Spring chinoonk brighten angler days on lower Columbia

SALMON FISHING —Spring chinook, expected to be headed up the Columbia in good numbers, are catching a lot of angler attention already in the lower Columbia.

Holding the bright, beautiful fish at left is Buzz Ramsey and his friend and guide Eric Linde with a spring chinook taken Wednesday on the Columbia River near I-5.

Another friend fishing with them hooked but lost a nice salmon to a sea lion.

“Both fish were hooked using a Fish Flash (Chartreuse) and plug-cut herring combination on the downstream troll,” Ramsey said.