Northwest Sportsman Magazine

Saturday, May 19, Armed Forces Appreciation Day At Springfield Cabela’s

Andy Walgamott — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:14:54 +0000

(CABELA'S PRESS RELEASE)

Join Cabela's, the World's Foremost Outfitter of hunting, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 19 at the Springfield store, located off of I-5, Exit195A.

Cabela's would like to thank all veterans and all members of our armed forces for their continued efforts defending our freedom and the United States of America. Join us, on Saturday May 19, for fun activities as we honor those who have served our country. To kick off this special event the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians Honor Guard will present at 9 a.m. There also will be special presentations by Bagpiper Wylie McKinnon and the playing of TAPS by Adrian Vaaler.

Following the ceremony, we're inviting attendees to meet with local groups regarding veteran benefits, programs, and more. We'll also have Archery Shooting, a Fly casting pond and BBQ/Smoker Demonstrations for the whole family. Refreshments and snacks will be available and free portraits for military families.

Also joining Cabela's and supporting this special day will be the Mobile Vet Center and representatives from the National Rifle Association. Other highlights include properly fitting life jackets at 3 p.m., the USCGA Ready, Set, Wear it! life jacket awareness event, and also for the kids, the Lil' Hunters Calling Clinic.

For more information about Cabela's Armed Forces Appreciation Day, visit www.cabelas.com/springfield<http://www.cabelas.com/springfield>.

Cabela's is located on the west side of Gateway Mall at: 2800 Gateway St., Springfield, OR, 97477. (541) 349-5760

Kayak Angler Lands 2 Nice Halibut Off Neah, A Huge Hit With Makahs

Andy Walgamott — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:09:02 +0000

Call it good karma or good fishing, either way kayak angler Rory O'Connor had a hella good hali trip out of Neah Bay recently.

The Bellingham resident caught a 75-pounder on his first drift Thursday, May 10 and a 51-pounder on his third drift two days later -- only the second and third flatfish he's ever caught out of his kayak.

"I am very concerned that I used up my lifetime allotment of kayak-landed halibut in one trip!" he jokes.

We suspect he's got a few more to catch, though: You may recall the ardent Girl Scout cookied buyer's name name in the news earlier this year -- O'Connor rescued a dog that swam out to his kayak as he fished a half mile off the Florida coast in January. The Vizsla fled into the sea after its owner was hit and killed by a driver.

Eager to catch a halibut during last week's two-day opener for Marine Area 4, he headed over the day before to get an early start on Thursday.

"As luck would have it, I ended up catching the last ferry to Port Townsend -- the later runs were cancelled due to high winds. I would not have been able to fish Thursday if I wasn't on that ferry!" O'Connor says.

The next morning found him huffing it hard against the current out to a GPS spot in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

"Got a huge takedown on my first drift! The fight was about a half an hour, and the dispatching/securing about another half hour. Hog-tying that big of a fish from a kayak turned out to be a bit challenging. By that time the forecasted wind started to blow pretty hard. I literally caught this fish in the only window of time I could have," he says.

O'Connor posted a 5-minute video of the fight, including the bite, to YouTube.

HOUND RESCUER TURNED HALI SLAYER RORY O'CONNOR JUST AFTER THE BIG ONE BIT.(RORY O'CONNOR)

Wanting an official weight on his fish, he swung by Big Salmon Resort where it rang up 71 pounds on the scale.

And then he and his catch rang it up big with local fishermen.

"The Makah flipped their lids when they heard it was caught from a kayak. They were calling their friends over. A 143-pounder came in right after me and they couldn't give a crap about that fish," he says.

The tribe at the tip of the Olympic Peninsula is perhaps best known for whaling in their open cedar canoes, reputedly as far as 100 miles out back in the day.

(RORY O'CONNOR)

For Saturday's fishing O'Connor joined up with other members of Northwest Kayak Anglers, a Web forum that includes Northwest Sportsman kayak kolumnists Bryce "Zee" Molenkamp and Mark "Spot" Veary whom you may also recall as the two who last summer went after albacore 50 miles out of Newport in their Tupperware boats.

"Great weather, but wicked, wicked current. Not great for kayak fishing," says O'Connor of the conditions. "We were busting hard to get out to another spot we had marked in the Strait."

