Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I had a great experience the other day. I had stopped by Hooked on Toys in Wenatchee and ran into someone that I knew from Lake Chelan.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I was invited to join Austin Moser to do a two-lake adventure on Monday of this week.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Friday, April 29
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Steelhead seasons on the main stem Columbia the tributaries are closed for the year now, but there are lots of alternatives available to anglers in the region. On April 1 dozens of lakes open in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge near Othello.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
The Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced the closure of the steelhead season on three locations in our region. Now closed to fishing is the main stem Columbia River from the Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam. The Okanogan River from the mouth …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
If you want to be part of the group that is going to Loreto, Mexico we would like to hear from you right away. We still have room for a few more people, and want to lock in our group air fare.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
If you haven’t heard, my wife Eileen and I are going to host another fishing trip this spring, and this time we are going Loreto, on the Baja, Mexico. I have yearned to fish the Sea of Cortez for years. I even flew down to Loreto a couple of years …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I finally made it up to Lake Chelan to try the kokanee fishing. I met Jeff Witkowski, of Darrell and Dads Family Guide Service, at the Mill Bay launch at 7 a.m. last Tuesday, and we headed up lake. Witkowski has been fishing above the Narrows, below Mitchell Creek, and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I ran up to Fish Lake to see how the ice was holding up and how anglers were doing. It was a very scenic drive up the Tumwater Canyon, and the gauge in my truck was reading in the high 30s. I was actually surprised to see quite a few …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Austin Moser of Austin’s Northwest Adventures invited Eric Granstrom, of Gaboon Productions, to join him for a day of fishing at Lake Roosevelt for big kokanee and we jumped at the chance.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I have been reporting on a lot of ice fishing and other cold water pursuits lately, and it makes me think of warmer climates and particularly the trip planned to Belize this coming May.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I know it is only January, but kokanee fever is already taken hold here in Central Washington. Lake Roosevelt is famous for producing kokanee of state record size and did you know that kokanee have been caught in December this winter on Lake Chelan?
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Happy New Year everyone! If I have a fishing season in 2016 even half as good as I had in 2015 I will be a happy guy.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
The Wenatchee River had dropped into fishing shape after the heavy successive days of rain in the region.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
If you want to fish for steelhead you had better plan on fishing the main stem Columbia River for a while.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I was invited to come down to the opening of Grant County PUD’s new visitor center at Wanapum Dam recently, and I was really glad that I took the time to be there.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I have wanted to get down to Rocky Ford to give it a try, and so went last Monday.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I’ve been thinking about Rocky Ford Creek, near Ephrata.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 8 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
The free seminars on steelhead fishing at Pateros are less than a week away.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
As many of you know, my wife Eileen and I have traveled to Belize many times and have hosted trips to Ambergris Caye.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
As I mentioned in my last report the walleye fishing continues to be very good at Potholes Reservoir.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS AGO
Dave Graybill, The Fishin' Magician
My wife Eileen and I made a run down to fish the Columbia River below Wanapum Dam.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Mike McKee, owner of Mike’s Meats and Seafood, invited me to join him and a friend to fish for walleye on Potholes Reservoir.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I mentioned in an earlier report that I had been in the Columbia River Gorge fishing for steelhead and salmon.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Every run of fish up the Columbia has been early this year, and the return of fall salmon to the Hanford Reach is following the pattern.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
If you are looking for a place to catch a bunch of fish, Banks Lake would be a good choice right now.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
I just got some disappointing news. The sockeye fishery on Lake Wenatchee is closing on Sunday, August 16.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Good news for fans of sockeye fishing at Lake Wenatchee. It appears that at least 40,000 fish have made it over Tumwater Dam and the season is going to be much longer than earlier anticipated.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
While many anglers are heading up to Lake Wenatchee to take advantage of the sockeye season that just opened, others will be chasing king salmon on the Brewster Pool during the annual Brewster Salmon Derby.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Fishing pressure on the Brewster Pool has fallen off and I am hearing that the catch rate is down.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
Fishing for sockeye salmon on the Brewster Pool has been nothing short of fantastic this season.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
The warm weather has been a benefit to the fishing for sockeye and kings at the Brewster Pool this season.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Typically the early salmon season starts below Wanapum Dam, but this year things are different.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
It's Father's Day weekend on June 20, and many families have plans to get together with Dad.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: Fishin' Magician
We just finished with a big weekend, with the Memorial Day Holiday, and now we are coming upon another weekend that celebrates fishing.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Summer has officially started now that Memorial Weekend is behind us, and there are so many great fishing opportunities for anglers it is impossible to name them all. Two come immediately to mind, though, and that is the walleye fishing at Potholes Reservoir and Moses Lake. Both of these walleye …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
If you want to beat the crowds for Memorial Weekend, consider a trip to Buffalo Lake near Coulee Dam on the Colville Reservation. My fishing buddy Rollie Schmitten and I just spent some time at Buffalo Lake and had it almost to ourselves. It is a big, scenic lake, with …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
As you make plans for the long weekend coming up here are a couple of things I learned last week.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Walleye fishing continues to provide excellent action for anglers on Potholes Reservoir and Moses Lake.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Spring salmon fishing has been keeping anglers busy on the lower Columbia River for some time now.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' magician
Wow. It's May already! Hey, that's a good thing.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
The opening of the lowland lakes trout season is just a week away, and I hope you have your license, got the camping gear sorted out and made sure your boat is running.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
Good news for anglers that like to catch trout in the region.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
The Manson Business Association is conducting a trout derby on Lake Chelan Saturday, April 11th with a different twist. Sure there will be prizes awarded for the biggest rainbow trout caught in both adult and youth divisions, but everyone that enters the derby has a chance at winning $50,000.00!
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
This Sunday is a big day for trout anglers. It's the March 1st opener of many lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area, and several others in the region.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
I had heard of good ice and great fishing for perch at Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, so I ran up there last Saturday to see for myself.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
The big news at the NW Ice Fishing Festival in Molson this year was that people caught fish! Yup. During the Festivals of 2012 through 2014 there were no fish caught at all. This year's event was moved to January 17th and it made a huge difference. There was 14 …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
On Tuesday of this week I traveled to Bridgeport and met with Pat Phillips, hatchery manager at the Colville Tribal Salmon Hatchery, and Casey Baldwin, Senior Research Scientist for the Colville Fish and Wildlife Department. This gave me a chance to see the facility up and running with fish being …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Dave Graybill: The Fishin' Magician
On Tuesday of this week I traveled to Bridgeport and met with Pat Phillips, hatchery manager at the Colville Tribal Salmon Hatchery, and Casey Baldwin, Senior Research Scientist for the Colville Fish and Wildlife Department.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Monday, December 22nd
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
I had heard the fishing was good at Rufus Woods so Eric Granstrom and I made a run up there on Wednesday to see for ourselves.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 9 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
I have returned from a fantastic trip to the Oregon coast.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
I know that everyone is heading down to the Hanford Reach to catch fall kings, but I am short on time.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Friday, August 15th
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician - Dave Graybill
This weekend is the annual Budweiser-Lowrance King Salmon Derby in Brewster, and it looks like it will be one of the best ever. There was a short drop in the fishing action when we had some rain dumped into the Okanogan River, but we've had triple digit temperatures to get …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
I had heard that the sockeye fishing was already good in the Brewster Pool, so I talked my wife Eileen into getting up at 3 a.m. to give it a try.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Salmon fever is running rampant throughout Central Washington, as sockeye numbers continue to increase. Currently, over a half-million of them have past over Bonneville Dam. There are some great fishing options for those who don't fish for salmon, though.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Salmon fever is running rampant here in Central Washington.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Summer-salmon season and sockeye season both open on July 1 and anglers are scrambling to get geared up.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
The warm weather we have had recently has put a damper on the walleye bite on Moses Lake, at least for me.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
Trout anglers by the thousands will be heading into Central Washington for the annual lowland lake opener, and if you haven't make reservations for a camping spot, you can still find some places that have room.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
My wife's sister Karen was visiting from Anaconda, Montana, so we planned a trip to Buffalo Lake to show her what trout fishing in Eastern Washington can be like.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report with Dave Graybill
