Persistence pays off big for Spokane River angler

“I’ve fished the Spokane River three days a week obsessively for the last year and half and was certainly rewarded for my patience,” says Sean Zenishek.

Even in the slow action of winter.

Earlier this month, while fishing from shore, the Spokane angler caught and released a 26-inch brown trout that would make the day for any veteran angler on the Spokane River.

Even fisheries biologist were impressed with the length and beauty of the lunker caught in the heart of a county of one half-million people.

During fall surveys conducted for the past seven years, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department researchers “encounter a few large brown trout every year,” said Charles Lee, department fisheries biologist.

The largest one surveyed in October measured 24 inches and weighed 6.75 pounds. “We have seen some that were even bigger,” Lee said, noting that some have been found in the middle Spokane River between Upper Falls Dam and Upriver Dam as well as the lower river below town.

“We usually can’t get scales from these large fish for age analysis because they are in spawning condition in the fall,” he said. “We have aged them to 4 years in the middle Spokane River, however these large fish are likely older than that.”

Zenishek said he’s not the only an angler who knows the Spokane River holds trophy trout.

Some anglers gave him some grief for letting The Spokesman-Review post the photo of his big brown on the paper’s website earlier this week. It wasn’t a fluke. He also caught an a 23-incher on Friday.

“They were saying this all should be kept quiet,’ he said. “I just want people to know that this river in our backyard is not the trash pit most people think it is.

“I support the promotion of the great things about our area. What I don’t support or want to see happen is these fish getting poached, which is common, unfortunately.”

Luring ethical anglers puts more eyes on the river to help thwart illegal fishing, he said.

Although he’s a fly fisher, he said he switch-hits to a spinning rod when conditions dictate.

“I do fly fish,” he said, “but this brown trout was caught with my spinning rig using a small barbless jig that mimics sculpin.

“I release ALL of my fish,” he added.

Before letting Zenishek go to cast another line, The S-R posed a final few questions:

Q: What percentage of the fish you catch on the Spokane River are browns vs. redband rainbows?

A: “It has been about a 50 to 1 ratio, browns to rainbows. The browns are just not too common from my experience. I have also caught many westslope cutthroat, landlocked chinook, smallmouth bass and, very seldom, a mountain whitefish.

Q: What’s a good day for you in terms of numbers of trout caught?

A: It has been a roller coaster ride for sure as far as the good versus bad days. There have been days when I’ve landed up to six per hour and days when I go home scratching my head.

Q: What drives you to fish the river in December?

A: Its just the thrill of the chase that drives me to fish the river when it is open June through March. I have caught redbands with temps under 20 degrees in January.

If it is not too windy and I’m free, I will make my way to the river. I just have a passion for angling and getting a look at these fish!

Q: What’s your favorite time to fish the Spokane river, and why?

A: I honestly prefer the warm months when I can wet wade the river in shorts and bring my boy along with me.