Still, it was his weekend: Another halibut just happened to "get in the way" of his hook.

While the smaller of his two, the flattie took twice as long to get kayakside, he says.

"Spicy lad. As with the first, I played him super light because I was using 50-pound-test line. Kayakers can't/shouldn't use heavier than that when bottomfishing because we'll get pulled off our kayaks trying to break off when hung up. I took no chances, didn't try to rush it. That has the added benefit of less thrash when he's gaffed, because he's so spent," O'Connor says.

(RORY O'CONNOR)

Both halibut bit a two-dropper-loop rig with a herring on one hook and B2 glo squid on the other.

The push back wasn't easy either. The fast current had taken him 3 miles from the launch and required two hours to get back, O'Connor says.

On dry land the next day, the Makahs were still buzzing about him.

"On my way out of town at the end of the weekend I went to the grocery store and a kid came up to me and said, 'Are you that guy who caught the 70-pound halibut from a kayak? You're famous around here!'"

Famous now on both coasts.

EPA: Potential ‘Adverse Impacts’ On Bristol Bay Salmon Fishery With Pebble Mine; Comment Period On Draft Study Open Into July

Andy Walgamott — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:30:46 +0000

(U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PRESS RELEASE)

(Editor's note: Links to news articles here: AP; Bloomberg; Cordova Times)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released for public comment a draft scientific study of the Bristol Bay watershed and its natural resources. EPA’s report responds to growing interest in large-scale mining in the watershed from a number of stakeholders and local communities with a range of views and will lead to a better understanding of potential environmental impacts of these activities on the watershed. Under the Clean Water Act, EPA has the authority and responsibility to protect the nation’s water and perform scientific studies that enhance the agency’s and the public’s knowledge of water resources. EPA's focus in the assessment is scientific and technical; the agency has made no judgments about the use of its regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act and the draft study in no way prejudges future consideration of proposed mining activities.

BRISTOL BAY SALMON RUNS AVERAGE 37.5 MILLION ANNUALLY AND PROVIDE WIDESPREAD ECONOMIC BENEFITS THAT MAY BE IMPACTED IF MINE PONDS AT A PLANNED GIANT MINE IN ITS HEADWATERS WERE TO FAIL, SAYS A DRAFT EPA REPORT. (TERRY WIEST/STEELHEAD UNIVERSITY)

The report assesses the watershed’s natural resources and the economic benefits associated with those resources, including the largest undisturbed wild sockeye salmon run in the world. EPA’s draft study does not provide an in-depth assessment of any specific mining project, but instead assesses the potential environmental impacts associated with mining activities at a scale and with the characteristics that are realistically anticipated, given the nature of mineral deposits in the watershed, the requirements for successful mining development, and publicly available information about potential mining activity. The report concludes that there is potential for certain activities associated with large-scale mining to have adverse impacts on the productivity and sustainability of the salmon fishery in the watershed. Potential impacts could include loss of habitat used for salmon spawning and rearing. The assessment, when finalized following the important public comment and independent peer review, could help inform future decisions on any large-scale mining in Bristol Bay by both federal and non-federal decision-makers.

The draft assessment focused on the Nushagak and Kvichak watersheds, which produce up to half of all Bristol Bay salmon and are open to mining development under Alaska law.

Key findings in EPA’s draft assessment include:

· All five species of North American Pacific salmon are found in Bristol Bay. The Bristol Bay watershed supports the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world. The Kvichak River produces more sockeye salmon than any other river in the world. The Nushagak River is the fourth largest producer of Chinook salmon in North America.
· Bristol Bay’s wild salmon fishery and other ecological resources provide at least 14,000 full and part-time jobs and is valued at about $480 million annually.
· The average annual run of sockeye salmon is about 37.5 million fish.
· Bristol Bay provides habitat for numerous animal species, including 35 fish species, more than 190 bird species and 40 animal species.

EPA also examined the importance of Bristol Bay salmon in sustaining the traditional subsistence lifestyle of Alaska Native Villages in the watershed. The assessment includes detailed reports on Bristol Bay indigenous culture, wildlife and economics, as well as salmon and other fish.

