With summer at its midpoint, salmon fishing is now in full swing from the Pacific coast to the upper Columbia River. Hundreds of thousands of fish are on the move, pressing into Puget Sound and other "inside" waters from the ocean and creating a variety of fishing options for anglers.

"Savvy anglers follow the fish," said Steve Thiesfeld, a fish biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "You want to be fishing where the salmon are, not where they were."

"Humpy Hollow," a portion of Puget Sound stretching from Shipwreck to Mukilteo, should be a good bet in the next few weeks for anglers who want to catch pink salmon, Thiesfeld said. Fish biologists are predicting that 3.3 million pink salmon - also known as "humpies" - will enter Puget Sound this year and a good portion of them will pass through those waters, he said.

"We expect a big push of pink salmon in the next couple of weeks, and Humpy Hollow is traditionally the best place to be when those fish head for the region's rivers," Thiesfeld said.

Similarly, anglers eager to catch chinook salmon in southwest Washington might want to mark Aug. 22 on their calendars. That's when the popular "Buoy 10" fishery near the mouth of the Columbia River opens for retention of chinook, which are now beginning to move in from the ocean.

"We have a lot of chinook salmon and hatchery coho holding right offshore, fattening up," said Joe Hymer, another WDFW fish biologist. "Anglers fishing at Buoy 10 will get a good shot at both species during the peak of the run."

Meanwhile, this year's run of summer steelhead is hitting a crescendo on the Columbia River, providing good fishing both above and below Bonneville Dam. Some of the highest catch rates during the first week of August were at Drano Lake, where anglers were averaging nearly three-quarters of a fish per rod. As in past years, only steelhead with a clipped adipose or ventral fin and a healed scar at the location of the clipped fin may be retained anywhere on the Columbia River or its tributaries.

But for all of the fish moving to inside waters, plenty are still available off the Washington coast. During the first week of August, anglers were averaging two salmon per day - mostly coho - off the south coast and one fish per day north of the Queets River.

"Even though the weather's so-so, this is a good time to go," said WDFW fish biologist Wendy Beeghley.

Fishing regulations for these and other fisheries are detailed in WDFW's Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm). For more information about these and other fishing, hunting and wildlife-watching opportunities now available throughout the state, see the regional reports below.

North Puget Sound

• Fishing: The mark-selective fisheries for hatchery chinook in central Puget Sound have wrapped up, but anglers still have plenty of other opportunities throughout the region to hook a salmon.

  Anglers are finding some nice chinook on the west side of San Juan Island, along with healthy numbers of resident hatchery coho in marine areas 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), said Steve Thiesfeld, a WDFW fish biologist.

  But the place to be in the next couple of weeks may be "Humpy Hollow," a portion of Puget Sound that stretches from Shipwreck north to Mukilteo.

  "We expect a big push of pink salmon in the next couple of weeks, and Humpy Hollow is traditionally the best place to be when those fish head for the region's rivers," Thiesfeld said.

  Anglers fishing Humpy Hollow, or other waters of Marine Area 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner), have a two-salmon daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. All chinook salmon must released.

  Thiesfeld reminds anglers in neighboring Marine Area 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) that they must release chinook, plus all pink salmon. "In order to protect a weak pink return to the Skagit this year, pink salmon retention is not allowed in 8-1," he said.

  Meanwhile, the crab fishery continues in marine areas 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10, and the southern and eastern portion of 7. The northern portion of Marine Area 7 opens Aug. 15. See WDFW's sport-crabbing website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crab/) for more information.

  The coonstripe and pink shrimp fisheries also are open in the region, and shrimpers can drop a pot in marine areas 8-1, 8-2, 9 and the northern and central portion of Marine Area 7. For more information on the shrimp fisheries check WDFW's website at http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/shrimpreg/shrimpindex.shtml.

  In the rivers, the steelhead fishery in the Reiter Ponds section of the Skykomish is under way. That section of the river (1,500 feet upstream to 1,000 feet downstream of the Reiter Ponds Hatchery outlet) opened July 21 after the hatchery collected enough steelhead broodstock to meet egg-take goals.

  The salmon fishery on the Snohomish River opens Aug. 16. Anglers will have a daily limit of two salmon, plus two additional pink salmon, but must release chinook.

  Farther north, the Skagit River will remain closed to salmon fishing until September, said Brett Barkdull, another WDFW fish biologist. "The closure is necessary because only about 90,000 pink salmon are expected to return to the river this year," he said. "That's far below the minimum return of 330,000 salmon necessary to consider a recreational fishery."

