MATT SCHUBERT’S OUTDOORS COLUMN: The Big 3-0 and some truly monster steelheads

THE PASSING OF youth does not happen in a day. But on your 30th birthday — Thursday for yours truly — it certainly seems like it.

Just saying the number, 30, sends shivers down my spine, for it makes me ponder the dispiriting implications that come with it.

There are so many good things that come with being in your 20s, like free-wheeling bachelorhood and the occasional binge drinking bender two name two.

Unless your name is Charlie Sheen, however, those things go away once you hit 30.

Life, it seems, will never be the same.

No longer is my balding considered “premature.”

No longer can I ignore the size or frequency of my bowel movements.

No longer am I acting my age when I neglect to clean my bathroom for months at a time.

And no longer is it OK to use the excuse that, “I have plenty of time to settle down and make a family” whenever my parents bring up the subject.

During my teenage years, 30 used to look like two kids, a car and a mortgage.

Now that I’m actually there, it looks even worse.

Steel my heart

There is one thing the coming of my birthday trumpets worth celebrating: the arrival of the monster steelhead.

March may be a turbulent month in terms of weather on the North Olympic Peninsula — Will it rain or will it snow? — but it’s also when native steelhead season really kicks into high gear.

It’s not so much that there are scads of fish, but that there’s more and more big bruisers swimming around.

The Sol Duc and the Hoh rivers can be particularly pleasing for those in search of the next mammoth man-eater.

Which one is the best, however, is up for debate, according to Bob Gooding at Olympic Sporting Goods (360-374-6330) in Forks.

“For a really, really big fish, I think the Hoh is the place you want to go, but it’s not always in shape,” Gooding said.

“I think you have a chance of catching a big, big fish [there], but in the Sol Duc I think you have a better chance of catching a good fish.

“Your chances of getting a 20-pounder in the Sol Duc are probably better, but your chances of getting a 25-, or 27-[pounder] or something like that are better in the Hoh.”

The latter will likely be coming into shape just in time for the month of the bruisers.

While the West End did receive some rain earlier this week, it’s calmed down enough for the Hoh to drop into fishable condition.

That being said, the Sol Duc has been the most consistent river of late, according to Gooding.

“The Sol Duc has certainly been the best by far,” Gooding said. “The Bogachiel is producing fish, [and] the Hoh hasn’t been in shape.

“It’s not been spectacular [when it has been fishable], but it’s been kicking out some fish.”

Blackmouth

The power went out and so did the blackmouth fishing during this week’s fits of fitful weather.

Strong winds and other bits of unpleasantness caused a lot of anglers to stay home during the past few days.

Such is the way of the volatile winter blackmouth fishery, according to Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles.

“One day they might be there, the next day they’re not,” Aunspach said. “That’s blackmouth fishing. Here today, gone tomorrow.

“But they are not totally gone. They’ve just moved off to some other place.”

The Port Angeles Salmon Club’s monthly salmon derby finished with Mark Reynolds on top for February.

The longtime Port Angeles angler brought in a 14-pound, 8-ounce fish that is the biggest thus far taken out of the area.

“It’s been so-so,” Aunspach said. “After they had the weather and everything, everyone had to pull back.

“You’ll have your ups and downs, but it’s going to be a good spring fishery.”

Of course, the biggest fish reported this season was the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Club Derby winner (18.9 pounds) caught by Sequim’s Rob Schmidt two weeks ago in Discovery Bay.

Most of the big fish in that derby ladder came from out east.

Yet there haven’t been many reports of other fish caught in those areas since, Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim said.

“Nothing is happening there, so it’s just kind of weird,” Menkal said. “I think it’s been the weather more than anything else.”

Things have been even quieter out in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu), which opened the same weekend as Area 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca).

“We just haven’t had anybody here,” Donalynn Olson of Olson’s Resort (360-963-2311) in Sekiu said.

“But there’s got to be fish out there.”

One more week?

It looks like it’s going to be another week before Hurricane Ridge fans can expect the Poma lift to be up and running.

The snow is there (120-plus inches), but with the weather being uncooperative most of the week, mountain manager Craig Hofer hasn’t had a chance to get up the mountain and work with it.

“I’m hoping the weekend after this one we’re going to [have it running], unless something catastrophic happens,” Hofer said.

“I think the weather is going to give us a hole to do it [this week].”

That certainly was not the case the past couple of days, when Hurricane Ridge lived up to its name with 90 mile-per-hour wind gusts.

Such conditions kept Hofer and his crew from getting any work done.

Once they do get on the mountain, they will likely have to back track and put some hours in just getting the two rope tows back in order in time for this weekend.

The intermediate and bunny rope tows should be up and running Saturday and Sunday.

For information on lift rates, visit hurricaneridge.com.