EPA will take public comment on the draft assessment until July 23. The agency has also scheduled public meetings in Alaska in June and will host webinars for people interested in learning more about the assessment. EPA is also submitting the draft assessment for independent scientific peer review. All of this information will help guide a final report. For information on public meetings and how to submit comments, visit our website: http://www.epa.gov/region10/bristolbay/.

For more information on EPA’s Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment and to read the assessment, visit: http://www.epa.gov/region10/bristolbay/

Ack! Press Release-alanche! Tons O’ Springer News

Andy Walgamott — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:32:43 +0000

Looks like Roy and Phil are working the media folks at ODFW and WDFW today.

They've fired off a quartet of spring Chinook news blurbs this afternoon.

To wit:

1) WDFW on the Columbia east Gorge reopener:

Spring chinook fishery reopens this weekend on Columbia River above Bonneville Dam

OLYMPIA - The spring chinook fishery will reopen this weekend (May 19-20) for two days of fishing on a section of the Columbia River stretching 163 miles upstream from Bonneville Dam.

Anglers fishing those waters will be allowed to keep two marked hatchery adult chinook per day. All wild, unmarked chinook must be released unharmed.

Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon agreed to the two-day opening after the run forecast for upriver spring chinook was raised from 202,000 fish to 216,500 fish.

Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River policy manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said the two states may consider additional openings - both above and below Bonneville Dam - if the estimated size of this year’s spring chinook run continues to rise.

"All eyes are on the fish counts at Bonneville Dam right now," LeFleur said. "This run is one of the latest on record, so we really have to gauge from one week to the next how many spring chinook are still coming."

Under the updated run forecast, approximately 800 hatchery-reared spring chinook salmon are still available for harvest in the section of the Columbia River that opens to fishing this weekend.

On those two days, boat and bank anglers can fish from the Tower Island powerlines to the Washington/Oregon state line, 17 miles upriver from McNary Dam. Bank anglers can also fish from the powerlines downriver to Bonneville Dam.

Those waters have been closed to fishing since May 6, pending a run assessment.

LeFleur said fishery managers plan to meet May 22 to assess the possibility of allowing additional fishing time both above and below Bonneville Dam. Any new openings will be announced on WDFW’s website ( http://wdfw.wa.gov/ ) and on the department’s Fishing Hotline (360-902-2500).

2) ODFW on the same nut:

States re-open upper Columbia for spring chinook

May 17, 2012

CLACKAMAS, Ore. – Oregon and Washington fishery managers announced today that the Columbia River from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border above McNary Dam will re-open to spring chinook and steelhead fishing this weekend, May 19-20.

The Columbia River Technical Advisory Committee recently revised the projected run size for upriver spring chinook from a pre-season estimate of 314,000 adult fish to 216,000. Even with a reduced run size, there remains sufficient harvest quota above Bonneville Dam to allow for two more days of fishing.

Only bank angling is allowed between the Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines, about 6 miles downstream of The Dalles Dam. The daily bag limit will be two adult adipose fin-clipped chinook or steelhead, or one of each.

3) WDFW on the Lower Snake fishery:

Lower two Snake River zones closing early for spring chinook fishing

OLYMPIA - Snake River spring chinook fishing will close one hour after sunset tomorrow (May 18) below Ice Harbor Dam and near Little Goose Dam.

The closure does not affect spring chinook fisheries in the six miles below Lower Granite Dam, or in the Clarkston area. Both will remain open until further notice, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishery managers.

"Because wild salmon in the run are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, these fisheries must be managed within the ESA guidelines," said John Whalen, WDFW’s eastern region fish program manager. "Based on the most recent chinook run estimate, the catch rates we are seeing, and the projected harvest, the allowable salmon catch for the Snake River will be reached sooner than we estimated."

The specific Snake River closure areas are:

From the south-bound State Route 12 Bridge at Pasco, upstream about seven miles to the fishing restriction boundary below Ice Harbor Dam.

