Thursday is the opening of steelhead season on several streams in North Central Washington. Open to steelhead fishing is the main stem Columbia River, ¾ mile below Wells Dam to Chief Joseph Dam, the Methow River, and the Okanogan River. The limit will be two hatchery fish. Something new this year is the ability to keep five rainbow trout of less than 20 inches. This will help remove the triploids that have entered the Columbia below Chief Joseph Dam from net pens on Rufus Woods. It is hoped that the Wenatchee River will open later this month. Please read the full news release found on the department’s web site at
www.wdfw.wa.gov. Also of interest to salmon and steelhead anglers is a salmon barbeque fund raiser on October 24th from 4 to 7 p.m. The purpose is to raise funds for the purchase ¾ miles of Wenatchee River waterfront at the old Peshastin Mill Site. Acquisition of this property would assure public use and particularly bank fishing for salmon and steelhead, which is getting scarce throughout the Wenatchee River drainage. To learn more about the event and the fund raising effort log onto
www.savepeshastinmill.org.