Young to speak on fishing in the tropics at Flycasters meeting
Fishery scientist Bill Young will talk about fishing in the tropics at a Kelly Creek Flycasters meeting Thursday evening at the Hells Canyon Grand Hotel in Lewiston.
Young, an avid angler who works for the Nez Perce Tribe’s fisheries program, will deliver a presentation titled “From Bonefish To Barracuda: 25 Years Of Fishing The Tropics.”
The meeting starts with a 5:30 p.m. social hour followed by a no-host dinner at 6 and Young’s presentation at 7. Visitors are welcome.
Steelhead return looks promising, says Idaho Fish and Game
Steelhead continue to emerge from a bad span that lasted about five years.
According to an Idaho Fish and Game news release, about 97,000 steelhead have been counted at Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River this summer and fall.
“It is likely we will see more than 100,000 steelhead pass Lower Granite Dam in 2024, which would make this year’s return the highest since 2015,” said Anadromous Fish Manager Chris Sullivan.
Steelhead numbers tanked starting in about 2017 and led to years with restricted fishing. While numbers have been building over the past few years, the agency cautioned that steelhead are still not meeting expectations and wild fish remain threatened with extinction.
In a blog post, Clearwater Fisheries Manager Joe DuPont said this year’s run is dominated by steelhead that spent two years in the ocean. He said there are about 47,000 adult steelhead bound for the Snake River, Little Salmon River and upper Salmon River. On average, about 40% of the steelhead returning to those areas spend two years in the ocean. This year, about 80% of them are two-ocean fish.
Dupont said about 23,000 hatchery steelhead bound for the Clearwater River and its tributaries have been counted at Lower Granite Dam this fall. He expects that to grow to 36,000 by the end of the run-year.
More information on the run is available at bit.ly/3YXiKoK.