From the railroad bridge about a half-mile below the Tucannon River mouth, up-river to the fishing restriction boundary below Little Goose Dam, and from Little Goose Dam to the Corps of Engineers’ boat launch a mile upstream of Little Goose Dam on the south shoreline. This closure zone includes the area between the juvenile-fish bypass return pipe and Little Goose Dam, along the south shoreline of the facility (including the walkway area known as "the Wall" in front of the juvenile-fish collection facility).

Two other Snake River spring chinook fishing locations will remain open until further notice. Angler catch rates will be monitored closely in those zones, and fishing may be closed before May 31, based upon conservation needs, Whalen said.

Snake River areas that will remain open for fishing include:

From Casey Creek Canyon Road on the Garfield County shore (approximately six miles downstream of Lower Granite Dam) to the fishing restriction boundary downstream of Lower Granite Dam.

From the point in the river next to the intersection of Steptoe Canyon Road and the Wawawai River Road on the Whitman County shore, up-river approximately 12 miles to the Idaho state line (from the east levee of the Greenbelt boat launch northwest across the Snake River to the state line boundary marker on the Whitman County shore).

In open areas, anglers have a daily limit of six hatchery chinook (with a clipped adipose fin) at least 12 inches in length, including no more than two adult fish. Anglers must stop fishing for the day when the hatchery adult limit has been retained. All chinook with the adipose fin intact, and all steelhead, must be immediately released unharmed.

The exception is in the Little Goose Dam area, between the juvenile-fish bypass return pipe and the dam along the south shoreline (including the walkway area known as "the Wall" in front of the juvenile fish collection facility). In that area, only one jack and one adult hatchery chinook may be retained. Anglers must stop fishing once the one allowed adult fish is retained.

Fishers should refer to the WDFW emergency regulation enacted for the Snake River for more specific restrictions in effect for this chinook fishery. Emergency regulations are posted on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/rulechanges/ .

Anglers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. For details on fishing seasons and regulations, check WDFW’s fishing rules pamphlet available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/ . Fishing rules are subject to change. Check the WDFW Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2 for recreational rules.

4) WDFW on opening Icicle Creek:

Salmon fishing opens on the Icicle River

Actions:   Opens salmon fishing on the Icicle River (Chelan County).

Daily limit:   Daily limit two salmon, minimum size 12 inches.

Species affected:   Spring chinook salmon.

Location: Icicle River, from the closure signs located 800 feet upstream of the mouth to 500 feet downstream of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam.

Effective dates:   May 19, 2012 through July 31, 2012.

Reason for action: In-season run analysis has predicted that about 7,000 salmon are currently enroute to the Icicle River. Although upper Columbia River spring Chinook have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the salmon returning to the Icicle River are a non-endemic stock returning to Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, and are not listed under the ESA. About 1,000 salmon are needed to meet hatchery broodstock. The 2012 return ensures that the hatchery will meet its escapement needs; the remaining fish will be available for harvest. Steelhead have also finished spawning and cleared the river prior to the season.

Other Information:   Night closure will be in effect. No gear restrictions are in effect. The regulation allowing two-pole angling on the Columbia River DOES NOT APPLY to the Icicle River.

Information contact: Travis Maitland, District 7 Fish Biologist, (509) 665-3337, Jeff Korth, Region 2 Fish Program Manager, (509) 754-4624.

Official Word On East Columbia Gorge Springer Reopener

Andy Walgamott — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:24:49 +0000

(OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE PRESS RELEASE)

Oregon and Washington fishery managers announced today that the Columbia River from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border above McNary Dam will re-open to spring chinook and steelhead fishing this weekend, May 19-20.

The Columbia River Technical Advisory Committee recently revised the projected run size for upriver spring chinook from a pre-season estimate of 314,000 adult fish to 216,000. Even with a reduced run size, there remains sufficient harvest quota above Bonneville Dam to allow for two more days of fishing.

Only bank angling is allowed between the Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines, about 6 miles downstream of The Dalles Dam. The daily bag limit will be two adult adipose fin-clipped chinook or steelhead, or one of each.

###

Halibut To Mostly Close After Sunday In Marine Area Dos

Andy Walgamott — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:53:44 +0000

(WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE EMERGENCY RULE CHANGE NOTICE)

Halibut fishing to close in most of Marine Area 2

Action: Close the recreational halibut fishery in Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores), except that halibut fishing is allowed in the northern nearshore area from the Queets River (47º31.70’N. latitude) south to Point Chehalis (46º58.00’N. latitude) and east of a line approximating the 30 fathom depth contour as defined by the following coordinates until further notice.

