FISHING -- Kokanee by the bucket full were in the streets of Colville Wednesday afternoon after a truck from the Spokane Tribal Fish Hatchery had a close call with a motorist at the town's roundabout.

The truck belonging to the Spokane Tribe was transporting fish to be raised to larger size at the Sherman Creek Hatchery operated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

Here's the scoop -- an accurate word in this case -- from Tim Peone, Spokane Tribal Fish Hatchery manager:

Apparently an errant "young lady" driver unbeknownst of the roundabout rules pulled out in front of our planting truck causing the driver to lock up the brakes. The sloshing water broke a hinge off a lid spilling 24.7 pounds of kokanee @ 14.4 fish/pound equaling roughly 356 fish out of a load of 12,000 fish. 

Yup I made him pick them all up (with the help of city crew, I heard).

From all reports, the kokanee were collected of the street before the area walleye anglers could gather them up for bait.