Bankees, boaters alike score Klickitat steel

LYLE, Wash. — Traditionally, the Klickitat River is one of the Evergreen State's better summer Steelhead streams. Fish begin returning to the south-central Washington river in June and the run builds from there. It can put out Steelhead all the way to the end of November, when the river officially closes for metalheads.

Prime time on the Klickitat is August and September, But October and November can be really good, too.

Last year, fish passage at Lyle Falls peaked in June, tapered off slightly through mid-July, then went downhill in August, according to local biologist Steve Gray.

During the hottest days of August, hitting the river when it is fishable can be a gamble. Because the Klickitat is fed by the glaciers of Mount Adams, a dry hot spell will produce a milky brownish green color that cuts visibility to about 6 inches. Still, it doesn't take long to drop back into shape — a couple of cool days will get it there.

Klick drifts

Many anglers will attack the Klickitat from drift boats and rubber rafts, which give them access to water that is just not reachable to anglers on foot.

"I like to fish the Lydle to Stenson drift when the lower river gets packed," referring to the busy late summer when weather and fish attract anglers from around the region.

"But all of the drifts can be good."

Drift boaters will side-drift, but most will back plugs or divers and bait into fish-holding holes.

"I'll run a little of everything," Kloster says. "I'll run divers and sand shrimp or eggs, or I'll use plugs. I will even use some bobbers and jigs."

Other boaters will drift down into the holes and then bank fish with drift bobbers and bait or with hardware. Typical baits include sand shrimp, cured eggs, prawns and even nightcrawlers.

And a classic Klickitat River drift bait is still pretty effective. Longtime river rats will tell you about putting a grasshopper onto a brightly colored bucktail streamer and catching fish after fish. While it is not a typical drift rig with most of today's younger Steelheaders, the grasshopper and fly rig will still catch fish.

Spinners and spoons will also work. More than one big Klickitat Steelhead has been taken on a Flash Glo, Mepps, Blue Fox or Rooster Tail spinner. Wob Lures and other hammered spoon type lures will also catch fish.

The other nice thing about using lures is that the Klickitat has a decent population of resident Trout that gets overlooked and underfished. A spinner will entice strikes from the Trout as well as Steelhead.

Cautions

The Klickitat is a fairly fast moving river, and there are portions of the river that just flat can't be drifted in a boat or raft. It is not an extremely difficult river to drift, but if you have never been on the river before, it is highly recommended that you experience the river first with a guide like Kloster, or one of the others working the river.

When the water is high, the river can be dangerous. Each year anglers and boaters are lost on the river, including an experienced white water guide earlier this year.

Bank angling

Wading anglers can get in on the fishing too. Starting at the Glenwood Road near the fish hatchery down to the Klickitat Wildlife Area at Soda Springs there are several good holes. Then from the mouth of the Little Klickitat River all the way down to the town of Lyle, there are a number of holes accessible right off of Highway 142, the main road that parallels the river.

Longtime Klickitat River angler Roy Houle of Toppenish rarely fishes from a boat, but he has notched more Klickitat Steelhead on his card than most any angler around.

Houle has several favorite holes in the midportion of the river, from below the town of Klickitat up to where the Lil' Klickitat dumps in. With determination and patience, he will work every inch of a holding drift. If there is a fish there, he'll most likely get it to bite.

"I prefer to drift fish with bait," Houle says. "I'll add a smaller size 10 or 12 Spin-N-Glo or Corky for added color and floatation. Or I'll just fish the drift bobbers straight, without any bait. The secret is adding enough weight to make sure you are constantly ticking bottom during your drift."

This is also the stretch of the river where flycasters can tie into some summer steel. When the water clears, and drops into shape, fly anglers will wade and work a number of riffles and shallower holes.

Stillwater action

The versatile Klickitat even offers some plug trolling for anglers at the mouth of the river. Launch on the Columbia at the town of Lyle and motor around and up into the mouth of the Klickitat where the water is deep and fairly slow.

During the daytime, troll diving plugs like the Fatfish and old-style Wiggle Warts in fluorescent reds, pinks or oranges. At night, switch over to U20 FlatFish or lighted Vortex plugs.

Tagged fish

WDFW requests that if you catch a tagged hatchery Steelhead or Chinook, you report your catch to the number on the tag or call the Vancouver office (360-696-6211).

Kings, coho, too

Both spring and fall Chinook as well as a late run of coho return to the Klickitat River.

While the spring run is about over by midsummer, fall kings start arriving in late August and can provide some great fishing in September.

"That's what I really like to fish for," says guide Paul Kloster, who's been fishing the Klickitat for three years with clients, and for a number more before that. "We frequently will have four- and five-fish days when the fall Salmon arrive." And they're big fish. It is not uncommon to catch one in the 30-, even 40-pound range. While kings will hit hardware, many anglers will troll diving plugs from the mouth of the river, all the way up to the park, where the river shallows and is not accessible to boats.

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