Boy -- it's been awhile since I've posted any reports. For awhile, it was because I wasn't fishing much (definately not catching much -- I had a rough steelhead season this past winter) but lately I just haven't spent much time here.

I thought I was going to miss springer season - I had a buddy get married in Belgium and needed a best-man so I was gone May 4 - 12. (I let him know he killed my spring chinook season...) But with the late run and the exceeded quota down below it looks like I didn't miss much. Luckily, I made a couple trips after I got back and picked up a couple jacks in a couple trips; one at Ringlold and one on the Umatilla, both drifting eggs.

How'd everybody else fare? Anybody still catching anything on the Icicle or down on the Wind or Drano? Anybody have a method for the summers?

E-Mann,

It has been some time since we have had much action in the forums. Welcome back. My Steelhead season was less than productive this year. I am having a good trout season so far.

No action on the end of my rod.

Steelie season was very good but missed the entire springer season.

Welcome back, Mark! Steelhead season was great, springer season was okay but only because I chased them all the way down to Longview, Portland, Bonneville, and Drano. I never caught any at McNary but scored a couple of jacks on the Umey right before Memorial Day. Now I'm just waiting until July 1 and planning to chase a few summers.

Walleye fishing has been good lately though!

Guess I'm a bit late on this post, but we did well this year at Drano and the Wind on Springers. Managed to eke out about a half dozen on 3 trips.

Good job, Dan. What did you catch your springers on? Were they mostly jacks? I heard it was mostly jacks at Drano this year...

I was up Mill Creek catching Rainbows and bull trout this past weekend. I saw a monster fish that I later found out, from a friend at fish and wildlife, was a spring chinook. There is a retaining wall on my brother's boss' property. We were fishing off of this wall when I saw a big flash. This thing was at least 36" and easily 25+ lbs. I didn't realize that they could get up as far as I was. It was a pretty cool site. He was in about 4-6 feet of water.

We got about half and half Jacks and big fish, Mark. We did better than most it seems getting into the big fish. We pulled wiggle warts--discovered a color that they liked this year. I don't think we got any on prawn spinners this year, just plugs.

wwangler wrote:

I was up Mill Creek catching Rainbows and bull trout this past weekend. I saw a monster fish that I later found out, from a friend at fish and wildlife, was a spring chinook. There is a retaining wall on my brother's boss' property. We were fishing off of this wall when I saw a big flash. This thing was at least 36" and easily 25+ lbs. I didn't realize that they could get up as far as I was. It was a pretty cool site. He was in about 4-6 feet of water.

I was up seven mile a few years ago when a large salmon was spooked from under a tree. I was very surprised as well.

I was up on the S. fork WW yesterday and while I wasn't looking too closely (trying to pay attention to the trail while Mtn biking) I was surprised that I didn't see any, although I bet they are in there. It's not quite time for them to start spawning, so I bet they're holding low in the deeper pools. Last year during my Mtn bike trips on the S. fork WW later in August and September, I saw many pairs holding on reds, and loads of reds. Maybe someday they'll open up the WW for springers!

How cool would that be?