by Dave Graybill, May 20, 2014

Anglers are itching to get at the spring salmon that have moved up the Columbia River. The seasons on both the Wenatchee and Icicle Rivers could be very good, if water conditions allow for fishing. That is just one fishery that has anglers occupied here in Central Washington, and there are some events coming up that families will want to know about, too.

The previous delays in the opening of the Wenatchee River to spring salmon season were due to language in the permit that allowed fishing. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife efforts from Region 2 to get a new permit were accomplished and with enough escapement to allow for excess clipped fish to be taken. The Wenatchee and Icicle rivers should open at the same time, and at least for this first season, bait will be allowed on both rivers. Please check the details of the announced season by logging onto the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife web site and look under Latest News on the Home Page.

Saturday, May 31st is the 6th Annual Return to the River Salmon Festival at the Walla Walla Community College Water and Environmental Center, 500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. there will be educational booths and children’s activities. These include “Fin” the 25-foot salmon sculpture, a salmon tent, and the interactive Web of Life costume activity. There will be a visit by Frankie the Salmon from the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, and also the First Foods presentation with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. From 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. there will be Water Center Lab Tours with Alexa Maine. From 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. there will be a salmon luncheon and Tribal Dance Performance. All activities are free of charge. The salmon luncheon cost is $11.00 and kid’s hot dog lunches are available for just $5.00. The salmon is donated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the cost covers the side dishes and preparation by the Walla Walla Community College Culinary Program. To learn more about this event, log onto www.returntotheriver.org.

Families should be aware that Wanapum Reservoir shoreline will be closed through Memorial Weekend this year. Grant County PUD and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reminds those who plan to recreate on the Columbia River should be aware that the shoreline, beaches, boat launches and all shoreline access points to the reservoir, which runs about 37 miles between Wanapum Dam and Rock Island Dam on the Columbia River are closed. A very good map of the affected area for both the Grant PUD sites and others, please visit the FishingMagician.com Home Page and click on the Grant PUD logo.

On Saturday, June 7th the annual Kids Fish-In Day will be held at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The welcome and registration check in is provided by the Central Washington Bass Club. The fun begins with education stations where youth learn the essentials of fishing and water and boating safety. The Wenatchee Sportsmen’s Association will be there to help the kids learn how to fish and catch two rainbow trout from the hatchery raceways. Families can take their catch to the Icicle Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited cleaning station where their catch is prepared and iced for the trip home. All the fishing equipment and bait is provided. The event is absolutely free. There will be a food booth with proceeds benefiting the Cascade Discovery School. The event is hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and sponsored by the Friends of NW Hatcheries, the Wenatchee Sportsmen’s Association and the Icicle Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited. To avoid delays at the event you can register for the time you wish to fish. To do so, just log onto the FishingMagician.com Home Page and click on the Friends of NW Hatcheries logo to open the registration page.

Also on June 7th is the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Banquet. This is an important fund raising event for our local chapter, and in addition to being a great time helps them with their projects and Wenatchee Salmon Derby. There is a dinner and auction. The tickets are $60.00 and include the dinner and your membership in CCA. You can learn more about the banquet and get your tickets by going to www.wenatcheesalmonderby.com, or stop by Hooked on Toys in Wenatchee.

There is a Family Fishing Derby coming up on Saturday, June 15th at the Cove Resort at Fish Lake. The Icicle Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is hosting the event, which will begin at 6 a.m. and end at noon. There will be a breakfast supplied for all participants provided by Trout Unlimited. The cost is $10.00 for kid and $20.00 for adults. The fee for the derby does not include parking and launch fees. There will be lots of prizes handed out in a variety of categories, including biggest fish for adults and youth.

Another great event that comes up every year on Father’s Day is the East Wenatchee Rotary Club Pikeminnow Derby. The event has been going on for over 20 years and serves two purposes. Number one is to provide a fun event for families, and number two is to remove as many pike minnows from the Columbia River as possible. Pike minnows are the main predators of salmon and steelhead smolt and their removal greatly improves the survival of these young fish. There is a boat and motor given away as the main prize, and there are cash prizes for a variety of categories. I will have more information on this event as we get closer to Fathers Day Weekend.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 18th for another free fishing seminar at Town Ford in East Wenatchee. This one will be dedicated to summer-run salmon and sockeye fishing. Nearly 70,000 summer-run salmon are predicted to return to our region, and over 347,000 sockeye. Stuart Hurd, Hurd’s Guide Service, will be presenting his proven methods of taking summer-run salmon, and Ron Oules, Reel Lentless Guide Service, will be talking about fishing for sockeye on the Columbia River. The seminar will begin at 6 p.m.

Whew, there are a lot of things coming up and to plan for in the next few weeks—spring salmon fishing among them. I hope that you and your families can take advantage of the fun that is coming!

FishingMagician.com