The pages are now turning in the 2019-20 inland salmon fishing season story. We are well past the ocean season and moving headlong into the heart of river fishing.

This is prime time for migrating salmon to inhabit hosting rivers as they compete their spawning process. Even if one isn’t a fisherman, it is an education in itself to observe their behavior at this time of year. Seeing them roll and jump in the rivers as they break loose their compacted egg roe can send off some oohs and aahs. Taking the time to see them stack up at the hatcheries can give the onlooker a sense of how strong their spawning instinct really is as they migrate in schools of literally hundreds of fish.

Watching these fish turn color from bright silvery to red, black or stripped is amazing. They even take on a physical change particularly to their head formation. The force of nature is beautiful to see first hand.

There comes a sense of loss when these fish finally spawn and show quick signs of dying. It can get smelly as these fish finally expire in the rivers. Sometimes, they get caught in low branches of trees when the water gets high and recedes. At the end, they become food for other wildlife and the cycle of mother nature continues.

Anglers get to intercept this process by catching a salmon before it gets too wasted. Ideally anglers are looking for fresh fish which have newly arrived from the ocean. The meat value is pristine and anglers wish to seize the moment. If the fish is darker than ideal, many resort to smoking these salmon. This means at preparation preserves the meat and it becomes palatable during special events like the upcoming holidays.

Salmon are listed as food fish as opposed to game fish. Yet, they are pursued in a sport-like fishing method. Since they are not that difficult to hook, they provide a lot of excitement for all ages. However, anglers need to conform to the rules and regulations that surround this fishery. Failure to do so will result in some grave consequences.

Because salmon are a food fish the rules are somewhat different than game fish. Salmon can only be fished during daylight hours; whereas, game fish can be pursued 24 hours a day. In addition, there are some restrictions and closures. This protects these fish as they spawn. They are known to spawn throughout the river and its tributaries.

Right now, a major effort is being made by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect certain species of salmon. In our region, wild coho and wild chinook top the list. More opportunity is being given to pursue hatchery coho and even hatchery chinook where allowed.

People wait a whole year for this fishery to materialize. It comes with great anticipation or major disappointment depending on the strength of the return. A lot of effort and money is invested in this fishery and the fruit of the labor cannot be truly realized until the season is over. Hopes are high for a decent season.