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CLOUDY Temp: 57 °F Wind: SE at 13 mph Tuesday, April 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 3, 2003 First confirmed spring chinook caught in upper Rogue By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune SHADY COVE — Dave McGonagle cast his yarn fly into the upper Rogue River’s Hatchery Hole on Saturday hoping to hook a large winter steelhead. But the fish he hooked turned out to be a far bigger prize. McGonagle caught an 18¾ -pound chinook, making it the first confirmed spring chinook salmon in Jackson County this year. This first spring chinook not only was caught much earlier than normal, it also apparently was the only fish to migrate the entire length of the Rogue so far. As of Wednesday, there were no spring chinook collected in Cole Rivers Hatchery’s collection ponds, assistant hatchery manager Matt Frank says. The spot where McGonagle caught his chinook was less than 50 yards from the fish entrance to the hatchery ponds. "It was a fluke," says Susan Billows at Pat’s Hand-Tied Flies, where the fish was weighed and photographed Saturday evening. "We decided he was lost and running with the wrong crowd." McGonagle, who could not be reached Wednesday for comment, was using 6-pound test leader, Billows says. This year’s spring chinook run is forecast to be in the neighborhood of 35,000 to 40,000 fish over Gold Ray Dam, making it slightly higher than the recent average, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reports. The early part of the run is dominated by spring chinook from Cole Rivers Hatchery, which releases more than 1.6 million spring chinook smolts annually. The upper Rogue’s spring chinook season is the most popular sport-fishery in Jackson County and the most lucrative on the upper Rogue, according to a 1993 economic survey. Fishing upstream of Gold Ray Dam continues for spring chinook through July 31. The limit is two per day. Spring chinook harvest on the upper Rogue begins just as cutbacks to spring chinook catches start in the Columbia River. Beginning Sunday, Columbia River anglers may keep only adipose fin-clipped chinook, adipose fin-clipped steelhead and shad Wednesdays through Saturdays from the mouth at Buoy 10 upstream to the Interstate 5 Bridge. The Columbia River from I-5 to Bonneville Dam is open only for catch-and-release fishing for chinook, steelhead and shad. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S