The mild weather throughout the region is a blessing for those who traveled over the Holidays. For those who live in Eastern Washington, or visited here, it made it easy to get outdoors and enjoy the opportunities for fishing. This is something I always looked forward to when I lived on the west side of the mountains, many years ago.

The weather has been so mild that I wondered if the weeds had died off and cleared out of Rocky Ford Creek. Until the weeds that choke the creek clear out, it is impossible to catch anything on this fly fishing only water. I really like to fish this mile-long stretch of flowing river in the winter. It never freezes, as it comes from an underground spring that keeps the water warm enough to remain ice-free even in the coldest temperatures.

I figured the best way to find out if the weeds were gone is to run down there and see for myself. I did just that last Thursday afternoon. I found that there was plenty of weed-free water, so I rigged up my favorite Mini Leech and Ultra Scud combo and went to work. I have a 10 foot, 5 weight rod that I got especially for fishing Rocky Ford. The stream is lined with cattails, and you have to keep your back casts very high to avoid hooking your flies in them, and the extra-long rod seems to help.

There was very little flow, and my line wasn’t getting any drift at all. I like to see my line moving with the current to cover more water, without having to make a bunch of casts a few feet apart. I usually know if the fishing is going to be good right away. I made a bunch of casts and moved around, and nothing touched my flies. I wasn’t seeing activity on the surface and the other anglers I saw on the far bank weren’t hooking any fish.

I finally saw the tell-tale wake of a big fish moving upstream, just under the surface. I tried to judge the direction and speed of the fish and made a cast ahead of the wake to a spot where I thought the big trout would see my fly. My line settled on the water and--Boom! My line jolted tight, and a big fish came out of the water and made a violent, swirling splash—and spit the hook. I made a few more casts, but it was getting late, so I headed for the truck.

That’s Rocky Ford. It can be exciting and frustrating. I have had double digit days here, and others, like this one, when I felt lucky to hook a single fish. Even though the fishing was slow, I am eager to go back. This week’s photo is of a Rocky Ford trout, about to be released, taken on a sunny winter day a couple of years ago.

I have talked about my shore fishing experiences quite a bit recently. The winter is when I do most of it, as there are some really good opportunities that don’t require a boat, and mine is tucked away for the snowy months. Pulling a boat around in the winter can be difficult, too. Snowy road conditions can be bad, and navigating a truck and trailer can be hair raising. The stuff they put down on the roads is tough on boats, too. It etches the aluminum and eats the wiring. I can still have a ton of fun in the winter, catching a variety of fish from the shore. The trout fishing is very good on Lake Roosevelt at Spring Canyon, Crescent Beach, and Keller. Rufus Woods Reservoir is famous for producing whopper rainbow from the shore. I have caught some dandies at Brandts Landing and at the middle net pens. Medicare Beach on Potholes Reservoir is another place where people catch nice rainbow casting from the shore until it freezes.

I had a blast the other day catching perch from the shore on Moses Lake, which is really good news. The perch fishing near the I-90 Bridge just hasn’t been any good for many years. It’s great to see it coming back, and that may also mean there will be good ice fishing for perch when Moses Lake freezes.

A shore fishery that is gaining in popularity is for whitefish on Banks Lake. I’ve been told that whitefish make up fifty percent of the bio mass in Banks, so there’s no shortage of them. Right now, people fish from the dike at the very top end of the lake. They simply cast with a weight on the bottom and a couple of small hooks baited with “salad” shrimp. These fish are often weigh 3 pounds or more. They are great just fried or smoked.

As many of you know, I came home with a bucket of perch a while ago, and I decided to do something different with them. Usually, I dredge the fillets in Panko and fry them, or even just sauté them with a little garlic and butter until they turn white. Sometimes I have even just steamed the fillets, cut into chunks, and then dipped them in butter. They are very delicious any of these ways. This time of year, I like to make soups and stews, so I thought I would try making a perch chowder. I used a base of cream of celery soup and added onions, potatoes, and red peppers. I used some garlic powder, dill and few other herbs and added whole milk to thin it a bit. It simmered for about an hour, to let the seasonings go to work and the veggies cook. Then I added the perch. It only took about ten minutes for the perch to cook, and the chowder was ready to serve. It turned out great.

I plan to take advantage of the continued mild weather and try some of my favorite shore fishing spots. I’ll let you know how I do!