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Davy Graybill
I spent yesterday on Banks Lake. Eric Granstrom and I were going to do a new Fishing TV Show on walleye fishing here with Keith Jensen, of Big Wally's Guide Service. What we did instead was try to catch three species, like we were doing the Triple Fish Challenge. This …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
I got a chance to fish Potholes Reservoir with Brian Nielson, of BJs Guide Service, and another fishing buddy, James LeBow earlier this week. I planned on spending a couple of hours on the water with them and then checking on some of the lakes that opened on the first …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Friday, March 21st
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
When I was checking my mail after returning home from the Tri-Cities, and who was knocking on my window but Shane Magnuson, of Upper Columbia Guide Services. He was really pumped.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Here's something for the "a little different file" from me. I got a call from Metal Flowers Media in Hollywood, California, and they are doing the casting for a new cable television show. They are looking for some hardcore anglers for a project that will be filmed in an exotic …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
The official word is out. Steelhead fishing has reopened on the Wenatchee River. The Department of Fish and Wildlife has reviewed their catch data and it has revealed that a sport fishery would benefit conservation goals. Sport fishing is a management tool that provides for the removal of hatchery fish …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Friday, February 7th
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Spring salmon
I have been trying to find the forecasts for salmon returns to the Columbia River for the coming year. They should be out soon for all species.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trout at Rufus Woods
Rufus Woods Reservoir is the hot spot for big trout right now in Central Washington.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
This usually the time of year to stay indoors and attend the various sports related auction and sport shows. Of course we aren't having a typical winter, but I still want to remind everyone about the auctions and shows coming up. The shows are always a great way to see …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
I have some exciting plans for this week, and that is another visit to Lake Roosevelt. I have made two trips to the big reservoir earlier this winter, just to fish from shore. I had great trout fishing off the beach at Spring Canyon, catching fish to 22 inches.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report with Dave Graybill
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report
Monday, December 16
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Christmas Day was bright and sunny in Leavenworth, and my wife Eileen and I decided to get out of the house for a while, and drove up to Fish Lake to see if anyone was fishing. Sure enough, there were people out on the ice.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report with Dave Graybill
Wednesday, December 11
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
It doesn't happen every year and when it does it is something you don't want to miss. That is when there is enough ice on Moses Lake to fish for jumbo perch, and it's happening right now.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
I mentioned earlier that there was good trout fishing at Lake Roosevelt, so I just had to go and try it myself. I took my time getting up there and when I was set up on the beach at Spring Canyon, it was already past 12:30. I rigged two rods …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
With the freezing weather we are getting right now I am looking for something to do that doesn't require putting my boat in the water. Those who have full canvas and a heater are probably laughing at me. I have the full set up but just don't ever put it …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Anglers have been wondering when the Methow River would close to fishing. Success had been very high in the early season, leading to speculation that the river would close early. The WDFW is going to look at the numbers right after Thanksgiving to see where we are on the Methow, …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
My wife Eileen and I made a mid week tour of the region, looking to see if we could find what people were up to along the Columbia River. We found a few anglers fishing both above and below Wells Dam.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
Fishing for fall salmon continues to be very good in the Hanford Reach, with three-fish limits possible below Priest Rapids Dam. Anglers are trolling Super Baits, both the standard and the Plug Cut style in the deeper holes. In the faster, shallower water you will see anglers using jet divers …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
If you have tried fishing for fall kings and think you could improve your success, or if you haven't ever tried it and want to, plan on attending the free seminar at Town Ford on Wednesday, September 25th. Rick Graybill, who guided here for years and is recognized as one …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
This weekend is the Chelan County Fair, and I am going to be at the Youth Outdoor Expo on Saturday afternoon, where kids get to learn a few things about the outdoors and also get to fish for trout in a pond they have set up there.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
It’s amazing. Summer is almost gone. Pretty soon it will be Labor Day Weekend and the kids will be back in school and we’ll be rolling into fall. I am not ready to give up on summer yet, though. There will be plenty of warm weather ahead and I am …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
One of the newspapers I write for, the Columbia Basin Herald, is a Hagadone newspaper, and they provide me with a couple of night lodging at the Coeur d' Alene Resort every year. I have always enjoyed staying here, just hanging out, but had never gone in the summer.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician weekly report
The sockeye season on Lake Wenatchee has ended, but the Chinook season on the upper Columbia continues. Fishing has improved for anglers fishing on the Columbia. This is the time of year that good catches can be made even above the Brewster Pool.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
I mentioned that the opportunity to catch big bluegill, perch and largemouth bass is very good at Wapato Lake recently, and there are other opportunities coming up soon in our region. Before I expand on this I want to remind anglers that Wapato Lake switched to catch and release fishing …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
I spent the early evening fly fishing on the Icicle River, and had a great time. The river is very low and easy to wade, and the later it gets the hungrier the fish seem to be. I started around 5 p.m. in on one of my favorite stretches and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Dave Graybill
It was fun while it lasted, but the sockeye fishery on Lake Wenatchee will close on Sunday, August 18th, one hour after official sunset. Fish can be taken at the lake, although week day pressure and success fell off sharply in the past week.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
If you visit my web site you have probably seen the announcement about a new trip I have put together. In April of this year I hosted a group to Belize to fish for bonefish, permit and tarpon, and it was a huge success. Everyone had a fabulous time and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician - Dave Graybill
I wanted to remind everyone about the special regulations on the sockeye fishery that opens tomorrow on Lake Wenatchee. This is a selective fishery, meaning that no bait is allowed and knotless nets will be required. I mentioned in my report on Wednesday that anglers on the Columbia are using …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
This was a very busy weekend on the Columbia River, particularly between Rock Island and Rocky Reach Dams. The 2nd Annual CCA Wenatchee Salmon Derby had anglers running up and down the river from dawn till weigh-in time, trying to catch a winning fish.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
Summer run salmon fishing continues to attract a lot of attention here in Central Washington. Both kings and sockeye continue to move up the Columbia in great numbers and anglers are out in force on the many known hot spots on the upper river. You can expect to see heavy …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Hooked on Toys' new hire
I wanted people to know that Hooked on Toys in Wenatchee has added a new person to their staff of fishing experts that you can consult with at the store. Joining Don Talbot and Pete Flohr is my brother Rick Graybill to answer questions and demonstrate how to be more …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician weekly report
Looks like we are going to get a brief pause in the hot weather we’ve had lately, heading into next week. I enjoyed a great day of fishing for smallmouth bass on Banks Lake on a hot day last week. Smallmouth bass fishing is very good on many lakes in …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Spring Salmon
If you haven't heard, the Icicle River has been reopened to fishing for spring salmon. A closure was announced then reversed as a good number of fish entered the hatchery with the recent rains. Escapement and brood stock goals have been met, so anglers are back at it on the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician weekly report
Having put my quest for walleye on Moses Lake behind me, I checked out the smallmouth bass fishing on a couple of the more popular waters here in Central Washington. I made a trip to Lake Chelan to shoot a Fishing TV Show for my web site, and the next …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Summer salmon season
Anglers are champing at the bit for summer-salmon season, and are also watching the sockeye move up the Columbia in our direction. If you look at the dam counts you will see that the summer-run salmon are starting to hit Bonneville Dam at over 2,000 a day. It won't be …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: East Wenatchee Rotary Club Pikeminnow Derby
Fathers Day is coming up on June 16 this year, and that means the annual East Wenatchee Rotary Club Pikeminnow Derby will take place on June 15 and 16. This is the 21st year for this fun derby, which will once again be headquartered at the Orondo River Park.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report
Kokanee fishing on Lake Chelan has been the best in history, and the exciting spring salmon fishery will be underway when Town Ford offers its next free fishing seminar. Area experts will share their secrets to success on catching kokanee and spring salmon at the dealership in East Wenatchee on …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report with Dave Graybill
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report with Dave Graybill
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Success on Chelan
I reported earlier that I had a very tough day fishing for kokanee on Lake Chelan. My group fished hard for many hours and only came up with one fish for our efforts. Well, I wasn't about to give up and went back to Chelan last Sunday to try again. …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Failure on Chelan
One of the first things I wanted to do when I got back from my trip to Belize was to get back to Lake Chelan and catch some more of those big kokanee. I had visions of filling my freezer with prime fillets. Well, I fished Chelan last Thursday, and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Go Fish Belize
I just got back from a week in Belize, fishing for bonefish, permit and tarpon. My wife Eileen and took a group of eight along with us, and we all had a ball. We fished for four days with guides from Go Fish Belize and everyone caught bonefish. Some of …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report with Dave Graybill
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Annual free kids fishing day on Rock Island
This will be a busy weekend in Rock Island. It's the annual free kids fishing day on Saturday, April 20, and fishing families by the hundreds will be showing up to enjoy some great trout fishing and free hot dogs. This event is going on 15 years and thanks to …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Jameson Lake