- 47 º 31.70 N. lat, 124 º 37.03 W. long
- 47 º 25.67 N. lat, 124 º 34.79 W. long
- 47 º 12.82 N. lat, 124 º 29.12 W. long
- 46 º 58.00 N. lat, 124 º 24.24 W. long

Effective date: May 21, 2012.

Species affected: Pacific halibut.

Location: Marine Area 2.

Reason for action: The Marine Area 2 recreational halibut fishery is projected to have taken the Pacific halibut quota set aside for the primary season by the end of the day May 20, 2012. A separate quota set aside is sufficient to continue to allow halibut fishing seven days per week in the northern nearshore area. This rule conforms to federal action taken by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC).

Information contact: Heather Reed, (360) 249-4628 ext. 202.

Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on fishing seasons and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Check the WDFW Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2 for recreational rules. For the Shellfish Rule Change hotline call (360)796-3215 or toll free 1-866-880-5431.

Revised Springer Forecast, Err, Revised; Columbia Mainstem Reopener This Weekend East Of The Gorge

Andy Walgamott — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:08:53 +0000

Columbia salmon managers now say that around 216,500 upriver-bound spring Chinook will return to the mouth of the big river, thanks to continued strong days at Bonneville Dam.

Officially, it's a refining of a revised run forecast earlier this week that said 202,000 would come back, give or take. That was down from the preseason prediction of 314,200.

A Columbia River compact notice out early this afternoon also reopens the mainstem from the Tower Island powerlines about 6 miles below The Dalles Dam to the Oregon-Washington line just upstream of McNary Dam, as well as the Oregon and Washington banks from Bonneville Dam -- hint, hint, Drano bankies -- to the Tower Island powerlines May 19 and 20.

The two-day fishery is expected to produce 350 Chinook, or a slightly longer opener a week later as the fish slide on past.

Daily limit is two, but only one adult hatchery Chinook or one adult hatchery steelhead.

In another fact sheet from the managers today there's more confirmation that the lower two of the Snake's four fisheries will close after tomorrow's angling.

There will be another meeting May 22 to go over the run and fisheries.

Mercer Island Has A Muley And Whitetail Deer Problem

Andy Walgamott — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:34:45 +0000

No, seriously, that what's being reported on one of those we-hook-your-street-corner-up-to-the-world blogs this morning, this one from the 6.2-square-mile and very, very, very, very wealthy Lake Washington island which is bisected by miles 6 through 8 of I-90.

Hell, if I was a resident there, I'd want only the finest deer too!

Maybe some Scottish stags, red deer from the Bayernwald, or perhaps the 2-foot-tall rainforest pygmy kind.

But I think the reporter actually just means blacktail.

Mule deer and black- or white-tailed deer — the two species that are found on Mercer Island — began migrating back onto Mercer Island several years ago ...

Even for Okanogan muleys, which are known to put a few miles on their hooves, that would be a walk, though I suppose those bastard biologists airdropping wolves willy nilly all over the place could just as easily strap a flagtail to a parachute and push it out of a plane onto the nice greenbelts on the Mercer Island lid.

Or not.

The deer musta swum over from almost-as-rich Bellevue, or, heck, maybe back from not-doing-too-bad Seattle.

They're causing car accidents!

They're browsing in folks' gardens!

And no doubt their doots are an ecological menace what with all the pesticides applied to keep the dandelions at bay!

Realistically, hunting is not an option here.

Neither is "catch and release."

And it sounds like damage control killings are only applicable on commercial property.

So residents are gonna have to deal with the deer, says a memo from the Parks & Recreation Department posted on the city's site.

They're being directed to WDFW's "Living With The Peaceful & Harmonious Wildlife Now Feeding On Your Shrubberies And Knocking Over Your Garbage Cans and On Occasion Giving Your Dog Rabies" page.

Meanwhile, one of the ungulates apparently sent a postcard to the Teanaway Pack 92 miles east on the interstate.

It read: "Ha ha, can't get us."*

*Not really.

