ADMIT IT.
Part of you wants the salmon to succeed.
For all of the energy you devote to hooking a king and coho, you know, we need a few to slip past to keep this whole thing going.
Not only that, but maybe you feel some perverse sympathy for a species that gets only one shot at procreation.
Salmon are, after all, the 40 Year Old Virgin of the food chain.
Imagine if that was you.
You work all your life just so you can fatten up enough for one pass at that special someone.
Then, as soon as you begin your arduous journey across the rugged Olympic Mountains — perhaps not to scale, but work with me — all hell breaks loose.
People start dangling Snickers bars in front of your face, seals paw at your side so they can feed on your tasty red belly and nets the size of football fields block your path.
All of this done in an attempt to derail your family name.
(Of course, this doesn’t even take into account an appalling upbringing that includes child abuse — your parents might actually try to eat you — and cutthroat competition for food from Day One.)
It’s no picnic, my dear Peninsulites.
So just think about that when you come across a wild returning spawner on a North Olympic Peninsula river this fall (forget those hatchery fish, they have it coming).
Maybe after all these years, they’ve earned the chance to mate. Just once.
Saltwater salmon
Perhaps the greatest test left for Puget Sound coho resides in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu).
If so, then during the past seven days many — wild and hatchery — have failed miserably.
With catch rates sitting a little under a fish per rod, anglers in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca are the ones coming home winners.
“There’s a lot of people coming in with a pile of fish,” Adam Jannausch of Van Riper’s Resort (360-963-2334) in Sekiu said.
“I’d say right now [the fish are] probably averaging around 9 to 10 pounds [in size]. There’s a lot of nice fish being caught.”
Anglers have one more week to hit Area 5, which closes to salmon fishing after Sept. 30.
The crowds have been thick ever since the fishery opened to wild coho retention Sept. 16, and that doesn’t figure to change this weekend, either.
As long as one hits the right day, hooking a fish doesn’t seem to be much of a problem.
Last Thursday, for example, saw 70 anglers at Olson’s Resort come away with 106 coho. The next day, of the 276 anglers counted, 236 came away with a silver.
“When there’s a batch of them here, there’s fish all over the place,” Jannausch said. “When there’s not, you’re out there trolling around looking for a school.
“Most people seem to be catching fish anywhere from 250 to 450 feet of water. They are not fishing out in the middle of the shipping lanes. They are fishing in closer.”
Things haven’t been quite as productive to the east in Area 6 (eastern Strait) or 9 (Admiralty Inlet).
Bank anglers off Point Wilson and Marrowstone Island have struggled to hook salmon, even with wild coho retention allowed this month.
Meanwhile, the Port Angeles Salmon Club’s monthly derby ladder didn’t receive its first silver until this week, according to Bob Aunspach at Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles.
“They’ve been doing quite a bit of it recently here with not a lot of success,” Aunspach said. “They might not catch a hatchery fish at all, so it’s not been super strong.”
One other saltwater note: The Area 3 (LaPush) bubble fishery in front of the Quillayute River opens Saturday. It will remain open through Oct. 10.
River news
Now that darkness has begun its decent on the Peninsula, returning salmon shouldn’t be too far behind.
Recent rains have already picked up the action on a number of West End rivers, Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods (360-374-6330) in Forks said.
“There’s some fish moving around,” Gooding said, singling out the Hoh and Sol Duc in particular.
“[The rivers are] low. That might change by tonight, though. Right now it’s raining fairly good.”
The fall salmon runs of the Hoh and Quillayute system rivers generally begin returning en masse after the first big rains of early October.
If enough rain comes during the next few days, however, there could be a rush of kings and silvers.
The Quilcene River could use a gusher of its own.
Only a small trickle of coho have shown up in the Quilcene National Fish Hatchery traps during the past two weeks, assistant manager Dan Magneson said.
“It just doesn’t look like a very good coho year here,” said Magneson, who has seen 545 returning fish since Sept. 8. “It seemed to fizzle pretty early.
“It should be more like October before that happens. Quilcene is a very early running coho and it seems a little too early for them to drop to such a low level.
“So either there is another batch later, which I’m not really hopeful, or the run is not a very good run this year.
“I just don’t know.”
Hunting
Hunting season turns over to the black powder set this weekend.
Early muzzleloader season for deer begins this Saturday in the Pysht, Sol Duc, Goodman, Clearwater and Coyle Game Management Units (GMUs).
After a relatively quiet early archery seasons — especially for elk — it should be a welcome change.
“There were elk taken, but it was not a banner year by no means [for archers],” Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said.
“It’s not a lack of animals. They are around. They are just being real quiet. Maybe the rut hasn’t started for whatever reason. Who knows?”
Muzzleloaders might just hope that’s the case, given that they will get their shot at elk starting Oct. 2 in the Dickey, Pysht and Sol Duc GMUs.
Before then, of course, they get to target deer.
“Most of that hunting is down in the clearcuts, just like the rifle guys do,” Aunspach said.
“You can kind of count on deer first thing in the morning and right before dark.
“That’s not to say those deer don’t move in the middle of the day.”
Also, There will be a statewide youth duck hunt on Saturday and Sunday.
One can always target a bird of another feather — ruffed grouse — as well.
Just don’t expect to find those things too easily, Gooding said.