There is a lot of good news for fans of fishing at Jameson Lake. The lake suffered from algae blooms for a couple of years and fishing was disappointing. This is one of the region's long-time favorites, and I have met families here that have been coming to Jameson for …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Spring trout
Families making plans for the annual opening of the lowland lakes at the end of the month should consider traveling to Okanogan County. Fishing this spring is expected to be very good on the many trout lakes in this region. All of the lakes are ice-free now so trout are …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trout on Upper Goose, Blythe and Corral
The hot kokanee fishing is still going on at Lake Chelan, but trout anglers will be shifting their attention to the Columbia Basin soon as a whole bunch of lakes open to fishing April 1. Right now there are a few year-round lakes that are producing excellent catches of rainbow. …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
Monday, March 18
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Kokanee on Lake Chelan
I got back up to Lake Chelan to get after the kokanee again, and this was my best trip so far. There were a lot of boats launching at Mill Bay and big packs of them off Rocky Point when we made our way down lake. We started off near …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: A great weekend
I made it up to Lake Chelan to see if those big kokanee were actually being caught, and yes they are. I fished last Friday with Shane Magnuson, Upper Columbia Guide Service, and while we tried for kings for a while, we got into the kokanee off Rocky Point.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Action on Wenachee River
With the Methow River closing to steelhead fishing soon and the fishing really slowing on the main stem Columbia River, anglers have the Wenatchee River remaining to chase these prized fish.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Steelhead season comes to an end
I had a great conclusion to my steelhead fishing season.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trout in Burke and Banks Lakes
Trout anglers can expect continued good fishing at the lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area. There were big crowds on Burke, Quincy, Martha and Caliche last weekend, but all of these lakes have plenty of fish in them and will produce great catches for weeks to come.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Quincy Valley Tourism Association's annual trout derby
I know many of you are anxious to learn how the Quincy Valley Tourism Association's annual trout derby turned out, and I have the results. First of all there was great attendance this year. The weather was cloudy but not windy and there was no ice on any of the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Catch limits
Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, has been a favorite of ice fishermen for decades, and the favorite catch has been perch. To assure good fishing for perch through the ice and the balance of the season there was a 25-fish bag limit in place for several years.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Lakes opening
Today, March 1, is a big day here for anglers in the Central Washington region. In addition to the lakes that open to in the Quincy Wildlife Area, and near the town of George, the Methow River has reopened to steelhead fishing.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen's Show Day 1
Today is the first day of the three-day Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen's Show at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee. I hope you can make it down to see this first-ever show dedicated to hunting, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. I will be there every day throughout the show and I …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician:
I was able to get out and fish for steelhead twice recently. My wife Eileen and I ran up to Wells Dam on Monday and fished off the bar below the dam. The flows were great and river wasn't too high.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen's Show
I am very excited about the coming weekend. No, I don't have any fishing plans. I'll be attending the first-ever Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen's Show! The Town Toyota Center is going to be filled with everything hunting and fishing starting on Friday, February 22.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Reopening the Methow for steelhead
The weather in our region continues to be mild, and our area rivers are in great shape. That is great news for anglers fishing for steelhead on the Wenatchee River and there is more good news on the way.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Steelhead on the Wenatchee
The re-opening of steelhead fishing on the Wenatchee and Icicle rivers was welcomed by lots of anglers this past weekend. The weather was perfect; sunny and clear and not too cold. River conditions are great, too, with levels high enough for floating and good for wading. The Wenatchee is open …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Record-setting trout
Big news in our region is the report that a possible new state record lake trout (mackinaw) has been taken from Lake Chelan. Phil Colyar, owner of Colyar Jewelers in Wenatchee, was fishing at Lake Chelan on Monday, February 4th when he landed a whopper lake trout. He knew he …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Seattle Boat Show
The last weekend of the Seattle Boat Show was a busy one. As many as 15,000 people a day passed through the show. There were lots of folks from Central Washington there taking in the sights. I was also able to see some of my West Side friends and business …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Ninth Annual Northwest Ice Fishing Festival
I talked to Robin Stice, organizer of the Ninth Annual Northwest Ice Fishing Festival in Molson recently, and she said everything is going full steam ahead for this year's event. There will be tons of prizes available to participants, and they can count on a great breakfast and Italian Dinner …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: A full "show season"
The "show season" continues in our region and beyond. Makes sense to have indoor activities available for sportsmen this time of year. I spent last weekend checking out the Washington State Sportsmen's Show in Puyallup and being a part of the Seattle Boat Show. I will be going back for …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Triploids at Rufus Woods and steelhead at Bridgeport
I got a call the other day from a friend that had heard that there had been some new triploids released into Rufus Woods Reservoir. If that was true he was going to get up there as soon as he could.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Salmon fishery framework
If you haven't heard the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously adopted a policy that established a new framework for salmon fisheries on the lower Columbia River. Key provisions of the new policy will allocate more of the catch to sport fisheries, gradually shift non-tribal commercial gillnets to …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report with Dave Graybill
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Annual Game Feed and Banquet
One of the events that I look forward to every winter is the Annual Game Feed and Banquet held by the Wenatchee Sportsmen's Association. This is very unique as the dinner features wild game, donated by members and friends and prepared by master chefs. Typical dishes at the banquet will …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Rufus Woods Reservoir
Heavy snowfall prevented most anglers from getting out to their favorite fishing holes in the past week or so. The weather has settled somewhat, though, and I expect that there will be some hardy anglers on Rufus Woods Reservoir. The winter season got off to a slower than usual start …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Weekly Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Seeking steelhead
Eric Granstrom and I hit the road last Saturday and headed up the Columbia looking for steelhead. We made out first stop at Chelan Falls. We tried to fish the hatchery outlet stream area, and down to the bridge. The water was higher than I had ever seen it here. …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Rufus Woods
I have had a few reports from Rufus Woods this winter, but nothing to get excited about. When I checked in Bob Fateley at the Triangle Exxon in Brewster, I finally got the kind of report I have been waiting for. Water temperatures have dropped and the fishing for big …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Changes for gilnetters
If you haven't heard there are some dramatic changes coming for gillnetters on the main stem Columbia River. It began when the Oregon Coastal Conservation Association got a measure on the ballot to remove gillnets. That got the Oregon governor in gear and he set up a work group made …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Columbia River and Potholes
Anglers are continuing to catch steelhead on the main stem Columbia River. I have had reports of steelhead being taken from the point above Rocky Reach all the way up the Okanogan. Water temperatures in the Columbia remain higher than normal for this time of year, and if we get …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Opportunities to catch steelhead abound
We've had a lot of wet but actually pretty mild weather in the region. Anglers that like to chase steelhead have had good conditions for it. The announcement of the closure of the steelhead seasons on several of our rivers here in Central Washington wasn't as severe as anticipated. I …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Mild weather sets stage for more fishing
We've had a lot of wet but actually pretty mild weather in the region. Anglers that like to chase steelhead have had good conditions for it.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician Reports
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Belize
I just got all the details for a trip have planned for next April to Belize.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen's Show
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.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Reports
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Tough weather
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 BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: A good day at Rocky Ford Creek
I mentioned in an earlier report that I was planning at trip to Rocky Ford Creek, and I made it on Thursday. My fishing buddy Tom Barlett and I picked a perfect November day. It was in the 40s with very little wind and there wasn't hardly anyone else fishing …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 11 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trout Unlimited
A good place to get the lowdown on what's going on in fishing in the region is to attend the Icicle Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited's monthly meeting. I did just that recently and really learned what others had been doing and what kind of success they've had. In attendance …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
Weekly Fishin' Magician Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Rocky Ford Creek
I have been having great times fishing for steelhead this season, and it is only going to get better. There are other things to do this time of year, though, and since my wife has the day off on Thursday, we are going to make a trip to Rocky Ford …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Back on the Entiat
I had a great day of steelhead fishing earlier this week, when Rollie Schmitten, Jim Passage and I took Barb's Boat out for another adventure. We wanted to give fishing off the mouth of the Entiat another try, and then do some exploring. Fishing wasn't a good at our spot …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Steelhead off the mouth of the Entiat
I had some fun steelhead fishing late last week. My first trip was with my fishing buddy Rollie Schmitten, off the mouth of the Entiat River on the Columbia. We had just a couple of hours and we had some success here last year.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Search for steelhead
We wanted some rain over here to get some water in our rivers. It would help steelheaders out in many ways. It would move fish further up into the rivers and make floating easier. Enough already! There has been so much rain that all of our tributaries are high and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Colville Tribal Hatchery
