Sisters on the Fly tour tomorrow

Sisters on the Fly: vintage trailer tour

OK, we have been using various words to describe the decorated travel trailers used by the Sisters on the Fly organization, such as spectacular, beautiful, stunning, charming, magnificent and so on. These are all true.

The group will be at the Grant County Fairgrounds this weekend and the trailers will be open for inspection on Saturday. Read on.

Don't miss this fun event folks. These people have some unique trailers. The smallest we saw during a Steamboat Rock State Park tour a couple of months ago had a 7- by 7-foot base. Another had a canopy bed inside and another had...well, you should take the tour and find out. Read on.

Look for Cowgirls Gone Wild at the Grant County Fairgrounds on July 7. The local Sisters on the Fly members are planning an event at the Grant County Fairgrounds. On Saturday, July 7, the public will have a chance to tour the trailers from 9 a.m. until noon. The group is asking for a donation in exchange for the tour, which will be given to the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation.

From Fish and Wildlife:

Based on the record numbers of sockeye salmon coming over Bonneville Dam and heading this way, fish biologists are expecting excellent fishing during the season that opens July 1 within the mainstem Columbia River and selected tributaries above Priest Rapids Dam.

In late June few summer Chinook and sockeye had made their way above Priest Rapids, but by mid-July biologists expect the fisheries to really kick in and provide good action.

The daily limit is six chinook salmon, minimum size 12 inches. Up to three adult chinook may be retained, of which only one may be a wild adult.

Anglers are also allowed to keep six sockeye salmon, minimum size 12 inches. All salmon with a colored floy tag and/or tail punch must be released as these fish are part of ongoing studies being conducted by the Yakama Nation, Colville Confederated Tribes and Fish and Wildlife. Anglers may fish with two poles in areas open to salmon fishing, as long as they have purchased the Two-Pole Endorsement. All salmon fishing on the Columbia requires the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement.

Trout fishing in the Columbia

In addition, from Hwy 173 Bridge in Brewster to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam, anglers can fish for and retain trout through August 15. Daily limit is 10 fish with a minimum size of 12 inches.

Columbia Basin waters

Chad Jackson, Fish and Wildlife Columbia Basin district fish biologist, said warmwater fishing is finally heating up after a slow start to traditional summer weather. The Basin's big three for good walleye and largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing are Moses Lake, Banks Lake, and Potholes Reservoir.

All three year-round-open waters also have varying populations of bluegill, crappie and yellow perch that can produce good catches through the summer. With late run-off this year, these big waterways are still at or near high pool, which has slowed normal shoreline or dockside action at some, like Potholes.

Evergreen Reservoir on the Quincy Wildlife Area in Grant County is another good July fishery in the Basin, with walleye, largemouth bass, bluegill and other species.

Lower Goose Lake, one of the Seep lakes south of Potholes Reservoir, has a good crappie and bluegill fishery. Lower Goose has a minimum size of nine inches and a daily catch limit of 10 for crappie. It also has a restriction that only five bluegill over six inches can be kept, although there is no daily limit.

Hutchinson and Shiner lakes, on the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, which is seven miles north of Othello in Adams County, should be heating up this month for largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and perch.

Rock doves

I have yet to receive a contact concerning this subject. There must be landowners who want to get rid of a few of these pests. Read on.

The rock dove, rock pigeon or just pigeon is common in the Columbia Basin. These birds hang around farms and grow in numbers to be a nuisance.

I have a friend who considers these pesky pests to be a culinary delight. The two of us would like to help landowners, who have too many of these birds, get rid of a few.

Contact me at dclay@atnet.net or 762-5158.

Raffle permit hunts

Besides the special hunt permits, hunters may apply for raffle permit hunts. These hunts are a way to raise money for the species which the hunter applies.

Fish and Wildlife states: "Proceeds from the sale of single-species raffle tickets will be used for the management and benefit of that species. Proceeds from the sale of multiple-species raffle tickets will be used for general game management."

