It’s all just fishy on opening day

Bragging is risky on opening day, even for reel men.

Mary Boyle of Cheney, a quiet 8-year-old wearing a pink coat, silenced a dock full of anglers Saturday morning as she reeled in a brook trout that dwarfed everything on their stringers at Fish Lake.

That’s one of many examples why opening day is like no other time in the fishing season at Eastern Washington’s lowland trout lakes.

As the sun peeked over the horizon and thawed the icy windshields on fishing boats already on the water, bewildered ducks were sneaking through the cattails, wondering what happened to the neighborhood that had been deserted the previous day.

People who have lake homes often set out chairs and food so they can picnic while enjoying the parade of overloaded fishing vessels and old men making rookie mistakes at the public launch, like forgetting to put the drain plug in the boat.

A few people apparently wait until they get on the water to start their outboard for the first time since 2004 or get the line untangled from the backlash that ended last year’s season.

Fish managers avoid the crowded opening-day spectacle at some lakes in Washington and most Idaho lakes by allowing year-round fishing.

But none of those lakes can match the spectacular burst of fishing success enjoyed during the opening weeks at Spokane-area waters that have a special trout season.

“We had some tremendous opportunities out there (Saturday),” said John Whalen, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regional fisheries manager.

“We talked to a lot of anglers and resort owners who were very pleased,” he said, noting that five-trout daily limits were common on the sunny angler-friendly day.

The top lakes in the Spokane area on Saturday included Williams, West Medical, Fish, Fishtrap and Badger as well as Starvation in Stevens County, all of which produced average catches of more than four fish per angler, he said. The average fish size was larger than in past years, he added.

“I caught the biggest one,” said Connor Hagerty, 7, pointing to the stringer of trout his family had caught at Bunker’s Resort on Williams Lake. “My grandpa had to hold me to keep me from getting pulled off the dock.”

Some lakes have different attractions. Pete Sobczuk of Arlington, Wash., caught a 25-pound, 7-ounce mackinaw at Loon Lake, which has an old reputation of producing the biggest trout in the state on opening day and new status as a good rainbow fishery.

Dependable fishing success has lured anglers from long distances to become opening-day regulars at area lakes.

“I’m from the West Side and this is our eighth year here,” said Rory O’Mary, who wasn’t letting a leg cast deter him from another opening day at Williams Lake with his son, Cadhan.

“A long time ago, we just decided we weren’t going to mess with the Western Washington crowds anymore. It’s a zoo over there, and the fishing is much better here.”

Andrew Templeton of Richland and his son, Austin, had their limits from the shore at Badger Lake for the fifth consecutive year and were headed home before 9 a.m.

“We’d like to stay another day, but Austin has a soccer game at 1:30,” he said.

At Fish Lake, Spokane angler Jim Smith had already wrapped his limit of brook trout and tiger trout in a plastic grocery bag by 6:30 a.m. He said the sky was barely getting light and fog was steaming off the lake when he arrived at 5 a.m.

“I’ll be back here tomorrow, too, but I’ll come at noon when it’s warmer,” he said. “For now, I’m going home and going back to bed.”