HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown With spring turkey hunting season set to open the middle of next month, many new hunters are seeking to enroll in hunter education courses. Dave Whipple, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) hunter education division manager, said, "As in past years, we are seeing high interest in hunter education ahead of the spring turkey season. Basic hunter education courses are high in demand and classes fill rapidly in late summer and fall prior to big game seasons. We encourage new hunters to enroll in hunter education courses well ahead of their first hunting trip. We don't want any new hunter to miss their opportunity.GÇ¥ A hunter education course is required for all first-time Washington hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972. Hunter education programs teach safety, conservation ethics and principles of sportsmanship and are critical for a safe and positive hunting experience. Each year, approximately 14,000 students complete hunter education programs administered by the WDFW. To find a course and learn about hunter education requirements, new hunters should visit the WDFW hunter education webpage. Those who do not find a course that meets their needs should continue to check the website, as classes are added regularly, Whipple said.
Fishing report -á " Fishing continues to improve on the Cowlitz River, but it still has a way to go. The average steelhead being caught has been weighing in the 8 to 12-pound range, with a few weighing 15 or 16 pounds. Lots of jigs/bobber and corkies/yarn and Blue Fox spinners are being used. Some anglers are topping their jigs with Loonie Coonie tails. Flows have been staying between four- five cubic feet per second and clear. Last week 135 winter steelhead were recovered at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery during five days of separator operation. " The Skookumchuck is in pretty good shape for fishing, and there is still a fair number of steelhead to be found throughout the river. Fishing pressure has been fair and so has the catching. A mixture of baits and hardware are being used. Beads have been preferred bait. No current fishing report is available for the Chehalis River. " The entire East Fork Lewis River is closed to all fishing. From the top boat ramp at Lewisville Park downstream is scheduled to reopen April 16 under selective gear rules (no bait) for hatchery steelhead. The entire Washougal River is also closed to all fishing and will open April 16 from the Mt. Norway Bridge downstream under the same rules as the East Fork Lewis. " Joe Hymer of the WDFW reported that during March 9GÇô15, department personnel sampled 907 salmon anglers (including 302 boats) with 62 spring chinook and one jack and 13 steelhead. The mainstem Columbia below Bonneville Dam will be closed to fishing for salmon, steelhead and shad March 31 and April 7. Hymer also reported the 247 spring chinook counted at Bonneville Dam through March 15 was the highest total through that date since 2003 ( 4,335). Last year, just six spring chinook had been counted at the dam through the same date. The recent 10 year average is 30 fish. Because of this year's low snow pack Enforcement has already observed campers at Walput Lake (Lewis County), located at 3,930 feet elevation.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment