First time in two seasons

Stardate 082707

Went wet-wade fishing yesterday for a couple of late afternoon hours in the new and improved fish habitat of the McKuster Ranch stretch of the Walla Walla River. This was the first time I have fished our stretch of the river since 2005, and it felt grrrrreat. I found it very interesting the change in the riverbed configuration since 2005. All the fishing time (not horseback riding time) that Kittee and I have found for the past two years has been making quick day trips, maybe a dozen, to the stocked fishing ponds across the Blue Mountains to fill our creels and head home for dinner.

Started fishing with a Copper John to test the waters "working" downstream. Hooked maybe 15-20 small fish, having to use the Ketchum Release tool to unhook 4. Yes, I will call this outing "work" as it was 4:45 when I started, still a part of the scheduled workday.

Turning my attention upstream I changed to a Krystal Flash Elk Hair Caddis. Fished the better part of a half mile upstream hooking maybe 50 small fish (redband trout & salmon smolts) and a dozen larger redbands that I needed to use the Ketchum Release tool to remove the micro-barbed hook from their lip. Most fish were released by dropping slack in the line. Never touched a fish except for the day's final hookup netting.

Climbing over the new upriver cross-vane fish structure, I just about stepped on a 30" King Salmon that had white spawn decay on dorsal and tail fins. He/she moved from the shallow end of the river structure to the deep end and then turned upriver. With today's sightings this makes about 15 adult/ 1 jack salmon spotted here at the ranch in the past week.

I found interesting that one place in the river in 2005 there had been a deep swimming/ fishing hole (swimming divers could not touch the bottom), now it has filled in with river rocks 6-10" above water level and growing willows and grass. I did catch in the run that was once the head of that pool the best hookup of the day.

The last redband trout hookup of day was the largest- 9". I netted it and brought back to the new habitat structured portion of the river to play and fight another day. This fish swam upright after being released and nudged its way in between two rocks to catch its next meal. It was in great shape and should be ready for another fight next week.

I think that it will probably take some water events and the bull trout downstream migration this fall to truly "restock" this portion of the river.
This is a full moon week, and I find this usually effects fishing not for the better.
Plan to fish this same stretch again next week, to see if any larger fish have moved in after last week's excavation/ construction work (see blog of 082607).

Dale --- a day in the life at McKuster Ranch