My wife Eileen and I took our last trip in my Jetcraft Discovery 1925 last week. A good friend of mine has decided to buy it, and we wanted one more day to enjoy this great boat. Its steelhead season and she loves to fish at Bridgeport, so off we …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: TV on the web
I will be adding an exciting new feature to the FishingMagician.com web site beginning in November. Both the Fishing TV and Cooking TV Shows will be available through the web site and viewers may watch each episode at any time.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
Weekly Report with Dave Graybill the Fishing Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Difficult fishing
Careful what you pray for is an old saying, and anglers that were praying for rain got maybe a bit more then they wanted on our local rivers. Water levels rose sharply and made fishing difficult for anglers fishing from the shore.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Steelhead opening
The upper Columbia and several other rivers opened to steelhead fishing yesterday, and put an end to the waiting for the announcement.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Birthday fishing on Fish Lake
My wife Eileen's birthday wish was to run up to Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee, and spend the afternoon fly fishing for rainbow. This is one of our favorite fall activities. The fall foliage is in bloom and the lake is full of hungry rainbow.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Steelhead Season 2012
This year's steelhead season should open sometime the second week of the month to the middle of the month, according to Jeff Korth, Fish Manager for the Department of Fish and Wildlife in Region 2. We have seen the fish counts over Priest Rapids Dam pass the 15,000 fish mark …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Up and down the Columbia River
If you haven't been down to White Bluffs, the Hanford Reach or Wanapum better make plans. Fishing for fall kings is in full swing on the stretch of the Columbia River. I spent a morning there last week with my buddy Shane Magnuson, of Upper Columbia Guide Service. He had …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Fishing near Leavenworth
Isn't this fall weather something else? Everywhere I go it has been warm and sunny. The windy days just clear out the valleys and I must say that here in Leavenworth we've had great clear days most of the time. If you're like me, you're looking for a good place …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Steelhead season seminar
October is here and that means that we are closer to the opening of steelhead season here in our region. Over 15,000 steelhead have passed over Priest Rapids Dam, and they are all headed for the Wenatchee, Entiat, Okanogan, Methow and Similkameen rivers, as well as the main stem Columbia.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Salmon on the coast
In my previous report I mentioned that I would be traveling from Fish Camp in the Columbia River Gorge to the Oregon coast to do some salmon fishing. This was the second year I have done so in September, and works out to be a very good time to fishing …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Fish Camp
I had a busy past week, putting about a thousand miles on my Ford F-150. I traveled down to the Columbia River Gorge to attend "Fish Camp", and got to fish for walleye and smallmouth bass, as well as meet some great people that manufacture outdoor gear. This is an …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Summer salmon on the Wenatchee
I have been wondering how anglers are doing on the summer run salmon on the Wenatchee River, and wouldn't you know it, I ran into Jeff Stroup making his rounds checking anglers near Leavenworth. He had just got one the night before. Seems like last time I asked him about …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Wanapum Dam, Priest Rapids, and White Bluff
I haven't been able to get down river to fish for fall salmon below Wanapum Dam, Priest Rapids or White Bluff myself, so I checked in with my buddy Shane Magnuson to see if there are any fish being caught down there.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Jameson Lake's second opening
One of the favorite fishing openers we have over here is the second opening of Jameson Lake. This 500-acre lake has been a mecca for anglers for decade. Huge crowds come here for the spring opener and many families I talk to are into their fourth generation of their annual …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Wenatchee River Salmon Festival
It's only a week away: The 22nd Annual Wenatchee River Salmon Festival, starting on Saturday, September 22. This is absolutely the best event for families in the region. There is so much to see and do here that many families make it a weekend.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Tough day of salmon fishing for veteran anglers
We've got great weather forecast for the days ahead, and that should encourage anglers to take advantage of the many great fishing opportunities in our region.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: More triploids in Rufus Woods
If you recall the Trippin' with the Triploids Derby in Bridgeport this past spring was a huge success. Many anglers participated and the organizers did a great job taking care of everyone. They decided that the best use of the proceeds from the event be used to put more triploids …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Slow salmon
Salmon fishing has been slow that past week on the upper Columbia, and I have very anglers out even trying. It is shocking to see so little traffic at the Brewster Pool and Wells Dam after the hordes of anglers at these locations earlier this summer. I blamed the full …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Summer cools off, fishing heats up
This is going to be a great week to get outside and enjoy what our region has to offer.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Summer Chinook
Summer run Chinook fishing is still going strong in Central Washington. Most anglers' efforts are concentrated below Wells Dam, above the dam and off the mouth of the Okanogan River in the Brewster Pool. I fished the Pool recently and had a very slow day. I missed one fish on …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Burn damage
My wife Eileen and I took a drive the other day, and drove from Leavenworth, over Blewett Pass to Cle Elum. We then drove down I-90 to the turn off to the Yakima River Canyon Road. We were interested in seeing this area particularly evidence of the fires that burned …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: A day at Brewster
I got an e-mail from one of my followers recently that really got me pumped to fish the Brewster Pool. I know the kings have been piling up there and wondered how the fishing was. I have had some good reports from some of the guides that I know that …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Good News
I am getting inquiries about the fishing at Curlew Lake. I think people are thinking about the big holiday weekend coming up. Curlew is one of my favorite places, too, so I touched base with Doug at Tiffany's Resort. He had a lot of good news for anglers.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Sockeye limits raised for anglers
There is some terrific fishing going on here in our region. The fishing for summer-run Chinook salmon is occupying much of the attention of anglers, or course. The big news though is the announcement that the daily bag limit on sockeye salmon at Lake Wenatchee has been raised to five …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Year of the Salmon
This has been a banner year for salmon fishing here in Central Washington. Sockeye salmon returns have been the big story this season, with a record return to the upper Columbia River. Over 300,000 have passed over Wells Dam and there are still fish trickling up the system. The return …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Rules on Lake Wenatchee
Here's some great news for those who enjoy fishing for sockeye salmon. There is an expanded bag limit announced for sockeye on Lake Wenatchee. The season started with a bag limit of three, which is one higher than in past years, and now it has been raised to five fish …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Hot bites on the line as summer keeps heating up
The weather continues to be hot here in Central Washington, and so is the fishing for summer run salmon in the Brewster Pool and below Wells Dam. Bright fish continue to move up the Columbia and anglers are finding them willing to bite off the mouth of the Okanogan River.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Difficult decisions
I am faced with a tough choice these days. The fishing for Chinook salmon on the upper Columbia, particularly at the Brewster Pool and below Wells Dam is very good right now. Another fishing opportunity I wait for every summer just got started, and that's fly fishing our small streams. …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Salmon and Trout
Sockeye salmon are still being caught in the Brewster Pool, but most anglers are switching their attention to the kings that are swarming off the mouth of the Okanogan River. I had heard that the action on Lake Wenatchee for sockeye had slowed down, but then came back.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
King Salmon reigns supreme in Central Washington
Central Washington is salmon central right now. Big Chinook are being caught from Wenatchee up to Brewster. Sockeye salmon are still being taken in good numbers in the Brewster Pool.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Salmon from Wenatchee to Brewster
Sockeye salmon fishing continues to be big news in our region. The forecast for Lake Wenatchee is now even higher than the initial expectation of 30,000 fish. Those that monitor this fishery believe that the final number of sockeye to reach Lake Wenatchee could be as high as 40,000
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Derby winners
Brewster derby organizers once again did an excellent job of putting everything together to make the event run smoothly. There was a brand new double wide launch this year, with a 300-foot dock, that made getting on and off the water much faster, too.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Wenatchee Salmon
Anglers are now chasing sockeye salmon on Lake Wenatchee and fishing for summer Chinook in the Wenatchee River. There are over 30,000 sockeye salmon expected to move through Lake Wenatchee on their way to their spawning grounds in the White River. This is well over the 23,000 needed for escapement. …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
End of record sockeye season finally in sight
Fishing boats are gathering in huge numbers to troll for the record number of sockeye that are moving up the Columbia and entering the Okanogan River. Even on a weekday there will be a hundred boats in the Brewster Pool, and on the weekend over 250 boats are found here.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Small fish outside of Leavenworth
As many of you know, one of my favorite things to take my light weight fly rod and wade the upper Icicle outside of Leavenworth. The fish are small, but the water is cool on a hot summer day, and the solitude and scenery is something special.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Possible Sockeye on Lake Wenatchee
I am getting a lot of questions about whether or not there will be a sockeye season on Lake Wenatchee. I have stopped by Tumwater Dam and have observed them surfacing in the smooth water at the outlet of the fish ladder above the dam. I visited with the folks …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Sockeyes dominate the summer fishing scene
Sockeye fishing on the Upper Columbia River is dominating the fishing scene here in Central Washington.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Brewster Salmon Derby tickets selling fast
The annual Budweiser-Lowrance King Salmon Derby sponsored by the Brewster Chamber of Commerce kicks off next Friday, and if the warm weather holds, it there could be great fishing for kings in the Brewster Pool. The Okanogan River is warming and that will hold the kings off the mouth.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Sockeye and the Brewster Salmon Derby
