Northwest Reel Life April 2024 Volume 3 Issue 6 - Flipbook - Page 9
launch in Castle Rock, if
you don't want to get your
feet wet or risk falling in the
river while navigating the
steep riverbank.
Once you're at the
river, pick your spot. As
previously mentioned,
riverbanks can be steep,
not to mention thorny. Be
careful not to trip or slideno fish is worth a fall in the
river! You can wear a life
vest to be extra cautious
and put life vests on any
kids joining the adventure.
If the fish are in, one spot
is as good as any. Dip your
net in the river and sweep
through it with one fluid
motion. You want to go
quickly enough so that
the fish can't swim out
of the net. You should be
able to feel them hitting
your net. Don't be afraid to
drag against the bottom
if you need to. Resist the
temptation to net as far
away from you as you can.
Sometimes the fish are
right up against the bank!
Deposit your catch carefully
in the bucket and keep
weighing them to ensure
you don't exceed your
10-pound limit. Like any
other fish, put your catch in
an iced cooler on the way
home so that their meat
stays fresh and firm.
I'll leave you with some
interesting facts about
Pacific Smelt. Just like
salmon, they hatch in rivers
and spend their lives at
sea. They return to their
home rivers to spawn when
they're between 2 to 5 years
old. Again, just like salmon,
they're an oily fish. They're
about 15% oil! They're
also called “candlefish”
because they will catch on
fire if you hold them up
to a lighter. Sadly, they're
considered an endangered
species. Around the mid
90's, their populations
began to sharply decline.
WDFW closely monitors
their return numbers and
determines if they are
healthy enough to support
a recreational fishery. This
year, we were lucky enough
to get not one, but two
smelt openers.
The reason that our smelt
fishery is so limited is to
protect their sensitive
populations. They are
susceptible to overfishing,
so to ensure that future
generations get to enjoy
this fishery, it is tightly
regulated and monitored.
Be sure to follow the
rules! Don't exceed your
10-pound per person limit,
and only net the section
of the river that is open.
Carry a watch or check your
phone so that you don't
start dipping until the time
WDFW specifies. Most
importantly, have fun!
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