Open Season – Try Something Different

Aaaaahhhhgust is finally here! This is almost the start of that all-glorious season collectively known as autumn. The salmon will be entering all our local tributaries this month, as will the hungry and hard fighting fish that locals call Harvest Trout. These are Cutthroat Trout that were born in fresh water, spend time in the Pacific Ocean, then return to their river of origin to complete their life cycle. Their cousin the Steelhead — which have been in our rivers all summer – are now taking on their most vibrant rainbow colored markings.
Those who are fortunate enough to spend time on the river in pursuit of Chinook, Coho, and Steelhead usually have a favorite method of fishing for them and tend to use that same method throughout the year. Whether the method is throwing spinners (Blue Fox with silver blade), back-bouncing or slow-trolling Wigglers (Blue Pirate, Bubble Gum Pink, and Green/Silver are favorites), plunking with a Spin-N-Glo and bait, or fishing a gob of eggs on a long leader, most fishermen tend to use the same method day in and day out.
I would like to encourage people to try something different.
If you usually pull Wigglers then try casting spinners or fishing eggs. Try those plugs or spinners that have spent most if not all of their life in your tackle box and not at the end of a line. In the rivers of the Olympic Peninsula the most common plug for fishing fall Chinook is the Kwikfish.
How often do you see people on our local streams using Kwikfish for fall Kings? Hardly ever. In Alaska – especially on the Kenai River – 90% of the people fishing those monster Kings are using wrapped Kwikfish.
It is true that the only human who welcomes change is a baby with a full diaper, but for the fisherman (or fisherwoman) willingness to try something new could mean the difference between just having a nice day on the water or taking home a prized Pacific Northwest salmon for the barbecue.
If you choose to go after those elusive sea-run Cutthroat trout, you will have good luck from either spinners or bait. If you choose to use bait, remember that the best bait known for harvest trout is the meat from a fresh crawdad tail. Peel the outer shell off the tail and use just the meat portion.
I like to fish this on a bait holder hook that has 10-12 very small red beads above it, topped with a small silver Colorado blade. Use just enough weight to get this unit down to the bottom, much the same as if you were bouncing eggs for salmon or steelhead. Fish the tops of riffles as the fish will swim up the swift water and then rest directly upstream of where the riffles begin.
We are now just a few short weeks from the opening of early archery season for both deer and elk. By now your equipment should be all dialed in and you should be practicing regularly. Be sure to confirm that all your clothing and hunting accessories are in good condition and working properly. Maybe pick up a couple extra game bags and a roll of parachute cord. New bottles of odor masking spray are a good idea.
With the increasing numbers of fish in our local rivers there will be increasing numbers of people fishing. Please be courteous to others even if they are less than courteous to you. Keep pets and children under control and have children wear some type of flotation device and footwear when they are anywhere near open water. Pick up any garbage you may find, especially discarded fishing line.
Until next month, good luck and good fishing!

Getting ready: Deer Season

By Melvin Larsen
Here it is July already. We sure didn’t have much of a Spring weather-wise but now we are in for nicer weather, long days, and ample opportunities to spend some time outside.
With early archery season less than 2 months away, now is a good time to make any changes to your archery gear that you will use this year. You might want to try a new sight, a new arrow rest, or a new release. You might want to try increasing the draw weight of your bow and going to a different arrow weight. By making these major changes now you will have time to get used to the differences and make the necessary adjustments so that you are comfortable and confident with your equipment when you take to the field.
It is also a good idea to try on your camo gear and make sure that everything still fits comfortably and hasn’t “shrunk” over the past year. If you find that some of your favorite togs have shrunk, then you might want to think about taking some pre-season scouting hikes to get those legs back in shape and also to see what kind of critters you can find that are sporting some velvet.
One huge advantage that early season bow hunters have over the later season Nimrods is that during the first part of September, most of the deer are still following their summer routine. This means that those deer that you can locate on mid-summer hikes will most likely still be feeding and bedding in the same areas come early archery season. By late September and early October, deer change their patterns, habits and movement and usually will not be where you may have seen them at times during the summer. They will still be in the same general area, as deer do not have a large home range like elk. The fuzzy horned bucks that were fairly easy to locate in July and August are going to be as hard to find as an honest lawyer by the time October rolls around.
On the fishing scene, July is mostly about Summer Steelhead and Sturgeon where the river fishing is concerned. All our local lakes have been stocked with trout since early spring and in places like Silver Lake, Kress Lake, and Lake Sacajawea there are panfish and bass to be had.
Albacore Tuna should be coming within range by the end of July and into August. August will also bring the first of the fall salmon runs into the lower Columbia River system so
July is an excellent time to be sure that your boat, motors, trailer, and gear are all in good working order. Be sure that your boat meets all the requirements to be legally operated on the river.
That’s about it for this month, friends. Remember to be safe and courteous to others when you are out and about in our great outdoors. Please pick up garbage that you find when possible, especially any discarded fishing line…
Comments? Visit us online!
valleybugler.com  or facebook:
facebook.com/valleybuglernewspaper

