DON’T LOOK A gift fish in the mouth.
While the story might not have changed on West End rivers the past seven days, that doesn’t mean it got any less exciting.
Anglers are catching fish like latte stand baristas catch creepy repeat customers.
And trust me, that’s a good thing (at least for the anglers).
So please resist the urge to go off on some overly ambitious expedition in search of early winter steelhead on the Bogachiel or Calawah.
Sure, there’s little doubt a few of the Peninsula’s most finicky fish are setting up shop in the Quillayute system.
But compared to the free-for-all flaming up the Sol Duc and Hoh, that’s mere child’s play.
As Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods (360-374-6330) in Forks said, “You don’t leave good fishing to go look for good fishing.”
Good as silver
“Good” might not even be an accurate descriptor of the current situation out west.
No matter who you talk to these days, there seems to be a buzz about salmon on the Sol Duc and Hoh.
“The water started dropping after that rain and things just took off on them,” Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim said.
Coho returns to the Sol Duc have been significant in recent weeks.
The Sol Duc Hatchery reported an additional 1,100 fish coming to its traps during the past week (1,700 for the season).
There’s also been a few reports of monster kings — two topping out at 50 pounds or bigger — just since last Thursday.
“There’s a lot of fish, ain’t no doubt about it,” Gooding said. “It’s been good for silvers especially, and for the kings. Overall it’s just been really good.
“There’s plenty of water, but they still caught fish in it . . . even the Hoh. They are catching fish in all of [the rivers].”
Unfortunately, coho runs on the Elwha and Dungeness rivers haven’t been quite as fruitful.
A good deal of fish returned to the Lower Elwha Hatchery this fall (approximately 3,000-4,000), according to tribal natural resources director Doug Morrill.
But that run is all but over.
Meanwhile, the Dungeness Hatchery didn’t report any fish returns in the past week.
“I haven’t heard of too many fish taken on the [Dungeness],” Menkal said.
“You might get a fish on a trip. Fish are still rolling in, [and it’s] definitely something to do if you want to stay close, but the real fishing is out west.”
A fair amount of rain is expected to fall this weekend, which could push rivers into unfriendly flows for anglers. But who really knows?
“If it rains a whole bunch, yeah it will put [the rivers] out,” Gooding said.
“But I don’t even try to guess anymore, because you’re just making a fool of yourself around here.”
Time for elk
Bushwhacking season is upon us.
The archery and muzzleloader set had a difficult time tracking down bulls during early seasons in September and October.
That’s not likely to change much this month either as the modern firearm season begins this Saturday in most of the Peninsula.
Thus, you’d better get used to the idea of searching long and hard for bulls.
“I don’t believe it was a lack of animals [that led to early season struggles],” Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said.
“They just got the pressure on them and they disappeared. That’s just kind of the way it works.”
Given that elk travel in herds, hunters must be careful not to alert dozens of eyes and ears. Once the animals get spooked, they often head for thick timber.
At that point, Aunspach said, “You’re going to have to pull up your boots and get in the bush.”
This weekend’s predicted blustery weather could have animals on the move. Whatever the case, now that the rut is done, tracking is certain to be more difficult.
“Some of the big bulls could still probably be with the herds,” Aunspach said. “But the big mature ones have probably already broken away, especially if they’ve already got some pressure on them.”
The modern firearm season will last through Nov. 16 in the Hoko, Dickey, Pysht, Sol Duc, Goodman, Clearwater, Matheny and Coyle (except for elk area 6071) Game Management Units (GMUs).
Hunters can always go after the birds as well.
Ward Norden of Quilcene said the northern part of Hood Canal has a few ducks hanging around it.
“Normally the north Canal bays don’t get good until very late in the fall [mid-December], but there are more puddlers ducks on the bays this early than I have seen in at least a decade,” Norden said.
“Mostly, the puddlers ducks are flocks of widgeon with a sprinkling of local mallards.
“The best hunting usually occurs when the big flocks of lesser scaup and ringnecks ducks arrive, bringing in lots of mallards and pintails as well.”
