HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown Nearly 50 new sport fishing rules were adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission last week, including a requirement that anglers release all wild steelhead they catch on several Olympic Peninsula streams. The rule changes modify fishing seasons, daily catch limits and other regulations for freshwater areas of Puget Sound and the Washington coast. One of the new rules prohibits the retention of wild steelhead on the Quillayute, Dickey, Bogachiel, Calawah, Sol Duc, Hoh, Clearwater and Quinault rivers, which are the only rivers in Washington where anglers are allowed to catch and keep wild steelhead. The rule also prohibits the retention of wild rainbow trout on those eight rivers and their tributaries. The newly adopted rules will take effect July 1, 2016, and so will the following: " Eliminates size restrictions and daily limits for eastern brook trout in most western Washington streams and crappie in several Washington lakes. " Removing rules limiting anglers to only two trout larger than 14 inches in several Washington lowland lakes. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is stocking these lakes with larger trout, making the requirement unnecessary. " Provide trout fishing opportunities in sections of several streams currently closed to fishing. The Wildlife Commission did not adopt a proposal to close a portion of the North Fork Nooksack River near the Kendall Creek Hatchery. The commission members also asked fishery managers to evaluate other potential options to clarify fishing boundaries at the mouth of Kendal Creek which meanders at different times of the year. Summit Lake (in Thurston County ) was not included in a list of lakes that will be open year-round. Instead, the current season was maintained at the lake, which is open to fishing from the fourth Saturday in April through Oct. 31. Summaries of the changes will be available on WDFW's website by January.
Fishing updates
" WDFW has reported all 2.4 million fall chinook salmon fry at the Kalama River Fallert Creek Hatchery were lost when floodwaters caused by a Dec. 8 rain storm inundated the hatchery. Kelly Cunningham, deputy assistant director for the WDFW Fish Program, said the fry died when a wave of water, mud and trees overtopped the rearing ponds and hatchery raceways. One pond was nearly full of mud and debris, which prompted the release of half of the 500,000 spring chinook fingerlings at the hatchery into the river. The Kalama Falls Hatchery farther upstream was not affected by the flood and is currently raising 4.9 million fall chinook, known as tules. The 2 million-plus fry lost at Fallert Creek represent approximately 15 percent of the total fall chinook production by state hatcheries below Bonneville Dam. " During Dec. 7-13, Tacoma Power recovered 505 coho adults, 175 jacks, six summer steelhead, six winter steelhead and six cutthroat trout at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. Joe Hymer, of the WDFW reported sampling taken during that week checked 10 bank anglers with one adult coho and three jacks. No boat anglers were sampled. Flows at Mayfield Dam were 19,200 cubic feet per second on Dec. 14. It was also reported that week that WDFW personnel sampled 148 bank anglers and 70 boat anglers (29 boats) fishing for steelhead at the Hanford Reach Ringold Springs access area. Bank anglers landed 21 steelhead, averaging 19.4 hours per fish. Boat anglers fared much better with 30 steelhead, spending an average of 9.7 hours per fish. " Anglers are working the Skookumchuck near the hatchery using a variety of baits, but the catching hasn't been that great. Hatchery personnel reported there are some late coho and a few steelhead in the river. Water conditions are murky and at times very dirty, they said.
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