the first year of the budget biennium, one-third for the second. “It is disappointing to be in a spot where in two years the $24 million expires and we’re back into a significant budget hole,” WDFW’s Pamplin told The Lens, an online business-oriented news source. Pittman-Robertson Act allocations for state wildlife management are also expected to be down $5 million due to slower gun and ammo sales than earlier this decade. Meanwhile, as WDFW staffers were going through what they’ll have to work with and work on in the coming two years, Blake had a forecast for what will happen to angling on the Columbia and its tribs without the endorsement. “I think the department will most likely keep the fisheries on the Columbia open as long as they have money,” he said. With this year’s poor expected steelhead and summer and fall Chinook runs, that could be a little easier with, theoretically, fewer anglers on the water. But a big coho return is also predicted to come in later in the season. –AW 36 Northwest Sportsman

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NEWS

Support For Lake Washington Sockeye Revival Evaluation

Anglers and some watershed council members raise their hands in support of having Frank Urabeck (background left, standing) ask the Department of Fish and Wildlife to assess what it would take to restore Lake Washington sockeye runs. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

ith a midspring show of hands, anglers and others asked a longtime Lake Washington sockeye advocate to request the state Department of Fish and Wildlife look into what it would take to recover the salmon stock and restore the fabled metro fishery. It’s a long-shot proposition what with seemingly all factors lined up against the fish and salmon priorities now more focused on orcas, and two of the people who’d gathered at the Renton Red Lion that late April Tuesday evening supported just throwing in the towel instead. But nobody was in favor of the status quo, which is modeled to lead to the extinction of the run in 40 years time – perhaps as few as 30 if 2019’s lowest-ever forecast of just 15,153 back to the Ballard Locks is any indication. “The reality is, it’s going to be very, very, very tough to get all the players to do something,” acknowledged Frank Urabeck before calling for the vote from the 40 or so members of the public and 10 members of the Cedar River Council. Not everyone held up a hand for any option, but Urabeck’s plan is to approach WDFW Director Kelly Susewind and ask that the agency conduct a feasibility assessment on what can be done and how much it would cost to bring sockeye back to fishable numbers. Urabeck said it would likely require “a

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massive effort, a huge amount of money.” But even as predation on smolts in the lake grows and more and more adult sockeye are dying between the Ballard Locks and the Cedar River, there are still some glimmers of hope.

THE MEETING FOLLOWED on a similar one last year but which did not include Seattle Public Utilities. This time, SPU was at the table in the form of watershed manager Amy LaBarge. She gave a presentation about the utility’s dam on the Cedar River and its mitigation hatchery, completed in 2012 with a capacity of 34 million sockeye eggs. Due to low returns, 18 million is the most that have ever been collected. And since that 2018 gathering, Urabeck indicated that there had been talks going on behind the scenes too. “I can’t say if I’m optimistic, but there has been dialogue,” he said near the end of the two-hour meeting. Other players in the issue include the Muckleshoot Tribe and WDFW, which operates the sockeye facility for SPU. Brody Antipa, the state agency’s regional hatchery manager, was in house and he talked about how he began his career as the guy who “lived in a trailer down by the river” at the old temporary hatchery on the Cedar. It was opened in the early 1990s over concerns that the run at the time was faltering.

The system produced reliably high returns of as many as 400,000 spawners into the river in the 1960s and 1970s, at the end of the era when Lake Washington was thick with blue-green algae that hid the salmon smolts from predators. But following cleanup efforts, water clarity went from as little as 30 inches in 1964 to 10 feet in 1968 to up to 25 feet in 1990, according to WDFW district fisheries biologist Aaron Bosworth. Native cutthroat trout and northern pikeminnow primarily but also nonnative bass, yellow perch and other species suddenly had the advantage over the young sockeye. The years of 400,000 reds on the redds were over just as anglers had figured out how to reliably catch sockeye in the lake with just a plain old red hook. In the 1990s, Antipa said that testing at the hatchery determined that feeding the young sockeye extra before turning them loose to rear in the lake a year to 14 months was helpful. By the early 2000s, fisheries went from once every four years to once every other year – 2002, 2004, 2006. But since then there’s been nothing but a string of increasingly bad years, with last fall seeing just 7,476 of the 32,103 sockeye that went through the locks reaching the Cedar, despite no directed fisheries and only a small biological sampling program operating at Ballard. The rest died from prespawn mortality, or PSM, caused by fish diseases that may have become more deadly and prevalent due to warmer water in the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

DURING THE MEETING, the audience and Cedar River Council members focused on tweaking the hatchery operations – whether Baker and Fraser Rivers sockeye could be used to reach full eggtake capacity; if the facility was able to hold the fry longer for a feeding and later-release programs that show promise; and if it could be used to just raise coho and Chinook instead. The short-term answer to all that was

“no” – the current management plan that the hatchery operates under doesn’t allow it. So, asked a member of the council, how do we change that plan? LaBarge, the SPU staffer, said that would need to go through stakeholders to get buy-in. “The conversation is starting about that.” Another issue is all the predators in Lake Washington. Antipa said that where once just getting 40 million fry into the lake all but guaranteed a fishery a few years later, the 70 million that swam out of the Cedar in 2012 didn’t result in anything. Partly that’s due to the circular feedback of PSM issues affecting how many eggs are available at the hatchery and in the gravel, but rock bass have joined the suite of piscivores, along with walleye and at least one northern pike. A bill Gov. Jay Inslee signed this spring requires WDFW to drop daily and size limits on largemouth and smallmouth in Lake Washington, along with all other waters used by sea-going salmonids in the state. Realistically that won’t do diddly to bass populations, but gillnetting efforts the Muckleshoots have begun more seriously next door in Lake Sammamish might.

BEFORE THE VOTE, Max Prinsen, the council chair, recalled how in 1979 he came north from California at a time when bald eagles and condors were “gone” in the Golden State. “But with changes we made as a society we brought those species back,” he noted. After the show of hands – Prinsen was in favor – he spoke again: “These fish aren’t just important as a fishery, but as a part of Northwest life,” he said. “I think it’s important to conserve this resource. It’s great to see this much interest.” –AW

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Outboard Motors

READER PHOTOS Brady Broders of Kennewick shows off his first fall Chinook, caught on the Columbia’s Hanford Reach while running a Seahawks-colored Brad’s Cut Plug filled with tuna. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

Carly Benson enjoyed a fantastic introduction to spring turkey hunting, harvesting her first two gobblers on successive weeks in Walla Walla County. The 10-year-old’s second tom had a 9-inch beard, “just beating out her older brother for biggest beard,” proud father Jeff Benson reports. (ONTARIO KNIFE CO. PHOTO CONTEST)

David Kasper battles one of a number of sturgeon he and two friends hooked in the swirling currents below McNary Dam last month, fish that ranged from shakers to 5- and 6-footers to a pair of oversize diamondsides. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) Talk about pleasant surprises! Blake Dietrich was fishing for smallmouth smallmouth bass that day on Lake Tapps, but got a little bigger tug while fishing near Snag Island – this big tiger musky. It bit a jointed shad imitation. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

In a down spring Chinook year on the Columbia, Lake Chelan came through with a few, including this nice one for Zach H. He was actually running a kokanee setup – Mack’s Lure Sling Blade and 1.5 Cha Cha Squidder with a 1.5 Glo-burst Smile Blade baited with mojoed shoepeg corn – while fishing with guide Jeff Witkowski. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Yo-Zuri, Ontario Knife Co. and Northwest Sportsman, send your full-resolution, original images with all the pertinent details – who’s in the pic and their hometown; when and where they were; what they caught their fish on/weapon they used to bag the game; and any other details you’d like to reveal (the more, the merrier!) – to awalgamott@media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, 14240 Interurban Ave S, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for use in our print and Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

Northwest Sportsman 43

READER PHOTOS

We’re not sure if Tara Bailey’s excited about the rainbow trout fishing at a Colville Reservation lake or not … said nobody ever! (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) “If you want to catch some fish, go to Lake Chelan,” says Northwest Sportsman ad manager Katie Higgins, who forwarded this pic of friends Evan, Adam, Lisa and Avery and their early May Mackinaw catch from the fjord. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

Combo catch for Christofer and his dad Cody! The lad had a great day at an Olympia-area lake, not only landing his biggest trout yet, but his first ever catfish as well. Marvin Holder sent the pic. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) 44 Northwest Sportsman

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No denying the subject line – “Stellar day” – in an email that came in last month from Roger Davis. He followed the “guidelines” in his May bass fishing article to land 8.23-, 7.47-, 6.68-, 6.46-, and 6.12-pounders, a near-35-pound bag limit, on bluegill and crawfish imitations. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

A trip on the briny blue off the Evergreen State’s coast yielded white-meated fillets for halibut anglers Dave Anderson and his father-in-law Maury Kincannon. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

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Blake Dietrich is the winner of our monthly Yo-Zuri Photo Contest, thanks to this great shot of he and his Western Washington tiger musky. It wins him gear from the company that makes some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best fishing lures and lines!

Dudley Nelson wins our monthly Ontario Knife Co. Photo Contest, thanks to this pic of he and his 2018 Fort Rock premium tag mule deer buck from last season. It wins him a knife from Ontario Knife Company!

For your shot at winning Ontario knives and Yo-Zuri fishing products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to awalgamott@media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications. nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

Northwest Sportsman 47

MIXED BAG An image accompanying an Oregon State Police press release on Anthony A. Coleman’s case resolution shows numerous trophy mounts as well as a bow. (OSP)

By Andy Walgamott

Corvallis Man Sentenced For Poaching, Gun Violations

Corvallis man got jail time, work crew, $20,000-plus in fines, probation, and can’t hunt until 2027 after reaching a plea deal on poaching and gun charges this spring. Anthony A. Coleman, 33, pled guilty to two counts of hunting in violation of wildlife laws and possessing a prohibited firearm, a short-barrelled rifle, following an anonymous tip that he had shot two

elk on the same day. Search warrants served last year by the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division’s Mid-Valley Team eventually led to more charges, including killing a buck out of season. But under the deal with the Benton County District Attorney’s Office, Coleman pleaded guilty to the three charges while others involving unlawful big game

JACKASS OF THE MONTH Two Idaho men who stuffed a 51/2-foot-long upper Snake River sturgeon in a Dodge Intrepid’s trunk were sentenced this spring for illegally possessing the fish. State regs don’t allow anglers to keep the slowgrowing species, but according to the Department of Fish and Game, while fishing below the spillway of Minidoka Dam between Twin Falls and Pocatello, Michael Dewhirst of Rupert and Anthony Eaton of Heyburn decided to abscond with the sturgeon. Following an investigation by Conservation Officer John Beer, Dewhirst pled guilty to possessing the fish and was sentenced to pay $250 in restitution to the state plus another $315 in fines and court costs, 180-day suspended jail term and a year of probation. Eaton pled guilty to aiding in the crime and was sentenced to a 68-day suspended jail term and $165 in court costs. Sturgeon are open for catch-and-release fishing in the Gem State, but can’t be removed from the water. “This species is very slow growing and the illegal take can greatly impact the sport fishery for all Idaho anglers,” said IDFG in a press release.

hunting were dismissed. Coleman was sentenced to spend 10 days in jail and 30 days on a work crew, must pay $20,400 in restitution, fines and fees, had his hunting privileges revoked for eight years and during his three-year probation period can’t hunt, trap or even look for shed antlers. Guns, bows and animal parts that had been in his possession were also forfeited.

KUDOS County prosecutors across the Northwest are the key link for ensuring that poachers caught by game wardens face justice. Often faced with many other cases competing for their time and finite local fiscal resources, when district attorneys take up violations of fish and wildlife rules, especially complex investigations, they should be recognized for upholding the law. So it is with members of the Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office who were recognized by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for their work on a recent halibut charter fishing case that resulted in convictions for two brothers. WDFW Police Chief Steve Bear thanked Prosecutor Mark McClain “for his leadership and protecting” county resources, according to the Chinook Observer, as well as his deputies Joe Faurholt and Ben Haslam who argued the case in court.

nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

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Westport $10,000 King Contest Begins

n one of the grandest of grand prizes in Northwest anglerdom, $10,000 is once again up for grabs on the Washington Coast as the Westport Charter Boat Association’s annual Chinook derby kicks off this month. Salmon fishing opens June 22 here, but if this summer is like past ones, the months of July or August will yield the biggest king. The derby winner has been caught as early as July 2 in 2016 to as late as Aug. 27 in 2012. While there have been charter fishing derbies held at Westport for five decades, the prize for the biggest king used to be $2,500. Then two years ago it ballooned up to $10,000. Last year, Masaru Tahara of Seattle brought the crown back to the Northwest with a 26.35-pounder caught off of Capt. Kevin Vasereno’s Gold Rush on July 25, upstaging the inaugural 2017 $10,000 fish landed by Mike Vaughn of the San Diego area on the Hula Girl. Overall, three of the past six derby winners have come from out of state. The 2000s’ largest king, a 50.19-pounder (gilled, gutted), was landed Aug. 19, 2004 by Ann Diehm of Ocean Shores. Sponsors include Merino’s Seafood Market and Cannery, Aloha Alabama Barbecue and Bakery, Brumfield

By Andy Walgamott

17.68-lber. Wins At LPO

Masaru Tahara stands with the 26.35-pound (gilled and gutted) Chinook that won him the Westport Charter Boat Association’s $10,000 grand prize for the season’s largest king caught off one of the organization’s flotilla. (WESTPORT WEIGHMASTER) Construction, Blackbeard’s Brewing, Shop’n Kart, Shoalwater Bay Casino, and others. To enter, sign up with one of the numerous charter services operating nearly two dozen boats out of Westport and buy the $5 derby ticket. For more, see charterwestport.com, westportgrayland-chamber.org and find Westport Weighmaster on Facebook.

ONGOING/UPCOMING EVENTS  Now through the end of season: Westport Charterboat Association Weekly Lingcod, Halibut, Chinook, Coho, Albacore Derbies; charterwestport.com  Now through Oct. 31: 2019 WDFW Statewide Trout Derby; fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov  May 31-June 2: 11th Annual Mack Derby, Odell Lake, Oregon; odelllakeresort.com  June 1: Richland Brownlee Fishing Tournament, Brownlee Res.; basecampbaker.com  June 15: 3rd Annual Richland Crappie Shootout Kayak Fishing Tournament, Brownlee Res.; basecampbaker.com  June 29-30: Salmon Derby, Nootka, Vancouver Island; nootkamarineadventures.com  July 26-27: 2019 Deep Canyon Challenge, Ilwaco; oregontunaclassic.org  July 27: Surf Fishing Tournament, Ona Beach State Park; everylist.com  Aug. 15-16: 19th Annual Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge, Lower Columbia; nsiafishing.org  Aug. 17: 2nd Annual Lipstick Slayers Salmon Tournament, Lower Columbia; lipsticksalmonslayer.com  Aug. 23-24: Oregon Tuna Classic Garibaldi, Garibaldi; oregontunaclassic.org For more Washington contests, see wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests.

day six rainbow won the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club’s annual Spring K&K Fishing Derby. Blake Heather’s 17.68-pound, 34¼-incher held on to win the eight-day-long event and scored him the $4,000 first prize. Donald Salter’s 16.42 came in second for $1,000. In the Mackinaw division, Scott Plue and his day two 25.56-pounder held on to claim $1,000. Pat Raynor’s second-place Mack was just as long, 371/2 inches, but 2.8 pounds lighter, though still yielded $500. In the youth divisions, Jace Chapman landed the biggest rainbow in the 8-andunder field, a 12.8, while Ashlynn McCorkle’s 10.26 was biggest for kids 9 to 13 years old. Unlike last year, there was no walleye bracket, but a 9.3-pound brown hit the scale, good for $150 to lucky angler Ray Allison.

