With the abundant return of smelt to the Cowlitz River we were given a short harvest season of a few Saturday mornings. This last Saturday we "dipped" just enough for a couple smokers full. Kelso WA was once known as the smelt capital of the world where every year in late winter thousands of people would line the banks of the Cowlitz River to dip buckets full of the slippery little fish, but over harvesting combined with climate change and the natural cycle of these fish their numbers have dwindled. It's good to see a good return, I'd forgotten just how tasty these little "Eulachon" are!
