EVEN GEORGE CLOONEY would’ve been shaking in his Guccis on Thursday.
We’re talking about “The Perfect Storm” kind of stuff: Twenty-five-foot swells, wind gusts above 30 mph, a smattering of rain.
Just what the doctor ordered to keep a horde of halibut anglers at bay in Marine Areas 3 (LaPush) and 4 (Neah Bay).
“The Coast Guard wouldn’t have let you out in the Queen Mary,” Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods (360-374-6330) in Forks said.
“You would have died if you tried.”
Indeed, about the only fishing that went on in Area 3 or 4 on Thursday came inside the Strait of Juan de Fuca. And that was “decent” at best.
It seems the coastal halibut fishery has yet to get off the ground three days into the season.
That’s even with sunny skies that greeted anglers during the first two coastal halibut openers last Thursday and Saturday.
“It was just tough, tough, tough on Saturday,” Randy Lato of All-Ways Fishing (360-374-2052) in LaPush said.
“The fish checker told me he had one 90-[pounder], two that were around 60 and everything else was under 30.
“They were all little chickens.”
Joey Lawrence of Big Salmon Resort (360-645-2374) in Neah Bay had a similar report up north.
“We didn’t see the numbers like we usually see, but I think that was all due to the [minus] tides,” he said. “We just didn’t see the big fish [Saturday].
“The biggest one we weighed in was 82 pounds. Usually we see that 100-, 150-pounder roll in, but we just didn’t see any big fish at all.
“If the weather comes down a bit this Saturday, I think we’ll see some good fishing.”
It better. Halibut fishing comes to a close after that.
If sufficient quota remains (and I’m guessing it will), the fishery will reopen June 3 and 5.
If sufficient quota remains after that (not quite as confident on that one), the fishery will reopen starting June 17.
Strait dope
Halibut season finally hit a speed bump in the eastern Strait.
After two weeks of off-the-hook flatty fishing (which is a good thing, trust me), heavy tides brought the fishery back to earth this past week.
As Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said, “We’re not what we were two weeks ago.”
That’s all right.
Now that the tide has turned, the next couple of days could be the best remaining in this year’s abbreviated season.
Keep in mind, the halibut fisheries in Areas 6 and 9 both come to a close after Memorial Day weekend.
Each is open today and Saturday, then reopens next Friday through Sunday for the holiday weekend.
“This is definitely a weekend to be fishing for sure,” Aunspach said. “This is the best tide weekend [left].”
Blustery conditions kept a lot of anglers off the water Thursday, although Aunspach did add another fish to the Port Angeles Salmon Club’s monthly derby ladder.
It was a 64-pounder caught by Mike Jones of Port Angeles off Ediz Hook.
Aunspach said the club has already sold approximately 147 tickets for the Salmon Club’s 10th annual halibut derby next Saturday and Sunday.
Of course, many more are expected to purchase tickets the next few days.
A total of 691 anglers registered for last year’s event, and that was with the Hood Canal Bridge out of commission.
There will be $20,000 in prizes up for grabs this year, with $5,000 going to the top fish; which are 5,000 good reasons to scout out your favorite flatty holes this week.
“It’s still really 31-36 [Bank], Rock Pile, off the Hook and Whiskey creek [that] have kind of been the big producers,” Aunspach said. “Just not in the last week or two.”
Anglers suffered similar struggles near Sequim and Port Townsend last weekend.
A wicked weather report kept many off the water near Sequim on Thursday, according to Randy Jones of Venture Charters (360-895-5424) in Sequim.
“I think last Saturday was kind of hard on everybody,” Jones said.
“I think we got one fish for two trips, and then Friday I think we had a fish each trip.
“Today we’ve got a 64-pounder. There’s been a lot of small ones, so I was very happy with that.”
Climbing high
A pair of Peninsula mountain climbers could take down two of the world’s largest peaks in the coming days.