What’s Fishin’ In Oregon (5-16-12)

Andy Walgamott — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:53:59 +0000

Sorry for the abbreviated post -- hellish deadlines for multiple magazines -- but here's a link to fishing opportunities to be had around Oregon this weekend, courtesy of ODFW's weekly Recreation Report

THE WILLAMETTE, WHERE STEPHANIE GATES CAUGHT THIS 23.5-POUNDER EARLIER THIS MONTH, IS AMONG THE FISHERIES TO SAMPLE THIS WEEKEND IN OREGON. THE TIGARD ANGLER WAS TROLLING HERRING. (WRIGHT & McGILL/EAGLE CLAW PHOTO CONTEST)

2 Stretches Of Yakima To Open For Springers This Week

Andy Walgamott — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:12:21 +0000

(WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE PRESS RELEASE)

(USGS current conditions: Above average and headed up.)

Two sections of the Yakima River will open this week to fishing for hatchery-reared spring chinook salmon, under regulations adopted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Starting Wednesday, May 16, the lower Yakima River will open to fishing for hatchery spring chinook from the Interstate 182 Bridge in Richland to the Grant Avenue Bridge in Prosser.

On Saturday, May 19, the salmon fishery will expand to the upper Yakima River from the Interstate 82 Bridge at Union Gap to the railroad bridge below Roza Dam.

John Easterbrooks, regional WDFW fish program manager, said the lower river is expected to remain open through June 30, while fishing in the upper section will likely continue through July 31.

"The springers are running late this year, but they're finally moving into the Yakima River," said Easterbrooks, noting that fishery managers are predicting a return of approximately 5,000 adult hatchery chinook to the Yakima River.

Anglers will have a daily limit of two adipose-fin-clipped hatchery chinook. All wild salmon, identifiable by an intact adipose fin, must be released unharmed and must not be removed from the water prior to release. The same is true for all steelhead, as noted in the fishing rule on WDFW's website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/rulechanges/ ).

To participate in the fishery, anglers must possess a Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE), along with a valid fishing license. Anglers also have the option of purchasing a "two-pole endorsement" to fish with two poles during the fishery.

Revenues from the CRSSE will be used to fund monitoring and law enforcement for the fishery, and to expand the lower river fishery up to Prosser this year.

Endorsement revenues will also fund a hooking-mortality study for spring chinook salmon this year below Roza Dam, where a WDFW research team plans to radio-tag 150 wild fish that have been hooked, played and released.

"Anglers who have hooked a spring chinook may be approached by a scientific technician as they reel in the fish," Easterbrooks said. "If it's a wild fish with an intact adipose fin, the technician will offer to assist in unhooking and releasing it after tagging it and recording information on the fish."

The technicians will also be fishing to catch fish for the study, and will release all fish they catch once they have been tagged. At the end of the spawning season, survival rates for all spring chinook that have been tagged and released will be compared against a control group of fish that have not been hooked by anglers.

"This study, conducted in conjunction with the Yakama Nation, will not only be useful in estimating hooking mortality rates on the Yakima River but also on other tributaries to the Columbia River," he said. "We would appreciate anglers' cooperation as we work to refine estimates that play a key role in managing area fisheries."

Easterbrooks is also asking for anglers' cooperation in helping to maintain access across Roza Dam to the popular fishing area downstream from the railroad bridge boundary. He asks that anglers observe some basic rules established by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the facility:

Passage across the dam is limited to walk-in access to the right (west) bank of the river. The public is prohibited from using the railroad bridge walkway to access the left (east) bank-fishing area. Anglers can access both sides of the river by walking under the bridge abutments to access the fishing area downstream.
Anglers are asked to park in the designated areas on the right side of the Roza Access Road, not on private property on the left side of the road.
Dumpsters have been placed at the parking area and next to the Roza adult fish trapping facility. Anglers are asked to carry a trash bag and deposit their trash - along with any they find along the trail - in those dumpsters.
Anglers are also asked to use the portable toilets provided at the access road parking area and on the west side of the dam.

"Public access across Roza Dam is a privilege, not a right," Easterbrooks said. "We're asking anglers to do everything they can to make sure that access point remains open for their use."