“I think I’ve gotten 15 or 16 [grouse this fall],” he said. “It’s not a bad, bad year, but a lot of people are complaining. Those are people that go drive a lot.
“They just ain’t there sitting in the middle of the road picking their nose. You’ve got to get out and work for them.”
Clam dates set
Dust off those shovels.
Dates for evening razor clam digs in October through December were tentatively set by the state this week, pending marine toxin testing.
The first opening is scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 7-10.
Twin Harbors will be open to afternoon digging all four days, while Long Beach, Copalis, Mocrocks and Kalaloch are all set to open Oct. 8-9.
“As in years past, we are announcing the proposed digging schedule, so people can start making plans,” state coastal shellfish manager Dan Ayres said in a news release.
“But no dig is confirmed until we announce the results of the toxin tests.”
Digging is prohibited before noon.
Ayres said clam digging should be good this season, although diggers should expect to encounter higher numbers of smaller clams than last year.
To prevent waste, state law requires diggers to keep the first 15 razor clams they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
“The good news is that the smaller clams will continue to grow through the season,” he said.
“In the meantime, diggers will likely be taking home some three-inch clams along with larger clams as part of their daily limit.”
Other weekends with scheduled digs include Nov. 5-8, Nov. 20-21 (Kalaloch not included), Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 31 through Jan. 2.
Here is a list of tides for opening weekend:
• Oct. 7 — Minus 1.0 feet at 6:55 p.m.
• Oct. 8 — Minus 1.4 feet at 7:42 p.m.
• Oct. 9 — Minus 1.5 feet at 8:28 p.m.
• Oct. 10 — Minus 1.3 feet at 9:15 p.m.
For more information on razor clams, visit http://tinyurl.com/2avte8x.
Also . . .
• The state Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider updating its management policy in regards to Puget Sound crab fisheries at an Oct. 1-2 meeting in Olympia.
Three options up for consideration would expand recreational crab fishing opportunities within established conservation guidelines. A complete agenda is available at http://tinyurl.com/2clq5hb.
The commission will convene at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 1 and 9 a.m. Oct. 2 on the first floor of the Natural Resources Building at 1111 Washington St. S.E. in Olympia.
• A section of the Olympic Discovery Trail between Lower Elwha Road and 18th Street in Port Angeles will be closed from Sept. 27 through Nov. 26.
The closure will be done to allow workers to construct a bridge over Dry Creek for the trail. Trail users are advised to detour the site by using a route on N Street, Lauridsen Boulevard, Edgewood Drive and Lower Elwha Road.
For more information regarding the project, contact project engineer Michael Szatlocky at mszatlocky@cityofpa.us or 360-417-4808.
• Olympic National Park staff will discuss preliminary alternatives for integrating two segments of the Lake Crescent area into the Olympic Discovery Trail at a public meeting on Monday, Oct. 4.
The meeting will run from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Port Angeles Senior Community Center, 328 E. Seventh St.
For more information about the project, visit http://parkplanning.nps.gov or call the park at 360-565-3004.
• Vulture expert Diann MacRae will lead a birding trip in search of migrating turkey vultures at Salt Creek County Park on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 10 a.m.
The group will meet at Tongue Point overlook on the west end of the campground loop at the park. Bring snacks, water, and scopes if available.
For more information, contact Larry Rymon 360-681-6399.
• Washington Trails Association is accepting submissions for its annual Northwest Exposure photo contest through Oct. 17.
Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place in five categories: Wild Landscapes, Flora and Fauna, Hikers in Action, Families on Trail and Offbeat Outdoors.
For more information on the contest, including how to submit photos, visit http://tinyurl.com/yj29nxg.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula Foundation, Port Angeles Parks and Recreation Department and Sequim Sunrise Rotary Group will host the Olympic Bike Adventure on Sunday.
The fully supported family ride along Olympic Discovery Trail between Sequim and Port Angeles will have three different ride lengths of 10, 25, and 60 miles.
Registration is $50, or $25 for 12 and younger. That includes lunch and an event T-shirt.
For more information or to register, call Dan Estes at 360-417-4557.
• The LaPush Last Chance Salmon Derby returns to the coast Oct. 2-3.
Participants will see a reduced entry fee this year ($25), with cash prizes awarded to the largest ($500), second largest ($250) and third largest ($100) salmon submitted.
There will also be a $100 reward for the largest bottomfish.
Tickets can be purchased at Swain’s General Store, LaPush Marina, Forks Outfitters and the Forks Chamber of Commerce office. For more information, call 360-374-2531.
• The fourth annual Hobuck Hoedown surf paddling festival returns to the waters near Neah Bay on Oct. 2-3.
Sea kayakers, playboaters, surf paddlers, and stand-up paddle boarders are all welcome to come out for the two-day event.
Registration for races closes after Sept. 30. To register, visit hobuckhoedown.blogspot.com.
• The Coastal Conservation Association-North Olympic Peninsula Chapter will hold its first fundraising banquet, Saturday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m. in John Wayne Marina.
There will be live and silent auctions of fishing gear, trips, art and more. Tickets are $65 per person or $120 for couples. That includes a one-year membership in the CCA.
For information on ordering tickets, contact banquet chair Bill Batson at 877-875-2381 (ext. 20) or bill@batsonenterprises.com.
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.