HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown There is no need to be reminded this has and is a crazy weather year. The media has seen to that and also to the fact this has been an upside-down fishing year. Low flows and abnormally high water temperatures in many of our rivers, streams and creeks are conditions few of us have seen before. However, those conditions haven't dampened the near-record numbers of salmon pushing their way into their natal rivers. This flood of anadromous fish has resulted in some of the best fishing of the year in the lower Columbia and Cowlitz rivers. An estimated 925,300 fall chinook, 312,200 up-river fish and 539,600 coho are expected to return to the lower Columbia this fall. Also, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is expecting in excess of 200,000 fall chinook to return to the Hanford Reach. Coastal salmon fishing hasn't been anything to thumb your nose at, either. It has been so good from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Ilwaco; it has been referred to as a salmon fiesta. Last week, Buoy 10 anglers averaged nearly 0.87 fish caught per rod (or 1.22 fall chinook and 1.67 coho caught per boat). Anglers in the Portland to Westport area averaged 0.54 chinook and 0.56 steelhead per boat. Also steelhead fishing has been very good near the mouth of the Cowlitz . Beginning August 24 all anglers participating in the Buoy 10 fishery must release any chinook with an adipose fin. Tacoma Power reported that during Aug. 10-16, 150 spring chinook, 29 jacks, 114 min-jacks, 20 fall chinook, eight jacks and 1,267 summer steelhead returned to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. Their employees also anchor-tagged and recycled 361 summer steelhead to the I-5 bridge boat launch. A total of 3,300 summer steelhead have been recycled as of August 17, and of those, 580 have returned to the Cowlitz Hatchery. It was also reported as of August 14 a total of 16,768 spring chinook had returned to the hatchery. Doug Hydner, of Puyallup 's Great Northwest Fishing and Archery, said fishing in the Puyallup River hasn't been spectacular by any means, but anglers have been catching some pinks near the mouth and the odd chinook. Water conditions are murky and the same conditions exist in the Nisqually. Fishing in the Nisqually hasn't been anything to write home about, but a few pinks are being near the mouth and handicap area. Portions or all of Abernathy, Cedar, Cougar (tributary to Yale Reservoir, Cowlitz County) Coal, German, Lacamas (Clark County), Mill (Cowlitz County), Skamokawa Creek and Coweeman River will close to all fishing Sept. 1. Except for Cougar Creek, the closures are to protect naturally spawning fall chinook; Cougar Creek is to protect naturally spawning kokanee. Also, beginning Sept. 1 and through Oct. 31, only fly fishing will be allowed on the Kalama from the natural gas pipeline crossing to the deadline at the intake to the lower salmon hatchery. Mayfield Lake opens to salmon fishing September 1. The daily limit is six; no more than two adults may be retained. All chinook and wild coho must be released.
Cougars and wolves The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has voted to reject a petition by several environmental organizations to rescind a decision made earlier this year to increase harvest levels for cougars in areas of the state with confirmed wolf packs. The new guidelines approved last April raised the harvest rates for cougars to 17 to 21 percent from 12 to 16 percent in 14 areas of the state with wolf packs. According to WDFW biologists, the new harvest guidelines could increase the state's annual harvest by 15 to 30 cougars during the coming season. Data collected by the department, hunters harvested 163 cougars statewide in 2014 from a total estimated population of 3,600 animals. Commission member Miranda Wecker, who proposed the increased harvest guidelines as an amendment to the state's hunting seasons for the next three years, said the new guidelines were designed to provide some relief to communities beleaguered by multiple predatory species, including cougars and wolves. Hear, her, Commissioner Wecker.
Bob Brown is a freelance outdoors writer who lives in Roy. He can be contacted at robertb1285@centurylink.net
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