  Before heading out, anglers should check the rules and regulations for all freshwater and saltwater fisheries in WDFW's Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

• Hunting: The bear and cougar hunting seasons recently got under way in the region. Hunters are allowed two cougar during the season, which runs through March 15, 2008. Hunters are also allowed two bear during the 2007 general season (Aug. 1-Nov. 15), but only one bear can be taken in eastern Washington. Check the 2007 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm) for details.

• Wildlife viewing: Reported whale sightings in the region have tapered off. There have only been a few sightings of orcas in the San Juan Islands, and only a couple reports of grey whales in the Saratoga Passage area.

  In the Kent area, birders have been busy. A number of different bird species have been sighted in recent weeks. The list includes eight long-billed dowitchers, one lesser yellowleg, a semipalmated sandpiper, a dozen least sandpipers, and a couple of killdeer and spotted sandpipers.

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

UPDATE (August 9, 2007) Halibut fishing will open in marine areas 3 and 4 shoreward of a line approximating 30 fathoms from the Bonilla-Tatoosh line south to the Queets River on Aug. 18 and 19. See Rule Changes at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm for more information.

• Fishing: As the salmon season approaches its midpoint, anglers are catching limits of chinook, coho and pink salmon from the Pacific coast to Puget Sound. They'll also get one more day - Thursday, Aug. 9 - to catch and retain chinook in a portion of the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, and can again fish for halibut off Ilwaco (Marine Area 1).

  Salmon fishing is going strong off the southern Pacific coast, where anglers are catching limits off Westport and Ilwaco (marine areas 1 and 2), said Wendy Beeghley, WDFW fish biologist. "Even though the weather's been so-so, this is a good time to go," she said. "Hatchery coho make up the bulk of the catch, but chinook are starting to show up off Ilwaco."

  On the north coast (marine areas 3 and 4) anglers fishing off La Push and Neah Bay were averaging about one fish per rod and finding quite a few pink salmon.

  Ilwaco is open daily for salmon fishing; Westport is open Sundays through Thursdays; and La Push and Neah Bay are open Tuesdays through Saturdays. Coastal salmon fishing rules will remain as specified in the Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm), or until quotas are met.

  Anglers on the south coast are also getting another chance to catch halibut off Ilwaco (Marine Area 1). As of Aug. 3, recreational fishing for Pacific halibut will be open three days a week - Friday, Saturday and Sunday - until the remaining quota is reached, or Sept. 30, 2007, whichever comes first. It is unlawful to retain bottomfish, except sablefish and Pacific cod, when halibut is on board.

  Along the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, anglers will have one more day - Thursday, Aug. 9 - to catch and retain hatchery chinook, said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish biologist. Enough hatchery chinook remain in the quota to re-open the fishery that day in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu) and the portion of Marine Area 6 west of Ediz Hook at Port Angeles, he said. "There are still some nice hatchery fish out there waiting to be caught."

  While the quota for chinook is expected to be reached on Aug. 9, both areas remain open for pink, sockeye and hatchery coho salmon. "The fishing's been better this year for coho and catches should increase through mid-September," he said.

  Selective fishing rules are in effect in marine areas 11 and 13, requiring anglers to use single-point, barbless hooks and release any wild chinook they encounter. The fishery in those two areas runs seven days a week, with a limit of two salmon a day. Also, Commencement Bay is now open for salmon fishing.

  In Hood Canal, the daily limit is four salmon, of which only two can be chinook. All chum must be released.

  Selective fishing rules are in effect in all three areas, requiring anglers to use single-point, barbless hooks and release any wild chinook they encounter. In Hood Canal, the daily limit is four salmon, of which only two can be chinook. All chum must be released. The fishery in areas 11 and 13 runs seven days a week, with a limit of two salmon a day. Also, Commencement Bay is now open for salmon fishing.

  For those interested in winning a boat, some cash or just getting out and fishing, two derbies in the 12-event Northwest Salmon Derby Series are coming up in Puget Sound. On Aug. 11, participants in the Gig Harbor Salmon Derby can try for the $2,000 first prize for catching the largest chinook or coho salmon. Kids will be entered into a raffle for a 14-foot boat, motor and trailer. The derby will be held at three locations - the Point Defiance Boat House, Narrows Marina and the Gig Harbor boat launch dock. For more information, call 253-591-5325 or go to http://www.discovernorthwestfishing.com/salmonderby.asp

  The seventh annual Hood Canal salmon derby will be held on Aug. 18 and 19. Tickets are $25 a piece and participants can try for a first prize of $1,000. The kids' derby is free. Weigh-ins will be at the Sunrise Motel near Hoodsport and Mikes' Beach Resort north of Lililwaup. Contact Clint Muns at 360-490-8482 or FISHHOG211@AOL.COM

  All participants in both derbies will be entered in a raffle for a 23-foot center console Pacific boat with Honda motor and trailer. For more information, visit http://www.discovernorthwestfishing.com.

