IT CERTAINLY WAS no snowmageddon 2010.
A measly three inches? I use more than that to flour my patented beef and potato stew.
Unfortunately, when such snowfall is followed by a sudden increase in temperatures and rainfall, that spells doom for steelheaders.
Yes, once again, rivers are blown out across the North Olympic Peninsula.
Thus, whatever primo steelhead fishing anglers enjoyed earlier this week — and from all reports, there was a lot of it — will have to wait.
“It looks to me like this weekend is going to be kind of a wash,” Bob Gooding at Olympic Sporting Goods (360-374-6330) in Forks said.
“It’s possible [things will get going again this weekend], but boy, it don’t look very good.”
It’s a frustrating refrain for the steelheader set, which has seen several weekends awash in wet stuff since the holiday season began.
When conditions have been workable, however, the fishing has been pretty decent, according to Gooding and several others.
Bogachiel Hatchery has seen a little more than 2,000 fish return to its traps so far this winter, and anglers were catching fish around that stretch of river earlier this week.
Even the Elwha River was producing some favorable reports.
“There were some fish around being caught,” Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said.
“So we got something to look forward to when it does come back.”
The Sol Duc River was the hottest river of them all before waters started rising (see fish count on Page B4).
The timing would be about right, given that the Duc often becomes the river of choice once mid-January rolls around.
Still, anglers will likely have to wait at least another day or two before it gets back into shape.
“Fishing is shot to peanuts and that’s about it,” Gooding said. “This weekend it’s going to be plunking only I think, if that.
“If it gets cold or something, maybe by Sunday [conditions will be right], but [rivers] are pretty high, wide and rolling.”
Hurricane Ridge
Time to get your shred on.
Ethan Strahan of Lib Tech snowboards will lead a free snowboarding course at the Hurricane Ridge terrain park on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, from noon to 2 p.m.
The part-time snowboard documentarian will teach students how to hit rails and jumps without “biffing it” (I think that’s what the kids are saying these days).
The clinic is the first in a series of three sponsored by North by Northwest Surf Co. and Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club to be held at the terrain park this winter.
“[The clinic] is designed a lot for beginners,” said Frank Crippen of North by Northwest, “but if there are more advanced people, we can take care of them.”
The Winter Sports Club will be operating Saturday through Monday atop the hill this holiday weekend.
That means both rope tows should be up and running each day.
The Poma lift, however, remains a work in progress, according to mountain manager Craig Hofer.
While the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center website reads off 84 inches on the Ridge as of Thursday, that figure does not represent the entire mountain.
Snow depths continue to be spotty on the north side of the hill, Hofer said, making it difficult to get things in place for the Poma.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do over there yet,” Hofer said. “I’ve been pushing snow. I used every bit of snow we had [last weekend].”
Single-day lift tickets cost $22 for the intermediate and bunny lifts, and $20 for a half day.
All-day and half-day bunny lift tickets are $12.
Skis are available for rental on the bottom level of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.
Snowboards can be rented from North by Northwest Surf Co., 902 S. Lincoln St., in Port Angeles.
You need to carry chains if you drive to the Ridge.
Or you can take an All Points Charters and Tours van for $10. Phone 360-565-1139 to make a reservation.
Road status and current conditions are available by phoning the park’s recorded information line at 360-565-3131 or by visiting www.nps.gov/olym.
The park also delivers updates via Twitter at www.twitter.com/hrwinteraccess.
Blackmouth opener
Anglers can begin targeting blackmouth chinook this Sunday in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet).
The opener kicks off the beginning of winter blackmouth season on the Peninsula, with Area 12 (Hood Canal) set to open Feb. 1 and Areas 5 (Sekiu) and 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) on Feb. 16.
The latter comes just in time for the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby, scheduled for Presidents Day Weekend on Feb. 19-21.
Formerly known as the Discovery Bay Salmon Derby, the event will cover 500 square miles of the Peninsula’s saltwater fisheries.
That includes a portion of Area 6 from Tongue Point all the way east toward Marrowstone Island near Port Townsend.
The top fish in the ladder will take home prizes of $10,000 and $5,000 with a $1,000 “mystery fish prize” also up for grabs for any submitted fish.
For more information on the event, visit gardinersalmonderby.org.
Fly-tying class
The art of fly-tying can sometimes lead to immortality.
Just ask Col. Tom Carey, the designer of the now superfluous Carey Special.
Newbies can learn the craft themselves through a four-session class offered by Waters West Fly Fishing Outfitters, 140 W. Front St., in Port Angeles that starts next Tuesday.
The class will run for four consecutive Tuesday nights from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
It will focus on patterns like nymphs, streamers and dry flies. Tools, vises and materials are provided, but students can bring their own vise and tools.
Cost is $50. To sign up, contact Waters West at 360-417-0937 or info@waterswest.com.
Also . . .
• Crabbers have until Feb. 1 to submit catch reports to Fish and Wildlife or face a $10 fine when they purchase their 2011 crab endorsement.
Catch reports can be mailed to WDFW CRC Unit, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091, or submitted on-line at http://tinyurl.com/yhjxf79.
• Olympic National Park ranger Ron Good will discuss the Elwha Dam removal at Admiralty Audubon’s monthly meeting next Thursday.
Good will explain the history of the two dams on the Clallam County river and the issues surrounding their removal.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St.
• Peninsula Trails Coalition will hold the second of four straight Friday night slideshow fundraisers tonight at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. Seventh St., at 7 p.m.
Tonight’s show will focus on the construction of the Spruce Railroad during World War I.
Admission is $5, with funds going toward supplies and lunches for volunteers working on Olympic Discovery Trail.
• Fish and Wildlife is accepting enrollment applications for its Master Hunter program through Feb. 15.
Master hunters can be enlisted into controlled hunts to remove problem animals that damage property or threaten public safety. Applicants must meet specific qualifications.
Enrollment includes a non-refundable $50 application fee, a criminal background check and 20 hours of volunteer service pertaining to the state’s wildlife resources.
For more information, visit http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/masterhunter.
• Dungeness River Audubon Center will host a one-day class on wintering birds Jan. 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Titled “Corvids in Winter,” the class will explore the lives of crows, ravens and jays during the cold and dark months of winter.
Students will learn to identify corvids by behavior, ranges and vocalization; hear anecdotes and go out into the field to observe the birds.
Cost is $10. For more information, visit www.dungenessrivercenter.org.
• Admiralty Audubon’s Ron Sikes will lead a beach walk field trip to Point Wilson the morning of Jan. 22.
A group will meet at the Point Wilson parking area at 9 a.m. before heading toward the beach to view birds and wildlife until 11 a.m.
To register for the trip, contact Sikes at 360-385-0307 or sikes@olympus.net.
• Diggers will get another shot at razor clams at Kalaloch and two other ocean beaches next week.
Afternoon harvest dates are set for Jan. 21 and 22 at Kalaloch,while Twin Harbors and Long Beach will open Jan. 20-22.
Kalaloch diggers didn’t fare so well during the last set of digs, averaging just 4.1 clams per digger.
In the three other harvest events before that, however, they averaged no worse than 11.3 clams per digger.
For more information on coastal razor clams, visit http://tinyurl.com/2avte8x.
• The possible closure of Lake Sutherland will be the focus of this month’s Coastal Conservation Association-North Olympic Peninsula chapter meeting Jan. 27.
The meeting will be held at Wine on the Waterfront, 115 E. Railroad Ave., in Port Angeles starting at 6:30 p.m.
Send photos, stories
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, 360-417-3521; e-mail matt.schubert @peninsuladailynews.com.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Thursdays and Fridays.