Be a Hero – Take a kid fishing

By Melvin Larsen
When I was a youngster my dad was a farmer and that kept him pretty busy 24/7. He was the best dad in the world but he didn’t have a lot of spare time and as a result he was not able to take me fishing. I did, however, have a neighbor who included me on a couple of the fishing trips that he regularly took his sons on. I will never forget those trips. We went to the “High Lakes” – Elk, Hanaford, Forrest, and Fawn Lakes which are located just north of Mt. St. Helens.
With just a few hours of your time, you too can give a youngster memories that will last a lifetime. It doesn’t require a lot of time or money and you will come away from it knowing that you have done one of the best things you can possibly do for a fellow human.
Kids don’t require a fancy boat (or any boat at all, for that matter) fancy rods, reels, or other gear. Kids don’t need to catch a big Chinook or a huge Sturgeon. Kids are just as happy to fish at one of our many local stocked lakes with a little “cheapy” outfit using a hook, bobber, and a couple of small split shot. The thrill for a kid is in seeing that bobber being pulled down once, twice, three times, and then go under the water!
All our local waters are regularly stocked with catchable size trout throughout the summer. Silver Lake, Kress Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Lake Sacajawea and the Ponds on the south end of Toledo are all great places to take kids fishing from the bank. You can use worms for bait or Powerbait, which is a less messy alternative that works well.
With today’s lifestyles being what they are, I’m sure that we all know at least one single mom out there who has a kid that would LOVE to go fishing. I have found that it is good to take 2 kids fishing at the same time.
They keep each other company and will be able to share the memory. Also, if you take more than 2 and don’t have help, it can be exasperating to try to keep hooks baited and lines un-tangled. Better yet, take a friend along with you to keep YOU company.
Comment and share your own fishing memories online@ valleybugler.com

Open Season – May 2011

Babes in the woods…and elsewhere

By Melvin Larsen, aka Mountain Mel
This is the time of the year when all the animals are giving birth to their young. Inevitably, some of us are going to stumble across a young bird or mammal that will appear to have been lost, cast aside, or abandoned by it’s mother. We will comment on how cute the little one is and how unfortunate that it has become separated from the safety and security of its parent or parents.
We may feel the need to take this animal or bird up in our arms to take home and care for. This is the worst thing that you can possibly do to any baby animal. Once you have touched a baby animal, you have left human scent on it and the parents (who are probably watching you from a nearby, secluded location) will then certainly abandon it.
Mammals like deer and elk are actually born scent-free and do not eliminate any personal body odor until they have grown enough that they have developed other defense mechanisms. Female deer, elk, moose, caribou, and other ungulates actually consume the placenta immediately after birth so that it does not give away the location of the birthing site to predators.
If you should stumble upon a baby deer or elk, here is what I would recommend. Do NOT approach or touch the baby. If you have a camera, take a quick picture, and then leave the area. Don’t “hang out” and wait to see if mama returns for her baby. She will, but not while you are there.
The same rules apply to baby birds that may have attempted to fly too early in life or simply have fallen out of the nest. Do not touch them. Do not “hang around” the area. This will only make mother bird nervous and scared and then she will certainly abandon her young and quite possible any siblings that may still be in the nest.
It is true that some young do perish. That is the way of nature. Nature can be cruel and nature can be harsh but nature has been designed to take care of itself by a Creator that is much greater than either you or I. That young Robin that tried to fly before it’s wing feathers were adequately developed and is now squawking on the ground under the fir tree might not survive, but the baby hawks and owls, who play a very important role in controlling the rodent population need to eat too.
As for a fishing report this month, folks, it can only get better! The Spring Chinook run never did materialize during the month of April. Sure, some fish entered the system and a lucky few anglers caught some real dandies, but weather and water conditions have hampered this years run since the very beginning.
I am writing this just prior to Easter weekend and my prediction is that by the time you are reading it, our weather conditions and river conditions will have improved dramatically.
I believe that the chances of catching Spring Chinook in our local tributaries will have improved dramatically as well. About 5 years ago I went with a friend to see just how Gillnetters fish on the Columbia.
They (Gillnetters) had a night season for “June Hogs” as they are known. We caught 26 fish that night. 22 of them were Spring Chinook and 4 were “June Hogs”. The person I was with showed me how to identify the difference between the two by virtue of a gray line on the bottom of the lower jaw.
This took place between Longview and Mill Creek on the Columbia River, downstream of Longview and the mouth of the Cowlitz. Believe me when I tell ya’ those Springers will be in the Cowlitz all during the month of May…and then some.
Good Luck and Good Fishing!
SEND YOUR HUNTING AND FISHING TROPHY PICS TO:
EDITOR@VALLEYBUGLER.COM

