HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown After producing unpretentious fishing for several years, the Cowlitz River has done a one-eighty and has been producing the best chinook and steelhead fishing in years according to operators of Barrier Dam Campground. It has also resulted in a stampede of anglers anxious to take advantage of the windfall. Over 200 bank anglers were counted at Barrier Dam on April 11 and continue to be very prevalent. Joe Hymer of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported on April 12 found 35 boat anglers kept 14 hatchery steelhead and released five, and 125 bank anglers kept 34 spring chinook, plus 10 steelhead. Three wild and two hatchery steelhead were released. Both species are also being caught in the lower river. During April 6-12, Tacoma Power employees recovered 652 winter steelhead, 453 spring chinook, plus one jack and one cutthroat trout at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. Flows at Mayfield Dam were approximately 4,120 cubic feet per second April 14 with a water visibility of 11 feet. Fishing has been slow on the Lewis River and only marginal in the Kalama. Last week, 54 Kalama bank anglers caught four hatchery steelhead and one spring chinook, according to reports. Six wild steelhead were released. Forty-four boat anglers caught and kept five spring chinook and released two wild steelhead. Not much has been going on in the Skokumchuck. Fishing has been slow and winding down.
Few cheers for 2015 salmon seasons
The 2015 salmon seasons have been set, and it is doubtful everyone is going to be happy with them. Many fisheries will be constrained to protect wild salmon. Ron Warren, fisheries policy lead for WDFW, said, "With about 25 percent fewer wild chinook expected back to Puget Sound this year, we had to make several difficult decisions in order to meet conservation goals for wild salmon. However, despite those necessary changes, anglers will still have a number of good opportunities to fish for salmon.GÇ¥ Information is available on WDFW's web site.
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