Alan Liere’s hunting and fishing report for Aug. 29, 2024

Thu., Aug. 29, 2024

By Alan Liere The Spokesman-Review

Tip of the week

Kinks are caused when monofilament fishing line develops memory from being stored for long periods on the reel spool. They can be removed by soaking the entire reel spool, line and all, for 15 minutes in liquid fabric softener, diluted with equal parts water. Fabric softener eliminates memory and allows the line to stretch straight the next time it is used

Overheard: Water temperatures in the Okanogan River have dropped, and the sockeye that have provided such phenomenal fishing in the Brewster Pool have either left or are leaving to continue their spawning run. The sockeye season is also about over on Lake Wenatchee.

Heads up: A new set of regulations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will require all dogs entering the United States to be microchipped. If you plan on traveling to Canada to hunt this year with a hunting dog, as I am, a non-microchipped dog will most likely be able to enter Canada, but it may be denied entry back into the U.S. The microchip number must be documented on all required forms. In a somewhat related manner, U.S. requirements for bringing a bird shot in Canada back into the states make the process of cleaning and packaging extremely ponderous. By not following the most recent U.S. directives, a hunter may arrive at the border with his ducks and geese but not be allowed to bring them over.

Fly fishing

Smaller trout live in abundance in the Okanogan region in streams such as the Icicle, upper Entiat and Kettle rivers. You can fish all of them with only a Parachute Adams, an Elk Hair Caddis, a Stimulator or a Renegade. Some of the selective-gear lakes in Okanogan County are also a good bet. Big Twin near Winthrop and Blue near Sinlahekin have big rainbow, as does Chopaka Lake above the town of Loomis.

Good fishing continues on the Clark Fork, particularly on the upper river above Milltown. Dry fly fishing is picking up right before dark on warm days. The Blackfoot, Bitterroot and Rock Creek are also good choices. Grasshopper imitations are still popular.

The Yakima River is seeing good fishing, which should continue for a couple of more months. The Lochsa, the North Fork of the Clearwater and the Selway are fishing well for cutthroat. Ants, midges, hoppers and renegades are doing the damage.

Silver Bow Fly Shop said many patterns are working on the St. Joe. If fishing a hopper or chubby, run droppers like caddis pupa or lightning bugs. Streamer fishing has been getting some of the bigger fish.

Trout and kokanee

Several of the lowland lakes south of Spokane are waking up and becoming productive again. Good reports have come recently from Badger, Clear and Fishtrap. Amber Lake, although a selective gear water popular with fly fishermen, can also be fished effectively with spoons and plugs with barbless single point hooks. No bait is allowed.

Fernan Lake in Idaho is regularly stocked with catchable rainbow trout. The many docks and the miles of shoreline provide decent fishing for anglers without boats.

Lake Coeur d’Alene kokanee haven’t grown much, but they are some of the best-eating fish available and the limit is generous. Troll Wedding Rings or a flasher and single red hook baited with maggots or white corn.

Salmon and steelhead

Reel Time Fishing reports hot fishing in Astoria at Buoy 10 for kings and coho. The limit is one king and one coho or two coho a day. Toby Wyatt at Reel Time Fishing said the next two weeks should be prime.

The catch and keep steelhead season on the Snake River from Hells Canyon Reservoir opens Sunday.

Spiny ray

Walleye are found on Banks Lake from the bottom end of the reservoir at Coulee City all the way up to the top end, where it is filled with water pumped up the hill from Grand Coulee Dam. Some of the best fishing is from the Million Dollar Mile up to Jones Bay.

Fish Lake in the Okanogan has provided some excellent perch fishing for fish running 9 to 10 inches. Curlew Lake remains steady for 9- to 10-inch perch. Lake Spokane perch are even larger, but there are schools of bait-stealing 6-inchers that can quickly deplete your worm supply. Walleye trollers are catching some 12-inch perch in addition to large walleye.

Although Rock Lake is noted as a good brown and rainbow trout destination, don’t overlook the largemouth bass fishing this time of year. Most of the bays are productive. Some nice-sized bass are also available in the Twin Lakes near Coffeepot.

Smallmouth fishing is good up and down the Snake River in Washington. The stretch along State Route 128 between Wawawai Canyon and Clarkston has many spots where anglers tossing tubes and plugs from shore have done well.

Long Lake, just south of Potholes Reservoir, is producing some nice walleye, bass and perch.

Hunting

Washington will have an early Canada goose season in goose management areas 4 and 5 on Sept. 7 and 8 with a limit of five Canada geese each day.

There will also be an early youth goose hunt for Canadas and whitefronts on Sept. 28. The limit will be four Canadas and 10 whitefronts.

Dove season begins in Washington and Idaho on Sunday and runs through Oct. 30 with a daily limit of 15. As usual, the cool mornings have sent many local birds heading south. Even so, the Snake River breaks are always a good bet, as are the orchards around Yakima and Wenatchee. The Columbia Basin usually remains an option well into September. At this time, the birds have not flocked up. Once they do, they don’t stay around long. In Washington, dove hunters must have a Federal Migratory Bird Stamp in addition to their license.

Washington grouse hunting opens Sept. 15; Idaho grouse hunting opens Friday as does red squirrel. A Washington youth hunt for chukars, gray partridge and California quail will be Sept. 14 and 15, but the general season does not begin until Oct. 5. In Idaho, quail, chukar and gray partridge open Sept. 21. A Washington pheasant hunt for seniors and hunters with disabilities will run Sept. 16-20.

The Idaho fall turkey season begins in many units on Friday. Check your regulations.

In Washington, the fall season begins in most units on Sunday and runs through the end of December. In many units, hunters may take up to two beardless and two either-sex birds.

Contact Alan Liere at spokesmanliere@yahoo.com