July 15-28, 1999

Contact: Madonna Luers, (509) 456-4073, Jeff Weathersby, (360) 902-2256, or Margaret Ainscough, (360) 902-2408

Good recreational ocean salmon fishing opportunities are expected as the season kicks off Monday (July 19) from Neah Bay and ports such as Ilwaco, Westport and La Push.

Meanwhile, crabbing and wildlife viewing opportunities are exceptional, promising to make this a memorable month for outdoor enthusiasts.

Salmon anglers can thank improved ocean conditions and reduced Canadian fishing for combining to create some of the best returns in years of Columbia River- bound hatchery chinook and coho, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists.

"This exceptional opportunity comes with a new requirement that marks a new era in Washington salmon fishing," WDFW Director Jeff Koenings said. "For the first time, anglers will be targeting marked hatchery coho and releasing wild coho. This recreational fishing technique is designed to protect wild fish while providing plenty of fun catching hard-fighting hatchery fish."

A wild fish is recognizable because it still has its adipose fin (located on the back between the dorsal fin and tail); on marked fish the adipose fin has been removed. Anglers are reminded to release wild fish carefully to increase their odds of survival.

In parts of the ocean, anglers also will be able to harvest one chinook in their two-fish daily limit.

Fishing in Marine Areas 1 (Ilwaco) and 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores) will be open Sundays through Thursdays. Anglers may keep one chinook in their two-salmon daily limit.

Marine Area 3 (La Push) also offers a two-salmon daily limit, but both fish may be chinook.

All of Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) –from the Sekiu River to Cape Alava, also opens July 19 with a two-hatchery coho daily limit. All chinook must be released.

Marine Areas 3 and 4 are open for fishing seven days per week.

There are plenty of charter boats ready to help anglers link up with these bright, feisty fish. In Westport, call the Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-345-6223 for charter company numbers. In Ilwaco, contact the Visitors' Center at 1-800-451-2542.

Anglers also should remember that the salmon fishing season opens Aug. 1 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Marine Areas 5 and 6), Port Susan and Port Gardner (Marine Area 8-2) and Admiralty Inlet (Marine Area 9).

In Puget Sound, the action will center on crab pot fishing which opens Friday (July 16) in most of the Sound. One important exception is the northern portion of Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) which remains closed until further notice because crabs are still molting and their shells remain too soft to allow pot fishing. The closed area is that part north of a line from Point Francis in Bellingham Bay to the north end of Inati Bay on Lummi Island; and north of a line projected 300 degrees true northwest from Village Point on the west side of Lummi Island to the U.S./Canada border. All other areas of Marine Area 7 south of this line, including Matia, Sucia and Patos islands, remain open to sport crab pot harvest.

Ring net crabbing already is underway in Hood Canal.

"It's phenomenal– it's the best I've ever seen and I've been crabbing for 45 years," said Tony Floor, a WDFW recreational fishing manager.

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Whatever the outdoor pursuit, now is a great time to pack along a camera for some bonus wildlife shots. From eagles to elk, this is a prime time to try for a snapshot of wildlife and their offspring.

Wild animals born this spring are old and bold enough now to be much more visible as they learn to fly or forage on their own. Most are not completely independent, though, so glimpses of adult animals can be the tip-off to potential pictures, or at least some worthwhile watching. During summer's heat, dawn and dusk hours are the most likely times to see wildlife.

For greatest success and safety, follow these tips:

• Use a telephoto camera lens (preferably at least 400 mm) to keep a safe distance from wildlife and to get the most natural shots
• Blend into the scenery by wearing natural colors, removing sunglasses and accessories that glint, keeping quiet and moving slowly
• Don't feed, touch or attempt to frighten animals into moving. Give both nests and animals a wide berth to avoid stressing animals, leading predators to a nest or causing parents to abandon eggs or young
• Minimize noise and speed on the water; the best opportunity for pictures is from still or slowly drifting boats
• Use your senses to find wildlife; watch for out-of-place shapes and motions, scan the sky and ground, use your peripheral vision

Here are some other fishing and viewing opportunities across the state:

• Eastern: Kokanee fishing at Loon Lake in Stevens County in Eastern Washington has picked up this summer, especially in the evenings, and both Loon and nearby Deer Lake have nice rainbow trout from net pen releases. Both lakes also host a variety of water birds, from grebes to red-winged blackbirds, whitetail deer are abundant in the area, and moose are occasionally seen. Two Peregrine falcon chicks have fledged and are working the swifts and pigeons in Spokane's Highbridge Park on Latah Creek.

• Northcentral: Lake Chelan is producing nice rainbow trout in the lower part near Manson, but the recent new state record lake trout caught here (31 pounds, 3.75 ounces) has renewed anglers' quest for more whoppers. Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and adjacent Wenatchee National Forest are great camping and hiking spots, and summer visitors often see mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bears, and other wildlife. Stehekin Creek at the north end of the lake is a good place to spot harlequin ducks.

• Southcentral: Sturgeon fishing on the Columbia River, from John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam (along the Klickitat and Benton county lines, from south of Goldendale to the Tri-Cities) continues with a daily catch and keep limit of one fish. There's also some good summertime smallmouth bass and walleye fishing available. Watch for osprey and their fledglings and a variety of diving ducks and other water birds.

• Southwest: Spring chinook salmon fishing just re-opened on part of the Cowlitz River near Kelso in Cowlitz County (from the mouth upstream to 400 feet below the barrier dam), with a daily catch limit of one fish, minimum size 12 inches, through the end of the month. Keep an eye out on South Sound's prairies for butterflies and moths, especially the large, strikingly marked yellow and black swallowtail butterfly, and the red and black cinnabar moths. July's warm, calm weather encourages these beautiful creatures, which may show up in open grassy settings ranging from backyards to mountain meadows.

• Northwest: The San Juan Islands are a prime place to spot osprey and bald eagles feeding their young. Young eagles are about ready to leave their nests and osprey will follow suit within the next few weeks.

• Coastal: The Hoh River in Jefferson County just opened for spring/summer chinook salmon fishing, Wednesdays through Sundays through the end of August; check fishing rules pamphlet for all rules. A glimpse of a sea otter may be in store for visitors to the northern coastline of the Olympic Peninsula, according to WDFW Wildlife biologist Scott Richardson. He advises using binoculars to scan floating kelp beds for otters bobbing on their backs– some with pups on their stomachs. Prime spots are the coastline of Olympic National Park, Destruction Island and La Push areas.