Pat Neal

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

PAT NEAL: The tale of the 100-pound salmon

Who says there’s no good news? A new world-record Chinook salmon weighing over 105 pounds was recently landed by a lucky angler. This beats the… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: What happened to Dollie?

IN LAST WEEK’S episode, the Press Expedition of 1889-90, a motley collection of six men, four dogs named Daisy, Tweed, Bud and Dike, and one… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: A historic hard winter

even though it has just started. And yet, things could… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: New Year’s resolutions

THE BEST NEW Year’s resolution I ever heard belonged to the American author Louisa May Alcott. She was also a feminist, abolitionist and nurse who… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Finding the perfect tree

SOMETIMES IT SEEMS like the warmth and happiness of the holiday season is enough to drive the average person right over the brink. The best… Continue reading