Sockeye are teaming in the Brewster Pool and kings are being caught now, too. The water temperature in the Okanogan River has warmed up, forming the thermal barrier that makes fishing for salmon off the mouth the best in the region.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Catching sockeye
Sockeye fishing is going great guns in the Brewster Pool on upper Columbia River. As many as 100 boats can be found here, trolling along the channel well below the Okanogan River mouth and right up to where the river enters the Columbia. Anglers that get on the water at …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
King action explodes for anglers on the Columbia
The salmon fishing action on the upper Columbia River exploded this past week, with anglers scoring excellent numbers of kings during the CCA Salmon Derby in Wenatchee.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Sockeye and Bass
Sockeye fishing is red hot from Wanapum Dam all the way up to the Brewster Pool right now. Anglers are limiting on fish that average 4 to 5 pounds with some even larger. Crowds of boats can be seen below Wanapum, and as many as 35 boats are fishing above …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Three events
I have three dates that I want you to mark on your calendars, for three events coming up very soon. The first is the appearance of the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch skipper Sig Hansen's at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee on July 20. Ticket holders will not only get …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Town Ford offers free salmon seminar
If you would like to get more details on exactly how Shane Magnuson, Upper Columbia Guide Service, rigs for summer runs kings, you will want to attend the seminar at Town Ford on Wednesday, July 25th, starting at 6 p.m.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Deadliest Catch Crab Feed
This has to be one of the cleverest ideas I have seen to promote a show at the Town Toyota Center. They are bringing the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch skipper Sig Hansen to town on Friday, July 20th. To help get people to come they are having a crab feed …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Sockeye on the Columbia
Have you been checking the fish counts? Sockeye numbers are taking off on the Columbia. The total for one day over Priest Rapids was 24,000! There are way 460,000 over Bonneville, so the run is going to be even bigger than the forecast. It could be a half-million, who knows? …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Evergreen Reservoir
My wife Eileen and I often try Evergreen Reservoir over the 4th of July holiday. We usually catch the fireworks in the evening and the Evergreen is a quick trip. It's just outside of Quincy and makes a nice day trip from Leavenworth. This year we found the reservoir still …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: CCA Wenatchee River Salmon Derby
The first annual CCA Wenatchee River Salmon Derby is just a week away, and I hope you have your tickets. Summer run salmon numbers over Rock Island Dam are climbing daily, and if trends follow those of last year they are about to really spike. I expect summer run salmon …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Salmon below Wanapum Dam
Conditions can be rough below Wanapum Dam, but salmon anglers that brave the high water and waves are being rewarded with good catches of summer run salmon and sockeye. Small numbers of what is to be a very strong run of kings are below the dam, but they are in …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Cruisin' the Washington Fossil Freeway
I got a note from the folks at the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Eocene Fossil Site, in Republic. Until July 8 they have a special exhibit on loan from the Burke Museum in Seattle. The "Cruisin' the Washington Fossil Freeway" exhibit is a collaboration of art by renowned artist Ray …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Summer of chinook and sockeye
Summer-run Chinook are starting to make their way up the Columbia River to the Wenatchee area. There are just a few hundred over Rock Island Dam, but they are passing over Bonneville at a rate of almost 2,500 a day. The numbers over Bonneville will jump even higher soon.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Sea of Cortez
You may remember that I traveled to Loreto, Mexico in May. I was there looking for a good guide service and resort for a trip to fish the Sea of Cortez. I have always wanted to fish this sea, and I found some great people and a resort to make …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: More Walleye
Walleye fishing at Banks Lake is great right now, and it appears that it will be good this season, in spite of the fears that the draw down last year would have negative effects. Very good numbers of walleye in the 20-inch plus category are being taken, and even a …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Bass Rising
I have had good reports on the bass fishing at Banks Lake already this year, and I think it's about to get even better. I fished the south end with Keith Jensen this week, and we had an amazing day. Water temperatures have been lower than usual and the smallmouth …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Seeking Kokanee
Kokanee fishing continues to be excellent at Lake Chelan. When you drive into town you will see most of the boats just up from Lakeside Park and out I the middle. That's where big schools of the fish are located and trollers are pounding away at them.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: The Hidden Walleye
This could be a great season for walleye on Banks Lake, if you make some adjustments. Last year the lake was drawn down and refilled and that has changed things. The main difference is that there is very little if any weed growth. As a result anglers are finding walleye …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Kokanee at Lake Chelan
Anglers continue to take big kokanee at Lake Chelan and they are finding them in deeper water than they are used to in the lower basin. The main schools haven't arrived off Lakeside Park in the shallows yet. You'll find most boats fishing out in the middle of the lake …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Chief Joseph Dam opening
There is not just good fishing but great fishing available to anglers in Central Washington right now. I did some trout fishing at Fish Lake near Lake Wenatchee last week and had excellent action for rainbow and brown trout to 12 inches, and even got a triploid of about 6 …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trout on Lake Wenatchee
If you want to get some fast action for rainbow trout, consider Fish Lake, near Lake Wenatchee. I took Mike McKee, owner of Mike's Meat and Farmers Market, and a couple of his friends out the other day and we were very busy. We fished from about 10 until 2 …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Walleye on Moses Lake, Bass on Banks Lake
I finally got a chance to fish for walleye on Moses Lake, and had a great time. The bite, which is not unusual with walleye fishing, was sporadic, but my two fishing buddies and I had six nice fish in the live well by mid afternoon. We had a double …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Kids Fishin-Day registration
There is still time to register for the free Kids Fishin-Day at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery in Leavenworth. There are spaces available starting at 8 a.m. through 1 p.m. This is great way to introduce kids age 5 to 12 and their families to fishing. There are educational stations …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Kids Fish-In Day
There's a great event for kids coming up on June 2nd, and you still have time to register. It's the annual Kids Fish-In Day at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, and this is a very special event-that's free! Families with children age five to 12 years old are invited to …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Walleye on Moses Lake
Boy am I excited. I have been getting some great reports on walleye fishing on Moses Lake and I am going! I have usually been on Moses a couple of times by now, but since I have been on the road so much this is my first opportunity.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Spring Salmon Season on Icicle River
Good news for anglers is the opening of the spring salmon season on the Icicle River, Over 2,000 spring salmon have passed over Rock Island Dam and the majority of them are headed for the Icicle River. The hatchery needs just 1,000 fish to sustain the run, so there will …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trippin' with the Triploids Derby
The first annual Trippin' with the Triploids Derby in Bridgeport was a huge success. The weather was perfect and the 235 anglers that entered the derby had a fantastic time. Lots of fish were brought into the weigh station at Willow Point on Rufus Woods Reservoir.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Kokanee Season
This looks like it could be one of the best kokanee fishing seasons in a few years at Lake Chelan. There are very large schools of fish being graphed deep in the Narrows down to above the Yacht Club, but fishing in the lower basin is still very, very slow. …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Spring Salmon Season
Anglers have been very nervous about the spring salmon season on the lower Columbia River. Dam counts were very low, but did take serious uptick last week. Although the spring salmon numbers may not reach forecasts levels, salmon fishers enjoyed fair to good fishing last week.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: 2nd Annual Pike Minnow Derby
There are a number of things to look forward to in May. Trout fishing on our area lakes should continue to be very good, and I am hoping to see the kokanee start to show up in the lower basin of Lake Chelan. I have seen a photo of a …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trout near the Wenatchee Valley
Anglers looking to fill a stringer with fat rainbow don't have to travel far from the Wenatchee Valley. I shaved down the list of 17 lakes that Department of Fish and Wildlife sent me from the opening Saturday of the trout season to a top ten, and there were three …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Grant County Fishing
Trout lakes performed very well throughout the region on the opening of the fishing season. Good weather played a part in angler participation, and although overall it looked like traffic was down compared to earlier years, thousands packed the campgrounds and parks in Eastern Washington.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Eastern Washington trout opening
The opening weekend of trout fishing in Eastern Washington was one of the best in years. Anglers were greeted with sunny skies and calm weather, and trout fishing was very good on most of the lakes in the region. My wife and I visited seven lakes in Okanogan County on …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trippin' with the Triploids Derby
The entries are flying in now as the date gets closer for the Trippin' with the Triploids Derby nears. At a recent seminar held at Town Ford in East Wenatchee, a large percentage of those that attended were there to see what Anton Jones of Darrell and Dads Family Guide …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trout in Okanogan County
Okanogan County is rich with great trout fishing lakes, and this year there are some old favorites that anglers will find particularly good. Popular Alta Lake, near Pateros, has been planted with 2,000 fat rainbow and 400 triploid rainbow for the general lowland lake opener this weekend. Further up the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Trout in the Wenatchee Valley
The opening of the lowland lakes for trout fishing is coming up this weekend, and anglers in the Wenatchee Valley don't have to travel far to find some lakes that are loaded with fat rainbow. Near Rock Island, just south of East Wenatchee, Big Bow Lake, Hammond Lake and Putters …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Lakes near Rock Island
Anglers that like to fish for trout in our area lakes, and don't want to wait until the end of April should consider trying the lakes near Rock Island. Three of the lakes down there have already received good plants of larger than usual rainbow and with the recent warm …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Town Ford seminar
I am looking forward to the seminar at Town Ford on Wednesday, April 25th. It's always great to get together with a bunch of anglers and share information. I sure appreciate Town Ford providing their dealership for these seminars. They go to a lot of effort to make sure we …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Boating and Fuel Tips
I put the Jetcraft on the water this week at Lake Chelan. It was a shake down cruise to check out everything, including a new Minn Kota bow mount. Everything worked like a dream. I was happy to have both my big motor and kicker start right up after the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: This year at Banks Lake
I know that walleye and bass anglers are curious about what will be happening at Banks Lake this year, so I checked in with the folks at Coulee Playland to get their take on it. Lou here had some good advice. One primary thing to consider is that all the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Coming Soon
There are some free events coming up this month that anglers won't want to miss. The first ones are the free kids fishing events. The City of Rock Island once again is welcoming anglers under the age of 15 and their families to come down and enjoy the trout fishing …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Weather woes
Largely due to poor weather conditions the turnout for the April Fools opener was very low this year and the catch rates were low as well. No one was observed fishing the Pillar-Widgeon Chain of lakes, and those who tried the Hamptons and Teals had disappointing results. The catch rate …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: What's up in April
April is a busy fishing month. There was the big "April Fools" opener in the Columbia Basin on the 1st of the month, and then the lowland lake general trout season opener at the end of the month. In between there are a couple of kids fishing days. These free …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Columbia Wildlife Refuge and Dry Falls Lake
This weekend will be a busy one in the Columbia Wildlife Refuge, south of Potholes Reservoir. This will be the first opportunity for thousands of anglers to fish the trout and spiny ray lakes that open to fishing on April 1st. I will be visiting these lakes and will be …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: April Fools Opener
Monday April 1st is the Annual "April Fools Opener", with a couple dozen lakes becoming available to anglers in the Columbia Wildlife Refuge. This region is dotted with lakes that are spread across the high desert from Potholes Reservoir down to Othello. Many of the lakes are managed for trout …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Early Spring Walleye
My fishing buddy Rollie Schmitten and I traveled to Northport, which is just south of the Canadian Border on the Columbia River, and spent two days fishing. This stretch of the Columbia flows much like it has for eons and the water is big and often wild.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Steelhead season
After some serious number crunching and arm twisting steelhead seasons have reopened on the Wenatchee, Icicle and Methow rivers. Fish managers were eager to get these streams opened to remove excess hatchery-reared steelhead and increase the ability of wild fish to spawn. All of these rivers are selective fisheries, no …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: On the Okanogan
I sure picked a great day to fish the Okanogan River. It was snowing hard, but the lower river was free of ice and Jerrod Gibbons, of Okanogan Valley Guide Service was able to run his jet sled all the way up to Rattle Snake. Getting there wasn't so bad.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Walleye with Rick Novegno
I had a great day of walleye fishing on Lake Roosevelt recently. I fished with Rick Novegno, of Big Wally's Guide Service and his son Hayden out of Two Rivers. We were breaking ice in the marina on way out, but the main lake was clear. We didn't have to …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Empty lakes
While the "put and take" lakes in the Quincy area provided anglers with good fishing on the March 1st opener and the first weekend, the quality lakes didn't do the same. According to Chad Jackson, Department of Fish and Wildlife in Ephrata, few anglers tried the lakes and those that …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Prizes at Burke Lake
The Quincy Valley Tourism Association's 2nd Annual Tagged Trout Derby at Burke Lake was a huge success. Anglers were greeted by very heavy winds last Saturday, but it didn't stop them from catching lots of rainbow, including the $2,000.00 grand prize fish! Calvin Yamamoto of Quincy was the lucky angler.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Spring Fishing
Anglers that look forward to the spring perch fishing at Moses Lake will have to wait a bit longer. The ice is pretty much gone from the lake, but the bite in the vicinity of the I-90 Bridge has yet to develop. No crowds of anglers can be seen in …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Coming Attractions
There's still time to register for the tagged trout derby at Burke Lake coming up on Saturday, March 3rd. There are two tagged trout in the lake that are worth a total of $3,000.00, and there many other prizes that will be handed out to anglers at the event. If …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Where's Walleye?
Anglers are getting the itch to catch some walleye and they are getting some relief by fishing near Two Rivers on Lake Roosevelt, and at the upper end of Rufus Woods Reservoir. The points outside of the Spokane Arm is where the walleye anglers are concentrating their efforts and there …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Where the wild fish are
No one knows exactly why but the fishing for trout and kokanee hasn't been anything close to what it usually is this time of year on Lake Roosevelt. Anglers fishing out of Spring Canyon are either getting a few fish or getting blanked. Even Rufus Woods has been hot and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: After the 8th Annual NW Ice Fishing Festival
Close to one hundred adults and youth bought entries in the 8th Annual NW Ice Fishing Festival at Molson this year, and in spite of very poor fishing (not a single fish caught) the event was a big success. There was a great pancake breakfast and Italian-style dinner and it …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Family fishing derbies
Fishing families can participate in a couple of fishing derbies in our area this spring. The tagged trout derby at Burke Lake on Saturday, March 3rd is the first where big cash prize and other items can be won by those who fish in it. There are really fun, free …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Lake openings near Quincy and George
On March 1st there is the yearly opening of several lakes in the Quincy Wildlife Area and near the town of George. Things really look good for anglers for this opener for a couple of reasons. Fishing should be very good again at Martha Lake. The number and size of …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Ice Fishing for Perch
What's a perch lover supposed to do? Winchester Way is not even close to what it used to be. The marina at Coulee City is still filling and the fish haven't moved in. The ice fishing didn't happen like last year on Moses Lake, and although the ice is clearing …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: NW Ice Fishing Fest in Molson
I'm really looking forward to this weekend. It will be my first visit to the NW Ice Fishing Fest in Molson, and I am way behind a crowd of other regular anglers.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Disappointment at Rocky Ford
I got to spend an afternoon at Rocky Ford, and once again the Ford treated me and my fishing partners badly. It wasn't the first time. Rocky Ford can be that way. I was in pretty good fishing company, too. Darc Knobel from the Desert Fly Angler in Ephrata and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: 8th Annual Ice Fishing Festival
I am going to attend the 8th Annual Ice Fishing Festival in Molson, which is near Oroville, Washington this year. If you want to do some pre-fishing to get an edge on the derby aspect of the event, I learned some things about the fishing on Molson and Sidley lakes.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Returning from Shows
I have been on the road a lot lately. I traveled to Puyallup for the Washington Sportsmen's Show and then onto Seattle for the big Boat Show. These were great to attend. I met a lot of great people, saw some amazing products, and even shot some video for the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Perch and Triploids
I am getting a huge amount of snow at my home in Leavenworth, and what I get reflects what is piling up at Fish Lake. However, those that are willing to slog through the snow and drill holes in the ice up there are finding the perch bite quite good. …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: 8th Annual NW Ice Fishing Festival
It's less than a month away, so better make a note in your calendar and plan to attend the 8th Annual NW Ice Fishing Festival at Molson and Sidley lakes, near Oroville. The event will take place on the Saturday of President's Day weekend. There will be prizes for big …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Upcoming derbies
There were some other derbies announced at the recent meeting of the CCA in Wenatchee. The very popular Budweiser/Lowrance King Salmon Derby in Brewster will be held on August 3rd through the 5th this summer. The big fish prize will be $1,500.00 for adults and $500.00 in the 14 and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Coastal Conservation Association
The recent meeting of the local chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association was held in Wenatchee and had a different twist. Many local guides and other companies attended and shared information about their services prior to the meeting. Brian Irwin, Washington Director of the CCA gave a brief presentation about …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: With Stuart Hurd at Rufus Woods
I got up to Rufus Woods Reservoir and fished with Stuart Hurd and a few of his buddies. Of course I picked the coldest day yet, but we had a great time in spite of the freezing weather. We put in above the dam at the Corps of Engineers launch …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Angling tips
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Good places for ice fishing
I told you all about my trip up to Fish Lake. There is plenty of ice but it was really sloppy on top. You need a good pair of boots if you plan to fish there. I got a report on Roses Lake recently. There is ice on the lake, …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: The recent endeavors of Joe Heinlen
I talked to Joe Heinlen, Lake Chelan Adventures the other day. He has been busy fishing for lake trout on Lake Chelan and on Rufus Woods for triploids. I want to get up there and do a show on winter fishing on Rufus and he is willing to help me …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: On Fish Lake with Terry Rudnick
My friend Terry Rudnick, author of Washington Fishing, was over for a visit and staying in Plain. This gave me the opportunity to do two things. One was to tape an interview with him on the new edition of the book, which will be out in March, and to do …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: A busy month
Most folks that aren't part of the fishing crowd think that January is a dead month. That's far from the truth. There is a ton of great fishing going on in January, and there are some special events in January each year, too.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: January Plans
Happy New Year everyone! We had a great fishing year in 2011, and I anticipate some fabulous fishing in 2012. In January I hope to get out and do some ice fishing on a few of our area lakes. This is the month for ice anglers to try perch fishing …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Happy New Year!
This is my last report for the year of 2011, and it has been a great year for reports. I have been able to announce some first-time-ever seasons on our local waters. This speaks well for recovery efforts on all of our species that make their way from the Pacific …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Ice Fishing on Fish Lake
I have been checking around the region to see if there is ice forming on our area lakes. I have a buddy coming here around the end of the month and I want to take him up to Fish Lake, drill some holes and catch some perch. It sounds like …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Thank you, Town Ford!
