Fishing improves with the change of season
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 (19:08:25)

Posted by glock

With spring fast approaching, improving weather and new recreational opportunities have given anglers new reasons to venture outdoors.

In western Washington, fishing has been good under increasingly sunny skies for blackmouth salmon on Puget Sound and steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula. On the lower Columbia River, anglers have landed the first spring chinook of the season.

East of the Cascades, anglers have been taking advantage of warmer temperatures to fish newly opened trout lakes, many covered by ice only a few weeks ago.

"Participation and catch rates will pick up at these lakes when our weather stabilizes and spring advances," said Jeff Korth, a fish biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Anglers aren't the only ones enjoying the change of season. Thousands of geese, ducks and other birds are descending on waterways throughout the state in their annual northward migration, drawing increasing numbers of birders into the field.

Other outdoor events worth noting in the coming weeks are:

March 16-18 - A razor clam dig is tentatively scheduled at several ocean beaches on evening tides. Final word on the dig will be announced once marine toxin tests determine whether clams on those beaches are safe to eat.

March 30-April 1 - Olympic Peninsula Birdfest in Sequim. The event features field trips, a salmon bake and a Protection Island boat trip. For information, call 360-681-4076.