The art of netting that fish

By Melvin Larsen
This month I would like to share with you some lessons I have learned over the years about netting fish. I am not talking about bass, perch, or small trout but rather salmon and steelhead.
Many fish are lost “at the boat” due to improper netting techniques. The most common mistake is trying to net a fish too soon. Just because the fish on the end of your line is close enough to reach with the net, does not mean that it is ready to come aboard. A fish should be played out to the point of it being calm when it is beside the boat. Some people say that the fish should be on it’s side rather than in an upright position, although I do not believe this to always be the case. Often when you present the net over the side of your vessel, the fish will take off on another line peeling run. This means that the fish was not ready to be netted.
Fish can only swim one direction, and that being forward. If you attempt to net your fish tail first you run the risk of the fish swimming out of or away from the net and thereby losing him/her. Often times the hooks will become caught on the net and pull free from the fish’s mouth. If you are netting the fish head first, you can still scoop up on the fish and not lose your catch. I always try to net fish head first, but sometimes conditions dictate otherwise. When you have someone else on board to do the netting, I would recommend always netting fish head first.
Once the fish is in the net, it is important to lift up on the net immediately. A lot of you might be think “Yea, no kidding?” but believe me, I have seen (and done) a lot of senseless maneuvers when it comes to netting fish. Equally important is to provide slack line from the rod so that you do not run the risk of breaking the tip of your rod as the net is hoisted and the fish continues to struggle.
Of course if the fish is not fin-clipped and regulations call for its release, then you do not want to lift the fish free of the water. If this is the case, just hoist up on the net so that the fish is securely enclosed, then carefully remove the hook from the fishs’ mouth and release it back into the water.
When netting a fish for someone else, I always try to hold the excess net (known as the “bag”) back against the handle of the net with my left hand. This keeps it from dangling down on the water where it may either scare the fish or – heaven forbid – get tangled in the hooks before the fish is in the net, thereby causing certain loss of the fish.
Once your fish is netted and in the boat you should humanely dispatch it before removing it from the net. I have impaled myself with fish hooks when forgetting to do this very important deed. Before stowing your net in anticipation of the next fish be sure to rinse all residual fish slime and blood from your net.
Personally, I put in too much time and effort to lose fish right at the boat. It can be heartbreaking to do so. Even worse is losing the fish of a wife, child, or friend due to improper netting techniques. It can be a terrible feeling and ruin what should have been a very happy, memorable experience.
Be careful with that next big fish that you hook and hopefully you will have a picture of a big fish with an even bigger smile to send in to The Valley Bugler so that it may be printed in a future issue!!
Good Luck and Good Fishing!
Do you have pictures for our Trophy Wall in the Animal Tracks section? The Trophy Wall will appear in issues May – October and display your proud catches and trophies. Send your pic to:
editor@valleybugler.com
Or bring it into our office. The address is on the front of this lovely paper.
Trophy Wall picture winners will be entered in a chance to win a prize at the end of October from the Valley Bugler.
Last year, the winners went on a fantastic fishing spree with Mel and caught three LARGE salmon! Send in your trophy pictures today and let us show the world what you’ve caught!

Fishing “Kwikfish” for Spring Chinook

I am not going to get into the wide variety of rods, reels, line, or methods for catching Spring Chinook as an entire column could be written about each. What I am going to do is share the method that has worked for me in past seasons on the Cowlitz River, here in Washington:
At the end of your line, tie a size 5 swivel. To this tie a piece of monofilament leader of 15-20 pound weight class that is 5-7 feet in length. To the end of this leader tie the Kwik-clip that comes on each Kwikfish. This method is known as “Flatlining” as it requires no additional weights or divers.
For rivers the size of Cowlitz or Lewis, use a K-13 size Kwikfish. They are designed to dive on their own and are large enough to be seen by fish in somewhat murky water. Another important factor is that they work at a depth of 6-12 feet which is the depth of most parts of the Cowlitz, and other similar sized rivers.
Remove the stock hooks and split rings that come on a Kwikfish. Although I have tried many different styles and sizes of hooks, what I currently like is a size 4/0 Matzao “Sickle” hook. The forward hook I hang from 2 size 1 Owner brand split rings. (Owner are the best split rings I have found).
It is important that the point of the hook be facing away from the Kwikfish and not rubbing against it. If the point is against the Kwikfish take the hook off, turn it over, and start it back onto the split ring from the other side of the hook eye. (See photo below for proper installation).