Wapiti shoot

The Wapiti Bowmen Archery Club will host its annual spring 3-D shoot Saturday and Sunday, giving William Tells in waiting a chance to keep their skills sharp.

The two-day tournament will open to registration 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day at the club’s range at 374 E. Arnette Road in Port Angeles.

Archers will get to take aim at 28 Safari targets and 22 full-size 3-D animals such as elk, deer and, yes, even a dinosaur.

All targets will be set at marked distances along a trail meandering through the range’s 20 wooded acres.

Despite the marked yardages, the course makes for challenging shooting for all levels with its uphill, downhill, and cross-creek shots.

Adults fees are $12 for one day or $20 for both. Breakfast will be served for an additional fee.

Awards will be given for all age groups from youth to seniors.

There will also be a raffle for a Rinehart 18-to-1 archery target, valued at $109. Tickets cost $5, with all proceeds going to the Wapiti Bowmen.

For more information on the club or the upcoming shoot, contact Jameson Hawn at 425-478-0587 or send an e-mail to wapitibowclub@gmail.com.

Hunting tidbits

The animals are safe for now.

In the meantime, here’s a few things for hunters to consider:

■ Deer and elk hunters have until March 31 to enter their name in a drawing for a 2011 multiple-season permit.

Winners of the drawing will be eligible to purchase a special tag allowing them to participate in archery, muzzleloader and modern-firearm general hunting seasons for deer or elk in 2011.

Hunters may purchase a multiple-season permit application at an authorized license dealer, or by calling 866-246-9453.

For more information, visit http://wdfw.wa.gov/, or call the licensing department at 360-902-2464.

■ Special spring black bear hunt applications are due by Thursday.

A drawing will be held in mid-March for 370 permits in Western Washington and 209 permits for hunts east of the Cascades.

To apply for a permit, hunters must purchase a special permit application and a 2011 hunting license that includes bear as a species option.

Hunting licenses, bear transport tags and bear permit applications may be purchased online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/, by calling 866-246-9453 or at any license vendor in the state.

Special permit applications may be submitted online at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/, or by calling 877-945-3492.

■ A Hunter Education course — required for any new hunter born after Jan. 1, 1972 — will be offered the next two weeks in Forks.

The class will meet March 7, 9, 14 and 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the West End Sportsmen’s Club.

There will also be a final test March 19 at 8 a.m.

Students must pre-register and can do so online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/huntered/classes/basic.php.

For more information on the class, contact Randy Messenbrink at 360-374-5718.

Also . . .

■ Kalaloch Beach will not be included on the next two set of razor clam digs on the coast due to poor populations.

There will be harvest dates this month at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks. Long Beach and Twin Harbors will open in April as well.

The first set of digs will be March 19-22 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks. Only Long Beach and Twin Harbors will open March 21-22.

■ Professional downhill mountain bike racing returns to Port Angeles’ Dry Hill this spring with the first stop in the Pro GRT on April 9-10.

For more information, visit www.progrt.com.

■ World-class fly fisherman Jim Teeny will hold a special all-day presentation at Guy Cole Convention Center in Sequim’s Carrie Blake Park on March 19.

Teeny will provide instruction on new fly lines and techniques, fishing in British Columbia and Alaska and fishing the four seasons in Washington and Oregon.

The event will go from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is sponsored by the Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishers, Port Ludlow Fly Fishers and Grey Wolf Fly Fishing Club.

Admission is $5, with $1 raffle tickets also sold at the door.

■ Ken Pinnell of Q Cove Breakaway Flashers will be the featured speaker at the Puget Sound Anglers-East Jefferson Chapter monthly meeting Tuesday.

Club members will also discuss the upcoming Puget Sound Anglers Salmon Derby on April 9 based out of Point Hudson Marina.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Marina Room at Hudson Point Marina, 130 Hudson St., in Port Townsend.

■ Suquamish Tribe Salmon Recover Coordinator Paul Dorn will speak at a special engagement presented by the Port Ludlow Fly Fishers on March 15.

Dorn has 43 years of experience with salmon recover, and has worked for the Suquamish Tribe for 34 of those.

His presentation goes from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Port Ludlow Bay Club, 190 Spinnaker Place.

■ Port Townsend resident Leif Whittaker will talk about climbing exploits throughout the world during a special presentation March 29 in Port Angeles.

Whittaker will share stories, photographs and video from expeditions to the highest summits in Antarctica and South America as well as Mount Everest.

The presentation is set for 7 p.m. at the Peninsula College Little Theater, 1235 E. Lauridsen Boulevard.

Tickets cost $20 and are available at Necessities and Temptations, North by Northwest Surf Shop, and Brian’s Sporting Goods and More in Sequim.

Proceeds benefit the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Education Fund.

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.

__________

Matt Schubert is the outdoors columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Thursdays and Fridays.

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