A Novice Angler’s Guide to Fishing the Cowlitz
Outdoors Briefs: Snowy Owl Reports, Steelhead Anglers Wait for Cowlitz to Rise
By Kimberly Mason / For The Chronicle
Snowy Owl Reported at Nisqually NWR
According to the Tweeters report, the Nisqually area snowy owl is still in residence. Jeff Jendro, of Longview, last saw the bird on Luhr Beach, across the McCallister Creek estuary, outside of refuge boundary markers.
When last seen “it was perched on a dead snag,” Jendro reported.
Snowy owls are primarily an Arctic bird, but this year they are being seen as far south as Oklahoma.
Why? The lemming — or, to be more precise, the lack thereof.
Bird Watching on the Boardwalk: Waterfowl, Raptors, Songbirds Rest, Refuel and Reside at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
By Kimberly Mason / For The Chronicle
OLYMPIA — Rain or shine, on foggy days and clear, at 8 a.m. every Wednesday morning, you’ll find Phil Kelley at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, a birding scope strapped to his back, ready to lead a bird walk.
Kelley lives just down the road from the refuge, a mere 5 miles away. When he retired in Dec. of 2003, he decided to make a commitment to walk the Nisqually NWR each week.
“You have to keep moving,” Kelley said. “I like to stay busy.”
It was through Kelley’s commitment to keeping fit and busy that the Wednesday bird watching group was started.
As Kelley walks the refuge each week, he takes notes on bird sightings and posts them on the Tweeters mailing list (http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/TWET.html).
Under the Open Sky: Winter Bird Watching at Nisqually
By Kimberly Mason / For The Chronicle
After a few weeks of feeling under the weather, I was finally feeling well enough to venture outdoors again this week.
I know it’s December and almost Christmas, but good gravy, it’s COLD out there!
But I just had to get outside.
I thought about heading out into the icy waters of the Cowlitz River, but just couldn’t get past the idea of bumping elbows with the other steelhead bankies at Blue Creek while shivering in my waders.
Hunting/Fishing Report: Hit the Beaches for Razor Clams Today, Tomorrow; Big Trout in South County Pond, Toledo
By Kimberly Mason / For The Chronicle
On the Beach
Clam diggers will get another chance to dig some fresh razor clams for the holidays during an opening Dec. 22-23 at four ocean beaches.
Evening low tides during the dig will be at 4:40 p.m. Dec. 22 and at 5:29 p.m. on Dec. 23. No digging will be allowed at any beach before noon.
Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, recommends that diggers hit the beach one to two hours before evening low tide for best results.
“We had a good turnout for the dig earlier this month, and we’re expecting the same for the upcoming dig,” Ayres said. “The tides won’t be low enough for a New Year’s dig this year, but they’re providing some good digging opportunities this month.”
A Top 10 List of Gifts for Any Outdoor Enthusiast This Holiday Season
By Kimberly Mason / For The Chronicle
If you have an fan of the outdoors on your list — whether bird watcher, hunter, fisherman, forager, skier, hiker or mountaineer — whatever the person on your Christmas shopping list is into, you can be sure that there is a new piece of equipment, gear, accessories or books about equipment, gear or accessories that they’d love to have and will appreciate.
This week The Chronicle went out on a little scouting trip, in search of both big game and small. Here is my short list of gift ideas that will bring Christmas shouts of joy from your outdoors enthusiasts.
1. Books are always a great choice. This one, “The Creaky Knees Guide Washington: The 100 Best Easy Hikes in the State,” would be especially enjoyed by those who love to walk — but don’t want to break into too much of a sweat doing it. Families with small children would enjoy this one too.
Under the Open Sky: Moments of Magic Shared in the Outdoors
By Kimberly Mason / For The Chronicle
Saturday morning I woke before the dawn, hoping to see the total lunar eclipse before the moon slipped away from view behind the hills in the west. It was the morning of my 50th birthday, I had hoped to start the day with a little bit of magic.
As I stepped out onto my back porch, I heard the “crunch, crunch, crunch” sounds of something moving through the frozen leaves scattered beneath the walnut tree just outside my door. Whatever was out there sounded BIG.
So I snuck back into the house, grabbed my flashlight and crept back out to the porch.
Standing at the open window, I shined the light in the general direction of the tree.
Hunting/Fishing Report: Blue Creek Steelheaders Find Success
All late black powder and archery seasons for elk close today, muzzleloader deer hunters are also through for the year.
Bow hunters will continue to stalk black-tailed deer in GMU 505 (Mossyrock) through the end of the year.
Waterfowl, Upland Game
The extended season for pheasant hunting closed today.
Hunting seasons for ducks and geese run through Jan. 29 in southwest Washington, although goose hunting in Area 2A (Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and part of Clark County) and 2B (Pacific County) could be cut short if hunters take more than 40 dusky geese.