On the rear hook, use one slit ring, then a size 7 swivel. Then attach the hook to the swivel using another size 1 split ring. This allows the hook to hang back a little bit and it helps to hook fish that  would otherwise be “hit and miss” strikes.
Spring Chinook are still feeding after they enter the rivers and for this reason I use a wrap of sardine on my Kwikfish. I prepare my sardine wraps beforehand by filleting them out and layering them on rock salt in a small Tupperware container. I fold up a paper towel and put on the bottom of my bait container to soak up the moisture that is drawn from the sardine fillets by the rock salt. A layer of rock salt, then a layer of sardine fillets, another layer of rock salt and more fillets. (See photo below)

This should be done 24 hours prior to fishing. They should be kept cool but do not require refrigeration. Fillets should be a little bit shorter than the Kwikfish is long. Because the K-13 is smaller, special care must be taken to taper the fillets on all sides in order for the plug to run true and produce that fish catching action. (See photo below)

I prefer using Spider Thread to wrap my fillets with, however Ghost Cocoon or any other type of elasticized wrapping thread works just as well. When “finishing off” your wrap, pull the Spider Thread through the first split ring of the forward hook to keep things neatly tied off. (See photo below)

I like to keep my fillets wrapped tightly to the plug. In order to get the best fit, I slice ½ way down the fillet so that it straddles the forward hook and therefore neatly covers the bottom side of the Kwikfish. (Photo below)

Always tune each plug so that it runs true before wrapping it with a fillet. If after wrapping, it runs a little to one side or the other you can “fudge” your wrap a little bit with your thumbs so that it will run true.
Happy fishing!
Melvin Larsen lives just south of Castle Rock on the banks of the Cowlitz River. Besides fishing and bow hunting, he enjoys spending time with the animals he raises on their hobby farm and writing for the Valley Bugler.  ☺
Editor’s Note: Mountain Mel and Michelle Myre, (Publisher / Editor), will be attempting to net a nice catch off the Cowlitz River on the 16th of April. Mel seems to think that will be a fantastic fishing weekend, and I do hope that he is right.
We love salmon…in all its forms!

Open Season – Taking care of Salmon/Steelhead Eggs

By Melvin Larsen
There are probably as many different ways to care for, cure, or “put up” salmon and steelhead eggs as there are ways to fish them. Maybe more.
This month I would like to share a favorite recipe as well as some hints on handling your eggs that may result in a better finished product for you.
I am a firm believer in bleeding out fish as soon as they are caught. Here’s how:
Tie them off to a cleat on your boat first.
Cut the gills to bleed the fish. After tying them off, and while holding them over the side of the boat, run your fillet knife down their mouth and cut through the feathery part of the gills on one side. This causes them to bleed profusely.
Bleed out for about 5 minutes and then move them to a wet burlap sack or cooler for the remainder of the excursion. Leave the eggs & guts in the fish until done for the day.
Once home, get a large ziplock bag and put on unpowdered surgical-type gloves. First cut is a notch that completely eliminates the anal opening. Then, carefully cut from that opening towards the head, being careful not to insert the knife point too deep and puncture either the egg skeins or any fish organs. Then gently lift the egg skeins out of the fish’s body cavity, cutting them free where they are connected at near the gills. Put these eggs directly in the new, clean ziplock bag sitting within arms reach.
Have dry brine mixed up before you begin the fish cleaning procedure: In a small bucket mix 3 parts Borax 2 parts sugar and 1 part noniodized salt. (This mixture can be kept on hand in large ziplock bags.)
Cut Chinook skeins lengthwise first, then divide into three equal sections. Coho and steelhead eggs just cut into three equal sections. These sections lay on a piece of butcher paper, membrane side down. Sprinkle the dry brine over the eggs, being sure it gets down in between the folds of each section.
Roll each section around to make sure that all surfaces are covered. The sections then go into a clean tupperware container with an airtight lid and are placed in the refrigerator. During this stage juice will form. If lots of juice is created, gently mix the eggs to encourage reabsorbtion of the liquid.
At this time you will want to add any additional scents or dies that you may prefer. Again, mix gently and return to the refrigerator where they should stay for three days. After three days you can take this container and put it directly into your freezer if you are not going to use the eggs right away. Due to the high sugar content freezer burn should not be a problem as long as these eggs are used in the next 12 months.
Another easy to do cure involves using just 3 simple ingredients. They are:
One heaping cup of powdered Borax
¼ cup of white table sugar
One box of Jell-O
Cut eggs into bait size pieces and spread them out on a piece of butcher paper (membrane side down). Then mix the three ingredients together and sprinkle liberally over the baits. Let these baits sit out at room temperature for 24 hours, rotating then from time to time. After 24 hours package them in ziplock bags or some other suitable container, be it a quart jar or a tupperware-type container. If you are going to be using them right away, keep some in the fridge. The rest you can stick in the freezer, but not for more than 4-6 months. Eggs cured using this process are best if used within 30-60 days.
So there you have it, folks. February is a short month and March should bring the first Spring Chinook, although I have seen them caught in February, right after the smelt runs (back when we had smelt runs).
Next month look forward to tips on wrapping plugs with sardine fillets for Spring Chinook.
One final note. If you plan on doing much fishing in the coming months, don’t forget that Monday, February 14th, is Valentines Day. Remembering Valentines Day won’t guarantee that you can run off and go fishing any time you want, but try forgetting it and see what happens!

