The Fishing Corner

By Larry Dublanko

The 2018 inland salmon season officially ended yesterday in our area. Nov. 30th came quickly and it seems that the season had hardly begun before it was over. Many anglers are still working through this issue. However, it is what it is.

Now, the focus becomes steelhead. With decent plant numbers in our local hosting rivers, anglers can expect fruit for their efforts.

One of the biggest matters pertaining to the conclusion of the salmon season is reverting back to game fish regulations. This means that the night closure rule on the Humptulips River has been lifted. Furthermore, with the closing of the salmon season comes the canceling of the single-point barbless hook rule on most rivers. There may be selective gear rules in place at different locations on a river, so anglers will need to pay close attention to the rules and where they apply.

Whereas there has come a closure to salmon fishing, anglers should be aware that several smaller rivers and even the forks of some of the larger rivers closed Oct. 31. The next wave of closures, as it pertains to game fish, will occur at the end of February. In the meantime, it is all systems go for fishing for steelhead at the present time in Grays Harbor, where it is legal to do so.

Of course, the rivers likely to be targeted are the Humptulips, Chehalis and Wynoochee. The Wynoochee is growing in its appeal to out-of-the-area anglers. The prime reason is that it has received the heaviest plant and water levels are controlled because of the Wynoochee Dam. The Satsop River draws a lot of boaters because of the available ramps. The boats of choice are jet sleds to navigate up and down streams easily.

It is hard to beat the Humptulips River for that outdoors appeal. The difficult part of the Hump is access. If one is drifting the river by boat, it can be a long day. It is even longer if it is raining and the outside temperature is near freezing.

In recent years, it has become increasingly more difficult to work in or find access from the bank due to private land ownership. These are real matters that anglers have had to face in the last decade or so. Once this hurdle is overcome, next comes the correct presentation of a lure to entice these fish.

So, the challenges for the modern day steelheader are always there. Given the fact that life is full of challenges, it is no surprise that they exist in the world of fishing. The truth is “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

So, it will be very interesting to see what those challenges may be for this season. Some of them will include fish returns, rainfall, access and not to mention, the frigid temperatures that await anglers during this time frame.

Obviously, we are on the threshold of this steelhead season. Steelheaders emerge out of the salmon season and seek to elevate their skill sets for this fishery.