Fishin' Magician Reports

Wednesday

November 21

The rain we've been getting for several days straight is going to raise the level of the tributaries in our region.

It could make fishing tough for anglers planning steelhead fishing trips to the Methow, Entiat, Wenatchee and Okanogan rivers.

The fishing should still be good on the main stem Columbia River, though. Steelhead continue to be taken in good numbers near Pateros.

The area known as the Rocks is good and fishing in the estuary above the bridges in another spot worth trying. Fishing has improved in the Bridgeport area and below Wells Dam, too.

Current will determine how good the fishing is below Wells and it varies day to day.

I am getting some good reports on the fishing at Rufus Wood Reservoir now.

Anglers are getting more triploids than earlier this winter, and the walleye action has picked up.

Triploids can be taken the whole length of the reservoir, and the walleye anglers are concentrating on the Buckley Bar.

I will be heading back down to Rocky Ford Creek to give it another shot while it's hot, but will be fishing for steelhead again right after the Holiday weekend, at Pateros.

Friday

November 23

I had planned a trip back to Rocky Ford Creek, but when the forecast called for twenty-mile an hour winds I changed my mind.

My fishing buddy Rollie Schmitten agreed, saying he just needed to put a different rod in his rig. So we switched to bobber and jig gear and headed to Entiat, where he keeps Barb's boat for the winter.

We anchored off the bar at a spot that has produced steelhead before, and although the day was sunny and calm, there was no current.

Schmitten got one take down, but was on the phone at the time and missed it.

Due to the lack of current we decided to head up to Chelan Falls, where we had found some fish a couple of weeks ago. Running up to a spot near the bridge we began casting. Schmitten's bobber was disappearing on almost every cast, but trying to run the boat and manage his rod was a challenge. I missed a fish and hooked a salmon smolt.

Choosing to rest the hole, as we knew fish were there we tried some other areas without success. We were running out of time, so tried our earlier drift again.

I hooked an amazing fish on the first pass. It jumped at least four times before we got it to boat for release. On the next pass Schmitten hooked and landed a nice hatchery fish.

That's all we needed. It kept our streak alive and he had a fresh steelhead for his Thanksgiving feast.

Monday

November 26

Anglers and hunters alike have wondered why there hasn't been a sportsmen's show held in Wenatchee; something that would represent all the services, organizations and businesses that serve the sportsmen of the region.

Well, at long last it is going to happen.

Thanks to Mark Miller at the Town Toyota Center and Merle and Bev Shuyler of Shuyler Productions it is scheduled to take place on February 22nd through the 24th next year.

The Shuylers have been providing excellent sports shows in Tri-Cities and Yakima for over 20 years and bring their proven capabilities to Wenatchee.

The Town Toyota Center is a perfect place to hold such an event, and I expect to see guide services, lodges and resorts and other businesses represented there to showcase all that this region has to offer.

Those that attend can expect to see some activities that are popular with families, too, such as a trout pond, and a special attraction at the Wenatchee Show will be a live bear exhibit.

I have cleared my calendar to spend time at the show, and I hope you do, too.

If you want to learn more about the Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen's Show you can log onto www.shuylerproductions.com.