MORE RESULTS: Nick Bohrer's 9.75-pound Chinook won $500 in the big fish category at NSIA's April 20 Spring Fishing Classic, and it helped he and two others win first in the team competition, scoring them lots of gear.

2019 NORTHWEST SALMON DERBY SERIES  July 12-14: Bellingham Salmon Derby  July 24-28: The Big One (Lake Couer d’Alene) Salmon Derby

 Aug. 1-4: Brewster Salmon Derby  Aug. 3: South King County PSA Salmon Derby

 Aug. 10: Gig Harbor PSA Salmon Derby

 Aug.

17-18: Vancouver (BC) Chinook Classic  Aug. 31: Columbia River Fall Salmon Derby  Sept. 7: Edmonds Coho Derby  Sept. 21-22: Everett Coho Derby  Nov. 2-3: Everett Blackmouth Salmon Derby For more details, see nwsalmonderbyseries.com.

nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

Northwest Sportsman 51

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OUTDOOR

CALENDAR

JUNE Central Oregon Coast nearshore halibut opener; Fishing opens on select 1 Washington waters; Coho opener on Marine Area 10; WDFW youth fishing events at Gene Coulon Park (Renton), Heart Lake (Anacortes), Howard Bowen Memorial Park (Sumas) and Steel Lake (Federal Way) – info: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/youth 1-2 Free Fishing Weekend in Oregon 1-9 Series of significant daylight minus tides 6-8 Oregon Central Coast all-depth halibut weekend 6, 8, 20, 22 Possible Marine Areas 3-10 halibut openers, depending on quota Free Fishing Day in Idaho; ODFW Youth Outdoor Day ($, register), EE Wilson 8 WA, and Family Fishing Events (free) at Cleawox Lake and Denman WA – info: myodfw.com/workshops-and-events 8-9 Free Fishing Weekend in Washington 9 WDFW youth fishing event at Fishtrap Creek (Lynden) – info: see above 14-22 Series of significant daylight minus tides 15 Final day for spring bear permit season in Washington; Family Fishing Event (free) at Alton Baker Canoe Canal in Eugene – info: see above; CAST For Kids event at Sarge Hubbard Pond in Yakima – info: castforkids.org; Fishing Kids event at Island Lake in Poulsbo – info: castforkids.org 16 Portion of Skagit River opens for sockeye fishing 20 Date ODFW controlled hunt app results available no later than – info: or.outdoorcentral.us/or/license; Family Fishing Event (free) at Shevlin Pond near Bend – info: see above 20-22 Oregon Central Coast all-depth halibut backup weekend (if quota) 22 Washington Coast Chinook, hatchery coho opener; Hatchery coho opener on Oregon Coast north of Humbug Mountain; CAST For Kids event at Moses Lake – info: see above JULY 1 1-7 4 4-6 6 7 13 14 15 18-20 20 25 27

Leftover big game tags go on sale in Oregon and start of youth “first time” hunt application period; New Washington fishing regs pamphlet take effect; Marine Areas 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12 (south of Ayock Point) open for salmon fishing; C&R steelhead opener on much of Idaho’s Clearwater Series of significant daylight minus tides Family Fishing Event (free) at Mingus Park in Coos Bay – info: see above Oregon Central Coast all-depth halibut backup weekend (if quota) Family Fishing Event (free) at Jubilee Lake near Tollgate – info: see above Family Fishing Event (free) at Dundas Pond near Siletz – info: see above CAST For Kids event at Emigrant Lake by Ashland – info: see above CAST For Kids event at Prineville Reservoir – info: see above Deadline to purchase Washington raffle hunt tickets Oregon Central Coast all-depth halibut backup weekend (if quota) Family Fishing Event (free), July Jubilee at North Bend – info: see above; CAST For Kids event on the Umpqua at Elkton – info: see above; Oregon bighorn sheep and mountain goat tagholders workshop and orientation at Fort Dalles Readiness Center, The Dalles – info: oregonfnaws.org Marine Areas 9-10 hatchery Chinook opener CAST For Kids event on Yaquina Bay at Newport– info: see above

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FISHING

Summer Salmon Planner This year’s seasons aren’t what we’d like them to be, but there are still Chinook, coho, sockeye and more to catch – here’s what, where and when! By Mark Yuasa

he dust has settled on a rather difficult Washington salmon season-setting process that led to a myriad of closures totaling anywhere from weeks to months depending on the area, but now it’s time to move on and put those unsightly moments in the rearview mirror. Think about 2019-20’s fisheries as a two-way street with many roadblocks in place, but those willing to drive around them should find a clear path on the expressway to fishing success.

ONE PLACE IS south-central Puget Sound (Marine Area 11), which will likely generate some glory moments

starting July 1 (closed Thursdays and Fridays of each week) despite a reduced quota of 2,805 hatchery Chinook (5,030 in 2018). A smaller quota means that going sooner than later will guarantee time on the water. The June closure in Area 11 may be a roadblock but will also have some Tacoma anglers turning the corner and heading past the Narrows Bridge into deep South Sound to find profitable prospects. Area 13 is open yearround for salmon and has a revamped minimum size limit on hatchery Chinook of 20 inches (22 inches was the standard in past years). “I like to think outside of the box and while we can’t fish our traditional locations (in Area 11), those who put a few extra miles on

their boat can run about 15 minutes south to Area 13,” said Art Tachell, manager of the Point Defiance Park Boathouse (metroparkstacoma.org/ pointdefiancemarina) in Tacoma. “Last year some of our boathouse regulars found great king fishing south of the bridge.” If the Chinook quota is achieved in Area 11 the salmon fishery reverts to being open daily through Sept. 30 for coho and pinks only.

JUST OUTSIDE SEATTLE’S skyline lies central Puget Sound (Area 10), where a June 1-July 24 season targets resident coho, followed by a hatchery Chinook fishery opening July 25 – later than 2018’s and previous years’ July 16 opener – and closing Aug. 31 or when

Northwest salmon anglers have seen better days, but despite painful cutbacks in areas like Possession Bar, where this image was taken last summer, there are still chances to catch dinner. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

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FISHING the quota of 3,057 (4,473 in 2018) is achieved. It then switches to a cohodirected season from Sept. 1-Nov. 15. “We had some pretty good coho fishing in June around Jefferson Head last year and then it shifted right into a nice hatchery Chinook summer season,” said Carl Nyman, owner of Fish Finders Private Charters (fishingseattle.com) in Seattle and president of the Charter Boat Association of Puget Sound. Target hatchery kings off West Point south of Shilshole Bay; Point Monroe, Skiff Point and Yeomalt Point off Bainbridge Island; Jefferson Head; Richmond Beach to the Edmonds oil dock; Kingston; Allen Bank off Blake Island; Southworth; and the north end of Vashon Island near the ferry landing. After being closed for several years the inner-Elliott Bay Chinook fishery is likely to draw a big crowd when it opens Aug. 2 until Aug. 5 at 12 p.m. Additional weekend openings in the bay are possible if in-season tribal test fishing data shows a stronger return.

EXPECT A SHORT but sweet hatchery

The popular Central Sound marked Chinook fishery on Marine Areas 9 and 10 was pared back in terms of quota and days on the salt, and that means you don’t want to dally for your shot at landing hatchery kings like this one held by author Mark Yuasa’s son Tegan. (MARK YUASA) 56 Northwest Sportsman

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king fishery when northern Puget Sound (Area 9) opens July 25-Aug. 15 (opened July 16 in 2018). A significant drop in the hatchery-marked Chinook quota (3,491 this year, 5,400 in 2018) probably means the season won’t go beyond one week, especially if catches are as good as last year. Morning low tides on the first two days of the opener won’t be stellar, but then it turns around by July 27 and only gets better after that! Possession Bar, Point No Point, in front of the Edmonds Marina breakwater, Pilot Point, Double Bluff north to Fort Casey on the west side of Whidbey Island, Foulweather Bluff and Midchannel Bank to Point Wilson off Port Townsend are all prime locations. Expect the hatchery coho fishery (you can also keep pinks) in Area 9 from Aug. 16-Sept. 30 to produce some excitement. Right now, Area

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FISHING 9 is planned to be closed in October, but it could reopen for a nonselective coho fishery to expand more time on the water if in-season numbers show it’s a possibility, according to Mark Baltzell, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Puget Sound recreational salmon manager. San Juans salmon opportunities were hit pretty hard this year, but Area 7 is open July 1-31 for hatchery kings and it has been an early-season hot spot the past few years, so put in as much time before the August closure. The preseason prediction of legal-size Chinook encounters in Area 7 is 3,622 and WDFW manages this fishery as a season from beginning to end. Coho become fair game Sept. 1-30.

The Bellingham Bay Terminal Fishery is open Aug. 16-Sept. 30 with a four-salmon (two Chinook) daily limit.

SUMMER CLOSURES ALONG the east side of Whidbey Island (Areas 8-1 and 8-2) have become a common occurrence but set your sights on the southern portion from the MukilteoClinton line south and west towards the Area 9 boundary, which is open Aug. 16-Sept. 15 for hatchery coho and pinks. It was a hotbed for big coho in 2018 and anglers should see a similar scenario this season. The Tulalip Bubble Terminal Fishery within Area 8-2 is a hatchery salmon-directed fishery and the season remains status quo from last

year. If forecasts hit the bull’s-eye, action could be decent when it opens June 1 (closed on June 15 for a tribal ceremonial fishery) through Sept. 2. Fishing is allowed from 12:01 a.m. Fridays through 11:59 a.m. Mondays only. Then it switches to Saturdays and Sundays only each week from Sept. 7-29.

THE STRAIT OF Juan de Fuca (Areas 5 and 6) from Sekiu to Port Angeles opens July 1-Aug. 15 for a hatcherymarked king fishery. For the past several years, the eastern Strait has been a worthwhile journey on the opener, with areas from Sekiu to Freshwater Bay coming on by midJuly. Look for coho and pink action

OREGON PROSPECTS The good return of Columbia coho won’t just benefit Washington Coast anglers. Those based out of Beaver State ports will see “improved” fishing up and down the Oregon shore this season. June 22 marks the hatchery silver opener from the big river’s south jetty all the way to Humbug Mountain, with a quota of 79,800 (shared with Washington) north of Cape Falcon and 90,000 between there and Humbug. Those two figures compare well to 2018’s initial quotas of 21,000 and 35,000, respectively. And with an improved wild coho forecast for Central Coast streams, the nonselective late summer fishery is scheduled to open Aug. 31-Sept. 1 and the following Fridays through Sunday through Sept. 30 or until the quota of 9,000 fish is met. Last season’s initial quota was 3,500 but state managers, working with federal overseers, “rolled over” unused impacts from the summer hatchery-directed fishery, bumping it up to 7,600. For comparison’s sake, Newport accounted for 31.6 percent of the overall 2018 harvest of 25,670 coho on the ocean, Astoria 27.7 percent, Winchester Bay 12.9 percent, Depoe Bay 9.3 percent, Garibaldi

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Oregon Coast anglers will see increased coho quotas this season but also the closure of Chinook in two late-season ocean terminal zones. Guide Andy Martin stretches to net a fall king at the Chetco mouth last year. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) 6.0 percent, Pacific City 4.9 percent, Charleston 4.3 percent, Florence 2.9 percent and Bandon .1 percent. As for Chinook, between Cape Falcon and Washington’s Leadbetter Point, 7,150 are available beginning June 22. While concerns about improving but still “overfished” Klamath- and Sacramentobound kings led to higher escapement goals for the two southern salmon systems, that primarily will impact commercial troll fisheries, state managers say, and the Central Coast season is slated to run through Oct. 31, and Sept. 2 south of Humbug. Though it’s a different story in the bays, far more coho than Chinook are typically caught on the ocean. Brookings led all ports last year, accounting for 32.1 percent

of the 4,991 kings landed, followed by Astoria and Winchester Bay at 13.9 percent, Newport at 13.1 percent, Depoe Bay at 8.5 percent, Garibaldi at 7.5 percent, Pacific City at 6.6 percent, Florence at 2.5 percent, Charleston at 1.9 percent and Bandon again at .1 percent. Unfortunately, the fall Chetco and Elk River bubble fisheries in state waters are not scheduled to occur this year due to low forecasted returns, and state managers are warning that Chinook runs to many coastal bays and rivers are expected to come in “below average.” That could lead to reduced limits (though not to the Rogue and Umpqua) to try and still allow some fishing while also getting more spawners on the gravel for future runs and seasons. –NWS

FISHING The South Sound will offer the best bet for inland saltwater fishing opportunities for Chinook, coho and pinks. (MARK YUASA)

47,600 last year; and 52,500 Chinook, down slightly from 55,000. The Columbia coho forecast is 1,009,600, well up from 349,000 in 2018. All four ports – Neah Bay, La Push, Westport and Ilwaco – are open daily from June 22 through Sept. 30 or until each area’s catch quota is achieved. The La Push bubble fishery is open Oct. 1-13 with a combined Chinook and hatchery coho quota of 100. The daily limit at Ilwaco and Westport is two salmon and no more than one may be a Chinook. The daily limit at La Push and Neah Bay is two salmon. Ilwaco has a 79,800 hatchery coho quota (21,000 in 2018) and a 7,150-Chinook quota (8,000 in 2018); Westport is 59,050 (15,540) and 12,700 (13,100); La Push is 4,050 (1,090) and 1,100 (1,500); and Neah Bay is 16,600 (5,370) and 5,200 (3,024).

IN FRESHWATER SYSTEMS, Baker Lake

to ramp up from Aug. 16 through Sept. 30. The preseason legal-mark encounter figure for Chinook in Area 5 is 8,294 and WDFW ensures it doesn’t exceed 9,953. In Area 6, WDFW will manage the fishery as a season from beginning to end.

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chance of catching plenty of hatchery coho and a fair shot at kings in the ocean (Areas 1, 2, 3 and 4). “We are very optimistic for coho and you have to go back to 2015 since we’ve had any good coho fishing,” said Wendy Beeghley, WDFW coastal salmon policy manager. The total allowable sport and nontribal commercial catch is 190,000 hatchery coho, up considerably from

opens for sockeye starting July 6 and the Skagit opens June 16. Watch the in-season counts at the fish trap to see when to go. The forecast is 33,737. The popular August salmon fishery at Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia opens Aug. 1-20 for adult Chinook and hatchery coho retention, and then from Aug. 21-Dec. 31 for a hatchery coho-directed fishery (release all Chinook and wild coho). For the first time in several years, the Stillaguamish opens Sept. 16-Nov. 15 for coho. The Skykomish, from its mouth to the Wallace, opened in late May for hatchery summer kings. The Sky as well as Snohomish and Snoqualmie are also open Sept. 1-30 with a daily limit of one coho, and if the run is larger than predicted managers could liberalize the season around the first week of October. This will be done through data collected in a test fishery. The Skagit opens Sept. 1 for coho. And Minter Creek, where good runs of Chinook, coho and chum are expected but opportunities are tight, opens for salmon Sept. 15-Dec. 31. NS

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FISHING

Oregon’s Awesome Fishing Ops A native son shares his best bets for summer fun from the coast to the valley to the Cascades and beyond. By Troy Rodakowski

ith the end of the school year here and start of summer vacation season straight ahead, it’s prime time to start planning some great fishing trips across Oregon. Whether you’re after chromebright steelhead or kokanee, tasty walleye or feisty bass, or want to tap the ocean’s cornucopia, here are some of the best fisheries I recommend, along with tips on how to fish them and where to stay.

BEST TROUT/KOKANEE OPTIONS Rivers: I like the McKenzie and Willamette (for fly fishing, bait, lures) near Eugene, the Klamath and Williamson (fly fishing) in Southern Oregon and the Blitzen, Owyhee, Crooked and Grande Ronde (fly and lure) on the east side. Of course, there are many more rivers in between that are awesome and hold excellent fish and may even be better at times, but these consistently produce for anglers. Lakes: Odell, Crescent, East, Green Peter, Diamond, Paulina, Wallowa and Billy Chinook are all hot for big trout and kokanee. There have been some record-book fish pulled out of a few and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some nice fish caught this season as well. Just be sure to check the regs for the water you’re fishing, as catch limits and other restrictions vary widely. Extra: Keep an eye on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s trout stocking schedules (myodfw.

Summer fishing options across Oregon are as varied and colorful as this coastal catch. From bottomfish to mountain trout, the opportunities shine this time of year. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

com/fishing/species/trout/stockingschedule-print). Release sites are great places to get young ones involved. Accommodations: Most of these fisheries either have nearby towns with hotels and bed and breakfasts, or resorts, campgrounds and day-use sites on or close to the water. If you fish Southern Oregon, I suggest the Running Y Resort (runningy.com). Tips: Make sure to take a good assortment of wet and dry flies, various bait and lures and do not

forget your insect repellent. Several of these waters are known for their biting flies and mosquitoes. For upto-date advice on what to use, check with local fly and tackle shops, resort/ lodge staff and local guides.

BEST WARMWATER FISHERIES Smallmouth bass: I have to go with the Umpqua River. This waterway produces not only good numbers of fish but is very solid for hooking into a few 3- to 5-pound or larger bass. nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

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FISHING The warm months are a great time to learn to sling a fly for trout. A young angler tries his luck on the McKenzie River. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

Though some of the best largemouth fishing can be on private property in small lakes and ponds, anglers can find some excellent opportunities at lakes and reservoirs across the state, including Dorena, Fern Ridge, Foster, Fall Creek, Henry Hagg, Cottage Grove and Prineville. Most of these bodies of water also provide some of the best bluegill and crappie options. Walleye: Be sure to try your hand at catching these tasty fish on the Columbia near The Dalles and the confluence of the John Day River. These waters may hold the next state record, but also lots and lots of eaters. Accommodations: For Umpqua bass, the many hotels near Roseburg and Sutherlin and the Big K Guest Ranch (big-k.com/) in Elkton are great options, and there are several campgrounds and RV parks as well. Most of the other fisheries are found along the I-5 corridor and not far from hotels and campgrounds, while for Columbia Gorge walleye, check out thedalleschamber.com. Tips: While the bass spawn will probably be wrapped up by the time you read this, things should be smoking hot in June this year. Make sure to have a good selection of gear in your arsenal as the bite can change based on temperature, barometer and weather conditions.

BEST SUMMER STEELHEAD

Taking kids fishing is one of the best things about summertime, and the myriad warmwater species available make for willing biters. (TROY RODAKOWSKI) 68 Northwest Sportsman

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Top rivers: I grew up fishing the Willamette, McKenzie and Santiam Rivers, but their summer hatchery runs have diminished over the last several seasons due to reduced releases, predation and low returns. However, I will say the Deschutes, John Day, Grande Ronde, Siletz, Nestucca and Rogue Rivers are likely some of the best summer steelhead waters in our state. Most of these fisheries peak in August and September and some overlap in late fall with winter runs. Some of the best fishing is found in early October before waters rise. Accommodations: Depending on how far you want to drive there

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Northwest Sportsman 69

FISHING There are many reasons to hit the Oregon Coast, but none as tasty as Dungeness crab caught in the bay, ocean or off a pier. (TROY RODAKOWSKI)

are towns fairly close to all of these locations, but also campgrounds along their banks or nearby (reserveamerica.com). Tips: Start fishing in July and August when fish are beginning to show up. It will not only give you a chance to get to know the water but you can scout the run while river levels are low before they begin to rise during the first fall rains. Keep a close eye on how your fishery is 70 Northwest Sportsman

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shaping up by checking ODFW’s weekly fishing report (myodfw.com/ recreation-report). And whether you are drifting eggs, using a bobber and eggs or running plugs be prepared to switch it up. Water levels can change quickly, especially on damcontrolled systems. For fly guys bring a good assortment of flies.

BEST BOTTOM AND SHELLFISH Top ports: Newport, Waldport, Port

Orford, Depoe Bay and Brookings are all places where lingcod, cabezon, rockfish, halibut and surfperch can be found in decent numbers. I recommend jumping aboard a local charter for a trip. It’s worth the minimal fee to come home with a cooler full of bottomfish for the freezer. Most fishing here is done within sight of shore, but decent action can also be found right from shore and working the rock jetties for lings and rockfish, or beaches at low tide for perch. Berkley salted, cured rubber worms, crayfish and other baits are great choices. Clam necks and live sand shrimp are also great to have in your repertoire. Jigging is the most popular method from a boat. Using a fish finder to locate schools or structure that lingcod are hiding in is the best way to go. Shellfish: You can also find great crabbing and clam digging off nearby docks and in the local bays. Some charter services include tossing pots out for Dungeness with their bottomfish trips. September through November are typically the best months, but crabbing is open yearround. Oh, and don’t forget to get your shellfish license before going. Accommodations: Hotels, resorts, timeshares and RV parks abound in all of these small coastal towns (fishingbooker.com/destinations/ region/us/oregon-coast), but I think the most satisfying and fun adventure for families is to camp and spend a day together fishing or just exploring the coast (visittheoregoncoast.com). Tips: For any adventure here, make sure to plan and book well in advance, especially during the summer months when it can be very busy. This is of course a fishing magazine, but there’s just so much to enjoy at the coast – tour aquariums, explore tide pools, hike the many trails, go on a dune buggy ride, eat saltwater taffy till you burst. Wherever you go, whatever you pursue, it’s always more fun in Oregon in summer. NS

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he Pacific Ocean creates large wind waves, as fishermen we are often running directly into these waves or running into a “head sea”. With a few tips we can improve the ride and minimize the impact on the passengers and crew. A “bow down” running attitude of your vessel is important to slice through the seas. Position moveable ballast weight (coolers, fishing gear, etc) forward. Use trim tabs and negative engine trim to force the bow down. This will allow the sharp entry of your bow to slice through the waves. In a particularly large head sea it is advisable to quarter the waves at an angle, applying engine power at the bottom of the swell and easing back on the throttle as the vessel crests the wave. Fuel usage will increase to some extent, although having the boat propped correctly should minimize the additional fuel usage. The engine should be able to reach the manufacturer’s recommended WOT rpms with a fishing load and full tank of fuel. Often vessels are propped lightship and when running in ocean conditions with a load are over propped creating excessive fuel consumption. A vessel designed to operate safely in ocean conditions will have a large proud bow with a sharp entry combined with a high dead-rise at the transom. An enclosed pilothouse keeps the crew safe and dry with ocean rated windshield’s. This is one instance where weight and heavy duty construction allow the boat to punch through the seas year after year. As always the occupants should have on the proper life preservers as well as working communications and safety equipment.

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COLUMN

Clamming With Hank Foodie Hank Shaw trudges back to the rig with his share of he and author Randy King’s near limit of gaper clams and half limit of butter clams they gathered in May. (RANDY KING)

I CHEF IN THE WILD

By Randy King

had a trowel, a plastic bag, a ruler and my fishing license. I was ready to dig clams. The problem was, I had absolutely no idea

about how to do that. Growing up surrounded by sage and rattlesnakes does not lend itself to an innate understanding of how to pry dinner out of the West Coast’s beaches. I definitely am an inlander when it comes to collecting my own seafood. Luckily, I had a mentor in Hank Shaw, the James Beard Award-winning blogger, wild food cookbook author and fervent clammer. I met Hank several years prior and helped him bag a buck for his venison cookbook Buck, Buck, Moose. Since then we have been connecting randomly for hunting and fishing excursions. He is a master forager and has a vast knowledge about how to acquire seafood, skills learned as a professional Alaskan salmon

fisherman in the summer and catching tuna off the New Jersey coast. He is a pro. I am not. I flat-out told him I was at a loss for how to clam well. “Don’t worry,” Hank told me, “I’ll show you what to do. By the end of the day your hands will hurt from digging the sand and rocks.”

WE WALKED FROM our cars down a very lightly traveled trail to a shockingly rocky beach exposed by a -1-foot tide (more on that later). “For butter clams what you look for are areas with a bunch of clam shells. If you see the dead shells on the top, there are most likely live ones underneath … You find them in ‘seams’ under the sand. They grow in almost colonies. So if you find one, dig around it, often there are more.” “Look for a series of keyholes in the sand,” he added, “not round holes. Keyholes are butter clams.” “As for the gaper clams, look for … well … look for, well, let me show you,” Hank said, motioning me down the beach to a

quarter-sized divot in the sand. “These will have something that looks like a ___.” I am going to edit what he said at this point, as it is inappropriate for a family magazine. I think a great way to describe it is to use a Star Wars reference. In Return of the Jedi Boba Fett is tossed into the sarlacc pit, and the maw of a creature comes out of the sand to eat him. Look for something like that sticking out in the sand. Or, just google it. At that point you will also be able to see why they have their other name, aka “horse clams,” but again, this is a family magazine. “When you find one,” Hank added, “Smack it on the top gently with your trowel. If it squirts water up at you, it is definitely a gaper.” He motioned me over to a gaper location and tapped the top and sure enough, a 2-foot stream of ocean water came squirting up at us. “Dig here,” he said, wandering off. I dug. The gaper clam was deeper than I

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COLUMN

K.I.S. SEAFOOD

y culinary skills with clams lean more toward French and Italian applications. With canned clams I make thick chowder. But with ones that I’ve picked myself out of the sand and rocks (albeit rarely) I feel like simple is better. Lemon, garlic and cream are enough to make

them taste great. The lemon provides acid, tartness that our palettes like. The garlic provides the flavor, the zing. The cream provides the fat, the mouth feel, something that almost all seafood needs. And salt just makes everything taste better – it is a flavor enhancer.

Clams, shrimp and asparagus with cream and lemon. (RANDY KING) 74 Northwest Sportsman

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Adding asparagus at the end gives it crunch and shrimp provide enough protein to call it a meal. This dish is the KISS theory cooking at its finest. 1 pound of butter clams 1 tablespoon butter 1 each shallot, medium, sliced thin 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 5 ounces 25/30 shrimp, thawed 1 cup dry white wine 1 each lemon, cut into quarters ½ cup cream ½ bunch asparagus spears, sliced thin on the diagonal Salt and pepper In a strainer wash all the butter clams. Double check for “mud clams,” those that feel as if they are alive but are just full of sand. Nothing ruins a dish quicker than a clam full of sand in your sauce. Next tap the tops of all the clams that are still open. If they do not close they are dead; discard them. Do not eat a dead clam, unless you like getting sick or meeting new people every day due to amnesia. Next add your butter to a 10-inch sauté pan. Heat over medium until the butter is turning clear but not smoking. Add the garlic, shallots, clams and shrimp. Turn the heat to high. Next cook the shrimp for two to three minutes, flipping them and making sure they get a little color. Do not burn the garlic. Remove the shrimp from the pan onto a plate and reserve. Next add the white wine and lemons. Reduce heat to a medium. Cover the clams with a lid for five to six minutes and let steam in the wine. Wait until most of them have popped open. Then add the cream and return to a boil. When boiling with the cream add in the shrimp, then the asparagus. Cook for two more minutes with the cover on. Season with salt and pepper and serve as an appetizer. For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK

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Shaw holds a fist-sized gaper clam wrestled out of a bouldery beach. “By the end of the day your hands will hurt from digging the sand and rocks,” he’d advised before digging, and that certainly was the case for King at the end of the day. (RANDY KING) expected and it was wedged between two rocks I had to excavate before I could get him out of the sand. It felt like a major victory, pulling up the fist-sized bivalve. I’d accomplished something. I looked left and noticed a string of keyholes and tore after them. Butter clams, several of them, came into my possession.

Clamming, I had decided, was fun.

BEFORE WE EVER thought about clamming we both researched this particular area. Hank looked up the tide levels. The day we went had a -1 tide. What this means is that the tide was roughly a foot lower than normal low tide level. Some tides can get as low as -12 feet in areas like

Alaska, revealing loads of clam beds and areas to harvest. But in reality any tide from 0 or lower is going to be your best bet for clamming. We also checked with state websites to see if any closures due to marine toxins were being reported. Clams are not always a safe food to eat. Many native tribes in California and the Northwest didn’t eat them from May through November in fear of the toxins the bivalves might contain. (It also helped that these were the best times to fish, hunt and forage, so it kind of worked out.) Toxins in clams like domoic acid can cause everything from nausea to paralysis, with my favorite side effect being amnesia. “Yeah, I always check the beach to see if its open,” Hank noted. “As much as I like meeting new people every day, I don’t want to have that to be because of a clam I ate.” Our saltwater beaches have a variety of clams available – geoducks, horse, butter, softshell, razor, purple varnish, just to name a few. And let’s not forget the mussels that are also prevalent all along

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Northwest Sportsman 79

COLUMN furs and other supplies. Traditional native meals with clams included things like soups and chowders, as well as pulverized clam cakes dipped in fish oil.

AT THE END of the low tide Hank and I had

Cleaned butters dry off in a strainer prior to cooking. To prevent consuming dead clams, tap the shells of any that are open and if they don’t close, discard them. (RANDY KING) the coast and are underutilized. Shellfish were so abundant that native middens – giant piles of discarded clam shells – have been found that are dozens of feet deep. Think about how long a person would

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have to eat clams to create an area that is a single foot deep! That’s a lot of chowder. It is no wonder then that natives used clams as a form of currency. They would trade dried or smoked clams inland for

a near limit of gaper clams and about half a limit of butter clams. A great haul, honestly. As we began to pack up I noticed something odd – my fingers hurt. Looking down at them I began to notice that in my fervor to dislodge clams from hiding locations between rocks, and to remove them from the collapsing sandy holes I was digging, I had cut the ends of my fingers in dozens of locations. Sand had made it under my nails and was beginning to sting and grind, empty shells had cut my water-softened fingertips, and I had ground the end of my index finger bare in search of clams. “You get into the action. You want to find clams that bad. To play in the dirt that bad,” Hank noted. “You forget that it might have consequences later … I told you your hands would hurt.” NS

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Get Ready To Crack Crabs Summer marks the start of the best time to get after Dungeness and red rocks in Northwest waters. By Jason Brooks

s summer finally gets going in the Northwest, those who live near the saltwater and others making the journey to “the coast” from the arid lands in the eastern halves of Washington and Oregon know that the cool of evening and setting of the sun also means fresh crab dinners. Crabbing is a treat and can be enjoyed by just about everyone who gives it a try, and it doesn’t even require a boat. Enthusiasts without watercraft can go crabbing from the many fishing piers and shorelines, or walk along the beaches and collect them by hand or net. Divers often grab a few crabs while recreationally diving and if you have a kayak, dingy or canoe, you can get out on the calm, sheltered waters of Puget Sound and other bays to catch them too.