I want to give a shout out to our friends at Town Ford. They have been providing a place for us anglers to get together for seminars for the past couple of years now, and by the attendance it appears that this is something that you all appreciate. Be sure …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Get Ready for Early Closures
We may see an early closure to some of our steelhead waters here in Central Washington this season. There are a few factors that contributed to this possibility.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Steelhead on the Move
There's good news and bad news for anglers that like to fish for steelhead in the smaller rivers in our region. The cold temperatures we've experienced have impacted our streams and the results are two fold. One is that the rivers are running very low and slow. This makes it …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Northern Pike on the Pend Oreille
I got a news release regarding northern pike on the Pend Oreille River, which is in the far northeast corner of the state. It seems that these fish, which migrated from rivers in Montana and are now showing up in the Columbia River near the Canadian border. The fish have …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Pateros is still great
I got another chance to fish with Shane Magnuson at Pateros. I went up to finish a segment for the new TV Show and, thanks to the folks at the Lake Pateros Motor Inn, spent the night and then headed out with Shane and his buddies in the morning. On …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: No more Methow for now
In spite of very touch conditions my friend Kevin van Bueren managed to take a very nice steelhead on the Methow River recently. I have mentioned that slush and shelf ice is a real problem on the Methow, but he was up for the challenge.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Too much ice, not enough fishing
Anglers that enjoy fishing the Methow River may want to wait a while before planning a trip up there. The river is getting very icy. I recently fished on the Methow and the consistently very chilly overnight temperatures are causing problems. It takes until about mid day for the loose, …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Waiting for the ice
Rollie Schmitten and I traveled to Carlton, on the Methow River and met Keith Roe earlier this week. We used the parking area at the launch site and set up shop to tape a session for the new television show. The skies were clear, no wind at all, and a …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Now on cable television!
I should have some great current information on fishing the Methow River for you. I am busy shooting video for the new cable television show and have lined up a couple of trips with a couple of people that really know their stuff when it comes to fishing the Methow.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Steelhead on The Rocks
I jumped on board Shane Magnuson's boat to do some video on steelhead fishing for the new television show the other day, and had a blast. His two clients I had fished with before, down at Drano Lake. Bob Hall and Pete Flones sure picked a good time to come …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 11 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Heading to Belize
As many of you may know I have traveled to Belize a couple of times and have had some great fishing for bonefish, tarpon and other species that are found in abundance here. Learning that Belize has the second largest barrier reef in the world got my attention, and that …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 12 YEARS, 12 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Colville Hatchery
After a slow day at Wells Dam I decided to travel back up to Bridgeport for steelhead. I had my friend Tom Vershuren from the west side along, for this first time trying bobber and jig fishing. There were a couple of boats fishing up river from the launch, so …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician: Wells Dam
I made a trip to Wells Dam the other day. I usually start fishing here later in the steelhead season, but I just had to give it a try. The steelhead counts are very good again this year and I hoped that some of them were resting below the dam. …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Walleye in Central Washington
I talked to Gordon Steinmetz the other day. You may remember that Steinmetz owned Big Wally's in Coulee City for many years, founded the Big Wally's Walleye Tournament, and was a noted walleye guide on Central Washington waters. He now spends as much of his time as possible on his …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Regional Rivers
While I have been concentrating on fishing the upper Columbia for steelhead, many anglers are having a great time on the smaller rivers in our region.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS AGO
Fishin' Magician: Banks Lake
I got a great report from a friend of mine, Dave Massey, on Banks Lake. He is a member of the Central Washington Bass Club, and I joined him on his boat during one of their club tournaments on Moses Lake. He two of his fishing buddies had a very …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS AGO
Fishin' Magician: The Grande Ronde
I made it. My wife and fished the Grande Ronde with Brian Nielson and what a great experience. I tried to compare the Grande Ronde with the Yakima, the Deschutes in Oregon and other rivers that I have fished in the past, but none of them fit. Floating this river …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS AGO
Fishing Season Extended
We knew that there was a bumper crop of fall Chinook headed for the Hanford Reach area on the Columbia River this year, and they did show up. So many have arrived to the upper Columbia that the season on fall Chinook in the Hanford Reach has been extended.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Steelhead, Coho and Kings
If you're an angler, what better place is there to live than Central Washington? Just take a look at what's happening at the mouth of the Wenatchee River right now. Anglers are taking grand slams, which includes fresh, bright steelhead, Coho Salmon and big Chinook, all in the same morning!
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Bass at Banks Lake
I finally made a trip up to Banks Lake to check out the low water conditions. I wanted to see how much water was left in this big pond. There's plenty. I launched at Coulee Playland, and the ramp there is great.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Fishing At Wanapum, Wells
Anglers fishing for fall run Kings below Wanapum Dam, and at Vernita are catching very good numbers of fish, and some big ones, too. There are even more fall runs expected to return to these areas of the Columbia than last year, and last season was a dandy down here.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Salmon and Steelhead season open
The Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced the opening of coho salmon fisheries on three rivers here in Central Washington. The rivers include the Wenatchee, Icicle and Methow.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishing the Oregon Coast
Did I tell you I was going to do some fishing off the coast of
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Oregon Salmon Fishing
Did I tell you I was going to do some fishing off the coast of Oregon? Well I did recently, and it was a great experience. I was fishing where the Nehalem River meets the Pacific as the guest of a former top guide in this area that now lives …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Open Season on steelhead
If you haven't heard, the steelhead season is open now in the Central Washington Region. The number of fish is exceeding what was expected and my go over 20,000 this year.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Hover fishing with Herb Good
I mentioned in my last report that I have been away for a while and had been at Fish Camp. While I was there I got a chance to fish in the Columbia River Gorge near Biggs and off the mouth of the White Salmon River, with retired guide Herb …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 1 MONTH AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Low tide, good fishing at Banks
As forecast the water level at Banks Lake is dropping, at a rate of about a half a foot a day right now. Anglers and boaters that enjoy the lake aren't out of business. There is a good launch at Coulee Playland at Electric City. It is being used now, …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Algae warning, good triploid in Rufus
You may have heard about a water quality warning issued by the Washington State Department of Health about Rufus Woods Reservoir. Apparently there is a heavier than normal bloom of algae in the reservoir. The levels of algae could be harmful if ingested in large quantities. The warning cautioned people …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Salmon fishing patchy on Wenatchee
If you have been sharpening your hooks in anticipation of a sockeye season on Lake Wenatchee, you can put your gear away. The number of sockeye that have been counted over the Tumwater Dam is far below what is needed for a season this year. It does seem odd as …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 2 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Sparse fishing, spectacular views on Icicle
I just had to do it. I couldn't wait any longer to rig up my fly rod and give the Icicle River a try. I knew the water would be high and cold, but if I didn't get at it I may not get any fly fishing on this river …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Wenatchee River open for salmon, Stamp available
A recent news release from the Department of Fish and Wildlife reminded anglers that the opening of the Wenatchee River to salmon fishing was made possible by funding through the Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement Stamp program.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Salmon fishing improves on upper Columbia
There is a lot of good news for anglers interested in fishing here in Central Washington. Water levels are settling down, just in time for the arrival of summer run salmon to upper Columbia River.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Tipton wins King Derby, Brewster salmon improves
A nice surge of salmon entered the Brewster Pool last weekend, and really helped boost the numbers of fish caught during the Budweiser-Lowrance King Salmon Derby. The total catch was off from last year, but anglers fill the top 20 spots on the leader board with big kings.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Chief Joe slows down as fish move north
There were more anglers fishing the Columbia below Chief Joseph Dam when I last tried it, this past Thursday. The action wasn't quite as good as it was the first time I fished, the day it opened August 1st.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report: Chief Joseph trip yields plentiful trout
I was able to sneak away and fish for triploid rainbow below Chief Joseph Dam on August 1st, the first day of the special season. My wife Eileen and I launched the Jetcraft at the park in Bridgeport and headed straight for one of our favorite steelhead fishing spots up …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician - Good perch makes for a great meal for two
The summer run salmon fishing on the upper Columbia is heating up. The triploid fishing on Rufus Woods continues to be red hot, and the walleye fishing has been good here, too. Being the contrary guy that I am, I decided to do something different.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician - New and exciting fisheries
There are a couple of new and very exciting fisheries pending here in Central Washington. Starting as early as August 1st, there could be an opening of fishing for triploid rainbow trout above Brewster. As most anglers know, there was a huge release of triploids from the net pens on …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician - Salmon fishing taking a turn for the better
Salmon fishing has taken a definite turn for the better on the upper Columbia in the Wenatchee area. Some very big, and I mean 40 pounds, have been landing here lately and these early summer runs are beautiful. Heavy currents have made the artificial lures, like the Super Bait, the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician: Big summer runs
Summer run salmon are pouring up the Columbia River, and although heavy flows continue to hamper angler's efforts, there are both Chinook and sockeye being caught. Many are still making it to the big eddy below Wanapum Dam, their destination, but fishing in the Wenatchee area is very much worth …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician: Big season "happening" ... Hooked on Toys
Hooked on Toys in Wenatchee is the place to be this coming weekend. The Berkley Experience Trailer is coming to town and this is a very big deal. I remember what it was like last year, and it's the biggest "happening" for anglers the whole season. It's not easy to …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician: From Wells Dam, Okanogan
