Field reports: Steelheading to open on Upper Columbia

FISHING – Fishing for hatchery steelhead will open Tuesday on the mainstem upper Columbia, Wenatchee, Icicle, Entiat, Methow and Okanogan rivers, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday.

The Similkameen River will open to hatchery steelhead retention Nov. 1.

Jeff Korth, WDFW regional fish manager, said 18,000 adult steelhead are expected to return to the upper Columbia River.

Wild steelhead are expected to return in lower numbers than last year, requiring additional endangered species constraints.

Anglers are required to keep hatchery fish until the legal limit of two fish is caught.

See details on the WDFW website: wdfw.wa.gov.

Steelheading for keeps opens on Clearwater

FISHING – The fall harvest season for hatchery fin-clipped steelhead opens Monday in the Clearwater River drainage .

The seasons opens on the Clearwater River above the Memorial Bridge, the South Fork, the North Fork below Dworshak Dam and the Middle Fork below Clear Creek.

The steelhead harvest season on lower Clearwater and Snake rivers already is open.

Moose seem to be dropping like flies

BIG GAME – A moose found dead near the popular Harrison Lake Trail this week prompted Idaho Panhandle National Forest officials to warn hikers the carcass was likely to attract a grizzly bear or mountain lion to the trail in the upper Pack River area of the Selkirks.

Then other reports of fresh moose carcasses were reported. Locations included:

• The Thorofare between Priest and Upper Priest lakes, noted Monday by a kayaker.

• The pond in Spokane County’s Antoine Peak Conservation area, noted last Sunday by hikers. The moose’s head was removed and the case is under investigation.

11-pound rainbow tops OktoberFish

FISHING – Mike Perry of Garfield Bay topped the field of 105 anglers last weekend to win the two-day Bayview OktoberFish trout derby on Lake Pend Oreille.

Perry landed a rainbow weighing 11 pounds, 3 ounces to beat the second-place fish weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces caught by Rick McCorkle of Athol. Rory Bergere of Spokane was third with a 9-pound, 6-ounce rainbow.

Ken Olson of Coeur d’Alene won the mackinaw prize with 11 fish totaling 32 pounds.

Turnbull field day set

REFUGES – Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge and Spokane Audubon Society are organizing an annual work party and potluck for Saturday in an ongoing community effort to restore native riparian habitat to benefit birds and other wildlife species.

Volunteers will plant hundreds of native saplings before installing fencing to protect the trees from deer, elk and moose browsing.

Work will start at 9 a.m. followed by the potluck at noon.

Meet at Turnbull Refuge headquarters. Drive five miles south of Cheney on Cheney-Plaza Road; turn left on Smith Road and drive two miles to the headquarters.

Info: 235-4723.