Welcome to 2011!

January is finally here! Along with the new year comes new hopes of better salmon and steelhead runs, more fish in the boat, fewer fish lost at the boat, hopes of a more successful hunting season or maybe this will be the year that you bag that buck or bull of a lifetime. It’s kinda’ like playing the lottery because for some of us out there, these things will happen!

Hopefully Santa left us sportsmen/women with something special under the tree. If that something special can be used for winter steelhead fishing than there is no time like the present to break it out and break it in. The winter steelhead run should be peaking as you read this. December rains had most of our local rivers either high, muddy, or both for much of the month but from now until spring colder temps should improve both water quality and levels.

I remember “back in the day”, which for me was the 60’s & 70’s, everybody used eggs and that was the only option for bait fishing. A lot of the old-timers used treble hooks on about 14-16 inches of leader and the eggs were lashed onto that treble hook with red sewing thread. A round float made of natural cork was positioned on this leader about 10 inches ahead of the bait. This was to keep the bait suspended in the water. Sometimes the egg bait was fished alone and sometimes the eggs were lashed on behind a spin-n-glo. When a spin-n-glo was used, the cork float was omitted. For whatever reason, nobody tied up the single hook with a bait loop setup that is so common these days.

Fast-forward to the 21st century and you will see more and more anglers using sand shrimp, prawns, coonstripe shrimp, or some home-spun combination of the aforementioned. Eggs are still used regularly but there are a number of other options on the menu today.

Winter steelhead are usually larger fish than their summer run kin. They are also not quite as skittish when it comes to using a larger size bait or a heavier leader.

Steelhead like to hold close to the bank and if you can find a slot that has willows on the side of the bank, with water running through them, coupled with a sharp drop of about 30 inches or deeper, this is a good place to fish.

In this type of location, the fish seem to run very tight to the bank and all you really need to do (if plunking) is just hold your gear out over the water and drop it down. Give yourself some slack to walk your rod back to the rod holder, and wait.

Dull hooks probably account for more lost winter steelhead than any other single thing. We have all heard this time and time again but really, how often do you actually see someone use a hook file out there on the river?

I seldom, if ever, file my hooks. I feel like by the time my hook is dull then my leader must be worn at some point, so I will tie up a new leader on a new hook and go back to fishing. I also keep an emery board in my tackle box.

Almost every spin-n-glo that you buy is “rough around the hole” on both the top and the bottom. An emery board is the best way to smooth things out so you get the most action from your gear.

Visually inspect each spin-n-glo body carefully when purchasing. A lot of them have holes that are off-center or wings that are goofed up.

That about winds it up for this month, folks. Please take home anything that you take fishing. Garbage, discarded line, noisy kids, etc. and if you see garbage, and it is not a physical challenge, pick it up. Our outdoors are a beautiful place to be and we all need to work to keep it that way. (Only about 100 days til Springer Season!)

The Season of Giving

Can you believe it is already Christmas? Me neither! It is, however, the season of giving and in keeping with that spirit I am going to make some gift suggestions for that outdoorsperson on your list.
Read more

Trophy Wall – December 2010

« Previous Page — Next Page »