  Meanwhile, the Quilcene River opens on Aug. 16 from Rodgers Street to the U. S. Highway 101 Bridge. The fishery is open seven days a week through Oct. 31. The daily limit is four coho only, with a minimum size of 12 inches. Only fish hooked inside the mouth may be retained.

  On the Olympic Peninsula, summer coho are starting to arrive in the Sol Duc River, but the river is presenting a challenge to most anglers, said Brian Russell, Sol Duc hatchery manager. "The river is low and clear and the fish are stealthy," he said. "It's pretty tough right now, but the people who know what they're doing are catching some."

  Want to do some surf fishing? The Westport/Grayland Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Summer Beach Perch Fishing Derby Aug. 11 along the beaches off Westport. The event starts at sunrise with weigh-in scheduled for 4 p.m. at Angler Charters at 2401 Westhaven Drive - across from Float 8 at the Westport Marina. The entry fee is $20 and all participants must have a valid state fishing license. The top four anglers will share a $1,000-$1,200 cash prize. Participants can register for the derby at www.anglercharters.net. Call 1-800-345-6223 for more information.

  Recreational crab fishing is open Wednesdays through Saturdays in marine areas 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 12 (Hood Canal) through Sept. 3. Crabbing is open seven days a week in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge) through Jan. 2.

  The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five male Dungeness crab with a shell width measuring at least 6¼ inches, plus six red rock crab of either sex with a shell width of at least 5 inches. All undersized crab, female Dungeness crab and all softshell crab of either sex must be returned to the water.

• Hunting: The bear and cougar hunting seasons opened Aug. 1 in the region. Hunters are allowed two cougar during the season, which runs through March 15, 2008. Hunters are also allowed two bear during the 2007 general season (Aug. 1-Nov. 15), but only one bear can be taken in eastern Washington. Check the 2007 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm) for details.

• Wildlife viewing: August provides some excellent bird watching opportunities for those hiking the trails at Paradise or Sunrise in Mount Rainier National Park. Birders have reported an unusual sighting of several Baird's sandpipers foraging on a snowfield near the top of Second Burroughs Mountain out of Sunrise. Along with the sandpipers, birders observed pipits, gray-crowned rosy-finches, Clark's Nutcrackers, mountain chickadees, chipping sparrows, and a few small groups of mountain bluebirds.

  At Paradise along the Skyline Trail, hikers found a female sooty grouse with one chick, a female white-tailed ptarmigan with a brood of four chicks, and gray-crowned rosy-finches feeding their young along the edge of the small snow fields.

  The white-tailed ptarmigan is the smallest bird in the grouse family and is the only bird in the alpine zone that doesn't migrate. In summer it has a mottled brown head, breast and back with white wings, belly and tail. In winter, this bird is pure white except for a black beak and eyes, blending easily into the snow.

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: There's no time like the present to catch hatchery steelhead in the Columbia River Basin. With more than 100,000 fish counted at Bonneville Dam and more on the way, anglers fishing the big river and tributaries during the first week in August were doing well as far upstream as the White Salmon River.

  "We're probably seeing the peak of the summer steelhead run right now, although fishing should be good into early fall," said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. "Fishing improved during the last big tide series, and we have another big tide series running through mid-August."

  Salmon fishing, on the other hand, has been slow throughout the lower Columbia River. Only a few chinook salmon were counted in creel surveys conducted during the week ending Aug. 5, and chinook retention remains closed in the Buoy 10 fishery through Aug. 21 to conserve wild tules.

  But anglers seeking hatchery steelhead - including incoming early "B Run" fish weighing into the upper teens - have lots of options. Some of the best steelhead fishing has been reported at Drano Lake, where catch rates by boat anglers have been averaging nearly three-quarters of a fish per rod. Bank anglers averaged a fish for every two rods at both Drano Lake and the White Salmon River during the week ending Aug. 5.

  Hymer estimates that about 60,000 of the 105,000 steelhead that have moved past Bonneville Dam through Aug. 6 are still in the Bonneville Pool, which makes that a good bet for boat anglers. Last year, about 80,000 steelhead had cleared the dam by that date.