WITH THEIR MEATY legs and body, Dungeness are the prized crab in the Northwest. They are also one of the most prevalent in Puget Sound and bays along the coast from Alaska to California, with numerous great estuaries on the Oregon Coast. The season on these purple-shelled, whiteclawed crabs that can measure as much as 9 inches across the back is open year-round in many waters, though more limited in Puget Sound, where it

With Washington’s crabbing season in Puget Sound coming up this summer and the best time to chase Dungeness on the Oregon Coast not far behind, now’s the time to get ready to catch one of the most delicious dinners the Northwest’s fishing, hunting and foraging world offers. (JASON BROOKS) nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

Northwest Sportsman 83

FISHING typically is open through the meat of summer, depending on the area. Dungies are found in eel grass flats and also sandy areas in deeper water, but you really don’t need to plumb the depths to find them, at least early on. One reason why anglers do target deeper depths is because the crabs’ popularity often leads to areas being “fished out” of legal-sized males (6¼ inches in Washington’s inside waters, 6 on the coast and in Oregon). Compared to other crabs, Dungeness like water that is less saline, so large bays, estuaries and inlets are good places to try. Primarily feeding on clams, bottomfish and other crustaceans, they will recede under the sand when threatened and during large tide swings. This means you should look for sandy bottom areas to catch more of them.

There are many ways to catch crabs, from walking along the shallows to casting traps from piers to heaving weighted, baited pots over the gunnells into the depths, and they all work to a degree, but from a boat is generally most productive over the, er, long haul. (JASON BROOKS)

RED ROCKS ARE often thrown back by those who prefer Dungeness. This might be because of their extremely hard shells and smaller legs, though these crabs have very large pinchers that are full of a sweeter flesh. They are smaller than Dungeness and only need to be 5 inches across the back to be kept in Washington (there’s no minimum in Oregon). Also because they are not as popular, you can keep six of them per day, four times as many in Oregon. One thing to know about red rocks is that they prefer rocky shorelines and bottoms and are often found in very shallow waters. This makes them a good target for anglers stuck on shore and who use a snare or butterfly trap, or fish off of piers with rings. Found along the shores of both states, these crabs often fill the bill when Dungeness can’t be found. Crabs are scavengers, and as such aren’t too particular about what they can get their claws on, though do like fresh meat best. That means bait options abound, with everything from cheap grocery store chicken to rockfish and albacore carcasses to salmon heads worth trying. Adding scent or other attractants that will disperse in the water and draw crabs in is a good idea too. (JASON BROOKS) 84 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING The author’s son Ryan Brooks yards up a crab ring containing a likely legal-sized red rock (left) as well as a nice Dungeness. His next step will be to check the sex on the Dungie: If its abdomen, the flap on its underside, is bulbous, it’s a female and has to go back. But if it’s thin and almost triangular, it’s a male and is keepable if it measures a certain distance depending on where he’s crabbing across its back. (JASON BROOKS)

CATCHING METHODS VARY depending on species, location, and your ability to get out on the water. Starting with those who are stuck on the beach, you too can catch crab. One of the simplest ways is to put on some wading shoes and walk along in waist-deep water with a long-

handled net. You can just reach down and pick crabs up, but be ready for a pinch, which is why the net might be a better idea. I know a few people who do this near Ocean Shores and Ocean City on the Washington Coast as the tide goes out. There are sand bars that collect

water behind them and the crab just hang out and wait for the incoming tide. This is when it is best to go out and scoop up a few Dungeness. A few years ago as we were loading the boat back onto our trailer at the Fox Island boat ramp – which is hardly a ramp and more of a slope down a gravel shoreline – we noticed a guy walking along in the water carrying a bucket. After loading our boat we went over to him as he came out of the water and he had a few large red rocks that he had “hand-picked.” One good thing about red rocks is that you can keep either sex, so shoreline scooping is a bit more productive. One other “trick” you can do is use a wooden stake or a stick and tie a piece of bait to it and stick it in the ground, then wait for the crabs to come to you. Check it every few minutes to see if any crabs are chewing on the bait and then scoop them up. If you have a stout fishing rod, look for a crab snare or a butterfly trap. The snare is a small mesh box with some loops of heavy monofilament creating snares. The trap folds flat but when you give it a yank, it closes shut. Both use bait that you place in them and then cast it out with a fishing rod.

CLEANING AND COOKING CRABS Most regulations require you to keep the evidence of sex for Dungeness, as well as the back shell of any species to make sure they are legal size. However, you can clean them afield, as long as you do so properly. It is not hard to clean crab and there are several methods to do it. A large knife, a specialty crab cracker tool, or just a whack on the nose and pull-the-back-off will work. As you might expect, there are several YouTube videos out there that can help you figure out which method is best for you. But there are a couple of things that make it easier to clean and get your crab home safely and legally. First, use a method that keeps the undershell on to show evidence of sex if required. As for all of those back shells, try placing them in a large ziplock-style bag and then into their 86 Northwest Sportsman

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own pail or bucket. As for the legs and clusters, remove the gills, shake out the guts/brains/yucky stuff, and rinse them. It is OK to rinse them in the saltwater – after all, this is where the crab has been living. Then place them on ice in your cooler until you get home. The first thing you should do when you get home is wash the crab off in clean tap water and then get a large pot of boiling water. It is best to do this outside with a propane burner. You can find them at just about every sporting goods store in the Northwest. A large aluminum or metal pot speeds things up. Fill it with tap water and add seasoning if you wish. Some people I know really like Old Bay Seasoning, while others add Johnny’s Seasoning Salt and some just

plain salt. Then once the water is a rolling boil, add the crab. The most important thing is to get the meat inside the shell fully cooked, which really doesn’t take long. When the shell turns a bright red/ orange the crab is cooked, especially if you have cleaned the crab prior to cooking. Some like to cook them whole and eat the “crab butter,” though I don’t recommend it. Crab doesn’t refrigerate very well, but it can keep for a few days. The leftovers are often best used in recipes such as crab cakes, omelets, salads and other dishes. I have had little success freezing crab, but some will put it in a container of water and freeze it that way, encasing it in ice. Most of the time I have found the meat dries out, so if I have any leftovers, I remove all of the shell and vacuum seal it and freeze it that way. –JB

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FISHING Back at the dock, Ryan cleans a Dungeness as a harbor seal looks on, then later enjoys the fruits of his labor. (JASON BROOKS)

They can be used from shore or from the many piers. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d prefer to get further out, head to one of the many waterfront parks with long fishing piers with your crab ring, a nylon basket that is made of two metal rings and a harness. Place a piece of bait in the basket along with a brick for weight and then lower it

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into the water. Once it hits bottom the ring lies flat and the crabs will simply crawl across the basket to eat the bait. Lift the ring by pulling straight up on the rope with a steady pull to keep all of the crabs inside the basket as you retrieve it to collect your dinner. If you go to just about any pier once

crabbing season is open, you will usually find a few anglers soaking a crab ring while fishing.

CRAB POTS ARE most common for boat anglers. Which model you use is up to you, but if you are just starting out the folding type is fairly inexpensive and pack up flat for storage when not

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Northwest Sportsman 89

FISHING in use. Their downfall is that they are very lightweight and you need to add bricks, rebar or some other sort of weight to them or else tide change will cause them to move around. One other thing to look for in a pot is to find one that has a trap door. This makes removing the crabs so much easier than trying to shake them out of the swinging doors on the sides. Rope needs to be lead core or weighted so that if your buoy accidentally comes off, the rope will sink to the bottom and not become an obstruction and safety hazard. The pot itself has to have a rotting cord door so that if the pot gets lost, the

cord will eventually decompose away and create a large enough opening so the device does not become a death trap for crabs and other creatures of the sea. The buoy must be half red and half white and you need to have your identifying information on it. Check the regulations for where you are going crabbing and they will have instructions on how to make sure it is legal. In Washington you can attach another buoy as well, as long as you have the red and white one. I like to add a few large buoys or floats to keep my pot from sinking if it does become dislodged in a heavy current.

WHAT ABOUT TANNERS? Tanner crabs are mostly thought of as a prize to be caught by daring fishermen yarding huge pots out of the icy, wave-racked waters of the Bering Sea, but they also roam the depths of Washington’s eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. And when we say depths, we mean it. “We tried and didn’t catch any until we were 260 feet deep,” reports Don Velasquez, WDFW’s crab manager. “There’s not a lot of recreational folks willing to make that investment.” But when commercial crabbers unexpectedly began to catch good numbers of them south of the San Juan Islands and west of Whidbey Island one winter early this decade, Puget Sound Anglers’ president Ron Garner worked to ensure they could be tapped by sports as well. Velasquez says that state surveys found tanners south of Lopez Island and off West Beach, an area transected by shipping lanes and pushed by currents. But he also terms it a “minor” opportunity for recs, with results for whatever reason being better in winter than summer and for those set up to pull heavy pots. The reality of pulling tanners out of Davey Jones’ locker for market turned out to only be “marginally worthwhile” for the one commercial fisherman who made an effort to sell live crabs in Seattle, Velasquez says, adding that last year there was no catch at all. If you’ve got a beefy hauler and want to give it a go, the daily limit is six of either sex that are at least 4.5 inches across the back. They’re open during other crab seasons. –NWS

Wyatt Lundquist holds a tanner crab he pulled out of the depths of the San Juan Islands in 2014, the first his father, Gary, had ever seen or heard of in his 50-plus years crabbing the area. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) 90 Northwest Sportsman

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I’d rather it wash ashore or be found by someone than have it sink to the bottom and become a derelict pot. If you do lose a pot, contact WDFW (or your fish and game agency) and report its last known location.

AS FOR BAIT, the best thing to remember is that crabs like fresh meat. They mostly find their food and crush it with their claws. Clams are a primary food source for all crabs and if you can legally collect some Manila or horse clams, crush up a few and put them in the bait box. Other baits include fresh salmon heads, as they give out a lot of scent and are tough, squid and chicken. When it comes to chicken head to the grocery store and pick up some frozen drumsticks. They are easy to place in a bait box or tie onto the crab ring, and by keeping them frozen they are fresh and easy to handle out on the water. It is a good idea to add a scent or attractant, such the one from ProCure, which uses fresh ingredients and is formulated to disperse through the water and draw crabs to your pot, ring or snare box. If you are crabbing a large flat that others are also working, the attractant can actually draw them out of the other pots and to yours, which is a major benefit when the season is short.

CRABBING’S A LOT of fun and fairly easy to do. You can go out and catch enough for a family dinner or just take one or two for yourself and leave the rest for next time. The meat is best served fresh, so when you do get more than you can eat at once, be sure to invite the neighbors and family over. It has become a summertime activity my family enjoys and my neighbors get the rewards. You don’t need a boat or even a crab pot to go out and catch a few. Be sure to check the regulations and that you have the proper licenses needed for where you plan on crabbing. NS

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COLUMN

Get Into Trout At Offut T

he first word that came to my mind when describing Offut Lake was remote. We were checking up on THE KAYAK GUYS our daughter’s horse as By Scott Brenneman it received some training in the Yelm area and had decided to take the long way home in search of a lake to fish the next weekend. Driving south on Highway 507, we cut through the small town of Rainier, found Military Road and then turned onto Waldrick Road SE, which led us to Offut. The 15-minute drive between the town and the lake takes you through a rural landscape that gives you the impression of being on a backwoods trip to a secluded water that very few people know about. We stop at the public launch on a Sunday afternoon. I spy only three rigs with trailers in the parking lot.

Of course Offut isn’t remote at all. It is easily accessible from I-5’s Exit 99, 93rd Ave., and is about 5 miles as the crow flies from the Olympia airport. Yet that first impression of remoteness sticks and I decide to return the next weekend.

I ARRIVE AT the public launch on the north side of the lake at about 4 p.m. I prep my kayak at the water’s edge. Even for fishing this lake for the first time, I have to concede that I brought way more tackle than I can possibly use. The plan is to fish for rainbows for a couple of hours, then to try my luck in the lily pads at the east end of the lake for bass. A kayak angler paddles in as I reduce my tackle to a manageable amount. She was floating about 25 yards from the launch still-fishing off the bottom. She has one fish in her tank well but wasn’t out long. I finally get my act together and am

ready to fish. I reach for my 5½-foot Cabela’s Fish Eagle ultralight. To balance my rod, I pair it with a Sears & Roebuck’s Gamefisher SP 428 spinning reel. I found the reel in an old tackle box in my garage. It’s the one full of misfit lures. Every fisherman has one; mine has an assortment of rusty bass lures, old jars of eggs and marshmallows with baits that are as hard as marbles, and other tackle past its prime. I am not sure where the reel came from but it has always been in the bottom of this box. With a little maintenance it works surprisingly well. The rod and fully spooled reel weighs about 9½ ounces. I really like this setup for trout fishing. Just out from the launch I cast a silverbladed and black-bodied Rooster Tail into the water and retrieve it. I give the spinner five minutes but with no hits, I decide to make a change. In mid-March the Washington Department of Fish and

The South Sound’s Offut Lake is well-stocked with trout and trolling and still-fishing are two great methods to catch them. (SCOTT BRENNEMAN)

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A kayak angler returns to the public launch on the north side of the lake. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife rates the fishing at Offut as good to excellent from spring through fall, only slowing to fair due to the cold water temperatures of winter. (SCOTT BRENNEMAN) Wildlife dropped off 5,000 trout right where I am floating, and with so many lakes to spread the pressure in Thurston County, I know that there are plenty of fish still swimming around underneath me. Even though it is really effective, I am not interested in still-fishing with bait off the bottom. I can fish that way from shore.

On the other side from the state access is Offut Lake Resort, which features boat rentals, a fishing dock and restaurant. (OFFUTLAKERESORT.COM)

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I TIE ON a 2.0 size metallic gold flame Mag Lip. I apply some shrimp/krill scent and start to troll. I feed out 25 feet of line and immediately have a fish on. I reel in a smaller-sized trout that is quickly released. The north side of the lake has a shelf with steep drops at the shoreline to 20foot depths. I follow the contour lines depicting this ledge; most of the trout in this lake should be patrolling it for their next meal. As I pedal around the point that shelters the boat ramp from the wind, I am met with a stiff westerly breeze. As I turn into the wind, another fish is fooled by the Mag Lip. I net this thick 11-incher and secure it in the cooler. Pedaling into the wind I try a slower trolling speed. Fish are hitting the lure but nothing is sticking. I speed up to 2.7 mph

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COLUMN Offut has been stocked with 11-inchers and 1- and 5-pound rainbows this year, but earlier this season a lad caught an 8-pounder. The lake also sees releases of cutthroat. Browns are sometimes caught and there are largemouth, yellow perch and brown bullheads. (SCOTT BRENNEMAN)

and the next hit feels like a bigger fish. Line peels off my reel for a couple of small runs before I land the jumbo-sized trout. I add this 1-pounder, one of 200 that was probably released in mid-April, to my cooler. WDFW also released 200 5-pounders in February. I put on a 2.5-sized Mag Lip that dives deeper and start to troll closer to shore in 10 to 12 feet of water with the hope of enticing this larger class of fish. After continuing at this depth to Offut’s west end, I turn into deeper water and begin to troll east. Adding some weight to help the Mag Lip dive deeper I pedal parallel to the shoreline in 17 to 18 feet of water.

