I used to start my spring salmon fishing with Shane Magnuson at Drano Lake on the lower Columbia River, so I watch what is going on with this popular area. While I was serving on the WDFW Commission, Shane called to tell me that there were serious abuses during the steelhead season down there, with guides bragging about hooking 40 to 50 steelhead a night. Steelhead are attracted to the cold water in Drano Lake, and my concern was that many fish bound for our tributaries upriver were being killed. I talked to the folks in enforcement, and they agreed that it was a huge problem, trying to monitor this nigh fishery. I was able to get a night fishing closure rule on Drano Lake. A recent news released said that Drano Lake was going to Permanent Rule, with no mention of the night fishing closure. I contacted the Chief of Enforcement and got a call from Jeff Wickersham, Captain for that region, and he assured that the night fishing closure was now part of the Permanent Rule, and is in the Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet and the App. I was very pleased to hear that these upriver bound steelhead continue to be protected.
This photo of Shane and I was taken in 2011. Shane played an important role in getting the night fishing closure in place on Drano Lake.