Barkie stays away from the most popular hole on the Lewis -- the Meat Hole -- located just below the state run hatchery.

"That spot is better for the smaller boats," he said. "It's too tight for the guide boats."

The locals do take a lot of fish from the Meat Hole, from boat and bank, but Barkie can be found working a little lower, near Johnson Flats at the Doctor Hole, or at the Swirl Hole near the Hoppa Ramp, which is the most popular ramp on the river. This is good water for diver and bait. It's about 12 to 14 feet deep.

Barkie will also work the reach near the RV park, where a lot of people hover-fish with bait. Barkie starts with a 6- or 8-inch dropper line and a 5-foot leader. He drops the bait to the bottom, lifts it a foot or two off the bottom, and backs slowly through the hole.

For reports and information, call The Fishermen's Depot at (360) 225-9900.

KALAMA RIVER
The Kalama is a fun river to fish and is popular with bank- and boat-anglers. It's also a very scenic river, flowing through a forested canyon with picturesque waterfalls. The Kalama is one of those rivers that fishes fairly easily, but the run was poor last year, and the river also was closed to salmon fishing on May 17. It is projected to have another poor run this year, but if it does get enough fish to keep the season open, anglers would do well to try this river. Call the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at (360) 902-2700 for information about regulation changes before fishing. You could also e-mail regulation questions to fishregs@dfw.wa.gov.

Salmon and steelhead guide Monty Thierry of Reel Adventures has decades of experience on the Kalama, and like so many other fishermen, he loves to fish it.

"The fish in the Kalama are real aggressive," said Thierry. "They just bite real well."

The first and second weeks of May are the best weeks to fish the Kalama for springers, although the fishing will hold up well into June. When targeting spring chinook, Thierry likes to fish the lower river, from the Pritchard's Launch down to the Modrow Bridge. He prefers to fish with divers and bait; salmon eggs, sand shrimp and prawns are all good choices as bait.

Like the Cowlitz, the Kalama is basically a bait show. Very few fish are caught on anything else.

Thierry really likes to fish the hole at Modrow Bridge, and it is one of the most popular holes on the river, for good reason. "Guys get a lot of fish there from both boats and the bank. The springers really stack up in that hole."

Bank-fishermen throwing bobbers and bait do well in the canyon, just above the lower hatchery, and at the Beginners Hole.

For guided trips, call Monty Thierry of Reel Adventures Guide Service at (360) 606-2388. For reports and information, call Mahaffey's on the River at (360) 673-2008.