SPRINGERS N
Double Down on
When it comes to spring Chinook, it pays to have an ace or two up your sleeve.
Text and photos by Pat Hoglund N 22
O MATTER IN WHAT part of the Pacific Northwest you live, there is a common thread that binds all salmon fishermen. Starting sometime in February, most of us have a burn-
ing desire to catch a spring-run salmon. Whether that first fish signifies the harbinger of spring, or knowing that it will cook up better than any fish of the year, catching a spring Chinook has become a rite of passage for most salmon anglers in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Commonly called “springers” because of the
time of year they enter freshwater, spring Chinook begin to return around the middle of February, and continue through May (some watersheds even get them as late as June). The fact that they return early and spawn later in the year tells you a couple things. First, they are a hardy fish genetically built to with- stand the rigors of a long spring and summer. Plus, their bodies are loaded with extra fat and Omega 3 fatty acids that help them withstand months in freshwater. It is the extra fat reserves that give
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