I checked with Bob Fateley at the Triangle Exxon in Brewster to see how the fishing for summer run Chinook and sockeye was going up there and got disappointing news. His word for the action was "dead". Very few Chinook are being taken in the Brewster Pool as yet, and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician: Kids Trout Derby
The Icicle Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is kicking off summer trout fishing with their annual Kids Trout Derby at the Juvenile Pond on Blackbird Island in Leavenworth. The event will take place on Saturday, July 23rd, starting at 8 a.m.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician: Summer runs... running a little late this year
There are some nice bright, big salmon being taken on the upper Columbia River in the vicinity of Wenatchee, but fishing is still better at Wanapum. However, that is about to change.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician: Ray Stanley bass tourney this weekend
Wow. I almost forgot to tell all you bass fishin' guys about the Annual Ray Stanley Memorial Tournament in Pateros. It's coming up this Saturday, July 16th. This will be the 21st year for the tourney, and there is always room for a few more boats to join in on …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician: Great fishing at Wanapum Dam, Gibbon says
There are summer run salmon being taken in the Wenatchee area, but the best catches of kings in the early season are once again coming from below Wanapum Dam.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician: New guest at Rufus Woods fishing party
My wife hadn't had the opportunity to try the fishing at Rufus Woods yet, so last Sunday I drove around the long way and put the boat in a Seatons Grove. The parking lot was packed and when I ran down river to the Nespelem Bar across from the upper …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - June 24th
Fishing the Icicle River is always a great experience. I can't think of a prettier river to float this time of year. Everything is green, except the snowcapped peaks that loom over you as you make your way down the river. The fact that the fishing is darn good adds …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Last weekend brings big fishing on the Icicle River
Boy, what a great week. I made two more trips up to Rufus Woods for triploid rainbow, and I did a float down the Icicle River, where the spring salmon are showing up in great numbers this year. It was a week of big fish and lots of them. If …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - June 22nd
I've made a couple more trips up to Rufus Woods and have had good fishing both times. Not the red hot fishing I had at the net pens on my first trip, but my fishing buddies and I came home with a cooler so heavy it was hard to lift.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - June 20th
The kokanee are running small at Lake Chelan this year, and it never really developed at Billy Clapp. There are some big ones in Lake Roosevelt, if you can find them. If you want to catch a bunch, up to 12 inches, think about a trip to Buffalo Lake.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - June 17th
If you haven't heard, fishing for triploid rainbow at Rufus Woods Reservoir is hot right now. I had heard reports of fish kills due to nitrogen saturation below Coulee Dam and that all the fish in the pens had died. Well, apparently some have survived. The river is full of …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - Wednesday, June 15
Everyone learned a lot at the seminar held at Town Ford the other night.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - Monday, June 13
I have been to Moses Lake a couple of times this year, and have had pretty good walleye fishing on both occasions. I recently made another trip to Moses, and this time I was a guest angler in one of the Central Washington Bass Club's tournaments.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - June 10th
Fathers Day will be here before you know it, and I hope you have made plans. My brother Rick and I always sneak out in the morning with my Dad and often arrive late for the family gathering. We have fished at Moses Lake for walleye, Rufus Woods for triploid …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - June 8th
Tis the season for kids fishing days. I have already had three from Moses Lake to Rock Island to the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, but there are three more coming up this weekend. You probably still have time to register for the one in Moses Lake. Get in touch with …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - June 6th
The free seminar at Town Ford is just a couple of days away, and I hope you have it marked as one of the things you’re going to do on Wednesday. The seminar will be held at Town Ford’s new location in East Wenatchee across from Costco and just up …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - June 3rd
I have been trying to get back up to Lake Chelan and take some folks fishing, but am having a hard time scheduling when the sun is shining. There are plenty of sunny days, just not the ones when I can go. There are a lot of great things going …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - June 1st
Wow. Hard to believe it’s June already, especially with the chilly, wet weather we’ve had. There are some good things coming up in June, though. One of them is the opening of Grimes Lake for fishing. Grimes is located just north of the top end of Jameson Lake and is …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - May 30th
I have two dates that I want to you remember. The first is Saturday June 4th, which is when the annual Kids Fish-In Day happens at the National Fish Hatchery in Leavenworth. There have been some changes this year, the most important to note is that it is now a …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - May 27th
I did something new and different last weekend. I fished for channel catfish off the mouth of the Walla Walla River, where it enters the Columbia. Don Huffman, a guide that lives in Wenatchee, goes down there every year in the spring, and this is the first time that I …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - May 25th
Walleye fishing throughout the region has really taken off in past couple of weeks, and we'll know a lot more about how the fishing is at Banks Lake. The annual Big Walleye's Tournament occurred last weekend. When I get the results we will all know how the fishing is at …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - May 23rd
I made my first walleye trip of the year, and tried my luck at Moses Lake. I met a couple of fishing buddies at the ramp at Connelly Park and we headed up the lake. It was a stellar day to be out on the water. The sun was shining …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - May 20
It never fails. Just about when we can expect the Icicle River to open to spring salmon fishing the rivers blow out, and I mean really blow out. The Wenatchee at Plain reached over 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and the river at Peshastin and Monitor went over 15,000 …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - May 16th
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - May 13th
I have found what the fishing for kokanee is like at Lake Chelan, and I am anxious to get down to Moses Lake or Potholes to do some walleye fishing soon.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - May 11th
I finally made it to Lake Chelan to find out if the kokanee had moved into the lower basin, and if I could catch a few. They were in the lower basin and I did catch, just a few.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - April 29
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - April 27
The general opening season of the lowland lakes is just a couple of days away, and I hope you are prepared. I made a trip up to Fish Lake recently, just be sure I have everything I need to venture out on the water this season.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - April 25
This is a huge weekend for anglers. It's the opening of the lowland lake fishing season and thousands of anglers will be hitting the lakes in our region, primarily looking for trout. I will be out checking on the lakes and to see how anglers are doing on Saturday, and …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - April 15
The golden triangle, which is made up of Lake Roosevelt, Banks Lake and Rufus Woods Reservoir, continues to keep anglers busy.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - April 13
I have been away and had a great time with my family on Lopez Island in the San Juans. This is the second year that my Dad arranged for a cabin on a bay there, and it is a wonderful get together with the grandkids, brothers and sisters and other …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - April 8
April is a huge month for anglers in Central Washington. Many lakes have opened for trout fishing in the Columbia Basin, and the big general trout season opener happens at the end of the month.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - April 6
There are lots of trout lakes open to fishing in the Columbia Basin, but there will still be lots of anglers headed up to Lake Roosevelt to do their fishing. There are still limits of big rainbow being bagged regularly here.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - April 4
Here's something a little different from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. There is a closure on the retention of a few species in the Priest Rapids Pool on the Columbia River for a short period of time.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Lake Chelan offers a variety of fishing action in the Spring
I know you've heard me say that I enjoy getting out and exploring new fishing opportunities in Central Washington. I like to learn about new places to go and to share what I learn with my readers.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Drano Lake offers bright kings on the lower Columbia River
Thousands of anglers chase tens of thousands of king salmon on the Columbia River every year, and it all starts on the lower river. The first to enter the river are the spring salmon. There is a season for them up here, on the Icicle River at Leavenworth. Anglers that …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - April 1
Today is the big day. It's the April Fools Opener in the Columbia Basin and there are over 30 lakes opening to fishing for the first time this season.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - March 30
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishing Magician Report - March 23
This cold spring has delayed the perch fishing that is usually available by now. Typically the ice is off the marina at Coulee City and anglers are pulling huge numbers of perch from the little bay from the shore. I drove by a week ago and it was still frozen.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin Magician
I want to be sure everyone is aware of the big seminar coming up at Town Ford on January 12th. For the first time ever Buzz Ramsey is coming to Wenatchee to share his insights on steelhead fishing. Buzz has been named to the Hall of Fame with the Association …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician
I got a great Christmas present recently. It was before
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 13 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician Report
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 14 YEARS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Report: July 21st - 26th
The Fishin' Magician Report -- July 21 - July 26
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Report - Friday, 7/2
July 17th may seem like a long ways away, but it will be here before you know it, and if you’re a bass angler this is an important date.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Report
When I called Coulee Playland in Electric City to get a report on the fishing at Rufus Woods Reservoir, I got more than I had planned on. The gal there was ecstatic!
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician report for Monday, April 26
The general trout season is off and running and there are some other great fisheries coming up very soon.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician report for Wednesday, April 21
This weekend is the busiest of the year on the lakes in our region. It’s the opening of the lowland lake trout season and every body of water, whether its open year-round or starting on the 24th, will be packed with anglers.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 6 MONTHS AGO
Fishin' Magician report for Monday, April 19
If you have ever had an interest in learning about fly fishing, or are an experienced fly fisher, you'll want to attend the Washington Fly Fishing Fair in Ellensburg on April 30th and May 1st. For the fourth year the Washington Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers is hosting …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 7 MONTHS AGO
The Fishin' Magician Report
Wednesday, Dec. 30
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 14 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
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