| |
| May 20-June 2, 1999 |
|
River and stream fishing opens June 1 including summer-run steelhead on several westside rivers. This kind of fishing often is restricted to protect wild salmonids that spawn in rivers and streams, so check the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) 1999 "Fishing In Washington" regulations pamphlet carefully before setting out to fish.
Several streams and rivers across the state are stocked now with WDFW hatchery catchable-size (mostly seven-to-nine-inch) rainbow trout to boost fishing. They include: Asotin County's Asotin Creek; Clark County's Canyon Creek; Columbia County's Tucannon River; Garfield County's Pataha Creek; Kittitas County's Wilson/Mercer Creek; Klickitat County's Bird, Blockhouse, Bloodgood, Bowman, Mill, Outlet, and Spring creeks, and Little Klickitat River; Lewis County's Skate Creek and Tilton River, Lincoln County's Cottonwood, Crab and Hawk creeks; Skamania County's Little White Salmon River; Spokane County's Little Spokane and Spokane rivers; Walla Walla County's Mill Creek; Whitman County's Union Flat Creek; and Yakima County's Tieton River and Wildhollow Creek.
The whole family can have fun learning about sturgeon, salmon, and other fish and wildlife at the third annual Sturgeon Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (May 22) at the Water Resources Education Center, 4600 SE Columbia Way in Vancouver.
The free event, "A Celebration of the Columbia River Ecosystems," is sponsored by the City of Vancouver and WDFW. Participants can play "Jeopardy" to test their knowledge of sturgeon and salmon species in jeopardy, watch birds of prey from Hawk Haven, feel insects and reptiles from Creature Features, or enjoy the Bridge of Gods puppet show by the Tears of Joy Theatre. New at this year's festival is "The Watershed Congress" with local students presenting water quality projects.
WDFW's "Sturgeon General" John DeVore and other scientists will give presentations on sturgeon, rare animals from the Vancouver area, the plight of western pond turtles, and efforts to restore wild salmon and steelhead runs in the Columbia and its tributaries. Contact Bev Walker at (360) 696-8478 for more information.
Speaking of sturgeon, some are being caught on the Lower Columbia by bank anglers just downstream from Bonneville Dam. Since the beginning of this year, 4,500 sturgeon have been caught from the lower Columbia fishery.
Other fishing opportunities beckon across the state including:
Kokanee fishing is good now in Merwin Resevoir on the Lewis River in southwest Washington. WDFW Ken Vilante, who manages the Speelyai Hatchery where kokanee are raised, says the chances of catching a limit (five) of wild kokanee in Merwin are great right now. The most recent creel checks show that the fish are running 14 to 17 inches. For more information call Ken at (360)231-4210.
Halibut fishing opened May 16 in the Westport area (all of Marine Area 2 ) including the well-known "hotspot" off Cape Elizabeth which has produced large numbers of halibut in past years. Shallow waters of Marine Area 2 are open seven days a week while deeper areas are open five (closed Fridays and Saturdays). The area affected by this change is described on page 18 in the Fishing in Washington regulation pamphlet.
Lingcod fishing is picking up in the San Juan Islands near Sucia Island and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. WDFW biologist Greg Bargmann says you can use a variety of baits, jigs and lures, but just keep the presentation "lively" and fish near the bottom at slack or ebb tides in rocky areas with high current. Lingcod are predators that prefer live prey so keep your herring or jig moving. For more information call Greg at (360) 902-2825.
Salmon fishing in South Puget Sound continues to provide catches of hatchery chinook, particularly at Lyle Point at the southern tip of Anderson Island. Other opportunities include Gibson Point on the east end of Fox Island and Point Fosdick south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Hatchery chinook on the Cowlitz River is picking up stream downstream from the I-5 Bridge and on the Lewis, the White Salmon and the Klickitat rivers. Drano Lake, at the mouth of the Little White Salmon River also is open to hatchery chinook salmon from May 20 through May 31. The daily limit is two chinook salmon with a 12-inch minimum size. For more information call Joe Hymer at (360) 906-6740.
Lake fishing across the state continues with lots of hatchery trout yet to be caught. Check with WDFW regional offices, or WDFW's website for specific stocking records.
Wildlife viewing opportunities increase as spring progresses, but whether you're fishing, hiking, or camping over Memorial Day weekend, WDFW reminds you to leave wild babies in the wild and enjoy wildlife only from a distance.
On coastal beaches at this time of year you're bound to see harbor seal pups. If you're fishing or hiking in the woods, you're likely to see deer fawns or young bear cubs. Sometimes these adorable wild babies appear to be orphaned or helpless, and every year at this time some well-meaning people can't resist the urge to pick them up.
A mother seal will sometimes leave her baby on a beach while she hunts for food. Deer will leave their babies for short periods of time to avoid drawing predators to their odorless offspring by their own adult body scent. Held in captivity by people who don't know how to properly care for them, the young animals usually become sick or instinctively aggressive. WDFW offices and field officers become swamped with these unsuitable and illegal "pets." Most don't survive because trained and licensed wildlife rehabilitators are few and far between.
Taking wild babies out of the wild is not only unsafe for animals and people, it's against Washington state law. The minimum fine for holding any wildlife in captivity is $152.
It's equally important to enjoy wildlife only from a distance. Use binoculars, scopes, and telephoto camera lenses rather than trying to get closer to wildlife. If you close in on their space, you'll either scare the animals away unnecessarily or put yourself and your family in danger of a defensive attack by a protective parent or otherwise potentially harmful animal.
Avoid drawing wild animals too close by handling camp and picnic food and garbage properly. Animals such as bears can smell food from far away, so store it in vehicles or hang it out of reach. Never feed wildlife of any kind, whether it seems "tame" or not; habituation to human food is never good in the long run for any wild animal.
| Index of Past Issues |
|---|