Pat Neal

PAT NEAL: Graduates: Dare to imagine

THIS WEEK’S COLUMN is dedicated to all our graduates. We are so proud of you. You are limited only by your imagination. This is a… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The house of the salmon

FOR SOME, THE new year begins in January. On our rivers, the new year begins with the first sighting of baby salmon emerging from the… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The anti-vaxxers

BY NOW, I think we’ve all had it up to here with know-it-all newspaper columnists spewing about vaccines. Chances are you’re either for or against… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The return of fire season

“ALL YOU NEED is three days of hot sun,” the old logger said, “to make the woods dry enough to burn.” By now, we’ve had… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The green crab crisis

IT WAS ANOTHER tough week in the news. The green crab crisis reared its ugly head. Native to the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Good news and bad news

WHO SAYS THERE’S no good news? The Lower Elwha Klallam Ceremonial and Subsistence Fishery will open for coho salmon on the Elwha this October. It’s… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The great clam hunt

WITH THE ENDLESS rain, wind and gray skies we’ve had lately, many outdoor activities have been put on the back burner in hopes of warmer… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Happy Earth Day, Elwha

I remember the first Earth Day. We were in high school. We watched a movie about the Earth being poisoned to death. That was a… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: A short history of steelhead fishing

The first historic reference of a steelhead came on March 16, 1806, when Lewis and Clark bought a “salmon trout” from the Indians. That was… Continue reading

Pat Neal/For Peninsula Daily News
Dead oysters and clams in Discovery Bay.

PAT NEAL: The way it is

the daylight low tides. You can dig razor clams in the night tides, but the… Continue reading

Pat Neal/For Peninsula Daily News
Dead oysters and clams in Discovery Bay.

PAT NEAL: Just another April Fools’ prank

For many, Jan. 1 marks the beginning and end of the calendar year. For anglers in Washington, April 1 marks the new year. That’s the… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: A short history of fishing

TOURISM IS A hazardous industry, just ask our Native American friends. When the first tourists showed up on our shores, they were polite and needy.… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: A short history of history

13,900 years ago. That’s the date that’s been fixed upon the… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Birdwatching with a chainsaw

BIRD WATCHING IS my life. Most of my best bird watching has been done with a chainsaw. This is considered unethical in some circles, but… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The legend of the skunk cabbage

unless it is the skunk cabbage in the snow. This swamp-dwelling harbinger of spring… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Bringing back the dodo

THESE DAYS, SCIENTISTS are saying we are living through the sixth mass extinction on Earth. Five mass extinctions have happened over the last half a… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: My funny Valentine

HELLO YOUNG LOVERS, whoever you are. I hope your troubles are few. I hope your Valentine’s Day went better than mine. Valentine’s Day is a… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The victory of ‘Our Land: Quileute Territory’

READ ANY GOOD books lately? There’s a new one out that should interest anyone looking to learn about the history of the Olympic Peninsula. “Our… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: ‘The Big Blowdown’

THERE’S A SAYING around here: If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. It will change, but you might not like it any better.… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Celebrating Robbie Burns Day

a celebration of literature, music and fine cuisine. Robert Burns was an 18th Century Scottish poet and lyricist, who… Continue reading