It has been raining for days here in Leavenworth and that made the opening day of coho fishing on the Icicle River a miserable affair. There are other fishing opportunities in the region to explore, and if you pick a decent weather day, you can have some fun.
It was pouring down rain when I visited the public access to the Icicle River on the opening day of the coho season on November 1st. In spite of the nasty conditions there were several vehicles in the parking area near the handicapped fishing platform and anglers were spread out along the shore below it. I also saw two drift boats launch to float down river to some hard-to-reach from shore holes. I talked to an angler in the parking area and was told that several coho had been caught and released and that at least one was kept. While I was there, I saw an angler hook and land a fish. It was a nice sized coho and slashed and splashed in the stream before the angler could get a net under it. As many of you know, the warm water in the Columbia River kept many of the salmon that return to our area in the lower river. The recent heavy rains finally moved fish upstream and now there are fairly good numbers of coho in the Icicle. Anglers will have to use their own judgement about keeping fish. Some, but not all, of the coho are showing signs of being near spawning. Most of the anglers I observed were casting Blue Fox spinners instead of the twitching jigs that are popular lures used to catch coho. Water levels have come up dramatically with the recent rain, and casting spinners may reduce the number of hangups compared to bouncing heavy twitching jigs in the river. This week’s photo was taken on the opening day of the coho season on the Icicle River.
One of the things that I like do this time of year is to travel to Keller on Lake Roosevelt. There is a federal park there, with very good access to the water below the marina and boat launch. Some of these accesses have picnic tables and garbage cans, and there are vault toilets nearby. The reason I drive such a distance is the trout fishing. It is no secret that Lake Roosevelt is loaded with triploid rainbow trout. Most years there are about 700,000 of them released into the lake from net pens located at different spots along the shore. This is easy fishing, too. I just cast a sliding sinker rig with a hook baited with either a shrimp and marshmallow combo or my favorite color of Power Bait. I fish two rods and after I have them set into a holder I sit back and wait for the rod tip to start bouncing. There have been days when I only get one fish, and there are other days when my friend and I get our limits of five fish each in about two hours. The trout range in size from about 15 inches to over 20 inches in length, and they average around 16 inches. This is a great way to spend a fall or winter day when not much else is going on. To reach the Federal Park and the accesses, drive to Keller Ferry. To get to Keller, take Highway 2 out of Coulee Dam. After crossing the wheat fields, you will go down a steep winding road. This road is kept plowed throughout the winter. Just before you get to the ferry dock and the marina and boat launch, look to your left. You will see a sign to the park and a gravel road that will lead you to the shore.
I am going to try to squeeze in as many trips as possible in the Bob Feil Boats and Motors Smoker Craft before it snows too much in Leavenworth. High on my list of destinations is Rufus Woods Reservoir. As you know I have already made a few trips to the net pens this fall, but I still need to stockpile more triploids for the smoker. I can’t believe how fast this stuff disappears from my freezer. There is no better way to put some of these delicious triploids in the boat than launching at the middle net pens at the Colville site and then making the quick run up to the upper pens with the Mercury 250. When I deploy the Minn Kota below the pens, I can usually see good numbers of fish on the Garmin fish finder, and it usually doesn’t take too long before I get a bite on the Power Bait that I have dropped to the bottom. Although I have had to deal with an almost slack current on recent trips, I have still been able to catch my fish. Another destination I want to spend some time at is Moses Lake. I also like to have a good supply of perch filets in the freezer, too, and Moses Lake should be a great place to get some.
I am still holding out hope for a steelhead season on the upper Columbia this year. When I last checked the steelhead counts over Priest Rapids Dam, it showed as of the 21st of last month there were 9,055 that had passed over the dam. According to my source with the WDFW we need at least 9,550, and at least 1,300 wilds. Although the number of fish passing over the dam is down to a trickle, they are still coming, and we have more than enough wilds in the mix. What the heck. I am going to get my gear ready. I made a huge mistake last year when I just grabbed my favorite rod and reel and hit the door. I figured the fancy braid I had loaded on my reel wouldn’t deteriorate stored in my dark garage. My logic cost me a terrific fish. The memory of that fish flashing below my bobber and taking off upriver and jumping three feet out of water will be with me forever. When my line broke, so did my heart. Everything is going to be replaced. I am not going to lose another steelhead due to my neglect. They are just too precious.
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