The launch at Lake Wenatchee was the expected zoo for the sockeye season. Both shores were lined with boats waiting to take out, and others were just idling in the river, patiently waiting for their trailers to show up. The crowds aren’t as bad on the upper Columbia, and the fishing is very much worth the trip. The fishing below Wells Dam continues to produce kings, and the new hot spot is above the dam. This area of the Columbia is open to fishing for kings for the first time this year, and salmon anglers are taking advantage of it. I visited with Shane Magnuson of Upper Columbia Guide Services recently and he said there is still chrome bright fishing moving into the Wells Dam stretch and anglers are thrilled with the quality of the salmon they are catching. He also mentioned that the action in Brewster, off the mouth of the Okanogan River, is getting better by the day, as more and more kings arrive in this area. I was able to fish both the Methow and the Icicle rivers recently with my fly rod, and had a great time. I fished with Kevin van Bueren of North Cascade Fly Fishing on the Methow and had two shots at a cutthroat that was a 20-incher!