February 8 - 21, 2001

Contact: Madonna Luers, (509) 456-4073

New ocean beach clamming and Puget Sound blackmouth salmon fishing opportunities offer fresh possibilities for the fish stew Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) employees have on the stove.

Before consulting the recipes below, consider what nature is bringing to the table this month.

For starters, the first razor clam dig of 2001 got underway Feb. 7 at several ocean beaches and continues through Feb. 10 between noon and midnight. Open beaches include Long Beach, Twin Harbors (Westport, Grayland and North Cove) and Kalaloch (between South Beach Campground and Brown's Point). Mocrocks beach – from Copalis River to the Moclips River – will open Feb. 9 -10.

Diggers are reminded that they must have their 2000 licenses, which are good until March 31, 2001. Under WDFW rules, harvesters may take no more than 15 razor clams per day and must keep the first 15 clams they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's limit must be kept in a separate container.

Blackmouth salmon fishing season begins Feb. 16 and runs through April 10 in waters stretching from Sekiu to Olympia, offering one of the best opportunities of the year to catch hatchery-raised salmon. "We're expecting one of the best seasons ever," said Tony Floor, WDFW's Puget Sound recreational fisheries coordinator. "Anyone who remembers the great blackmouth fishing we had last November will have an idea of what lies ahead."

The fishery targets about 2.5 million hatchery-produced chinook salmon, which are raised by WDFW specifically to augment the Puget Sound fishery. By holding the immature fish at hatcheries long past their usual migration period, blackmouth remain in Puget Sound when most salmon – including endangered wild salmon – are out to sea.

Blackmouth salmon traditionally weigh in around 7 to 8 pounds, although some anglers were reeling in fish weighing up to 20 pounds during the November opening. "We have a lot of fish and they tend to be bigger than normal," Floor said.

If you can't get to the coast for fresh clams or salmon, this is a good time to use up those catches you tossed in the freezer over the past season in a hearty, winter-warming stew. Fish doesn't keep in the freezer as long as other meat so, to avoid wasting those possession limits, start cooking!

If you don't have your own recipe for bouillabaisse or fish stew, here are a few favorites offered up by employees here at WDFW.

"COURTBULLION"
Fish biologist Jon Anderson of Olympia used to work in Louisiana where he picked up this recipe, which he says goes great with just about any kind of fish and "can fill up a lot of hungry people."

5-6 cups cut-up fish
3 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped sweet pepper
2 cups chopped green onions or shallots
2-3 cloves garlic (at least)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 cups grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped lemon
2 cups sweet white wine
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce/tamari
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce (or 1 tsp Tabasco)
1/4 tsp bitters (Angostura, etc.)
3-4 tsp salt
8 cups water

Saute the onions, celery and sweet pepper in olive oil until 'clear'. Add green onion, garlic, parsley, carrots and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the fish and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then barely simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 hours; do not stir.

"CHIOPPINO"
Jon's wife Marty Chaney makes this Italian fish stew that serves about six.

1-1/2 lbs cod, rockfish, or other white fish
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
2 cloves garlic
minced marjoram
oregano
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can chicken broth
1 28oz can tomatoes, undrained
1/4 tsp black or white pepper
1 Tbsp minced parsley

Saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add everything except fish and parsley. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Cut the fish into 1/2-inch chunks and add. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the parsley.

"CHEATER'S CHIOPPINO"
Fish Biologist Larry Tsunoda of Mill Creek offers his friend Marianne's easy "non-recipe" version of Italian seafood stew that can be served over rice or pasta by omitting the potatoes.

1 large onion, roughly diced
2-3 ribs sliced celery
1 25-oz.jar roasted-garlic spaghetti sauce (or your favorite, but you'll need to add garlic)
1 25-oz. jar eggplant arrabiata sauce (or your favorite, but you'll need to add hot sauce)
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
Black or green olives, sliced or quartered (to taste)
Fresh or dried herbs—oregano, basil, and/or lemon thyme all work well
4 - 5 potatoes, washed but not peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
2-3 lbs.of seafood -- shrimp, scallops, calamari, clams, salmon, halibut, or other firm fish

Put everything except the seafood into a large, deep pot, and simmer on very low heat until the potatoes are tender. If the sauce seems too thick, add more wine. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick; if it does, add more wine! Add the fish (but not shellfish or calamari), and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the shellfish for the last couple minutes.

