Fishing for big triploid trout on Rufus Woods Reservoir has been very slow, compared to previous years. As far as I know, the Colville Tribe released about the same number of fish into the reservoir this year as they have in the past. If memory serves me, close to 45,000 triploids were introduced to the reservoir in 2024. Some of the releases begin as early as late winter and continued into the spring. Last year, the fish were in the 1.5- to 1.7-pound class, and due to the terrific growth rate of these trout, they are often 3 to 5 pounds by the fall. I visited the reservoir a few times last year and fished from my boat or the shore at the middle net pens. Not only were the trout scarce, but they were also smaller, about a pound-and-a-half, than I expected. Usually, the fishing picks up in the winter, but it is off to a very slow start. However, when I spoke with my buddy Dave, who is a fish checker for the tribe, he reported that fish weighing from 2 ½ to 4 pounds had been landed at Brandts Landing. Fishing is still slow, but the size is better.