HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown Some fishing news from rivers: " Chinook and steelhead fishing on the Cowlitz has been above par for the last couple of weeks and continues to be exceptional. A recent creel report counted 241 bank anglers with 74 adult chinook kept five jacks and 25 steelhead; six were released. Ninety-six boat anglers had six chinook kept, one released and 31 steelhead kept. Karen Glaser of Barrier Dam Campground said that while the state creel report "is good, it doesn't represent the true picture, because they are not here 24-7. Actually, fishing has been much better here at Barrier Dam and Blue Creek and throughout the rest of the river.GÇ¥ During April 13-19, 579 winter steelhead, 848 chinook and 31 jacks were recovered at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. Flows were approximately 4,120 cubic feet per second April 20. Anglers need to be ware the south side of the river from Mill Creek to Barrier Dam will close to all fishing May 1 through June 15. " The Nisqually River will be closed 26 days to non-tribal fishing this year, compared to 21 days last year, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Closed days are Aug. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26, and Sept. 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29. The daily limit for salmon will be a maximum of six salmon per day (including jacks), of which no more than four can be adult fish (including at least one pink). " Kalama River anglers can continue to fish for spring chinook until further notice. The daily limit will remain one spring chinook. " Chinook, steelhead and shad fishing is now closed on the lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam. Joe Hymer of the WDFW reported angler effort was heavy prior to the closure. On April 16, nearly 2,000 boats and just over 900 bank anglers were counted fishing the lower river. As of April 19, 41,229 spring chinook have passed over Bonneville Dam.
Culling of cormorants granted
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been granted a one-year permit to start culling Columbia River East Sand Island double-crested cormorants in order to reduce the birds' predation on juvenile salmon. The permit, valid through Jan. 31, 2016, was issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on April 13. The permit allows the Corps to put to death 3,489 individual cormorants and to remove 5, 879 nests, along with 105 Brants and 10 pelagic cormorants. The Corps' ultimate plan is to reduce the size of the colony from about 12,900 breeding pair to between 5,380 and 5, 939 pairs. The colony accounts for 98 percent of the double-crested cormorant breeding population in the estuary. Culling will include egg oiling, which suffocates embryos inside the egg shells, and shooting. East Island cormorants consumed roughly 74 million juvenile salmon from 2010 to 2013, equaling a loss of 740,000 returning adult salmon and steelhead, according to the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. However, a recent study found actual cormorant impact was two times the amount previously thought. -á The Columbia Basin Bulletin reported April 17 that following the release of the permit, the Audubon Society of Portland immediately said it will sue the Corps to stop the "wanton slaughterGÇ¥ of cormorants. Dan Rohif and the Earthrise Law Center will be representing the Audubon. "While the Corps has not given us a specific date, we anticipate they will seek to take action in fairly short order,GÇ¥ said Miel Corbett, spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service. -á Bob Brown lives in Roy and is a freelance outdoors writer. He can be reached at robertb1285@centurylink.net
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