  Anglers fishing the Cowlitz River at Blue Creek have also been doing well. A creel check conducted during the week ending Aug. 5 turned up 30 boat anglers with 24 hatchery steelhead. Eight bank anglers caught six hatchery fish in the same area.

  In the mainstem Columbia River below Bonneville Dam, anglers have been averaging about one steelhead for every four rods, while boat anglers took one fish for every five rods. The best fishing in the lower river was reported in the gorge, downriver from the dam to Washougal. Overall, anglers fishing the lower river kept about two-thirds of the steelhead they caught.

  As in past years, only steelhead with a clipped adipose or ventral fin and a healed scar at the location of the clipped fin may be retained anywhere on the Columbia River or its tributaries.

  While fall salmon fishing got off to a slow start this month, catch rates should improve for both chinook and coho in the coming weeks, Hymer said. He noted that the peak fishing time at Buoy 10, where chinook retention begins Aug. 22 for chinook salmon, typically runs from mid-August through Labor Day.

  "We have a lot of chinook salmon and hatchery coho holding right offshore, fattening up," Hymer said. "Anglers fishing at Buoy 10 will get a good shot at both species during the peak of the run."

  The catch limit in the Buoy 10 fishery is two salmon per day. As part of that limit, anglers may retain one adult chinook per day from Aug. 22 to Sept. 3 and from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. All sockeye, chum and wild coho must be released.

  Sturgeon retention is currently closed in all areas of the lower Columbia River although fishery managers from Washington and Oregon are scheduled to meet Aug. 15 to consider additional sturgeon-fishing opportunities above the Wauna power lines. Any actions taken at that meeting will be reported on the website for WDFW's southwest region at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regions/reg5/hotline.htm.

• Hunting: The bear and cougar hunting seasons opened Aug. 1 in the region. Hunters are allowed two cougar during the season, which runs through March 15, 2008. Hunters are also allowed two bear during the 2007 general season (Aug. 1-Nov. 15), but only one bear can be taken in eastern Washington. Check the 2007 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm) for details.

• Wildlife viewing: While August is generally considered a slow month for birding, notable sightings are still being reported in backyards and wildlife refuges throughout the region. For example, one contributor to the Tweeters birding website (http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/) reported seeing an immature calliope hummingbird - along with two Rufous hummingbirds - jockeying for position at his feeder Aug. 2 in Battle Ground.

  The calliope, glossy green on the back and crown with white underparts, is fairly common in eastern Washington but rarely seen on the west side of the state. It is the smallest of the state's hummingbirds, and the smallest long-distance avian migrant in the world, wintering in Mexico and arriving in Washington from late April to mid-May. According to Seattle Audubon's Birdweb (http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=264), adult males tend to wander a bit in late summer, which may account for this month's sighting in Clark County.

  Two veteran birders also reported sighting a western kingbird that day in a field just east of the Centralia Steam Plant in Lewis County. Adults are grey-olive on the upperparts with a grey head and a dark line through the eyes; the underparts are light becoming light orange-yellow on the lower breast and belly. While no strangers to Washington, kingbirds generally leave for their breeding grounds in Mexico about this time. The name "kingbird" is derived from their "take-charge" behavior. These birds aggressively defend their territory, even against much larger birds such as hawks.

  During the same outing, the same pair of birders also reported sighting several species of dragonflies, including black saddlebags, common whitetails and common spreadwings at the Centralia Steam Plant, as well as river jewelwings along the Skookumcheck River at Schaefer County Park.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Lake Roosevelt rainbow trout fishing has been very good lately and anglers are commonly catching 14- to 21-inch fish. Successful boat anglers are using streamer flies with a piece of worm behind trolling flashers, pop gear or dodgers at 35 to 45 feet. For best success, trolling gear should be about 100 to 150 feet behind the boat to avoid spooking the fish, and speed and direction should be varied.

  Dan Rahn, WDFW enforcement sergeant, reports successful trout trolling at Spokane County's Clear Lake. On a recent boat check, three anglers trolling with flashers and using worms for bait had 15 trout that measured 12 to 14 inches.

  Rahn also reports successful shore fishing during morning hours for rainbows at Spokane County's West Medical Lake where anglers are using worms and marshmallows.

  Chris Donley, WDFW district fish biologist, said that nighttime fishing for kokanee at Loon Lake in Stevens County continues to be productive. Anglers are mostly fishing from boats with glo-hooks and maggots or corn in 30 to 40 feet of water. "Use your fish finder to locate the fish and then anchor over the top," he said.

  Curt Vail, WDFW district fish biologist in Colville, said the Pend Oreille River continues to produce good catches of large northern pike. The river is also a good bet for largemouth bass, especially from Ione to Box Canyon Dam, and smallmouth bass in the Metaline Falls area.

• Hunting: Black bear hunting in the central district and non-hound cougar hunting in the central and southeast districts opened Aug. 1. Hunters and those engaged in pre-season scouting efforts are reminded to be careful with potential fire starters of any kind and to check with both public and private landowners about possible access restrictions or open fire prohibitions. Dry conditions increase wildfire danger throughout the region.

  Special permit applications are available now online or at license dealers for 800 late fall turkey hunting permits in northeast district Game Management Units 101-124. The season runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 15. Deadline for applications is midnight Aug. 31.

• Western grebe with young

  Wildlife viewing: Howard Ferguson, WDFW district wildlife biologist in Spokane, recently surveyed Long Lake near Riverside State Park's Nine Mile Resort for western grebes. Using binoculars and a spotting scope, he observed 25 adult grebes, about 11 potential nests, and one young grebe astride a parent bird. "These birds are so large and striking even the causal observer without viewing equipment could spot them on the reservoir," Ferguson said. The adult western grebe is at least two-feet long with a long, thin black-and-white neck, bright yellow bill and bright red eye. The young birds are initially fuzzy white and often hitch rides on the back of an adult.

  This is the time to see large groupings of this year's production of passerine or migratory songbirds, including blackbirds, sparrows and swallows. Hundreds of these kinds of birds are convening on overhead wires, in trees, and in fields where they're filling up on summer's bountiful insect crop. By the end of the month many will be starting to move south in even larger concentrations.

  Juveniles of other species are more visible now, too. Woody Myers, WDFW wildlife research biologist, notes whitetail and mule deer fawns are growing more independent and exploring farther afield from their does. Dry conditions continue to make irrigated landscapes and gardens attractive to these browsers so some homeowners may catch even closer glimpses of both moms and babies.

  Dry conditions at this time of year can bring wild animals in search of food and water into areas closer to people. Black bears in particular are on the prowl for easy pickings if wild berry patches are spent. Cougars may follow prey species such as deer. Be alert to the possible presence of these potentially dangerous wild animals. Enjoy them from a distance by giving them a wide berth. Avoid attracting them by keeping campsites tidy, storing food in wildlife-proof containers away from tents. More information about minimizing the chances of an encounter is available from WDFW's "Living With Wildlife" series at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/cougar/cougar.htm for cougars, and at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/blkbear/blkbear.htm for bears.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Bob Jateff, WDFW fish biologist in Omak, said summer chinook salmon fishing in the Brewster/Bridgeport area has improved considerably with most adult fish averaging 15 to 18 pounds. Some anglers are calling it "the good old days," with limits that include 30-pound wild fish and 12-pound hatchery fish. The open area is from the Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster to the Highway 17 Bridge at Chief Joseph Dam, including the Okanogan River from the mouth to the first Highway 97 Bridge. Anglers must release all coho and sockeye.

  Jateff said that because a large number of anglers have been cited for illegally snagging summer chinook salmon in the upper Columbia River, a non-buoyant lure restriction went into effect Aug. 7 for the fishery above Rocky Reach Dam. "When an angler uses a non-buoyant lure - that's one that sinks in fresh water -- the lure may only be equipped with one single-point hook measuring three-quarters of an inch or less from point to shank," he said. The restriction, which is in effect through the end of the season Oct. 15, applies to the upper Columbia River from Rocky Reach Dam to Turtle Rock and from Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster to Highway 17 Bridge at Bridgeport, including the Okanogan River from the mouth to the Highway 97 Bridge immediately upstream of mouth.

  Trout fishing has picked up on the Methow River recently as snowmelt decreases and water continues to drop, Jateff said. "Resident rainbow and cutthroat trout up to 18 inches have been caught by both bank and boat fishermen using flies and lures," he said. Selective gear rules and catch and release are in effect for this fishery. Jateff reminds anglers to check the fishing regulation pamphlet carefully, because some areas of the Methow River and tributaries are closed to all fishing.

  With warming temperatures, Jateff said trout fishing has slowed a bit in area lakes, and the best times to fish are early in the morning and in the evening when the water is coolest. "Mixed-species fisheries, such as Leader Lake near Omak and Patterson Lake near Winthrop, do best in summer when warm-water species become more active," he said. "Look for good bluegill and crappie fishing at Leader and perch at Patterson this time of the year."