Here are more winter fishing and wildlife viewing ideas, region by region, across the state:

North Puget Sound:

• Fishing: When Puget Sound blackmouth fishing gets underway Feb. 16 some of the region's best spots are likely to be Point Monroe on the north end of Bainbridge Island; Jefferson Head, south of Kingston; the Kingston vicinity itself, and Possession Bar on the south end of Whidbey Island, according to WDFW's Tony Floor. "Find the bait fish and you'll find the fish," says Floor, who suggests mooching, trolling or jigging 10 feet off the bottom. He recommends frozen herring and candlefish as bait.

• Wildlife viewing: "Swans are everywhere" in the Skagit Valley, says Mike Davison, WDFW wildlife biologist. The recently dedicated Johnson/DeBay Swan Reserve north of Mount Vernon remains one of the best spots to view majestic trumpeter swans. A few tundra swans turn up there too, and others are visible in valley fields. Meanwhile snow geese are on hand in fields near the Fir Island Farms Snow Goose Reserve. Groups of dunlin, eagles, falcons and dabbling ducks also are on view at the Fir Island Farms site. Meanwhile, March Point near Anacortes offers glimpses of brant, loons, dabbling ducks, shorebirds and eagles, says Russell Link, WDFW urban biologist. Meanwhile barn owls can be seen roosting in upland alders in the Skagit Valley, while sharp-shinned hawks, red-shoulder hawks, and peregrine falcons are out hunting on the area's mudflats.

Olympic Peninsula/South Sound:

• Fishing: This is definitely the time to start cleaning out the freezer, because opportunities to harvest fresh seafood abound in the region this month. As described above, the year's first razor clam dig runs Feb. 7-10 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors (including Westport, Grayland and North Cove) and Kalaloch (between South Beach Campground and Brown's Point). Mocrocks beach (Copalis River to the Moclips River) will be open Friday (Feb. 9) and Saturday (Feb. 10). Digging is restricted to the hours between noon and midnight. The region should also offer some fine blackmouth fishing, when the season gets underway Feb. 16. The "winter hole" off Ediz Hook near Port Angeles is expected to be a hot spot, as are the waters around Protection Island near Discovery Bay. Mooching, trolling and jigging all work, but make sure you let your lure drop in the water column: most blackmouth hang out about 10 feet off the bottom. And don't forget that there are still some nice steelhead in those north coast rivers. The hatchery fish have pretty much run their course, but anglers are still catching a good number of bright, feisty wild steelhead. The Sol Duc River had the most action in early February when a creel check turned up 134 anglers with 49 wild steelhead and six hatchery fish. Ninety-two anglers were interviewed on the Bogachiel/Qullayute with 15 wild steelhead and five hatchery fish. On the Calaway, 20 anglers had nine wild steelhead in their possession and three hatchery fish. So set the stew pot boiling, because there's more fresh seafood on the way.

• Wildlife viewing: A visitor from North Carolina stopped in her tracks in downtown Olympia, expressing disbelief as she pointed skyward. "Those aren't what I think they are, are they?" she asked in her native drawl. The object of her amazement was a pair of bald eagles, circling the end of Budd Inlet near the Fourth Avenue Bridge. "Heck, in North Carolina it's a big day if you see a couple of mud hens," she said. While eagles may be a familiar sight to area residents, the national bird still holds a special kind of wonderment for those new to the Pacific Northwest. This is courting season for bald eagles, which will increase in number throughout the region until mid-March. Mike O'Malley, WDFW's Watchable Wildlife Coordinator, said indications are that the eagles are arriving somewhat earlier than usual this year, probably because of the mild winter. "They seem to be starting their courtship sooner, and sticking close to their nests," O'Malley said. WDFW has special cameras trained on two eagle nests – one in Kent, another near the Governor's Mansion in Olympia – that will be activated once their owners return. Like last year, the agency plans to post live-action pictures from those nests on the agency's website at www.wdfw\.wa\.gov/viewing/wildcam/eaglecam once the birds settle in. "It was one of the most popular things our program has done," said O'Malley, who credits volunteer Tim Brown for both providing and installing the cameras. "It's clear that eagles still hold a special fascination – even for local folks who see them year after year."

