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Fishing Report
It's quickly turned into a strange late-summer on the Columbia River, with salmon angling at Buoy 10 a near-total bust, yet the chinook bite pretty good at several popular upstream locations. Here's how it was at Buoy 10 in the past few days, based on sampling by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: Sunday, 327 anglers with four chinook and 10 coho; Monday, 99 anglers with three chinook and eight coho; Tuesday, 99 anglers with two chinook, three coho. Most years, the bite at Buoy 10, the name for the lower 16 miles of the Columbia, is much, much better than farther upstream. The slow start at Buoy 10 in mid-August was written off to the chinook being late, but by now the bite upstream and counts at Bonneville Dam make it obvious the salmon are on their way; they're just not biting like they normally do in the estuary.
Utah's game fish: Rainbow trout
Coloration can vary. Most mature rainbows, however, have a distinguishable red or pink streak on their side from head to tail. The body is a gray-blue or olive above the lateral line and a silver color below. The body, dorsal fin and tail have black or brown dots. Wild rainbow will often have white-tipped fins.
Characteristics Rainbow trout tend to be shallow to mid-depth "bottom feeders," which makes them easier for shore anglers to catch. They also feed year-round and are a favorite target of ice fishermen. This is probably the most popular fish in the trout family, because it is typically easier to catch, has exceptional strength and is noted for its showy jumping. And, as with all trout, its culinary qualities are excellent. The rainbow, however, does not compete well with other fish, particularly the Utah chub.
On the Fly: Hoppers and droppers
Dave Johnson, owner of Carbondale-based Independent Flyfishing Guides, reached on his boat during a float down the middle Roaring Fork River on Monday, had just released an 18- to 20-inch rainbow that rose to a hopper.
The hopper/dropper combo is a good bet on the Roaring Fork these days, according to Johnson, who recommends a small pheasant tail for the dropper (a small nymph trailing off a larger dry fly).
The Colorado River flowing through Glenwood Canyon remains chocolate brown, but the lower Fork is also producing trout in the net with a hopper/dropper combination, according to Drew Reid at Roaring Fork Anglers in Glenwood Springs. He suggested a small blue-wing olive nymph or emerger pattern for the dropper - a No. 18 or 20 RS-2 or a pheasant tail.
"If it's cloudy, we're throwing streamers and doing really well," Reid added.
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