A tiny ancient fish, the rainbow smelt, appears only as juvenile winter visitors in Blytheville’s stretch of the Mississippi, raising questions about ecology and connection along the river.

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday the first — and potentially only — day of this year’s Cowlitz River recreational smelt fishery: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has approved an additional one-day recreational smelt fishery on the ...