This has been quite a year for record fish runs in Washington.
The Columbia’s fall Chinook return is estimated at 1.2 million-plus, the upriver bright component at 832,500, Puget Sound humpies will easily top the preseason forecast and could shatter the old record, and the mola mola run stands at a whopping two!!!!!!!
Lost in all that is a not-so-well-known hatchery cutthroat run back to a certain southwestern stream most widely recognized for its snow-and-summer steelies as well as salmon.
Reports WDFW in today’s November Weekender:
The bite is on, with some of the best fishing for cutthroat on the Cowlitz in years.
Mark Johnson, WDFW hatchery complex manager, described the return as “spectacular, a possible record run.”
Fish up to 24 inches are being caught at the trout hatchery and local tackle stores report having trouble keeping night crawlers stocked.
The best fishing is downriver from Blue Creek near the trout hatchery.
Anglers may retain up to five hatchery-reared cutthroats per day as part of the daily trout limit on the lower Cowlitz River.
Black Heron Fly Fishing reports recent catches also coming on “caddis emergers and steelhead flies by Frank Fortino.”
Other flies that were advised in early October can be found here; one highly recommended one is the Oregon State Tube Fly, which — wild guess — includes orange in it.