Cow fish or anybody.

what kind of runs are we looking at this year on the Cowlitz.

from what cowfish said in another post it looks like the silvers are going to be thick as mud. but what about the summer runs. will they be anything like last summer?

dc

I am not sure on numbers, but I can tell you BIGGER run than last year.

Seems to me it's kind of hard to accurately predict. I can recall a couple of summer seasons over the last decade that were phenominal one year only to be average or below average the next. No question though last summer was one for the books.

keep in mind too that current reports will be tainted by the fact that the river is not at summer level yet and still has alot of color. That will change as summer progresses.

Remember when the trout hatchery installed that water-ozone treatment equipment a few years back to purify the river water and rid it of BKD and other fish-killing viruses. It was supposed to be the cure-all to provide healthy smolts and higher adult returns. Doesn't seem to have turned the fishing world upside down in my opinion.

It may be great, but we won't know for another couple of weeks. I will say, however, that last year I caught many already by this time. I've only hit one so far this year. We'll have to wait and see.....

Well, your guy's guest is as good as my guest is! Every year since I have been fishing the Cowlitz, I have heard "great predictions"!

Come the middle of June, we will know just how strong the summers will be!

Wish I could tell you guy's more, but if I did, I would be lying!


Cowlitzfisherman

Is there any possibility that last year's phenomenal summer fishery consisted of a large number of VERY early returning winter runs? I remember people saying they were catching summer runs clear into late December. Perhaps the winter fish returned really early instead of not at all.

Just a thought.

Not highly likely!


Cowlitzfisherman