Wallowa County Outdoors: Rain pains anglers, but silvers have started up

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Tuesday morning’s sunshine blurs the memory of the recent Memorial Day weekend’s lousy weather, but doesn’t ease the aggravation of another wet, cold holiday.

The irony is that after months of watching river levels remain at low, fishable levels, anglers that had planned for weeks and months for their seasonal debut on northeast Oregon streams watched their plans wash out as rains brought streams to their highest flows of the season. Adding to the chagrin is the meager snow pack that remains in the mountains, which is unlikely do more than simply maintain stream flows through the summer.

Anglers that may have tried local streams would have found high, fast water with good visibility, but scarce fish. There were good hatches of mayflies, caddis and stoneflies whenever the rains eased and temperatures moderated and by Monday, under sunny skies, there were prolific hatches – perhaps a product of delayed hatches during the previous few days.

Some trout were sporadically working current seams for emerging mayflies or perhaps expired stoneflies and caddis that were being concentrated at the surface and could have justified some effort, but the risers I saw were small and unimpressive.

There is encouraging news for stream fishing in the upcoming weeks. Streams draining from the Wallowa Mountains are quickly dropping, following the retreat of the rain clouds. Early last week the Wallowa River offered the best opportunity and produced good results before the rains arrived. Once water levels drop again fishing with return to the Wallowa. The Grande Ronde River may be a few days behind the Wallowa River in reaching acceptable flows for fishing. The larger, flatter basin feeding the Grande Ronde takes considerably longer to adjust after a high-water event, but it is headed in the right direction early this week and stoneflies are emerging in the lower river and progressing upstream.

Wallowa Lake offered anglers one of the best opportunities during Memorial Day weekend. Between bouts of rain anglers found excellent fishing around and on the lake. Trollers and jiggers had good success catching kokanee and bait and spinner anglers had excellent success fishing for rainbows at the south end of the lake.

The fish of the weekend, however, was a 25 inch, 5.7 pound kokanee caught by a bank angler at the north end of Wallowa Lake using a Kastmaster lure.

Gina Barstad at Wallowa Lake Marina says that the mouth of the river was a popular location for trout anglers, but she notes that bank anglers did well at the south end, too. There were lots of limits caught, she says, along with a half-dozen 16 to 18 inch rainbows landed during the weekend.

Additional excitement for south-end anglers are bald eagles fishing near the boats. Barstad says there were times over the weekend when she wasn’t sure whether the eagles were catching their own fish are poaching an angler’s catch. She couldn’t confirm that any anglers lost fish to the eagles, but it’s probably just a matter of time until the birds figure out this ruse.

An Imnaha River spring Chinook season remains in limbo this week. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife district biologist Brad Smith reports that, as of late last week, the proposal was still not listed on the federal registry, which means that if the season happens it is still a couple of weeks away.

FREE FISHING WEEKEND

June 12 and 13 are free fishing days in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Anglers can fish on these days without purchasing licenses, but size, species and limit regulations still apply. Oregon and Washington offer free fishing on June 12 and 13, and Idaho offers one day of free fishing on June 12.

In conjunction with free fishing days are many fishing clinics to help novice anglers get started. In Wallowa County a youth clinic is offered at Marr Pond on June 12 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. In addition to fishing, participants can win prizes for the biggest fish and by competing in a casting contest. Volunteers will be available at the clinic to assist with rigging fishing equipment, tying knots, baiting hooks, casting, hooking fish, unhooking fish, cleaning fish and more. There will be a barbecue lunch for participants, parents and volunteers.

Hooks and bait and a limited number of rods and reels will be available for participants. Youths are required to be accompanied by an adult.

This event is supported by donations of time and items by local volunteers, merchants and organizations.

COMMISSION MEETING

Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission meets June 11 in Baker City at Best Western Sunridge Inn.

Prior to Friday’s meeting commissioners will tour eastern Oregon on Thursday getting an overview of issues concerning sage grouse populations, “Browne Reservoir warm water fisheries, Hells Canyon recreational access and project re-licensing, Hells Canyon fall chinook, big game winter range/upland bird hunting, salmon and steelhead reintroduction, and the reintroduction of bighorn sheep and mountain goats to Hells Canyon,” states an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife news release. The public may attend the tour, using their own transportation. Driving directions for the tour are available at 503-947-6004. Following the tour the Commission will host an informal reception for the public beginning at 7 p.m. at Sunridge Inn.

Agenda items for Friday’s meeting include adopting rules for 2004 big game tag allocations and 2005 big game hunting regulations; review of angling regulations process, spring chinook season and temporary rules; Access and Habitat project funding; briefing on warm water fish management task list and more.