THE MATT SCHUBERT OUTDOORS COLUMN: Salmon derbies provide capper
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In LaPush, of course, is the Last Chance Salmon Derby, set for Saturday and Sunday in Marine Area 3's late-season bubble fishery.
And in Sekiu, there's the Sekiu/Clallam Bay Lions Club derby on Saturday.
Given the off-and-on nature of reports coming out of both fisheries this week, it's anyone's guess what anglers can expect in either one.
Randy Lato of All-Ways Fishing (360-374-2052) in LaPush said he's seen a little bit of everything since the late season fishery re-opened last Saturday.
"It started out really nice," he said. "We were out by the Rock Pile catching a lot of fish, releasing a lot of native silvers. We went back out on Tuesday, and it was dead, absolutely dead."
The weather, which has plagued the Last Chance Derby in recent years, looks to be pretty decent, with only a little wind predicted.
Derby tickets cost $30, with $4,300 in prizes up for grabs. The largest coho and chinook will earn $1,000 each. Second place in each category receives $500, third $250, and for fourth, fifth and sixth $100.
The payout on the Sekiu/Clallam Bay Lions Club coho derby will depend on the number of anglers that purchase $10 tickets.
The top coho will take home 40 percent of ticket sales, second 20 percent, third 10 percent and fourth 5 percent. A $100 prize goes to the largest sea bass.
Whatever the winning fish is, it's likely to be big, according to Dan Spomer of Olson's Resort (360-963-2311) in Sekiu.
"There are some massive fish being brought in, big fish," Spomer said, "but there are just not a lot of them. The pressure is light, but it's still spotty."
Added Brett Lowe of Westside Guide Service (360-477-2492), "I [fished] Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, I got one or two a day. I think the average is one or two fish for every three boats."
Things haven't been much better near Port Angeles.
Bob Aunspach of Swain's General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said anglers are having to put in their time in Marine Area 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) to catch a coho.
"Fishing has been pretty slow," he said. "They are getting an occasional fish here and there. The fish have been running really deep, 120 to 170 [feet].
"I thought they might come up a little higher with the rain, but nobody has brought anything in since Tuesday [for the Port Angeles Salmon Club's monthly derby]."
Things are also slow out east, according to Wayne Bibbins of Down Home Charters (360-643-1960) in Port Townsend.
That's despite the fact Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) is a coho keeper fishery, wild and clipped.
"[The coho] just don't seem like they are coming in very big numbers," he said. "Right now we're dealing with whether or not it's going to be a poor run or a late run."
There's still a few chinook to be had down near the Hoodsport Hatchery, which saw an additional 259 adults show up last week.
On the hunt
Archers will have to put their quivers away in a matter of days.
The early bow hunting season for deer comes to a close after Tuesday, while the archery elk season is already over.
As Port Angeles' Aunspach tells it, there were plenty of bulls grazing around the West End.
"The bulls were talking pretty good," Aunspach said of the archery elk season. "There's plenty of elk out there. The muzzleloader season should be good."
That particular season is set to open Oct. 4-10 in the Dickey, Pysht and Sol Duc game management units.
Muzzleloader deer season is open on the same days in Pysht, Goodman and Coyle GMUs.
"We hunted the Clearwater, and there were plenty of elk there," Aunspach said. "We definitely saw some big ones. You are just going to have to be willing to work for them.
"You're going to have to go down there and root them out. So put on your hiking shoes."
Speaking of the Clearwater, which doesn't open to any muzzleloader seasons, rumor has it that one hunter bagged a state record black bear there recently.
That's according to Brian Menkal of Swain's Outdoors (360-385-1313) in Port Townsend, who said the bear in question was said to weigh upwards of 600 pounds.
Unfortunately, this particular columnist has seen hide nor hair of said seizure.
But I'd sure like to.
Rivers run
West End rivers just received a fresh drink.
Whether that will signal the beginning of the fall salmon season is truly anyone's guess.
There's been reports of fish entering rivers, but little in the way of angler success.
Forks' Lato fished the Hoh on Tuesday and came out with a king and a few trout. He seems to think the recent rain might be a boon to river anglers.
"I'd imagine this [bit of rain] is going to help the Hoh quite a bit," he said. "It's climbing hard."
As it is, there should be a decent amount of cutthroat trout swimming around several West End rivers, including the Sol Duc.
Summer steelhead are still around the Calawah as well, but word is they are getting rawer by the day. The Big Quilcene may have a few silvers to talk about too, with an additional 150 adults reporting to the hatchery last week.
One other non-fishing note:
Flaring up
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is getting fired up about safety flares.
Recent checks during Labor Day weekend revealed handfuls of boaters who had out-of-date flares, some by as much as 20 years. Given the prevalence of foggy days in the Strait, that's probably not a good thing.
The Auxiliary asks that boaters check the expiration dates on their current flares, as well as those they purchase in the future.
The organization also provides free vessel exams for anyone interested. To request a safety check, send an e-mail to vesselsafetycheck@live.com.
Also . . .
A group will meet at Tongue Point overlook, with birders free to come and go as they wish. For more information, contact Larry Rymon at 360-681-6399.
More information about the North of Falcon process is available on Fish and Wildlife's North of Falcon Web site at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/northfalcon/index.htm.
Volunteers must pre-register 48 hours in advance. To pre-register, contact Washington Trails at 206-625-1367.
Category descriptions, prizes, contest rules and on-line submission forms can be found at www.wta.org. Photos are due no later than Oct. 17.
There are three categories: biggest, ugliest and mushroom that most resembles a landmark. Winners receive $50. Submissions can be sent to matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com and are due by Nov. 4.
Call us, photos welcome!
Want your event listed in the outdoors column?
Have a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique, why not share it with our readers?
Send it to me, Matt Schubert, Sports Department, Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362; phone, 360-417-3526, fax, 417-3521; e-mail matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.
__________
Matt Schubert is the outdoors columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Thursdays and Fridays.
Five good bets for this week
And for once, the weather looks like it might cooperate.
This river tends to get a decent run of hatchery chinook. Whether or not they will show up with the opener, however, is anyone's guess.
A few squirts of rainfall sure wouldn't hurt.
A group will meet at Tongue Point overlook, with birders free to come and go as they wish. For more information, contact Larry Rymon at 360-681-6399.
Luckily for you, my dear Peninsulites, the pressure shouldn't be near the apocalyptic standards of recent weeks.
Entrance fees are waived on Saturday (National Public Lands Day) and Sunday (in celebration of recently naturalized U.S. citizens).
So maybe after you get a gander at the splendor that is the Olympics, you'll finally fork over some dead presidents for the park pass you should have purchased months ago.
Matt Schubert
Last modified: September 25. 2008 9:00PM