AT THE EAST end, I reel in and pedal for the lily pads. A lone kayak fisherman is fishing for bass in an area sheltered by the wind. Ditching my original plan, I don’t spend much time trying for bass because the 10 to 15 mph wind keeps pushing me out of position. I continue my search for a lunker, trolling westward, this time closer to the south shoreline. Staying in 17 feet of water, my path is more in the middle of the lake than the south shoreline. Two boats are trolling close by looking for something big but with no luck. Upon reaching the west end, I switch back to flat-lining the 2.0 Mag Lip. As long as I keep my lure scented the action remains consistent. If I don’t get bit in five minutes, I reel in and rescent my lure. I have a great time catching and releasing fish as I make my way back to the boat ramp. Holding out for a big fish, I am one short of a limit. As I round the corner with the launch in sight, I keep the last fish that I hook into as I paddle to shore.

OFFUT IS OPEN year-round, so pressure isn’t concentrated in spring like at other lowland lakes. In addition to WDFW’s fish, which vary in size, Offut Lake Resort (offutlakeresort.com), located on the south shore, raises state trout in net pens for release. This variety makes it that more exciting when your rod starts to bend. The anticipation of a chance to hook into something big and the remote vibe that Offut Lake possesses will bring me back. NS 96 Northwest Sportsman

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Switch It Up With ‘Crawl Retrieve’ Method I

t’s no secret, when chasing trout we try different lures, baits and lure/bait combinations until we figure out what BUZZ the fish like best. RAMSEY This often means taking along a set of rods rigged for trolling, casting and still-fishing. And while those are go-to fishing methods for many, there is also one called the “crawl retrieve.” There are many scented, critter-looking shapes on the market that produce when doing the crawl retrieve. Since discovering how effective this fishing method can be, I’ve tried pretty much every small, scent-infused bait form I can find, including crickets, grubs, tubes, wigglers and nymphs. What I’ve discovered is that it’s hard to beat Berkley’s 3-inch PowerBait Trout Worm. This scent-filled worm always seems to produce as good or better results when compared to all other shapes and sizes tried. There is just something about a worm shape that the fish really key in on. It must be a genetic thing that inspires them – after all, how many real worms has a hatchery trout actually seen during its short life?

THE METHOD’S BASICS are pretty simple. First, just cast out and reel up any slack line. Let your outfit sink before lifting and lowering your rod tip, reel 10 feet, and lift and lower your rod tip again, etc. Fished this way, nearly all fish will take your scent-filled Trout Worm while it’s dropping, which may require you to give the trout time to swallow your offering before you set the hook – just let them chomp it down for 15 seconds or so. What I often do is dip my rod tip toward the fish, just before yanking. The exception to this is when the water is cold, like during the late fall or winter season when trout are sluggish, a time

The “crawl retrieve” is a fishing method that combines light equipment and a small, scented plastic worm to catch trout. After casting, you lift and drop your rod tip, reel in 10 feet of line, and lift and drop again. Author Buzz Ramsey says rainbows like this Rowland Lake fish generally bite the bait on the drop. (BUZZ RAMSEY) nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

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COLUMN when you will likely need to set the hook immediately. Rigging is easy: Just attach a single size 6 or 8 hook at the end of your line and crimp one size 5 split shot 20 inches away. Then thread as much of your worm as possible up onto and above your hook. When threading, it helps to keep the point of your hook centered in the worm. This makes it more likely that your bait will hang as straight as possible when complete. This method will work when casting from shore or a boat. Keep in mind that you can greatly increase your success by constantly covering new water. If on the bank, try fan casting in different directions, or cover new water by working your way along the shoreline. What we often do when fishing from a boat is to change casting direction and locations often when searching for fish. Keep in mind, you want to position your bait where the fish are cruising, which might be near the surface or shoreline when the light is low, for example, in the morning, evening or when overcast, and deeper in the water column when the sun is bright. Since fish don’t have eyelids, they will often move to deep water during the middle of the day to avoid the bright light.

A key bit of advice is to remember to thread your worm up and over the hook such that it hangs straight, as shown. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

THE CRAWL RETRIEVE method is one that can be enhanced by using light line. You see, spooling up with thin-diameter line facilitates longer casts, meaning you can cover a lot more water when retrieving. In addition, the use of thin line provides a more natural, lifelike presentation. In fact, I know many anglers who will use nothing heavier than 4-pound-test monofilament and when the water is really clear, they drop down to 2-pound mono. Besides the use of very light line, a fishing rod long enough to facilitate long casts can enhance your ability to reach While it might vary on the lake you fish, the most productive trout worm colors for Ramsey, son Blake (left) and friend Chris Sessions (right) has been natural worm, pumpkinseed and orange. And while orange seems to always be good, especially when the light is low, there are times when a natural worm color and/or pumpkinseed produce best. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

distant water. What seems to work best for the line tests normally used for trout are rods measuring 71/2 feet long with an action rating of light or ultralight. Keep in mind that a long rod with the right action provides more casting leverage and has the added benefit of better cushioning the jump/thrash action dished out by monstrous trout. Using light line, especially when the possibility of hooking a trophy-size trout is real, could mean investing in a spinning reel with an ultrasmooth drag. After all, I’d hate to guess how many trophy-size fish have been lost due to a big fish fighting against a sticky or stuck drag. You should realize that pretty much all highend reels have drag systems engineered with a combination of metal and carbon (graphite) washers stacked one on top of the other; that is, a drag system where every other drag washer was cut from sheet graphite.

I DON’T GET hung up on using just one fishing method, as trout can be finicky about what they do and don’t like on any given day. That’s why I’m generally prepared with a set of rods rigged for trolling, casting and still-fishing. However, I seldom leave home without taking along a set of rods prerigged for the crawl retrieve method. NS Editor’s note: The author is a brand manager and part of the management team at Yakima Bait. Like Buzz on Facebook.

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A Tale Of Two Rivers The Kootenay/Kootenai offers good fishing for bull and cutthroat trout in its British Columbia headwaters, with lots of nice rainbows in Montana’s stretch. By Mike Wright

t is somewhat ironic that two of the largest and most diverse rivers in southeastern British Columbia and the northwestern United States both begin their journey in very close proximity to each other. How close? They are so close that in the 1970s there was a proposal that would have diverted the waters of the Kootenay into the Columbia where the rivers come within just over a mile of each other. If the proposal had come to fruition, it would have destroyed one of the best fishing rivers in BC, Montana and Idaho. Although the Kootenay is not the river it once was, it still has an excellent population of bull and cutthroat trout, especially in the upper reaches from its source near Kootenay and Banff National Parks down to Lake Koocanusa in Montana. This section’s scenery is as spectacular as the fishing. The towering peaks and abundant wildlife found throughout the river’s canyon stretch make it worthy of a visit alone.

THE UPPER KOOTENAY or, East Kootenay as it is referred to in Canada, holds very good populations of cutthroat and bull trout, as well as some rainbow and brook trout. The best fishing usually occurs before the spring runoff begins, ordinarily from April to the end of May. An outstanding caddis hatch coincides with this prerunoff period, which often sends trout into a feeding frenzy. During this time, watch for pods of rising cutthroat in the shallows; floating an Elk Hair or Goddard Caddis over the fish is usually very rewarding. Although the river will become

With its clear, cold, clean headwaters in the southern Canadian Rockies, the Kootenai River and its tributaries are a haven for bull trout, especially its upper end covered in this article, but the system holds other fishable populations as well. (JOEL SARTORE/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STOCK WITH WADE FREDENBERG, USFWS)

low and clear enough to fish in late June and July, the fishing is probably better by the later part of August through October. In the fall most of anglers are targeting the bull trout, which start feeding heavily on the spawning kokanee. During this time Bunny Leeches, Zonkers and similar streamers in pink or white are the preferred patterns. For the lure fisherman silver or red spoons that resemble kokanee are the best choices. Bucktails are also very popular during the summer. Since the bulls tend to hold in deeper water and much of the Kootenay is fast moving, intermediate sink tip or uniform sinking lines may be needed. The resident fish typically run 2 to 4 pounds; however, in the fall migratory bulls move into

the Kootenay to feed on the kokes, and these specimens can run all the way up to 30 pounds or more. It is probably needless to say, but fish this size act like a magnet, attracting a large number of fishermen to this otherwise sparsely populated section of the province. Fortunately, there are a number of other highly productive bull trout streams in the vicinity, helping to spread out anglers.

A FREESTONE RIVER as it flows through a canyon, when the Kootenay hits the timbered, rolling hills and lowerelevation mountains near Cranbrook it changes into a slower moving and warmer stream that is largely bordered by private property. At Wardner it melds into Lake Koocanusa, a reservoir formed after the construction of Libby nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

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The Kootenai wanders some 485 miles through southeast British Columbia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; here it is near Canal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; dips into Northwest Montana and cuts across far North Idaho before meeting the Columbia 30 miles north of the Washington border. (MIKE WRIGHT)

Dam in 1972. From here the river and fishery undergo some major changes. Located in a narrow valley, the dam created a 90-mile-long lake, roughly half of which is in the United States, where

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the spelling of the river changes to Kootenai. In the lake there has been a major change in the fish population. Although cutthroat and bull trout are present, they occur in smaller numbers (especially the latter), while

the main attractions are the kokanee and Kamloops rainbow trout. The lake is open year-round and has become a very popular destination for ice fishermen. The reservoir also contains brook

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FISHING trout, burbot and whitefish. There are generous limits on Koocanusa. They include a five-fish bag on rainbows (only one over 22 inches; 10 in possession), 20-fish limit on brook trout, three for cutthroat, five on burbot, and 35 on kokanee (70 in possession). Burbot, however, are only open from mid-January to Feb. 28. The Kootenai in Montana is rather remote and had not been known as a major fishing destination. However, that situation changed considerably in 1997 when a monstrous 38-inch, 33-pound rainbow was caught just below Libby Dam, shattering the former state record. What was found is that kokanee and some trout were being sucked into the turbines that produce the electricity for which the dam was constructed. In turn, the chunks of fish that were spit downstream attracted the long-lived Gerrard rainbows, which were gorging themselves on the abundant feed. Rainbows in excess of 20 pounds were becoming common in the river below the dam, which then attracted a virtual “gold rush” of anglers. The

section that holds these behemoths is in a rather confined area, which at times means finding space to fish is not all that easy. As one might imagine, it’s not the best section of the river for fly or lure anglers, but it is great for bait fishermen, who are satisfied to stay in one spot. The use of salmon roe or pieces of kokanee bounced along the bottom of the river is a very productive strategy in this section. But Libby Dam’s tailwater fishery extends far downriver and holds an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 fish per mile, with rainbows averaging 12 to 15 inches. There is, however, a slot limit; fish between 13 and 18 inches must be released. This helps maintain good numbers and has made the river a true blue-ribbon stream. The Kootenai is a very fertile river, with excellent insect hatches occurring from early March (most years) to late fall. July and August are the times when more water is released from the dam, flooding much of the bank vegetation, which often entices the fish to move into shallower, slower moving water to feed on terrestrials and aquatic insects in the weeds and

The river immediately below Lake Koocanusa near Libby, Montana, is known for having put out some prodigiously sized rainbows for bait anglers tossing meaty offerings to trout waiting below the turbines for ground-up kokanee. But the waters further down to the town and beyond are known for holding as many as 3,000 fish a mile and being the site of a movie. (MIKE WRIGHT)

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brush. This is a good time to wade fish, as long as you stay close to shore. The Kootenai is a very wide, fast-moving stream that is probably best fished by boat. The 17-mile stretch between the dam and town of Libby has a number of side channels, braids and deep holes that are often the domain of larger rainbows, though not the true wallhangers that stay within 2 to 3 miles of the dam.

FOR FLY ANGLERS who fish the Kootenai in March, black or brown Woolly Buggers, pink or white Bunny Leeches, and crayfish imitations, as well as smaller nymphs such as beadhead Hare’s Ears and Princes are popular choices. There are stoneflies in the river, so nymph simulations can also work. However, these hatches are rather sporadic and in no way as prolific as the other hatches that occur on the Kootenai. The dry fly fishing starts early in May and continues through the summer, with Parachute Adams, Purple Hazes, blue-winged olives, caddis and pale morning duns all being effective. Colder water releases from the dam help ensure

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that river temps remain cool enough to prevent the usual August drop-off in fish feeding habits. From late summer through October terrestrials such as grasshoppers, beetles and ants begin to appear en masse on the river. During this period patterns such as Joe’s Hoppers, Fat Alberts, black and red ants, and beetles become more effective.

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Along with bull trout, cutthroat offer a good target for fly and gear anglers. (MIKE WRIGHT, STEVE FOWLER)

IN THE SECTION downstream from Libby there is a great deal more whitewater rapids, as well as Kootenai Falls. This is where the movie River Wild with Meryl Streep was filmed, and the water here definitely lives up to that billing. Yet it also holds very high numbers of fish. Large boulders and riffles provide good holding water and deep holes.

This is especially true of an area called China Rapids, which received its name in the late 1800s when a group of Chinese miners capsized their boat in the rapids, losing both their gold and, with the exception of a lone survivor, their lives. This area provides some excellent fishing, providing you can get your nymphs or streamers deep enough or, if fish are rising, you make a drag-free presentation with a dry fly. There is a great deal of private property in this section of the river, so access without a boat can be problematic. Fishing below China Rapids and Kootenai Falls is still good, but the numbers begin to drop off somewhat. There have been some efforts made to increase the fish population, with promising results. When the river crosses into Idaho there are some additional changes to the fishery. We’ll talk about those and BC’s West Kootenay sections in an upcoming article. NS

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It was many years between the time author Jason Brooks first hooked a summer-run steelhead and today, but he’s enjoyed fishing several Southwest Washington rivers for the fish, including the Cowlitz. (JASON BROOKS)

Steelhead On Tap M

y first encounter with a summer-run happened when I was about 10 years old. Not knowSOUTH SOUND ing anything about steelhead fishing at By Jason Brooks the time – I grew up in North-central Washington when there were no seasons on the stock – we took a family trip to the state’s southwest corner. I was standing in the cool water of the Cowlitz River at famed Blue Creek on a hot

early July day. Drift fishing store-bought salmon eggs with a Lil’ Corky and once again getting hung up on the bottom I gave the rod a big jerk to free the weight – and it pulled back. A bright summer steelhead leaped out of the water and created a commotion. An angler standing next to me told me I had a steelhead on and for a few seconds that fish jumped and ran and stirred an excitement in me that wouldn’t happen again for almost 20 years. The fish threw the hook and swam away, but that feeling of hooking a large ocean-run trout never left my mind.

Every once in a while I get the urge to walk the banks of a river or break out the drift boat and float the low, clear waters of summer. And even with so much else going on this time of year for South Sounders, you shouldn’t forget about steelhead either.

FOR THE PAST few years winter-runs seemed to get all the attention, what with the 2014 Puget Sound lawsuit settlement and switches to in-basin stocks that align with wild returning fish. Rivers are closing earlier than we are used to, with some not even open for the Presidents Day Weekend in February.