• Hunting: Black bear hunting opened in the Okanogan district Aug. 1, but WDFW District Wildlife Biologist Scott Fitkin said hunting opportunities are usually better toward the end of the month and later in the season. Non-hound-hunting of cougar also opened the first of the month in some units.

  Fitkin reminds hunters and those afield in pre-season scouting efforts to be careful with potential fire starters of any kind and to check with both public and private landowners about possible access restrictions or open fire prohibitions. Dry conditions make wildfire danger high throughout the region.

• Wildlife viewing: Shorebirds are already starting to group up for their upcoming south-bound fall migrations, and the Columbia Basin is one of the best areas on the eastside to watch them. The Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and WDFW's wildlife lands in Adams and Grant counties offer plenty of spots to see avocets, curlews, phalaropes, plovers, sandpipers, and other shorebirds.

  Hot, dry conditions can bring wild animals in search of food and water closer to people. Deer find irrigated vegetation tastier than dry fare, and cougars will sometimes follow the deer. Black bears also could be on the prowl for easy pickings if wild berry patches are spent. Be alert to the possible presence of these potentially dangerous wild animals. Enjoy them from a distance by giving them a wide berth. Avoid attracting them by keeping campsites tidy and storing food in wildlife-proof containers away from tents. More information about living with cougars can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/cougar/cougar.htm. Information about living with bears can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/blkbear/blkbear.htm.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Perry Harvester, WDFW regional habitat program manager in Yakima, said anglers trolling for kokanee have had success at Rimrock Reservoir. "Not quite as good as in past years, but not bad," he said. "Use 'Rimrock specials' or small wedding rings baited with maggots at about 20 feet deep behind pop gear. A small, shiny red hook seems to also help. These fish are pretty small at eight to nine inches, but the limit is 16 and they're tasty." Harvester also advised fishing shallow with trolled worms or flies for larger cutthroat trout, but warned that all protected bull trout that are caught must be carefully released.

  The fall chinook salmon fishery on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities opens Aug. 16. Paul Hoffarth, WDFW fish biologist in Pasco, said the return to the Hanford Reach is on a "long and hopefully slow decline." The run is expected to be around 40,000 chinook, down from 50,000 last year, he said. "Fishing should be somewhat comparable to last year, likely a little slower," he said. Anglers can fish catch-and-release. The daily catch limit is six salmon, retaining no more than two adults of 24 inches or more. Hoffarth reminds anglers that all areas of the Hanford Reach are closed for hatchery and wild steelhead.

  "The good news about steelhead is that we are expecting a strong return this year to Ringold," Hoffarth said. "The bad news is that the fishery does not open until the first of October."

  Walleye fishing has been good overall in the lower Snake River and the Columbia River. Hoffarth reports anglers are picking up walleye in the usual locations below McNary Dam, including Umatilla, county line, Irrigon, and Boardman. "We are also seeing an increase in anglers fishing for walleye in and around the Tri-Cities and in the Hanford Reach," he said. Hoffarth reminds anglers the John Day Pool (John Day Dam to McNary Dam) is closed to the retention of sturgeon.

• Hunting: Black bear hunting and non-hound-hunting of cougar have been under way since the first of the month. Hunters and those afield in scouting efforts for upcoming seasons are reminded to be careful with potential fire starters of any kind and to check with both public and private landowners about possible access restrictions or open fire prohibitions. Dry conditions make wildfire danger high throughout the region.

• Wildlife viewing: Now is the time to watch for early fall migrating birds grouping up and fattening up on insects and other feed in various spots throughout the region. Yakima area birdwatchers say one particularly good spot is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Moxee Experimental Station, at milepost 16 east of Yakima off Highway 24. In the coming weeks the station's windbreaks of spruce, Douglas fir, cedars, and ash may host concentrations of warblers, vireos, sparrows and other birds.

  Hot, dry conditions can bring wild animals in search of food and water closer to people. Deer find irrigated vegetation tastier than dry fare, and cougars will sometimes follow the deer. Black bears also could be on the prowl for easy pickings if wild berry patches are spent. Be alert to the possible presence of these potentially dangerous wild animals. Enjoy them from a distance by giving them a wide berth. Avoid attracting them by keeping campsites tidy and storing food in wildlife-proof containers away from tents. More information about living with cougars can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/cougar/cougar.htm. Information about living with bears can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/blkbear/blkbear.htm.