CHUM SALMON DON’T need any help around Halloween. They’re scary enough as it is.
As one writer put it a few years ago, spawning chum look like they feed on children’s dreams.
It’s not a stretch to say these fish won’t win any beauty contests. But in the salt, they are a prize to be won.
Take the Hood Canal fall chum — a bloated rag-tag run of hatchery spawners that inspires more than a few cat calls from North Olympic Peninsula anglers.
According to Hoodsport Hatchery technician Mark Cylwik, there’s scads of top-of-the-line chum in Hood Canal.
“These are some really nice big-looking chum,” said Cylwik, and some of the fish top out in the 20-pound range.
“And as usual this time of year, they are pretty bright right out in front of the hatchery.”
Indeed, one need not look too hard for Hood Canal chum each fall.
From late October well into November, the frightful fish show up in great numbers around Hoodsport Hatchery (360-877-5222).
Many anglers tend to go for your typical corkies and yarn setup when targeting the chum, but spoons, spinners or a small herring or anchovy under a float or bobber can attract action as well.
The prevailing opinion is that the color green works best for chum.
Just make sure to avoid Tuesdays and Thursdays, when the tribal fishery dominates the water.
The tribal anglers use beach seines to catch the chum, and many of the fish that aren’t caught are usually spooked out of the area for a day or so.
That makes weekend days like Saturday and Sunday particularly good times to hit the water.
“Even on the day of [the tribal fishery] it can be good, but you just never know,” Cylwik said.
“It should build up on Friday and definitely throughout the weekend.
“Low tide is a no go [for fishing], because of the fact that the fish just won’t come up the creek; also, because the water line goes beyond our boundary markers [and into private property].
“An incoming mid-tide to high tide is a good time, and also the outgoing high to mid-tide is fine.”
The chum run tends to hit its peak around the second week in November.
“Things drop off drastically after Thanksgiving,” Cylwik said.
But, he added, “it does tend to vary from year to year, so we could be surprised.”
A handicapped fishing platform at the hatchery offers wheelchair accessibility.
That is often best to fish from during high tides as long as one has a long-handled net handy.
Only handicapped anglers may legally fish from the hatchery structure.
Ideally, you should immediately bleed chum by cutting the gills. Then ice them down as soon as possible.
They are excellent when barbecued or smoked.
Mushroom Mania
The fungal community came out in full force for last weekend’s wild mushroom show in Sequim.
If only the same enthusiasm could be displayed for “Mushroom Mania: A Fungal Festivus,” the PDN’s annual wild mushroom photo contest.
It’s been nearly a week since I’ve received fungal photos from you, my dear Peninsulites.
Given the cash payouts ($50 to each category winner) the PDN is already on the hook for, my future employment may depend on it. I’m enough of a sunk cost as it is.
The contest’s three categories are largest mushroom, prettiest mushroom and mushroom most resembling a notable figure.
All photos should be sent to matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.
The deadline for submissions is Nov. 8.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors and sports columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column regularly appears on Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.