Author: John Kruse

Posted: 9/19/2020

Camano Island offers an easy to get to vacation option away from the city through two saltwater state parks located within a mile of each other. Sitting just 67 miles away from Seattle and across two saltwater sloughs west of Stanwood, Camano Island is a rural getaway. There are no towns here, just a few crossings with stores, gas stations and cafes amongst the roads winding through woods, fields...

Author: John Kruse

Posted: 9/15/2020

Every September for 16 years I’ve driven down the hill from Goldendale, taken the turn left on a road that passes by Maryhill State Park, and pulled into a campsite fronting the Columbia River at the impeccably clean and well cared for Peach Beach RV Park. What brings me here? Fish Camp. It’s an annual event attended by outdoors media members, professional anglers and individuals in the fishin...

Author: John Kruse

Posted: 9/6/2020

A lot of fishing derbies and events have been cancelled this year thanks to Covid-19 but one that has gone on with relatively little fanfare but wide availability to the everyday angler since May is the annual trout fishing derby put on by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Running through October 31st, anglers out for a day of fishing should be sure to keep any trout they catch with...

Author: Jason Brooks

Posted: 9/6/2020

Maybe it’s the crisp and cold mornings or it could be the lack of people on the water but fall trout fishing is one of my favorite outdoor activities. The fish are often bigger than the spring planted fish and they fight hard too. For those that like to keep a trout or two for dinner you will notice the flesh is firm and has good taste. Fall trout is something every angler should take the time to ...

Author: Hannah Pennebaker

Posted: 9/6/2020

It's that time of year again. Hundreds of fishermen line the shores of Western Washington rivers, casting over and over again in hopes of catching a Pacific Northwest treasure: salmon. Most of these anglers will be using a corky and yarn drift setup: 4-8 feet of leader, a "pencil lead" weight, and a small corky pegged on the hook and finished off with a piece of yarn tied close to the hook. Hundre...

Author: John Kruse

Posted: 8/31/2020

REDUCING VEHICLE COLLISIONS WITH DEER AND ELK – Many of our readers are familiar with the lonely, barren stretches of highway and roads running along the Hanford Nuclear Reservation towards the Tri-Cities. Much of this area encompasses not only the Hanford Nuclear Reservation but also the Hanford National Monument, where mule deer and elk herds live. Unfortunately, a significant number of both ...

Author: Rick Lawrence

Posted: 8/9/2020

A Google map’s isn’t just to find your way to Grandma’s house anymore. For many years I have been using Google maps to find new fishing spots. You can learn a lot about a lake or river by just studying it in close detail on Google maps. You can find sunken islands and logs, rock plies you never knew were there and my favorite weedlines, as well as down trees, but in the last few years I have bee...

Author: John Kruse

Posted: 8/9/2020

Anticipation is running strong for the Lake Wenatchee sockeye season opening August 3rd. This season is never a sure thing, always dependent on the number of salmon returning up the Wenatchee River to this wood-lined lake in the Central Cascades and there have not been enough salmon returning for a season to take place for several years. That changed this year with a strong run of sockeye comi...

Author: Jason Brooks

Posted: 8/9/2020

Salmon often rest in deep pools and cooler water as they make their way up rivers. This is true of just about every river they are migrating, from the mighty Columbia to the coastal rivers. Since they hold in one spot you would think catching them would be pretty easy. Instead the fish are weary and often have lock jaw as they sit and rest. I’ve tried just about everything to get them to bite, fro...

Author: Hannah Pennebaker

Posted: 8/9/2020

Kokanee are one of the Northwest's greatest treasures. If you've got a hankering for smoked salmon but the big boys aren't running, you can always head down to your local lake and get your limit. Kokanee are landlocked sockeye salmon; they tend to prefer cold, clear water with plenty of krill to feed on. They are smaller than their ocean going relatives but still incredibly tasty. Smoked kokanee i...

Author: John Kruse

Posted: 8/9/2020

Looking for a way to cool off during the heat of the summer? Head to a mountain lake and be sure to bring a rod and reel because trout fishing can be fast and furious this time of year! According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife there are some 2550 lakes sitting at an elevation of over 2500 feet in our state. Most are located in the Cascade Mountain Range and while not all of...

Author: John Kruse

Posted: 7/22/2020

Looking for a fun way to enjoy the dog days of summer? Take your dog on a hike! I did just that last week with Georgia, my springer spaniel. With a hot day forecast the two of us arrived at the trailhead for the Icicle Gorge Loop Trail in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near Leavenworth at 8:30 AM. We enjoyed a great walk along the scenic Icicle River with several stops along the w...