by Dave Graybill, February 11, 2013

This was a great week for anglers here in Central Washington. It looks like a new state record has been set for lake trout (mackinaw) at Lake Chelan. Steelhead fishing re-opened on the Wenatchee and Icicle rivers, too. There is a lot to be excited about.

Phil Colyar, owner of Colyar Jewelry in Wenatchee, was the lucky angler that caught the big lake trout. When I visited with him at his shop, he told me that he had watched my Fishing TV Show on fishing for lake trout with Anton Jones, and since he had the day off on Monday, February 4th, he and a friend decided to give it a try. Colyar is not new to fishing the lake, but decided to stop in at Hooked on Toys and pick up some new colors of Flatfish for the day. He picked out a purple with chanteuse tip that his friend laughed at but it did the trick. They were fishing above the Yacht Club, near Kelly’s Resort, down 270 feet on his downriggers. Colyar said he knew he had a big fish as soon as he grabbed the rod. He was using Stren 16-pound Magnathin so he took his time bringing the big fish to the surface. As a result, the fish was able to acclimate as it came up from the depths and fought him the whole way.

He was astonished when he got the fish on board and knew he wanted to have it weighed. When he got to the dock Anton Jones, of Darrell and Dads Family Guide Service, was there, and he knew Colyar could have a new record. Jones called the Chelan Hospital, knowing they that had a certified scale, and told them that Colyar was on his way. When he arrived they had the scale in the maternity ward all set up for him. He sent me a photo of the fish on the scale, showing 35 pounds, ten ounces. That beat the current state record by a few ounces. There are few hoops to pass through to get the official word from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, but it looks like Colyar did everything right and will be the owner of the new state record. The previous record was also set on Lake Chelan in December of 2001. Colyar told me he was very glad he had watched the video. It reminded him to re-tie his knots and really check through all his gear. He said if he hadn’t he wouldn’t have been able to land this big fish.

It sure is great to see anglers back out on the Wenatchee River fishing for steelhead. This past weekend was great for weather. There were anglers fishing on the Wenatchee River from the Tumwater Canyon clear down to the mouth. I took a drive on Saturday and traveled up the Tumwater to the dam. I spotted one angler trying his luck and two more just getting started. This is the first opportunity for anglers to fish this stretch of the river for a few years. There are some great holes along here and the scenery is spectacular. I drove down East Leavenworth Road and saw one angler wading in the Icicle, too.

I was actually surprised at how few anglers I spotted on the Wenatchee. I got almost all the way to Monitor before I saw people fishing. I noticed a couple of cars parked on the bluff just off the highway and a drift boat working the river. I was at the top of the bluff taking a photo of the drift boat when I heard someone yelling my name. I looked down and there was Scott Fletcher. He yelled that he had caught a fish and it was a keeper. I climbed down to the river and visited with Fletcher and his two fishing buddies and took a photo of his fish. Fletcher mentioned that the day before he had released a 12 pound wild fish. He’s off to a good start for the late season.

According to sources with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, fishing has been pretty good for the anglers that are turning out. The upper river is producing more fish than the lower river. Most of the steelhead are in the upper reaches. Whitefish can be taken on the Wenatchee now, too.

People have two choices to have some fun this weekend. The first is the Central Washington Sportsmen’s Show in Yakima that starts on February 15th in the Sundome. This is a great show that I have been to many times. This is a show that the whole family can enjoy. There are a wide range of guide services and resorts represented here as well as boat dealers and other vendors. There are some great deals to be had here.

The other is the 9th Annual NW Ice Fishing Festival in Molson. I was at last year’s event and had a wonderful time. The local community turns out to make this a special place to be on Saturday, February 16th. The fishing is expected to be good this year on Sidley Lake. There has already been some 2- to 3-pound rainbow taken from the lake earlier this winter. There is a great breakfast in the morning and an Italian dinner in the evening. This is one of the really fun community events in the region in the winter. Learn all about it by clicking on the Oroville Chamber banner on my Contact Page, or the Pepsi logo on my Home Page.

Don’t forget to mark you calendars to the first-ever Wenatchee Valley Sportsmen’s Show starting on February 22nd through the 24th at the Town Toyota Center. Our own sports show—yahoo!


By Dave Graybill

fishingmagician.com