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Running plugs is among the good tactics for summers, but don’t overlook side-drifting or fishing bait or small jigs under a bobber either. (JASON BROOKS)

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Summer fish, which in the past have mostly been Skamania-strain steelhead, are also being switched to local stocks. Around 2017 the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife started making the switch with in-basin fish for several rivers. Summer steelhead have to navigate low water and evade eagles and native fish tend to do this better than naïve hatchery-raised fish. Because of low, clear water a few summers ago a “hoot owl” restriction was put in place, meaning all angling had to stop before afternoon heat pushed river temps high enough to kill the fish. This taught me the best fishing is really early morning and summer steelheading is a great activity for the early riser who can make it home in time for an afternoon barbecue. Skamania steelhead, which were sent to the Midwest where they took hold in Great Lakes tributaries, are timed to return in late June through July, but are caught clear until mid-September on a regular basis. I have even caught summer-runs in October while fishing for coho, and one really confused fish bit a jig tipped with shrimp that I was fishing with for chums in November on the Green River. Thanks to the Mitchell Act of 1938, when Congress stated Columbia River dam operators needed to replace the fish that were being impeded because of the obstacles, several hatcheries were built in the watershed. These rivers, mostly in Southwest Washington, today still provide good to great summer steelhead fishing. Looking at 2017’s smolt releases, fish that are expected to return this summer, WDFW planted 2,77,808 smolts in Columbia tributaries. Compare that to the 129,000 for coastal rivers and 212,197 for Puget Sound, where almost all rivers have an ESA-listed run and stocked fish are not supposed to compete with the dwindling wild fish. Though we know the dams have hurt our runs of anadromous fish, at least the Mitchell Act has allowed us to have some fishing with the required replacement of inhibited runs.

EVEN TODAY IT’S rarely disputed that the Cowlitz is the best place to catch summer-run steelhead. The famed Blue Creek, where I stood so many years ago, is still

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Aaron Jordan of Get the Net Guide Service considers the Sky his piscatorial playground. Like many other productive guides who probe this river, Aaron finds covering water to find pods of fish is the most effective way to spend his valuable time on the water. Really, anywhere between Sultan and the mouth of the river will hold fish. That said, side-drifting cluster eggs and yarnies take the bulk of his fish every year. For hatchery kings, Aaron suggests using straight eggs while slowing the drift down with more weight. Sand shrimp tails come in a close second when it comes to his favorite baits, so be sure to switch it up! Aaron operates out of a Wooldridge 20’ Alaskan XL to navigate his clients into the best spots. Its combination of superior tracking, shallow running and on-plane maneuverability are advantages he needs to be successful, safe and comfortable. Skykomish summer steelhead will average in the 6- to 12-pound range and the daily limit is two fish per person. All wild fish must be handled with care and released immediately. Be sure to check the WDFW website for updates. For a guided trip on the Sky with Aaron Jordan, contact him at (253) 961-2475 or go online getthenetguiding.com. Be safe and have fun!

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COLUMN the state’s top spot. Bank access here has changed a bit, with the outfall being moved several years ago and now the once half-mile hike through the woods has been cut down to a few hundred yards as anglers stack up around the intake area. The intake itself is reserved for handicapped fishermen and offers good access for them to fish a bobber and jig tipped with a piece of prawn and enjoy an early summer’s morning. “Glowballing,” which is a drift-fishing technique using a glow-in-the-dark Lil’ Corky and bait, is done during the summer months as night falls. The banks of the river can be lined with the headlamps of anglers trying for fish seeking cooler waters and the cover of darkness to avoid predators. Other rivers such as the Kalama provide some solitude. The Kalama has a stretch of fly fishing-only waters and a 6-weight fly rod during a good hatch makes for a fun day. If you time it just right and find feeding fish on a grasshopper or dry fly hatch, it can be almost nirvana, but don’t forget

that most trout, steelhead included, feed on emergers and nymphs. A Green-butted Skunk in size 4 to 10 is a good bet and should be in your fly box. Gear anglers can find good bank access on the Kalama and those who want to float it will hopefully have a raft for when the water gets low, as a drift boat can become a pain to drag and move around in until you get a bit lower in the system. Be sure to look up the regs for the river stretch you are on for what gear type is allowed. The Klickitat is fed by Mt. Adams’ glaciers and snowfields and has a decent summer-run fishery, with 87,502 smolts planted in 2017 for return this summer. One of the best things about the river is the bank access. The Klickitat is best fished in the summer from the bank and there are miles and miles of access. Just be forewarned that this is rattlesnake country, so watch where you step. Throwing small spoons and spinners near tailouts in the shadow of the canyon will produce fish as the water can become

Flowing off the flanks of Mt. Adams, the Klickitat is a good bet for steelhead beginning in June, with catches building well into September. It represents a good river to set up fish camp at. (JASON BROOKS)

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“off color” when summer heat melts the glaciers. Pulling plugs such as a Mag Lip 2.5 up to a 3.5 works well in the boulder-strewn runs for drift boaters. The Klickitat is too small for jet sleds, so the fishery is very calming and pleasant. And with plenty of campgrounds along the banks, it is a good place to go for a weekend camping trip and do some hot-season steelheading. It fishes well late into summer.

SUMMER STEELHEAD SEEM to be almost forgotten lately, but if you find yourself wanting to get out and do some hiking and fishing, head to a steelhead river. Before the chaos of pink salmon arriving in the South Sound, tie up some leaders and drive a bit further south or out towards the ocean, where you will find a few more steelhead streams. A weekend getaway combining a camping trip along with some fishing is a great way to spend time outside. Get out and explore and don’t forget about summer steelhead. NS

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FISHING

Special Catch For Fishy Kid

The last school night of the year proved to be a fine time to hit the river for Sara’s son. By Sara Ichtertz

here is something so right about this time of year. Spring flirts with the idea of summer and I find most of my free time spent on the river. These beautiful seasons collide together so effortlessly; those late evening opportunities on the river tend to throw bedtime out the window and, honestly, that’s fine with us. The end of classes brings out the adventure in us and Mom’s summer school is now in session! Summer steelhead and school being out for two-plus months rate equally highly to my babes, to this fishy mom’s delight! This truly is our favorite time of year and nights like this fish tale are one of the reasons why.

Nate Ichtertz proudly hoists his biggest summer-run steelhead to date, caught on the last school night of the year and on the eve of his 9th birthday. “Brother belongs on the water,” writes author and mother Sara Ichtertz. (SARA ICHTERTZ) nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

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FISHING WHAT CHILD WANTS to go to bed on the final school night of the year? More often than not they lie restless in their beds and aren’t sleeping anyway. My boy Nate’s birthday falls within this week as well and so I say, let’s celebrate! And so we do. Last year while I was still punishing myself hunting for upriver springers, I watched my summer steelhead hole come into shape. It’s way too early, I told myself, so I kept after the fish that hates me. But looking upriver once more I decided I didn’t care what the date said, the river was screaming, Look at me! It was time to fish. So scooping up Dad, my babes and our little bestie Miley West we stepped foot onto the stretch of river I owe so much to, the very stretch

that stole my heart and allowed me to start believing in Sara. She looked just right and as the girls frolicked about hunting for treasures, the boys and I went right to work. Well, if we want to call it work. Deciding the amount of lead was the only thing I had to do as I knew exactly what bead I would drift. Helping brother with his knots he too chose our lucky 3D Steelhead Beads bead. There is something about the air bubble that glistens in that late spring water that the fish simply cannot resist. And within a cast or two there it was, grabbing onto me with the craziest of conviction! Setting my hook I knew this fish was no spring salmon. No sooner than I wound down to truly connect than that beautiful fish erupted out of the river

just to let me know even more, Oh yes, I am what you are after. The fire that these fish possess is far stronger than my own and as it screamed downriver, once more it erupted, dancing out of the river, before I even had a chance to try and react. Oh well, though! The happiness was pumping strong and the joy that is found this time of year was overflowing. The fish were here. As Roy and Nate fished I rerigged, scoped out the girl’s treasures and told them of the smoking that had just happened. The fish are here, girls, I said, and so they stayed close to see the happenings in the hole, to see the excitement of it all firsthand. I loved hearing Ava describe to her friend what it would be like when her mom hooked a fish. Stepping to the river’s edge once more and casting out, I kid you not when I say that as sure as the sun sets in the west there was another beautiful bite. The hook stayed buried deep and this little beauty finned upriver. With the fish acting spring salmonlike, I did my best not to horse it and swam, per se, with it instead. The girls were thrilled, as Miley had never witnessed pursuing these creatures of the river. She was jumping for joy cheering me on and I honestly loved that more than the perfect little springer I brought in for a landing not long after. As the sun began to disappear behind the hill, I bonked, tagged and bled my harvest, and as the final rays touched the water euphoria came over me. Yes, it was past bedtime, but the babes were learning ways of life they never would in school. They were feeling the love of fishing even though they were not the one catching, and that matters to me.

NATE IS VERY much a fisherman and

As the others that evening fished, Ava Icthertz and her bestie Miley West searched the banks of that Southern Oregon river for “treasures,” finding this heart-shaped rock, symbolic of the author’s love of the stream. (SARA ICHTERTZ) 118 Northwest Sportsman

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so he didn’t have as much interest in my harvest as the girls. He wanted to find his own fish to harvest. Trust me, that fills my heart in a way the fish I personally catch never could. Watching him cast so perfectly

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FISHING Dad was ready with the net and Miss Miley was beyond impressed with her lifelong best friend Nate. He wound down and lifted the rod so high that that hottie was scooped up by Dad and she was ours. My boy was beyond proud, and so were we!

“Had I followed the rules and we’d gone to bed long before the sun, this evening would not have happened,” writes Ichtertz, who not only went two for three but landed a springer, a species that has given her fits in the past. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

across our most beautiful river, seeing him give his drifting setup that little flick to undo it before it snags – priceless. My heart, if it had a voice, was literally singing. I paused rigging up just to watch my boy. Seeing him drift fishing like a champion as we said goodbye to 8 years old and hello to 9, I knew what I have known for some time now. Brother belongs on the water. There are things, statistics, averages, that I am told he isn’t up to par on, even though he gives school and life, for that matter, 110 percent all of the time. As a mother I struggle hearing such things. Maybe your statistics are wrong as the way to determine the par of a child, of an individual, of what actually matters. I say there are qualities within my boy that can never be taught in public school. His empathy alone is something adults could learn from and yet it comes so naturally to him, just as being in nature comes so naturally to him too. His passionate heart is fed by the river, the forest, and the milestones 120 Northwest Sportsman

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he reaches within them are crucial for his self-esteem, I believe. As far as I am concerned, he is above average! He is special and it is my job to be certain that he knows it. It is my job as his parent to help him succeed in things that bring him joy. This way he can learn to believe that who he is, is beyond good enough. I see that now more so than ever. Nate cast once more and I watched with pride as his setup found bottom and began that bounce I love. I saw the bite and his execution on the bite was beautiful. He set the hook and the fight, the stunning flashes and the thrashing of it all, was on. There she is, Brother! He shakes in his sneakers as the fish rockets out of the river over and over. Silver and black, there is no coming back from the crazy amazing rush that are summer-run steelhead. The girls were freaking out and I’m sure that added a little stress to Nate, but he just fought that girl with his G.Loomis E6X 1024-2S like a seasoned pro. As she began to tire,

HELPING NATE TAG and bleed his fish I too had a case of the shakes. I kept telling him how I had seen the bite and what a killer job he had done. The boy can talk fish with the best of them and without a doubt this story will live on in our family forever. He will be able to tell it far better than I. The 31-inch hatchery hen. Just as mad as she could be. Caught on the final school night of the year. On his final day of being 8. What a beautiful thing. Happiest of birthdays, son! Thank you for being exactly who you are. Had I followed the rules and we’d gone to bed long before the sun, this evening would not have happened. Mom went two for three and Brother caught his biggest summer to date, drift fishing with the ones he loves most. But we also learned and fed our hearts in ways that had nothing to do with the catching and everything to do with family. The girls gained comfort from Mother Nature and the day Ava decides she is stepping up to the bank for summer-run steelhead I know she will be ready. Dad may not have landed any fish, but his heart was erupting with pride, as it should be. These are the moments that keep calling us to the river. The moments we learn and live together. The moments I can show Nate he is everything he is supposed to be in this life. As these years swim by faster and faster I realize it isn’t just my heart that is here. This love I feel for these fish is amazing, but being able to allow my babes to believe in themselves through such passion helps me remember why my heart is on the river and I couldn’t change it, even if I tried. NS Editor’s note: For more on Sara’s adventures, see For The Love Of The Tug on Facebook.

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FISHING

Get Cat Friendly

Channel catfish an overlooked fishing opportunity in the Northwest; primarily found in warmer rivers east of the Cascades, but elsewhere too. By M.D. Johnson

ou know what word you seldom hear in Washington? Catfish. Sure, there’s plenty of talk about salmon. And steelhead. Trout, halibut, and bottomfish. Lingcod and squid and squawfish.

Hell, even mud-daubers. Does anyone know if mud-dauber is hyphenated? Sorry, I digress. But catfish? Not often. Seldom, in fact, do I hear the word mentioned west of the Cascades, save for aboard the USS Internet. Eastern Washington? Catfish is a bit more a part of the

vocabulary; same goes for Eastern Oregon. But you get west of Mount Hood, and it’s the same story in the Beaver State. Crickets. I reckon it’s like turkeys were when I first moved out to Washington in the early ’90s. Turkey hunting was just starting to come into its own

Channel catfish provide a self-sustaining fishery in some Northwest waters, primarily in the lower ends of rivers east of the Cascades, but they are also sometimes stocked in select lakes by state managers. Washington guide Craig Dowdy shows off a nice haul. (YJGUIDESERVICE.COM)

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FISHING channel cats are here.”

One of the best things about channel cats is how relatively simple it is to catch them, though having fresh – not rotten – bait is the key. “It’s a great kids fishery,” says Dowdy.

back then, and few were the folks who talked about it. And even fewer were the guys who actually knew what they were doing come April 15. No one’s fault, really. There just wasn’t any history of turkey hunting in Washington. Or Oregon. No tradition. No foundation. Elk, sure. Blacktails and black bears, absolutely. But not turkeys. Where do you start? What do you use? What do you do? How? When? Why? Same holds true, I reckon, when it comes to catfish out here. There are some guys, no question, who know the ropes. But for the most part, purposeful channel catting – note: I say purposeful because every blind squirrel can find an acorn now and again, or catfish, as it were – is a mystery. And an untapped resource.