Southwest Washington:

• Fishing: The Pacific Northwest Sportsman and Sport Fishing Boat Show is underway through Feb. 11 in the Portland Metropolitan Expo Center, 2060 Marine Drive, Portland, Ore. WDFW staff will be there to hand out free hook-removal devices and demonstrate how to use them without touching fish for catch-and-release fishing. For details about the event, call (503) 736-5206. Meanwhile, for those who want to just head outdoors and fish, WDFW Fish Biologist Joe Hymer says trout opportunities are plentiful, with plants done in the last week or two at several locations. Recent plants include Battle Ground Lake, 5000 cachable size rainbow and 160 of about 4 pounds each; Klineline Pond, 161 4-pounders; Little Ash Lake near Stevenson, 1,000 catchable-size rainbows; Rowland Lake near Lyle, 4,600 catchable-size rainbows and 3,000 catchable-size eastern brooks; Spearfish Lake near Dallesport, 1,100 catchable-size rainbows; Mary Hill Pond, 200 catchable-size rainbows. The abundance of smelt in the lower Columbia has increased significantly this week, according to Hymer. For updates, call the smelt hotline at (360) 696-6211 and punch *1010. Sturgeon fishing in the lower Columbia has yielded 0.6 legals per boat near Vancouver and one fish per boat just below Bonneville Dam. Sturgeon fishing has been decent in Bonneville and The Dalles pools, too. In Bonneville Pool, boat anglers have been hauling in 0.4 legals per rod in the past week. The best spot was from Drano Lake upstream to Hood River. The Dalles Pool boat anglers have been getting 1/3 legal per rod in recent days. Best area there was just below John Day Dam. Walleye fishing has been pretty good at times between Bonneville Pool and John Day Pool, and it should continue to improve, Hymer says.

• Wildlife viewing: Waterfowl are beginning to pair up and have begun courtship in the Cowlitz Wildlife Area, according to WDFW Wildlife Area Manager Beau Patterson. These fascinating displays are coupled with the brightest plumage of the year for most species, offering a high-quality viewing experience. Wetlands throughout the area offer opportunities to view dabbling ducks, including widgeon, mallards and teal. Swofford pond offers close viewing opportunities for diving ducks, including bufflehead, ring-necked duck and mergansers, in addition to Canada geese, coots and numerous shorebirds. In the Shillapoo Wildlife Area, WDFW Wildlife Area Manager Brian Calkins reports that Canada geese and other wintering bird numbers have increased dramatically, which is typical after hunting season. In recent days, thousands of geese, along with egrets and swans, were readily visible in the North and South Unit fields from the roadways bordering the units. This is also a popular time for viewing herons as they begin their nesting on the south unit near Frenchman's Bar County Park. The public is reminded to stay on the roadways to prevent disturbing the resting geese. The goal is to keep the geese on the wildlife area and away from farmers' fields.

Eastern Washington:

• Fishing: Grand Ronde River steelheaders will be able to keep three hatchery fish daily starting Feb. 10. The increase from the two-fish daily catch limit, explains WDFW regional fish manager John Whalen, is due to an expected return of Wallowa steelhead stock well above hatchery propagation needs. The expanded catch limit will help phase out the Wallowa stock to meet Endangered Species Act directives to protect wild steelhead in the Snake River Basin where they are listed as threatened. The three-fish limit will be effective through April 15 in that portion of the Grand Ronde River from the county bridge (about 2-1/2 miles upstream from the mouth) to the Oregon state line. Rainbow trout fishing at Lake Roosevelt has picked up this month with 16-20-inch fish caught throughout the reservoir, especially in the Spring Canyon area near Grand Coulee, at a rate of about one per three hours of fishing effort. The reservoir water levels are low, however, due to hydroelectric energy needs, so boat launching is limited; call the Coulee Dam National Recreation Area office at 509-633-0881 for more information. Ice on Fourth of July Lake is about six inches thick and rainbow trout fishing has slowed down; most catches are in the 10-11-inch range, with a few 15-16-inchers. Sprague Lake ice is about eight inches thick and fishers are catching 7-9-inch black crappie and 9-10-inch bluegill.

