Dave,
How goes it? We are hanging in there and enjoying the nice weather
here, finally. We had an extended period of rain and winds that kept
everyone in and the fishing down. As for your Spokane question: What I
would do is go check the hatch charts down at the shop. Look in the
little white book called Hatches for Western Rivers or something like
that? And look at the charts for the Clark Fork, etc that are in the
book case. From these sources, all the rivers in any given vicinity
will have equitable hatches except for where certain insects have been
killed out due to water pollution, etc.
That brings me to the Spokane. Last time I looked at the scientific
research that was done on the river, from Long Lake to Post Falls, the
mayflys are gone--due to the heavy metal pollution from above Couer
d'Alene. The Stonesflies are gone and most of the midges are history
leaving just certain of the Caddis family who are more resistant to this
type of pollution.
Of course things may have changed since then or the researchers may have
missed a small area of mayfly or stone activity that's sheltered due to
spring or creek inflow etc which allows it to get enough pure water to
exist. Earlier I asked Don, or perhaps another on the board, where they
were seeing the BWO's which is the Blue Winged Olive, a mayfly but he
declined to reply.
My interest in that was to try and figure out what may be happening
with the river. (I was heavily involved with conservation groups and
served on a number of state and local environmental boards/etc for many
years and the Spokane and it's tributaries was and is my pet river) (
just a few: Trout Unlimited Spokane Chapter Board of Directors, Hangman
Creek Technical Advisory Board, Upper Columbia RC & D, coordinator for
the Upper Columbia Basin, International Conference, State Inland Sport
Fishery Advisory Board, State level TU Vice Pres for Eastern Washington
--and many of these were for several years ending in 99 when we moved
here.
Another who may have info is Jim at the shop. Among the hat's he wears
he's the Eastern Washington top dog for DOT environmental division and I
strongly suspect he knows what is currently happening with the river.
Another would be Dave James, works for Avista who is integraly involved
with the river and flows(his number is at the Shop) and when you talk
with him ask for Gary's number at the State Environmental Protection
building up on Wellsley (another enviro type who's a trout angler also.
Anyway, this might begin to give you a picture of the river and hatch
activity. Larry's, from the shop, son also does a lot of time on the
river so ask Larry what he's finding these days.
Anyway, have fun figuring this one out but with the cooler months, as
the fishes metabolism drops, they feed less and less on a lot of food
sources they'd take normally. What they will often respond to during
this period is something big, slow and ugly. Big because they are
looking for concentrated food sources, slow because they themselves have
slowed down and Ugly (ugly to trout???) or something else that triggers
a strike to kill response.
On another note - it's the late fall period and there's possibly
spawning activity going on for the Brook, Brown and Bull Trout in the
river. if that's the case, they'd be in the upriver stretches below the
falls and the males especially are pugnacious and will hit brighter
streamers, etc. Once the spawn starts, fish below the redds for Trout of
different species who'll be feeding on egg patterns. There are King
Salmon in the river, Rainbows, etc and others that are Spring spawners
and who'll be feeding on eggs that are dislodged and floating
downstream.
Have fun fishing the Spokane and we'll see you back that way next year
or down here if you get the chance.
Good Fishing
Chuck S
Fishing East Central Florida - Flyfishing
