HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown Salmon and steelhead are inundating the Cowlitz River and producing some of the best fishing in years. During Oct. 13- 19, Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery personnel recovered 106 summer steelhead, 1,051 chinook and 52 jacks, 14,936 coho adults and 596 jacks, 68 sea-run cutthroat and one sockeye. They also released 375 chinook, 26 jacks, 1,111 coho, 24 jacks and seven cutthroat into the Tilton River at Gus Backstrom Park in Morton. Joe Hymer of the WDFW reported during the same week that Cowlitz bank anglers fishing for coho averaged about one fish per rod and boat anglers nearly 1.5 per rod when including fish released. Fish are being caught throughout the river, although fishing did slow somewhat near the mouth because of turbid water resulting from last week's rain. Some fall chinook and sea-run cutthroat are also being caught. Oct. 31 is the last day three hatchery steelhead may be retained from the Hwy 4 Bridge at Kelso upstream to Mayfield Dam. Both bank and boat anglers are catching coho in the Kalama River. Oct. 31 is the last day of night closures, anti-snagging, and fly fishing-only rules on the lower river. Fishing has been really good in the Lewis River for both bank and boat anglers. Both averaged about one coho per rod last week on the North Fork Lewis; however fishing was slow at the mouth A few chinook were also caught during the same period. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported this past weekend that anglers had the best success in the gorge, where boat anglers averaged 2 chinook and 0.5 coho caught per boat. In Troutdale, boat anglers averaged 0.02 chinook and 0.40 coho caught per boat, while anglers fishing the Portland to Westport area averaged 0, 08 chinook and 0.50 coho caught per boat. The WDFW reported on the lower Columbia, anglers made 2,800 trips and caught 204 adult chinook (197 kept) and seven released) and 424 coho (369 kept and 55 released).
In search of elk
WDFW reported nearly 70,000 people took part in elk hunting last year, and department game managers expect the same participation numbers again this year. According to the department, 16,088 bow hunters, 10,009 muzzleloaders and 42,385 modern firearm hunters hunted elk last season. Statewide modern firearm elk hunter success rate was 10.2 percent while modern firearm deer success rate was 28 percent. To help curtail the spread of hoof disease, elk hunters are reminded that any elk taken in southwest Washington are required to have their hoofs removed and left on site, whether they show signs of the disease or not. The rule applies to all elk taken in Cowlitz, Lewis, Thurston, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Skamania and Klickitat counties. -รก Outdoors writer Bob Brown lives in Roy. He can be reached at robertb1285@fairpoint.net
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