HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown Good news travels fast, and that seems to be the story when it comes to recreational fishing on Cowlitz River. Based on pre-seasons forecasts, returns of hatchery spring chinook to the river have been tracking ahead of expectations and are making up half the catches sampled between the hatcheries. Karen Glaser of Barrier Dam Campground repotted, GÇ¥There have been lots of limits, with some of the chinook weighing in the lower twenties. Some nice steelhead are also being caught at both Blue Creek and the barrier. Angler pressure has been heavy and there have been some fluctuating water levels from 6 to 8,000 cubic feet per second with a visibility of four to five feet. The fluctuation isn't real good sometimes, but once the water stabilizes, the fish usually start biting again." During April 18-14, Tacoma Power recovered 610 winter steelhead, one summer steelhead, 1,291 spring chinook and 58 jacks. Tacoma Power also released 4,000 rainbow trout into Swofford Pond near Mossyrock. Samplings taken on the Kalama during the same week reported eight boat anglers kept two adult spring chinook, one steelhead and released one steelhead. Twenty-five bank anglers kept five adult chinook and one steelhead. Effort has been light for steelhead near the hatchery on the Lewis River. " The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has added four days of razor clam digging at Mocrocks to a previous scheduled opening at Long Beach to offer a full week of digging May 6-12. The department added dates after evaluating harvest levels and determining there are still clams available for digging, said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. Ayres recommends diggers arrive at the beaches an hour or two before low tides for best results. However, digging is not allowed on any beach after noon, with the exception of Mocrocks on May 12, when digging will be allowed for an extra hour until 1 p.m. due to the later low tide. WDFW also is proposing three days of digging at Mocrocks and two days at Copalis later in the month. These will be the final days of digging on those two beaches this season.
Bob Brown lives in Roy and is a freelance outdoors writer. He can be reached at robertb1285@centurylink.net
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