Garcia, Gualala and Russian rivers fishing report

Russian Action Ticks Up
The Russian river saw a fresh push of steelies moved into the Dry Creek section this past week. Anglers plunking roe below Dry Creek saw 3 to as many as 9 fish for just a small group. The best fishing was reported on Tuesday 2-20 ahead of the weekend rains. Nearly all were hatchery fish in the 8 to 12 pound class.
Here on Sunday 3-25 the river is again back on a slow rise. Flows at Healdsburg have jumped from a 1000cfs to 1650cfs over the past 24 hours. The river is muddy due to the inch or so of rain we saw on Saturday. Dry weather (with the possibility of showers tonight) will persist through Monday and then wet weather returns on Tuesday into Wednesday. Due to the lack of rainfall early in the season the Russian has been a bit unpredictable this year. Releases off of both Lake Mendocino and Sonoma have been kept at a minimum (current releases off Lake Mendo are just 29cfs) to boost reservoir levels and the river has been clearing much quicker than usual. If releases remain at this level the Russian will only need a few days of dry weather before coming back in. It is getting a bit late in the season but we should see decent numbers into April.

GREAT STEELHEADERS GATHER MARCH 31 IN DUNCANS MILLS
The Russian River Wild Steelhead Society will hold its Fourth Annual Gathering of Great Steelheaders Saturday, March 31 from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Sportsmen’s Club in Duncans Mills. The full bar opens with hors d’oeuvres at 3:30, followed by a 6:00 dinner with a choice of entrée.
Come mingle with our great steelheading community and enjoy fly-tying and casting demonstrations along with a great raffle.
Tickets --$45 for non-members and $35 for members-- are available at King’s Sport and Tackle in Guerneville. Call 707-869-2156 for information.
All proceeds go to further RRWSS educational and restoration programs.
The Russian River Wild Steelhead Society is a sportsman’s organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild Russian River steelhead in the main stem and tributaries of the Russian River.

Endangered Coho Salmon Return to Russian River
DFG NEWS
Scientists working on the recovery of endangered coho salmon in northern California appreciate success even if it comes in small doses. Field biologists from the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) are reporting the largest number of coho returning to spawn in Sonoma County tributaries of the Russian River in more than a decade.
Most of these fish were released as fingerlings into the river system, as part of a captive broodstock program at Don Clausen Warm Springs Hatchery on Lake Sonoma. The broodstock program began 10 years ago, when wild coho salmon were rapidly vanishing from the region.
Prior to the launch of the recovery program in 2001, the number of returning adult coho salmon averaged less than four per year. These low numbers were the catalyst for the Russian River Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Program, a recovery effort in which offspring from hatchery-reared adults are released into the river system.
This year, biologists estimate that more than 190 adult coho may have returned to the Russian River system, beginning with early storms in October and peaking in December. Promisingly, a few coho are being sighted in creeks that are not stocked, utilizing habitat beyond those tributaries in which coho are released.
We are hopeful that coho salmon released through this program will continue to return to the Russian River system in increasing numbers and begin to establish self-sustaining populations, says Manfred Kittel, Coho Salmon Recovery Coordinator for DFGs Bay Delta Region. The program is a cornerstone of coho salmon recovery efforts in central California, but the number of fish observed this year must be seen in perspective. A healthy coho population should number in the tens of thousands in California.
Coho salmon abundance has declined dramatically statewide in the past few years. Biologists believe that additional captive breeding efforts and other focused recovery measures will likely have to be instituted to prevent widespread extinction of coho salmon in central California.
Coho salmon in central California are listed as an endangered species under both the State and Federal Endangered Species Acts. It is against the law to catch them anywhere in the state.
The Russian River Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Program is a broad coalition of government agencies, scientists and private landowners dedicated to bringing back productive salmon runs. Its members include DFG, which manages the hatchery component at the Don Clausen Warm Springs Hatchery, University of California Sea Grant Extension, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and Sonoma County Water Agency.