• Wildlife viewing: Southern Spokane County elk sightings are wanted by WDFW biologists who have been attempting (unsuccessfully) to trap and radio-equip the evasive animals since Jan. 20. Anyone who regularly sees five or more elk in this area is asked to report them and their location, along with a contact name and number, to elk4spokane@yahoo.com or call (509) 892-1001. A cow and calf moose have been residing in the east Spokane Valley area and WDFW officials commend the suburban dwellers there for getting along with the pair well; neighbors are keeping dogs confined, giving the moose space (using binoculars and telephoto camera lenses), letting them browse undisturbed on local trees and shrubs, and avoiding the temptation to hand-feed them. Bald eagles continue to be enjoyed along waterways throughout the region where they're feeding on waterfowl or fish, and even along roadways where they're feeding on road-killed deer. Watch for magpies and ravens readying nests for some of the earliest egg laying and incubation of the season.

North Central Washington:

• Fishing: Rainbow trout have remained active all winter on Potholes Reservoir. Even with ice on, boats have been launched to break trails to fish the mouth of Frenchman's Wasteway where rainbows up to nine pounds have recently been reported. Medicare Beach has been trolled for 14-18-inch rainbows. Ice fishing has been very dangerous in most of Lind Coulee where a few ice-savvy anglers have reported good yellow perch. Soda and Long lakes may have weak ice, too, even though Potholes Canal is off and no water is running into them. Be careful out there.

• Wildlife viewing: Learn about wintering wildlife in Okanogan County through the Methow Valley's "The Nature of Winter" program which offers free guided cross-country ski and snowshoe tours with a trained naturalist. WDFW wildlife biologist Scott Fitkin reports that the tours focus on winter ecology and track identification. The most commonly observed tracks include deer, marten, snowshoe hare, cougar, red squirrel, bobcat and coyote. Tours are on the Methow Valley Sports Trail Association (MVSTA) groomed trail system, which requires a $14 day trail pass, available from several local businesses. Tours will continue to run on Saturdays through March 3, and all three days of the Presidents' Day weekend (Feb 17-19). Ski tours start at 11:00 a.m. from the Chickadee trailhead near Sun Mountain Lodge. Snowshoe tours start at 11:00 a.m. from the Mazama Snowshoe Yurt. Tours are limited to 10 people, eight years of age and older. The program is supported through a challenge cost-share grant between the U.S. Forest Service, MVSTA, and local businesses. For more information, call (509) 996-4036.

South Central Washington:

• Fishing: Yakima County's I-82 Pond #4 recently received 192 rainbow trout broodstock that run over four pounds apiece. I-82 Pond #6 received 16 of those same-sized spawned-out, surplus broodstock, and Myron Lake received 90. Klickitat County's Rowland Lake received 4,566 catchable-size rainbow trout that run almost one-third of a pound apiece; Rowland also received 3,000 similar-sized eastern brook trout. Recently 3-5-pound brown trout were taken at Wenas Lake by ice fishermen. Whitefishing in the Yakima River Canyon is still good with fish running 6-20 inches. Anglers are also having good success with hookups on large broodstock rainbow planted last month in North Fio Rito Lake.

• Wildlife viewing: Mallards, greenwing teal, wood ducks, mergansers, and common goldeneye are beginning to pair up along the Yakima River, reports WDFW habitat biologist Perry Harvester. He also observed a few male red-winged blackbirds starting to stake out territories, and two juvenile and four adult bald eagles cruising the river. Up to 2,000 elk continue to come into the Oak Creek Wildlife Area winter feeding site west of Naches; feeding time is 1:30 p.m daily and visitors are always welcome at the interpretive center run by volunteers.