Port Townsend’s Leif Whittaker is attempting to follow in the footsteps of his father, Jim Whittaker, by scaling the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest.
Meanwhile, Port Angeles’ Marcus Logan is hoping to summit North America’s tallest peak, Mount McKinley.
Each could reach the pinnacle of their respective mountain Monday, as long as the weather cooperates.
Keep an eye on upcoming editions of the PDN for the latest on their attempts.
Backpacking class
It’s been said that the path to such feats begin with one step.
And you, my dear Peninsulites, could start your own journey down that path by attending a free backpacking clinic at Swain’s General Store, 602 E. First St. in Port Angeles, on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Jack Ganster of Survivor’s Outdoor Experience will provide all the knowledge necessary to make the transition from car camping and day hiking to back-country backpacking.
“I like to make this presentation very user-friendly,” Ganster wrote in an e-mail. “Lots of folks get together with their family and friends to camp at our local campgrounds and go day hiking from there.
“This is a great way to get out, but there are times when people think ‘I wish we didn’t have to head back’ and think that they should try backpacking.”
With this class, hikers can take the next step, according to Ganster.
It will provide the knowledge to plan such trips with the appropriate gear while also adhering to camping regulations.
Freshwater fishing
The shoe finally dropped on Anderson Lake, which closed to fishing earlier this week due to elevated levels of toxic blue-green algae.
Let the record show that the Jefferson County lake stayed open a little more than three weeks this year.
That’s three more than anglers got last spring when the lake didn’t even open for a day.
Not sure whether to be thankful for that or not.
I’ll leave it up to you.
Luckily, there’s still plenty of other lakes in the land, and a river or two, open for business.
Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods (360-374-6330) in Forks said the Sol Duc has been spitting out some decent spring chinook.
“They were actually doing OK,” Gooding said. “They are fishing [Thursday], but the rivers are on the rise from that rain [Wednesday] night.
“It’s supposed to rain more out here. If it does, we’ll be out of business, and if it doesn’t, we’ll be fishable.”
Teal and Gibbs lakes in Jefferson County each received trout plants last Thursday.
Gibbs, a catch-and-release pond popular with fly fishers, had 328 catchable rainbow trout (8-12 inches) added to its waters, while Teal received 180 catchable rainbows.
One other thing to keep an eye on in the lake department: Lake Crescent opens to fishing in just 10 days (June 1).
Always been a personal favorite of yours truly.
Also . . .
• The annual run of squid through the Strait of Juan de Fuca traditionally begins in late May at Neah Bay.
This is not the large humboldt variety that plagued anglers in the Strait last summer, but smaller Pacific squid.
These slimy cephalopods tend to run through Neah Bay in May before making their way to Port Angeles Harbor in late June.
• Hunters have until Wednesday to submit special-permit applications for the 2010 season.
The application forms are posted on Fish and Wildlife’s Web site (http://tinyurl.com/2bk2j46) and are also available at license vendors around the state.
All completed applications must be submitted via a toll-free telephone number (1-877-945-3492) or on-line (http://tinyurl.com/24sfw5a).
• Rich Osborne will present “Orcas, Humans, and Salmon: Shared Ancestries and Shared Destinies” at Feiro Marine Life Center in Port Angeles on June 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Osborne is a former research curator and director of the Whale Museum on San Juan Island and is now its research associate.
He also works for Clallam County as a planner involved in water and marine resource management.
To reserve a spot at the event, or for more information, call 360-417-6254.
• Admiralty Audubon’s Ken Wilson will lead a trip through Kah Tai Nature Park next Sunday, May 30, beginning at 8 a.m.
A group will meet at the Landes Street entrance to the park. To register for the trip, contact Wilson at 360-821-1101.
• The Discovery Bay shrimp district will open for one more spot shrimp harvest date this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Areas 4 (east of Tatoosh), 5 and 6 are open through Sept. 15.
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.