Clam stuff
Surf’s up. Let’s just hope the razor clams are, too.
Afternoon digging opens today and Saturday at Kalaloch, Copalis, Mocrocks, Long Beach and Twin Harbors (the latter opening Sunday and Monday as well).
Surf conditions are expected to be a little on the rough side (9-foot swells) at Kalaloch, but that doesn’t necessarily mean things will go poorly.
“If it just swells and comes in big, long waves you just got to run like hell and wait until it goes back out,” Gooding said.
“If you start getting a bunch of chop slapping at you, it will be interesting.”
Kalaloch diggers fared very well when conditions cooperated during last month’s digs with the second-best harvest rate of the five ocean beaches.
Here are tides for each of the openers:
• Friday — minus 1.4 feet at 6:41 p.m.
• Saturday — minus 1.6 feet at 7:26 p.m.
• Sunday — minus 1.5 feet at 7:11 p.m.
• Monday — minus 1.2 feet at 7:55 p.m.
For more information on coastal razor clams, including regulations, visit wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams.
Also . . .
• Marine Area 5 (Sekiu) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet) are both open to blackmouth fishing, while nearly all of Area 12 (Hood Canal) is open to all salmon fishing.
The best saltwater bet, however, remains down south in Hoodsport where the chum run is hitting its apex.
• Marine Area 6 (eastern Strait), 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 12 (Hood Canal) will open to recreational crabbing starting Nov. 15.
Crab fishing will also remain open seven days a week through Jan. 2 in those waters, as well as Areas 4 (Neah Bay) and 5 (Sekiu).
• Professional fly tier Jeffrey Delia will tie some of his original patters at the Grey Wolf Fly Fishing Club’s monthly meeting Wednesday night in Gardiner.
Club members will also elect officers for 2011 at the meeting, set for 7 p.m. at the Gardiner Community Center, 980 Old Gardiner Road.
• Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club, Backcountry Access and North by Northwest Surf Shop will offer a free avalanche awareness class Nov. 12 and 13 in Port Angeles.
The Friday night lecture will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. 7th St.
There will be a hands-on experience at the Ridge, weather permitting, the following day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information, contact North by Northwest at 360-452-5144.
• Olympic National Park will kick off its winter “perspectives” series with a presentation about the history of the Elwha and Glines Canyon hydropower projects at its visitor center in Port Angeles on Nov. 9.
Photographer Harry von Stark of Quilcene and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation hydropower foreman Kevin Yancy of Port Angeles will lead the presentation.
It begins at 7 p.m. at the visitor center located at 3002 Mount Angeles Road.
• Admiralty Audubon’s Dan Waggoner will lead a field trip looking for waterfowl in the Quilcene/Brinnon area on Nov. 13.
A group will meet at Haines Place Park and Ride across from Safeway in Port Townsend at 8:30 a.m. Stops include Quilcene Bay, Quilcene River and Dosewallips State Park.
To register for the trip, contact Waggoner at 360 301-1788 or danwags57@gmail.com.
• Port Townsend’s Leif Whittaker will discuss his ascent of Mount Everest at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., in Port Townsend next Thursday at 7 p.m.
Whittaker has summited the highest mountains in Antarctica and South America and is the son of Jim Whittaker, the first American to successfully climb Mount Everest.
Tickets for the event are $12 for Northwest Maritime Center members, $15 in advance and $20 at the door if space permits.
Tickets can be purchased at Wildernest Outdoor Store, 929 Water St., or the Wooden Boat Chandlery in the Northwest Maritime Center.
• Fish and Wildlife will conduct a public survey to help assess the agency’s Enforcement Program through the end of 2010.
The survey, available on Fish and Wildlife’s website at http://tinyurl.com/23weqw8, consists of about 20 questions concerning the program’s performance in the field. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Those who would like the survey mailed or faxed to them should contact Jonathan Neville, at 360-902-8358 or jonathan.neville@dfw.wa.gov.
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.