BUT THAT MYSTERY is changing, and one of the gentlemen behind the change is Craig Dowdy. Headquartered in Davenport, Washington, west of Spokane, Dowdy is the owner and lead boatman, i.e. guide, for YJ Guide Service (yjguideservice.com; 509999-0717), and a skilled practitioner of the catfish arts. Oh, and I guess now’s a good time to get one thing perfectly clear. They’re catfish. Or simply cats. 124 Northwest Sportsman

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They’re not whiskerfish, nor are they kitties or kittie-fish. Use any of those, and folks will immediately realize you know not about which you speak. Occasionally, I’ll call the little ones “croakers” for the sound they make as you attempt to extract the hook. Catch one; you’ll see what I mean. But back to Dowdy, his guide service, channel catfishing, and the current redirection of the angling spotlight onto this aforementioned untapped resource. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “We get completely booked up in the spring because of things like the salmon (seasons) being closed or them [Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife] making salmon or steelhead seasons shorter. Catfishing is one of those fisheries that a lot of people don’t tap into, and a lot of folks want to learn about it.” And in keeping with this uptick in popularity, Dowdy says he sees folks of all catfishing skill levels and backgrounds on his skiff in the spring and summer. “Most of my clients,” he said, “are people who have never fished for catfish. Or they just didn’t know they were here. They (may) know that some lakes have bullheads, but they weren’t aware of the fact the

BEFORE WE GO any further here, I believe it’s relevant for the sake of folks who aren’t familiar with the slimy hoards, i.e. channel catfish, to mention just a couple things. One, these are channel catfish, technically known as Ictalurus punctatus. Blue cats are a different critter, as are bullheads, be they browns, blacks, or yellow-bellies. For those who haven’t seen them, channel cats are a pretty thing, or at least I think so. They’re a silverygrey to olive-grey overall, with a white or off-white belly, wide head, sensitive barbels, and a deeply forked tail. Both pectoral fins, as well as the dorsal fin sport sharp spines or, if you’re my grandson, “pokies,” which can and will hurt you should you mishandle your catch. One to 5-pounders are commonplace; however, some channel cats will top 20, with Oregon’s state record being a 36.5-pound monster landed at McKay Reservoir near Pendleton way back in 1980, and Washington’s a 36.2-pounder caught in 1999 out of I-82 Pond #6 in Yakima County. One of ’em probably bit a chuck of rancid hot dog tipped with chewed Bubble Yum bubblegum, but 1) I don’t know that for fact, and 2) we’ll get into baits and rigs momentarily. And two, channel cats, though numerous, aren’t what you’d call widespread throughout the Northwest. In Washington, excellent populations can be found in the Lower Columbia and a handful of smaller streams, including the Yakima, Snake, Walla Walla, and, Dowdy’s home water, the Palouse. There are some stillwaters in Washington that harbor channel cats, mostly due to occasional stocking efforts by WDFW when it’s able to scrounge up enough loose change to buy young fish from Arkansas growers. On the Westside, Kress and Vancouver Lakes might be the bestknown channel catfisheries, though

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FISHING and down the I-5 corridor.

While the best fishing may be in mid- to late spring as channels gather in the shallows for the spawn, they’re catchable later on by targeting eddies and out-of-the-current locations in rivers. Melinda Bishop caught this nice-sized one in the Columbia Gorge last season trolling walleye gear while fishing with her husband John. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

others do exist. East of the mountains, Sprague, Moses, and Banks Lakes, along with Potholes, maintain good populations. Natural reproduction does occur in some Washington waters, namely the lower Yakima, Walla Walla, Columbia, Snake, and Palouse Rivers. Naturally occurring populations may – may – inhabit some lakes, especially those on the Eastside; however, water temperatures west of the Cascades generally handcuff Mother Nature when it comes to increasing numbers. In Oregon, it’s a similar story. Perhaps the best-known channel catfishing in the Beaver State can be found in Brownlee Reservoir. However, an excellent fishery exists in the John Day River as well. Owyhee has channel cats, as do the Lower Columbia and Snake, but it’s big water and, believe it or not, the fish aren’t just lying around everywhere, so success translates into a seek-and-find proposition. Moving west in Oregon, the choices become fewer, as in the Columbia (spotty), the Willamette (a bit better), and a handful of ponds up 126 Northwest Sportsman

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BACK TO DOWDY, the Palouse, and the guide’s words ’o wisdom concerning channel cats. “We’ll start fishing about the third week of March,” Dowdy said, “and fish through the first of June. The big ones are up in the areas (on the Palouse) where we’re fishing. They’re up in there eating carp eggs. You can catch ’em year-round down there at the mouth, but the big ones are there earlier. The month of April.” Now here’s something a lot of folks don’t know about channel cats. Channels – all catfish, in fact – have earned themselves the undeserved reputation as indiscriminate bottom feeders, consuming anything, no matter how nasty or presumably inedible, that touches their barbels. Truth is, catfish, just like trout, are often a match-the-hatch kind of fish. They’re either in a particular area for a particular reason, i.e. Dowdy’s carp eggs, or they’re there to feed on a specific – sometimes very specific – item. In the Palouse, it might be carp eggs in April. In Iowa, it was fresh gizzard shad guts in March. Not frozen guts. And not rotting guts. But innards from castnetted shad captured just hours before fishing began. Yes, it can be that detailed. “Most (anglers) are under the assumption your catfish bait has to be old and stinky and rotten,” said Dowdy. “These fish, though, prefer fresh. We’ll fish a supply of bait for two or three days, and that’s it.” “After that,” he continued, “that bait just doesn’t seem to work as well. The key is fresh. We’ll outfish people using frozen bait with our fresh bait, five to one. It’s the bait – the fresh bait – that makes all the difference in the world.” What kind of bait, you’re wondering. Carp eggs? Spawn sacks of carp eggs? Hearing Dowdy tell why his fish are where they are, I immediately began to formulate plans to procure carp, relieve them of their skeins, and get

busy curing eggs. Don’t need to, he went on to explain. “Any fresh” – note: there’s that word again, fresh – “cut bait is what we use,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s pikeminnow, sucker, trout – anything that’s in that system that you can catch. Pikeminnow and sucker meat seems to work really well. And you definitely want to add a scent to it. That’s their main way of finding food, and the water we’re fishing is like chocolate milk. Getting that smell out there is critical.”

A COUPLE POINTS of order here. Dowdy is, I believe, spot on when it comes to scent and channel cats. They are, after all, nothing more than a big swimming sensory organ; a nose with fins. Me, I always used quillback, a type of sucker, for my channel cat bait, but I reckon you could do the same with pikeminnow or a Palousebased sucker. I would scale my bait leaving the skin on, fillet them, and then cut them into chunks – say, an inch square. I’d then half fill a Mason jar with the chunks, sprinkle some garlic salt inside, and coat liberally with Shad Smelly Jelly. A little shake, and I’d set it in the fridge where it would, as the guide recommends, stay fresh. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, practicing scent discipline while on the water; rather, no fuel, sunscreen, cologne, scented soaps on your hands, which might be transferred to the bait. It’s ridiculously important, this no-unnatural-scent regime. “I don’t let people touch the bait,” said Dowdy. “I do all that myself. And I don’t let them dump anything into the water. Where we fish, it’s really shallow, and that scent you put into the water can definitely make a difference.” How shallow, Mister Dowdy, is shallow? “Into June,” the guide said, “we’re fishing in 2 to 4 feet of water, but after that – once the weather starts to get warm and the water starts to get warm – they move out of that

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Northwest Sportsman 127

FISHING shallow stuff and into 40 and 50 feet of water.” Shallow water, the guide continued, and you’re looking for current seams and breaks, small eddy-esque places where these fish can rest out of the current and wait for food to be brought to them. “The current comes out of the river,” he said, “and disperses out onto a big flat. It seems like the edge of that current, just like in any type of fishing, always seems to be a good spot. The food washes down the river and spreads out over those flats.” After mid-June the situation changes, with anglers searching out

deeper pockets and scour holes, anchoring, and drifting baits onto the bottom from upstream.

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simple fishery overall, Dowdy suggests, elemental even in terms of tackle. “I’m using a 7-foot mediumaction rod. Nothing fancy, the same rod you’d use for bottom-bouncing for walleyes. Baitcasters with 25-pound braid.” “The rig is basically a sturgeon rig,” he continued, “only smaller. You have a plastic slider with a 2-ounce cannonball weight to a swivel. Next is a 2-foot, 20-pound monofilament leader to a 5/0 or 6/0

circle hook. You don’t have to be right there (with the circle hooks). Usually they grab it and go, and they’re hooked. Nothing fancy. It’s about as basic as it gets.” My tackle playbook for channel cats reads the same as does Dowdy’s, with one possible addition. Though Dowdy – and I asked – says he doesn’t, or rather can’t run slip-bobber rigs for cats due to the current in the Palouse, I would definitely suggest trying it, if the water or situation permits. You find a backwater, eddy, or reasonably still stretch of water in the 2- to 8-foot range, and it can be tailor-made for a slip-bobber.

THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY With their ability to live for years and low likelihood of breeding if water temperatures remain cool enough, channel catfish represent a good, cheap way to increase fishing opportunities in lakes. Last June’s catch of a giant by Ahmed Majeed at Seattle’s Green Lake is evidence of that. That fish may have been planted as far back as 2005, if not before. But you also need to get them to the Northwest first, and that’s anything but inexpensive. Following purchases earlier this decade, in 2016 the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife received an unusual offer from a Southern channel cat grower: Free fish, you haul. But the agency actually had to turn it down because it couldn’t afford the $12,000 bill to truck the fish the 2,100 miles and 31 hours from Arkansas to the Northwest, nor the $6,000 for hatchery crews to distribute them to the lakes. For a 2011 blog, we wrote that WDFW spent $42,000 to put 50,000 channels into 30 lakes that year, roughly .84 cents a fish, with most of that expense coming in shipping. By comparison, at the time it cost WDFW around $3 per triploid, trout with a shelf life of just a few weeks given their prodigious – and ultimately self-destructive – feeding habits. It cost the agency 128 Northwest Sportsman

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$147,000 to buy 50,000 in 2011. So if it’s so damned expensive to truck channel catfish in from Little Rock, why not cut out the middle man and just grow them here with, say, eggs taken from spawners at the mouth of the Palouse and reared at the state’s warmwater hatchery near Tri-Cities? “Well, besides cost there are two things,” says Steve Caromile, WDFW’s statewide spinyray manager. He points out that the primary water source for the Meseberg Hatchery at Ringold on the Columbia River’s Hanford Reach is too cold. “The springs provide a fairly consistent water temperature throughout the year, but it is far below what is considered optimum for channel catfish growth, so feed costs would be high to get fish to 11 inches. Literature shows that channel catfish stocked below 10 inches or so have a pretty high mortality,” says Caromile. “Also, with the low temperatures, we would never be able to get channel catfish to spawn on their own in the hatchery,” he adds. “Most commercial hatcheries place spawning structures in ponds to allow the catfish to spawn naturally on their own.” It would also be challenging to ensure that the source population was

Young channel catfish are released into a Yakima County pond in 2011. (WDFW) healthy and came from clean waters. “We have an extremely strict disease policy within our hatchery system to keep from spreading disease/pathogens across the state,” says Caromile. “The fish from Hopper-Stephens Hatcheries [in Arkansas] are certified disease free, and are raised on pathogen-free water. That means that we can plant them in any watershed. Fish from the mouth of the Palouse River could not be considered disease free without a lot of testing, and the water is not pathogen free.” So unfortunately, with WDFW’s current budget shortfall of an estimated $20 million over the next two years, it may be awhile before another shipment of channel cats free or otherwise comes rolling up I-84 from points southeast. –NWS

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your nose up at channel cats, all I can say is I don’t know why. The big ones – the 10- to 15-pounders – put up a great tussle, especially on lighter tackle than Dowdy might use. The 1- to 5-pound cats, or as the guide said, the 5- to 8-pounders out of the cool-water Palouse in late spring before the water warms, are excellent on the table. And they’re fun. “It’s not a real complicated fishery to learn,” Dowdy said. “It’s a matter of just going out and doing it a couple times. Or going with a guide who can show you what to do right away. And kids? Even if they’re not big enough to hold the poles, we’ll leave ’em in the rod holders and have them turn the handles. It’s a great kids fishery.” There are no limits on channels in the Columbia system, and regs will be liberalized on other anadromous waters as a result of a bill passed in Olympia to aid Chinook and orcas. Oh, and one last thing. If you do run afoul of the spines, which, catch enough and you will, it’s going to hurt. It hurts initially, and then it gets worse. The best – the very best thing – you can do upon getting poked is to rub catfish slime into the puncture. Yep, catfish slime. Just rub your fingers alongside the fish that poked you, and then douche the injury liberally with the viscous goo. I don’t know why it works, and I’m sure any medical professionals reading this just got all twitterpated at the mere thought. But it works. And then you can take the cat that poked you home, clean it, and eat it. It’s called revenge, and it’s a dish best served deep-fried with hush puppies, coleslaw, and cold milk. Oh, yeah. NS

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COLUMN

Skagit Springer Action Heads Upstream J

une is a month of yin and yang for North Sound freshwater fishers. By Doug Huddle The Skagit’s spring Chinook salmon run, with its significant contingent of hatcheryorigin fish, is the focus of an upriver opportunity above Rockport following May’s first-in-40-plus-years lower-end opener. And a liberalization of the fishing rules now finds trout streams again open together with attendant beaver ponds, which means diminutive salmonids such as cutthroat and eastern brookies are fair game as the season turns to summer.

NORTH SOUND

FASTER WATER, SAME FISH With a forecast of 6,116 adult spring kings returning this year, managers were able to open the lower Skagit from Mount Vernon to Gilligan Creek last month for Chinook for the first time since 1976, though only 22 were kept (five natives let go) through May 12. The fishery matriculates upstream this month to the longer-standing option, the Rockport-to-Marblemount stretch that’s been open since 2005. Anglers new to this time/location should know that the upper river does not readily give up springers. The potential combination of snowmelt and June rainstorm runoff can swell this typically clear and inviting stretch to intimidating mud-ugly levels and that has a tendency in most years to hold dampen catch rates. But by virtue of several strategically located ramps – the Forest Service’s Marblemount and Skagit County’s Rockport launches – that accommodate large, trailered jet sleds as well as drift boats, it’s still an attractive option for early summer fishing. And though less well known for its shoreside accessibility, you can get to enough Chinook holding water overland to make bank fishing reasonably lucrative, especially in the open stretch of the small

Lower Skagit anglers got their crack at spring Chinook in May for the first time in 43 years, and now the action turns to the upper river and Cascade, which open in June. Adam Perez caught this dime-bright king last season. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST) Cascade River below the salmon hatchery. A flow volume range of 5,000 to 6,000 cubic feet second is preferred by the majority of Skagit fishers because of its characteristic friendly combination of green color and 3- to 4-foot visibility. But spring snowmelt or storm surges that bring the river up and out need not be offputting. When volumes at Marblemount top 7,500 cfs, just add a little more sinker weight, adjust your presentation and don’t cast as far out so that you can maintain contact with the bottom where the kings lie. With selective-gear restrictions in place, the breadth of fishing styles has narrowed here. Boat fishers as well as some bankies will carry and use the K-13 Kwikfish model in chartreuse and red livery. Brad’s Wiggler plugs, especially the Nos. BW-116 (yellow/orange) and BW-41 (rainbow trout pattern), also are “pulled” in the deeper pools and tailouts by boat fishers. Be sure your terminal rigs are compliant

with hook size and point limitations in the Rockport-Marblemount reach. Selectivegear rules also apply in the other stream reaches in the upper valley that open June 1 or later. If you are coming at the upper Skagit’s spring Chinook from high and dry ground, your options are more restricted but often no less productive. Private ownership predominates here but foot access can be had. The 101 Hole (so-named for the nearby highway milepost) is a stretch of high bank at the upstream end of the highway frontage that’s popular with bald eagle watchers. Bankers fish the slot water just off the riprap protecting the roadway. There are two cautionaries about this site, the first that it’s private land though I’ve never heard of any owner objections and it has been used for decades; the second concerns parking, which is highly limited along this section of state highway. You can get tickets for carelessly beaching your nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

