Once again, it's time for me to rant and rave about the snag fishery at the RV Park near the mouth of the Kalama River.

The F&W Commission recently changed the regs for the Kalama and the Washougal Rivers in an attempt to reduce the snagging that occurs every year. I was assured by a game warden back in July they would be hitting the lower Kalama real hard this year to put a dent in the snaggers. Well folks, I fished the Kalama on Monday and Tuesday. There wasn't a CO in sight. The snaggers lined the banks and yanked fish after fish out of the river by the tail, the fins, the gills, or any other body part. Nobody was throwing anything back either. Hooking them in the tail was as good as in the mouth or anywhere else. It was unbelievable.

I'm sure the CO's will show up some time this fall but unless they were there during the peak of the migration (late August/early Sept) their enforcement efforts are greatly diminished. Lots of people camp there during the Labor Day holiday, snag their limit of fish, and leave. They'll be back again next year too.

Contacting law enforcement will not help. They know there is a problem. They don't need me to tell them. They have so far refused to enforce the regs. The Kalama is a great river but it's being trashed by the snaggers in the lower end. I'm at my wits end. If there is a solution, someone please let me know. Perhaps a flies-only section from I-5 upstream to the lower hatchery will finally make things right. I'm not advocating that yet but I'm getting close.