Field reports: Sport fishing proposals up for vote

FISHING – Sport-fishing rule changes for 2016-2017 and a report about wolf conflict management are among topics on the agenda for the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting Friday and Saturday in Port Townsend.

Proposals this year are largely focused on Western Washington fisheries, with emphasis on steelheading regulations for coastal rivers.

One proposal would require anglers to keep all hatchery steelhead in most West Side rivers while another proposal calls for mandatory release of wild steelhead.

Another recommendation would enact selective-gear rules prohibiting the use of bait.

Only minor statewide proposals have made it through the year of meetings and public input. One proposal would clarify what constitutes a fly for fly fishing. Foam, rubber and lead wire would be officially added to the allowed materials.

Changes emerging as major issues with some anglers include a proposal to remove harvest limits for walleye, bass and channel catfish in the Columbia River and tributaries in shared waters with Oregon.

That rule was approved last year for upstream waters including the Grande Ronde River and Oregon. Oregon recently applied the rules to its waters. New proposals would add Washington waters downstream from the Tri-Cities.

“Warmwater fishing constituents aren’t happy about it,” said Chris Donley, inland fisheries manager. “Salmon and steelhead factions favor it. As an agency, it’s about taking a position on where we deem warmwater fish appropriate and where we don’t.”

Many of the coastal steelheading proposals stem from legal pressure to cut back on the influence of hatchery steelhead on wild stocks.

Requiring anglers to release wild steelhead in coastal streams could leave more fish available for tribes to harvest at the mouth of the rivers under Boldt Decision rules, fish managers say.

“It gets complicated,” Donley said. “It’s possible, depending on how our co-managers see it, that mandatory release of wild steelhead in the sport fishery could result in fewer wild fish coming upstream.”

On Saturday, the commission will meet with Francine Madden, Wolf Advisory Group facilitator.

More eagles at CdA

BIRDS – Bald eagles continue to pour into the Wolf Lodge Bay area of Lake Coeur d’Alene for their annual winter gathering to feast on spawning kokanee.

Carrie Hugo, U.S. Bureau of Land Management wildlife biologist, who does a weekly eagle survey during the kokanee spawning period, counted 69 adult eagles (white heads) and 10 juveniles on Thursday.

Last year at this time she counted 34 eagles.

Roads switch to winter

FORESTS – National forests are beginning to close mountain roads to wheeled traffic to prepare for grooming snowmobile routes as well as some nordic skiing trails.

Echo Ridge Ski Area opened this weekend on Forest Service routes above Lake Chelan with more grooming planned for this week.

Snowmobile trails are opening but grooming operations have not begun, the Chelan Ranger District reports.