By Bob Brown
Chinook salmon are being caught in the Nisqually River, and from reports, catching has been better than fair when the river is free of tribal nets.
Best catching has occurred near the mouth of the river during tide changes. Tribal fishers reported an Atlantic salmon was netted last week, but the fish was pretty beat-up and was discarded because of condition.
Fishing has been excellent on the Puyallup River, according to Larry Anderson of Auburn Sports and Marine. Anderson reported there are lots of coho in the river, a handful of kings, and some large pinks. Best catching has been during early morning and late afternoon hours. The coho have been hitting green corkies and yarn.
Saltwater fishing has been slow in the south end of Puget Sound, according to a Zettel’s Marina spokesperson. However, there have been a couple of silvers caught near Johnson Point. In the Point Defiance area, fishing has been on and off depending on the time of day. Best fishing has been reported near the mouth of the Puyallup and in front of the marina during tide changes in the early morning hours.
Diseased deer discovered
For the first time in Washington, wildlife managers have found a viral infection known as Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease (AHD) in a deer herd east of Goldendale in Klickitat County. AHD in deer is caused by Odocoileus Adenovirus (CdAdV) that attacks the animals pulmonary system, and was first discovered in blacktail deer in California in 1993. Mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, and prong/horn sheep are all susceptible to the disease. However, mule deer appear to be more severely affected. There is no known cure or treatment for the virus, which is transmitted by direct contact between deer, making it more likely for the virus to spread in areas with high deer concentrations.
Kristen Mansfield, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife veterinarian, said the disease "is common enough in California and other western states that we likely had it before, but just haven’t been able to document it. At this point, the disease appears to be localized" in the Goldendale area.
Bob Brown lives in Roy and is a freelance outdoors writer. He can be contacted at robertb1285@centurylink.net.
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