This is a great way to raise money. There is no limit on the number of tickets a person may purchase. The person buying one ticket may win or the person buying 100 tickets may win. As with any raffle, the more tickets a person purchases, the better her chances to win.

An example of a hunt includes a three-deer raffle where the winner may harvest one additional buck black-tailed deer, an additional mule and an additional white-tailed deer. The season is Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. A ticket costs $6.

Another example is a mule deer hunt in any Game management unit open to mule deer hunting, entitling the hunter to one additional buck mule deer. The hunt dates and ticket cost are the same.

There are raffle hunts for black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer, elk sheep and goat. An interesting raffle-hunt species is moose. The hunt dates are the same, the hunt is open in any open moose unit, two permits are available and the tag allows the hunter one moose of either sex.

Deadline to purchase raffle tickets is July 13.

Release of some salmon required on upper Columbia

The release of all chinook and sockeye with external floy tags and/or with one or more holes, round, approximately ? inch diameter, punched in the caudal (tail) fin is mandatory from July 1 through Oct. 15.

This requirement is for the mainstem Columbia River from Priest Rapids Dam upstream to Chief Joseph Dam, including the Similkameen and Okanogan rivers.

Reason for action

Several fish-marking programs are currently being conducted by Fish and Wildlife, the Yakama Nation and the Colville Confederated Tribes to study survival and migration patterns within the Columbia River system. Radio and/or acoustic tags will be placed inside chinook and sockeye salmon and will be identified by a colored external floy or anchor tag below the dorsal fin.

In addition, fish will also be identified with one or more round holes punched in the tail. The success of these studies will be dependent upon anglers' ability to recognize these tags and to release the fish as quickly as possible. These fish are part of a study and have been anesthetized; the FDA requires a 21 day ban on consumption of these fish.

Anglers can still retain adipose-clipped salmon that are not identified with a floy tag and/or a tail punch.

New wolf pack confirmed

Fish and Wildlife has confirmed another wolf pack near Fruitland. Using remote video cameras, biologists documented at least five gray wolf pups this week in southern Stevens County, east of the town of Fruitland and north of the Spokane Indian Reservation. The pack has been named the Huckleberry pack.

The new pack is Washington's seventh confirmed wolf pack, including the recently documented Nc'icn pack on the Colville Confederated Tribes reservation. An additional five packs are also suspected in the state.

Pozzanghera urges ranchers who believe they have lost livestock to predation by any kind of wild animal to contact WDFW immediately at 1-877-933-9847.

Keep invasive species out of Washington waters

Boaters can help protect Columbia Basin and Washington State waters by following a few simple precautions. All watercraft should be cleaned, drained and dried before launch and after leaving the water for a new destination. Transporting aquatic invasive species is illegal in Washington, with a potential fine of $500 plus decontamination costs for violations.

These precautions are critical in preventing the spread of invasive species, according to Fish and Wildlife. Many invasive species are easily seen, such as attached mussels and aquatic plants, but many others are not, such as juvenile mussels, plant spores, along with fish and shellfish diseases.

Specifically, boaters are asked to take the following steps before launching or moving their boat to another destination: Remove any visible plants, dirt or animal life from boats, motors, trailers, boots and other personal gear and equipment; Pull the plug to release lake or stream water at the source from fish wells, wakeboard ballast tanks and bait buckets.

Rinse equipment in fresh potable water and dry, or allow to dry, before the next use.

Cleaning and draining watercraft immediately after leaving a water body will prevent accidental spread of invasive species on the ride home as well as avoiding potential fines.

Anyone bringing a boat or other aquatic equipment into Washington State must follow special certification procedures if the craft has been in a water known to be infested with zebra or quagga mussels. Certification of inspection, and certification of decontamination if zebra or quagga mussels are found, is required before entering Washington.

Most states with zebra or quagga mussel infestations provide information on approved vendors that offer inspection and decontamination services. Decontamination requirements for Washington State require that all zebra or quagga mussels, including empty shells, be removed from exterior and interior surfaces.

Anglers should also take precautions. Clean and dry waders, floats, bait buckets, nets and anything else that touches the water which could offer a place for aquatic invasive species to hitchhike.