Look to the West for Super-Sized, Colorful Moon at Dawn, Saturday
By Kimberly Mason / For The Chronicle
If the skies are clear or even only partly cloudy, it will be worth your while to set your alarm for dawn on Saturday morning, Dec. 10, to catch the last total eclipse of the full Moon until 2014.
The eclipse will be total from 6:05 to 6:57 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. The partial stage of the eclipse begins at 4:45 a.m.
The colors of the eclipse will be deepest just before dawn. Face west to see the red Moon sinking into the horizon as the sun rises behind your back.
It’s a rare way to begin the day and an astronomical activity anyone can participate in — no telescope required — and the eclipse can be viewed from just about anywhere.
“The only thing you have to worry about is the weather,” said Onalaska high school science teacher and science center director, Johnny Garcia.
Garcia isn’t sure yet whether the weather will cooperate enough for Onalaska’s Herold Oberservatory to be open on Saturday morning.
Fishing and Hunting Report Razor Clam Dig Saturday; Gunning for Goose Reopens
The WDFW has opened four ocean beaches for diggers to search and find fresh razor clams for the holidays on Saturday, Dec. 10 — Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks.
Remember to pack a flashlight and put on warm, waterproof clothes before you head to the beach.
The low evening tide Dec. 10 will be at 6:30 p.m. No digging will be allowed at any of those beaches before noon.
“The upcoming dig will give folks a chance to take home some fresh razor clams in time for entertaining during the holidays,” said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager.
Ayres suggests that diggers look for razor clam recipes posted on the WDFW website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/recipes.html), especially his personal favorite, the smoked razor clam appetizer.
WDFW has also tentatively scheduled a two-day dig Dec. 22-23 at the same four beaches, pending the results of future toxin tests. Final approval for that dig will be announced once those tests show the clams are still safe to eat.
Big Game
Late archery season for deer is open through Dec. 15 in local GMUs 510 (Stormking), 516 (Packwood), 520 (Winston). GMU 505 (Mossyrock) will remain open through the end of the year.
Late black powder deer hunters will continue to stalk the woods until Dec. 15 in GMU 501 (Lincoln).
Late archery for elk closed in GMU 520 (Winston) yesterday, but the hunt continues in GMUs 503 (Randle) and 505 until Dec. 15.
Late muzzleloader season for elk closed in many local areas, but is still open for another week in GMU 667 (Skookumchuck).
Waterfowl, Upland Game
The extended season for pheasant hunting continues until Dec. 15 in the Skookumchuck, Kosmos, Scatter Creek and Lincoln Creek areas. Birds are not planted during these last two weeks.
Waterfowl hunters presented 566 geese at check stations in Vancouver, Woodland and Cathlamet through Nov. 27, the end of the first hunting period in GMA 2A, amounting to an average of about 2.2 geese per hunter.
Dave Ware, WDFW game manager, looks for even better hunting ahead for southwest Washington waterfowlers.
“This is the time when waterfowl of all kinds start arriving from the north in large numbers,” he said. “The storms in late November helped to get the birds moving for the late season, which generally provides the best waterfowl hunting of the year.”
Hunting seasons for ducks and geese run through Jan. 29 in southwest Washington, although goose hunting in Area 2A (Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and part of Clark County) and 2B (Pacific County) could be cut short if hunters take more than 40 dusky geese.
Anyone hunting geese in those areas should keep watch for news of a possible closure.
Rivers, Lakes and Streams
The Cowlitz River has “turned on,” according to Charles McElroy, sporting goods clerk at Sunbird Shopping Center.
“The bank fishermen are doing well,” said McElroy, “but the guides are doing especially well on the Cowlitz. The Willipa and the lower end of the Naselle is red hot and all the peninsula streams are fishing well.”
Mark Hoffmann, White Pass Sports Hut in Packwood, said salmon fishing is still going near the Franklin Bridge in Packwood, but it’s slowing down.
“It’s been so cold up here,” said Hoffman, “you’d better be pretty dedicated to fish right now, but I’m still seeing a lot of trucks up here dumping off fish.”
Coho take has really slowed down this last week, said Marshall Borsom of Fish Country in Ethel, he’s only heard of few taken here and there.
“However, the winter steelhead fishing has really picked up in the Blue Creek area,” said Borsom. “We have heard of several nice catches of limits from both bank and boat anglers this weekend.”
By Kimberly Mason / For The Chronicle
The boaters are side drifting eggs, sand shrimp or pulling divers with bait. The bank anglers are using a variety including sand shrimp, yarn and corky or jig and bobber.
“It seems most everyone was picking up fish,” said Borsom.
Mayfield Lake has been pretty decent for trout from the docks with bobber and worm or bobber and cocktail shrimp, said Borsom.
Offut Lake is good, but slow, according to McElroy.
Last week Tacoma Power recovered 3,243 coho adults, 114 jacks, 73 fall Chinook adults, five jacks, 257 winter-run steelhead, 29 summer-run steelhead and nine sea-run cutthroat trout during five days of operation at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.
