THE FISHING CORNER

By Larry Dublanko

The recent early closure to the Chehalis Basin for fishing was a game changer to river fishing. This closure has impacts beyond that of the sports angler.

By closing this river system (and for good reason) it affects local businesses in our area. These would include motels, fishing supply stores and guide services to name a few. It also puts local anglers on the road to find fishable water.

For much of January and early February anglers had to deal with the abundance of rainfall that directly dictated the amount of time anglers could spend on rivers. Of course, that translates into a limited time of actually fishing. It was a downer considering the short window of time when prime fishing occurs. The Chehalis Basin hosts three major rivers for guided fishing. These are the Chehalis itself, the Wynoochee and Satsop Rivers. Guides need clients and clients want to fish.

So, the answer to this problem is to find legal water to fish. Outside the Humptulips Rivers, outfitters will likely head to our northern rivers. This comes down to more fishing pressure on these streams and more travel expenses as well.

Local anglers will undoubtedly target the Humptulups River. This river is seeing the most pressure it could, given the circumstances. One of the deterrents for the Humptulips River at this time is that it is a catch and release stream for the entire month of March. This is the case for both the main stream and the West Fork. Incidentally, the selective gear rule applies as well.

The northern rivers of choice include the Quillayute River system. The Quillayute River, itself, is currently open through April 15. The Hoh River remains open until April 15. The Sol Duc and Bogachiel Rivers will remain open until April 30.

There are other issues that now need to be factored into the steelhead equation. Those include the natural transition from hatchery to wild fish. In the state of Washington, all wild fish must be released. Furthermore, there are many special rules concerning the handling of these fish.

So, anglers are focusing on a few changes this month. Some are natural transitions that go with steelheading, but the most significant is the emergency rules concerning the Chehalis Basin.

Anglers need to be creative and look at their options. In my opinion, one of the best options is a guided trip on the lower Quinault River. It can be pricey but it will afford the angler a fishing experience to last a lifetime.

Another option is to fish year-round lakes. These waters will get an occasional plant boost which can make the outing worthwhile.

If travel and the obvious options are not attractive, then anglers will need to sit out the fishing scene until the next big event. These include spring chinook and the lake opener, which occurs in April.

Disappointments happen to good people in our world. Anglers have had their fair share of these, but they have learned to be eternal optimists. Not every outing yields a fish; and so, not every season turns out the way it should.