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COLUMN automobile by the side of the road. The former Clark’s Skagit River Resort, now known as Glacier Peak Resort, at Bullerville has a loop trail running east from the highway to the right bank of a long drift that occasionally holds Chinook in the morning hours. You should check first with the resort before venturing onto this land and you now may have to be a paying customer to enjoy their largesse. Pressentin County Park at Marblemount provides access to the Big and Little Eddys for bank and wading fishers from Highway 20, with parking at the Shell Station. Fee title ownership of parcels in this complex of lands fronting the river are held either by Skagit County (the park plot proper) or The Nature Conservancy’s Seattle office. Washington Eddy is a complex of state (Department of Fish and Wildlife), land trust, Skagit County, TNC and Seattle City Light

KIDS’ DAYS ON THE POND June in Whatcom and Skagit Counties brings at least four youth fishing duels, three with trout throwing down a gauntlet, one where bluegills offer the challenge. At Sumas, Saturday, June 1 the Howard Bowen Memorial Kids’ Fishing Event is organized by the American Legion Post 212. The scene of this youth trouting set-to is a new pond venue at Howard Bowen Memorial Park on Hovel Road. Also on June 1 at Skagit County’s Heart Lake is the Anacortes Kids’Fishing Derby, organized by the Anacortes parks department and the Fidalgo Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers. Lynden’s annual youth trout contest, organized by the Loyal Order of Camels Club, is held the second Saturday of June (this year the 8th) on the inner city reach of Fishtrap Creek in Lynden City Park on Depot Road. Set for the third Saturday of June is the Borderline Bassin’ Contenders Rudy Horat Memorial Kids’ Bluegill Tournament at Whatcom County’s Fazon Lake, off Everson-Goshen Road. You will need a boat for kids to fish this event. All these contests are free to all comers age 14 and under and no licenses are required. –DH

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Northwest beaver ponds abound with aquatic life that help feed various native and nonnative trout, though catching fish in these “mind-bendingly-difficult-to-fish animal-engineered impoundments” can be a bit of a trick, says author Doug Huddle. (YO-ZURI PHOTO CONTEST)

parcels encompassing an old farm, as well as sloughs, beaver ponds and wetlands associated with the river just above Rockport. There is also a parcel of tribal trust land of which you must know the metes and bounds of to avoid. The old but shifting eddy waters are a Chinook holding haven, but getting next to them with dry feet can be extremely difficult to impossible. Lewis Farm, also known as Barnaby Slough, is an old and familiar Game Department cum WDFW access on the Skagit’s left (east) bank that you drive on to from Martin Road just east of Rockport. There’s not much bank length from which to fish here, but anglers find both kings and steelhead holding in the slot water at first light. The lower Cascade River offers wading anglers by far the most approachable water, with several trails coming in off the Cascade River Road on federal lands to what used to be an old pool called the Raspberry Hole. In addition, anglers may park at the state’s Marblemount Hatchery and walk through the facility or down Clark Creek to get to the river. Be sure to park in an acceptable location there and do not block any of the facility’s work areas. Lodging can be found at the county’s Howard Miller Steelhead Park, Sauk Bridge and Grandy Lake Campgrounds, the aforementioned resort, Rasar State Park, Cascade Wagon Road Campground – a small, rustic private campground operated on the honor system that is located on the Cascade Road at the Rockport-Cascade Road bridge – and several motels and B&Bs

along Highway 20. Campers can also stay pretty much where they want to on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, but do make sure you’re actually on the forest and not National Park Service land or industrial timber or other private property.

BEAVER PONDS The last Saturday of May again is the standard for opening most rivers, streams and – my favorite trout venue – beaver ponds. It was a struggle for a while just after imposition of federal protection of Puget Sound steelhead when virtually all local flowing waters were closed, including these often small, out-of-the-way and mind-bendingly-difficult-to-fish animalengineered impoundments. Since nothing in life is as simple or as easy as it seems – this year being no exception – water or the potential severe lack of it, will create the challenge for beaver pond angling enthusiasts. Fish the low ones now and the loftier foothills waters in early July, as the water year looks to be considerably drier than normal, despite February’s snows. Coastal cutthroat populations – some natural, others introduced – and westslope cutthroat, a trout species native to Inland Northwest basins and previously released here are what you’ll most often be bush stalking. Eastern brook trout, also a longstanding but also exotic or nonnative, are the quarry in some ponds. The list of Northwest Washington interior basins with a good array of beaver ponds includes the North Fork Nooksack Valley above the natural barrier of Nooksack Falls,

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the Baker River Valley above Shannon Dam, the lower Cascade River, and the Skagit Valley above Ross Dam. The latter, most notably the beaver-made waters of Big Beaver Creek, actually open July 1 but are worth the wait. Also in play now are the sprinkling of conspicuous dammed waters in the Chuckanut Mountains’ Oyster Creek basin. Especially intriguing are the expansive Upper and Lower Anderson Creek beaver pond complexes in the North Fork Nooksack, similarly spacious river terrace beaver ponds in the mid-Cascade River, as well as the Baker River basin’s backwoods beaver pond nooks. This cautionary note is for those curious anglers who’ve never done it before: Beaver pond fishing is not for everyone. Some of my otherwise ardent angler acquaintances who tried it for the first time came back quoting the raven: Nevermore. The physically daunting brush, insect bites, loss of scads of fishing tackle, cuts and bruises and the occasional unwanted partial or full immersion ganged up to give a distressing outing. Also, backcountry beaver pond fishing, especially when spring run-off swells them and their associated creeks, simply can be dangerous. With their shaky and uncertain footing, in these fishing spots you can be standing in ankle-deep water one moment and over your head the next. On some of the abovementioned pond complexes I’ve donned a PFD because of the boggy approaches, hidden deep pools and occasional swift currents encountered. However, though finicky, nervous types and survivors in their own right, the trout can be bigger than the put-and-takes and almost always strike in a sudden and spectacular fury reminiscent of highway bandits at midnight. Even just one sleek cutthroat or eastern brook brought to hand from these trout inner sanctums, despite your being bloodied, dripping wet and exhausted, will provoke a sense of satisfaction unlike any other angling experience. NS

NEXT ISSUE July’s salmon start in northern waters, the PSA Bellingham Salmon Derby, mountain trout. Editor’s note: Doug Huddle lives in Bellingham, is retired from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and has written about hunting and fishing in the Northwest for more than 35 years. 136 Northwest Sportsman

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COLUMN

Bust Clays Now, Bag More Fall Birds B

ig game rifle seasons are a few months away, but coming up sooner are early upland bird seasons in Western states, ON TARGET along with early By Dave Workman archery hunts. In the Northwest we’ve got a Sept. 1 grouse opener, and mourning dove seasons also traditionally kick off on the same date. If you’re like me, you need all the practice you can get to conk birds on the fly. A trek to Kansas in March proved that when I teamed up with Roy Huntington, editor of American Handgunner and Chris Hodgdon, whose family owns the legendary powder company, to knock some pheasants, chukars and quail on a private hunting preserve to clean up lateseason birds. This was on the heels of a January Columbia Basin trek with my old pal Brian Lull. The birds won that encounter as well. I was using a borrowed shotgun in Kansas, and didn’t do so well, while Roy and Chris demonstrated remarkable dexterity with their smoothbores. Rubbing it in, Huntington was using a 28-gauge Remington autoloader. For whatever reason, the 28-gauge is making another comeback, which ought to delight gun and ammunition makers. I’ve got a .410-bore double that I’ll stick with for a real challenge.

IN THE MARKET? If you’re seriously thinking about buying a new shotgun before this upcoming bird season, this is the time to do that. Benelli recently announced an over-

A little practice now will go a long ways to more upland birds downed this fall, advises author Dave Workman, here with a chukar bagged during a preserve hunt earlier this year. (DAVE WORKMAN) nwsportsmanmag.com | JUNE 2019

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Mossberg’s Centennial Edition Model 500 pump. (MOSSBERG)

and-under designed primarily for sporting clays shooters, but I’m a firm believer in the principle that if you’re skilled with one gun on clay birds, you can be deadly with it on live birds, if that’s your choice. However, clays shooters are serious about their shotguns, and the new Benelli is worth serious attention. Enter the 828U Sport, featuring a 30-inch barrel with five extended nickel chokes. This baby has a steel receiver, and it is chambered for 12-gauge shells. The gun features a Lock Plate closing system, an improved pull weight and adjustable trigger position. It’s got an anatomically shaped AA walnut stock, matte finish on the barrel(s) and a channeled, raised rib. This smoothbore will handle 3-inch magnums, but I never saw an upland bird that wouldn’t go down hard when hit with a shot column launched by a 2¾-incher. It’s got a price tag worthy of a clays gun, an MSRP of $4,399. If your budget is tighter, Mossberg is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the introduction of a Model 500 Centennial pump shotgun that is one very fancy 12-gauge. My own Model 500 has a fair number of grouse to its credit, and it’s no show horse. The limited edition Model 500 Centennial, on the other hand, is a gem. It’s got a deeply blued 28-inch vent rib Accu-Choke barrel with a 3-inch chamber for 12-gauge magnums, a high-polish nickel-finish receiver with 24-carat gold 142 Northwest Sportsman

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plating, a high-polish walnut stock and forearm and gold-plated trigger. The bolt is jeweled, and the stock is fitted with a classic red rubber ventilated recoil pad. This is a Talo Group distributor exclusive, according to Mossberg.

WINGSHOOTING PREPAREDNESS With a new shotgun or an old reliable one, if you’re looking to put grouse, chukar or pheasants in the bag this year, trot down to the gun shop or even the hardware store, pick up a case of clay birds and a thrower, and get with the game. In the past I’ve run No. 7½ for clay birds and even for ruffed grouse, though my preference for the bigger blue grouse is a high-base No. 6 fired through either an improved cylinder or modified choke. Sharpen up your skills at shooting high, low and in between. The offseason is a good time to stock up on shotshells and to spend time at the range maintaining your shooting ability. Practice with the ammunition you plan to use in the field, same as one zeroes a rifle with the same ammunition one will use on the hunt. Shooting up a box or two over the summer months to stay in practice is a good investment of time and ammunition. It will pay off in the fall with a cooler full of birds.

HYDRA-SHOKS FOR HANDLOADERS When I hunt, I typically also carry a sidearm, and Federal Premium has

announced that its Hydra-Shok handgun bullets are now available to handloaders. Right now, there are offerings in .357, .355 (9mm), .40 and .45 (.451) calibers. This is a proven bullet for defensive use, with that trademark center post in the hollow cavity, and I wish they’d make that bullet available in .44 (.429) and .41 calibers for guys like me who shoot big-bore magnums. As it is, I use 210-grain Nosler and Sierra JHPs, which are superb bullets, in my .41 Magnum reloads, and I’m more than tempted to get a few boxes of the Hydra-Shok .357-caliber pills for use in my .357 Magnum and even .38 Special handloads. Last October I put the finishing touch on a mule deer buck in Central Washington’s Moses Coulee using a .41 Magnum, which is no slouch on deer. That was the third buck I’ve put down with a .41 Magnum,

Handloaders will be interested to learn that Federal has made its Hydra-Shok bullets available in four initial calibers. (FEDERAL)

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which shoots flatter with slightly less recoil than the more popular .44 Magnum. The Hydra-Shok has become a favorite bullet for defensive handgunners and it opens up rather well. The .355 and .357 pills come in 100-count boxes, while the .40 and .45 offerings are packaged 50 to a box.

GRANTS FOR CRITTER CORRIDORS Speaking of deer and other big game, there’s good news for several Western states including Washington, thanks to the recent announcement from Interior Secretary David Bernhardt that $2.1 million in grants for habitat conservation work in migration corridors has been made available. It’s a public-private venture with matching money from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and ConocoPhillips. According to an NFWF news release, maybe more than $8.6 million will ultimately be leveraged in matching money for these projects.

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Washington’s 2019 hunting regulations are out, and if you’re planning a hunt this fall, now is a good time to be studying up in case something has changed from last season. Workman keeps copies in his truck and on his desk, and the pamphlet can also be downloaded as a PDF at wdfw.wa.gov. (WDFW)

The Evergreen State could get $274,729, and that’s not chump change. What will it pay for? According to the release, this money will benefit mule deer winter range in Eastern Washington in two key management zones. It will, said the organization, restore 3,500 acres and reconnect 7½ miles of a migration corridor. Down in Colorado, the state Department of Transportation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Southern Ute Tribe will join forces to install fences that direct elk, mule deer and “other wildlife” to an underpass or overpass on U.S. 160 between Pagosa Springs and Durango. Over in Montana, a group called the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, Inc. will work with various partners and private property owners to improve fencing in “corridor areas.” Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will work with a rancher in the Big Hole Valley near Butte on habitat improvement projects as well. NS

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School’s Out, But Gun Pup Training Is Still In Session S

ummer vacation is finally here, and with it warm weather and a desire to get outside. Wherever you go, take your dog with you whenever GUN DOGGIN’ 101 possible. Just like you, By Scott Haugen dogs enjoy being out and experiencing new things. The more settings and situations you can get them in, the more well-rounded, happy and disciplined your gun dog will be. Socializing your gun dog is one of the

most important benefits you can offer it. Take it on walks in the park, to the beach, in the mountains, even around town. The more environments your dog can be in, the less stressed it will be when encountering new settings and people on future hunting trips.

MEETING PEOPLE ON hiking trails, at the beach and in the park is a great way to socialize your dog. Most folks love meeting dogs, especially puppies, and the more people your pup comes into contact with, the better.

When your pup meets strangers, be prepared. Have your pup on a leash and control it. Avoid letting your puppy run toward or jump up on strangers. It’s ideal to have the pup sit by your feet, and let the person approach, slowly. It’s best if they are calm and bend over to let the pup sniff his or her outstretched hand. As a stranger approaches to greet your dog, encourage them to stay standing rather than kneeling to the level of the dog. This will help ensure the dog maintains its composure and doesn’t get overly excited and jumps up on the stranger. Consistency

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COLUMN is key in this training process.

Getting in the water with your dog makes it fun for them, and lessens their anxiety in new surroundings. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

IT’S A GREAT time to also expose your pup to water. Regularly taking your pup to clean ponds, lakes, creeks, and rivers, even the beach, will help get it used to the many forms of water it may encounter come hunting season. If your dog is reluctant to get in the water, having a bumper to get the dog excited can help. For this, set aside the dog’s favorite bumper, as they will recognize it and desire it more. Some dogs get particularly excited over duck and goose training dummies, and this can be just the ticket for getting them inspired about water entry in unfamiliar places. If your pup is young and entering water for the first time, you may need to get in with it. Be it in a swimming pool, lake, or river, your being in the water sends the message that all is safe. The more fun you can make this experience, the more likely your pup will want to join you in the water. Should your pup avoid getting into cold water, perhaps a heated outdoor swimming pool is where you’ll need to start. Hold the pup and support it when it swims. Playing with a bumper in the pool can divert their attention from getting wet to wanting to retrieve. The hope is the pup will be so focused on retrieving, or playing with you, that it will forget about the uncomfortable feeling of being wet. THE KEY TO summer training sessions and introducing your gun dog pup to new things is keeping it fun. Just like kids who are on summer break, dogs also like and want to have fun. The more experiences you can introduce to your dog, and the more people it can meet, the tighter the bond will become between the two of you. Now is a great time to introduce and teach your dog all you can, instilling discipline and consistent communication that will form a solid bond, forever. NS Editor’s note: To see some of Scott Haugen’s puppy training video tips, visit scotthaugen .com. Follow Scott on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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