NOBODY’S WALKING ON their backs, but coho are certainly showing up in the Elwha River.
Despite a so-so preseason forecast, the North Olympic Peninsula’s secondary salmon are making an impact near Port Angeles.
Lower Elwha Klallam natural resources director Doug Morrill said approximately 200 coho had reached the tribal hatchery as of Thursday.
That’s good news, considering only 800 were expected to return for the entire season.
“They are beautiful fish, I’d say easily 12-pound to 15-pound fish,” Morrill said. “We’ve already got a couple hundred here.
“That’s pretty good for this time in the season. Usually we don’t get fish coming into the hatchery until we get higher water flows.
“The fact that we’ve already got 200 at the hatchery rack is a pretty good indicator of some abundance this year.”
So far, however, that abundance hasn’t translated into red-hot fishing for sports anglers on the Lower Elwha.
Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-457-2357) in Port Angeles said anglers have run into a few fish, but “it sounds like the West End might have been better.
“It sounds like fish are pouring into the Hoh and Sol Duc.”
Randy Lato of All-Ways Fishing (360-374-2052) in Forks has yet to get on the rivers but has heard of a few good reports as well out west.
“It’s been pretty good,” he said. “[The rivers] are all producing, but the Hoh seems to be doing really well.
“The Sol Duc has a lot of fish in it too, but it’s not hard-boat friendly right now as low as it is.
“This shot of rain [expected this weekend] should absolutely bring a bunch of fish in.”
The river scene on the eastern Peninsula took a hit when the Quilcene River closed to fishing last weekend. Low coho returns to the hatchery led to a closure by the state.
Such action likely won’t be necessary on the Dungeness River, which has already seen 100 returning coho this fall.
That’s well ahead of the 2008 (40) and ’09 (75) runs at this same time.
The Dungeness opens to salmon fishing Oct. 16.
Getting salty
Maybe the salmon lost their invitation in the mail.
The crowds came out for the wild salmon fishery in Marine Area 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), but the fish refused to dance.
Anglers had a hard time hooking coho and blackmouth during the first week of the fall fishery, with the latter scarce and the former scattered.
“Silver fishing in the Straits is kind of a hit-and-miss deal,” Aunspach said. “They can get them one day and not find them the next. It could be a six-hour trip to get two fish, because they really scatter out here for whatever reason.
“There are just so many places the fish go to”
The Area 3 (LaPush) bubble fishery has been a bit of a tough go as well.
Between cruddy conditions and fasting fish, anglers have had a lot to deal with.
“It’s pretty tough,” Randy Lato of All-Ways Fishing (360-374-2052) in LaPush said. “They are terminal, so it’s pretty tough to get them to bite, but every now and then they will grab a hold.”
The LaPush Last Chance Salmon Derby went just one day (Saturday) due to inclement conditions.
The winning chinook was 34 pounds, according to Lato. There were also some 12-pound coho caught.
I’d love to provide full details on the derby ladder, but that information has been surprisingly difficult to come by.
Not talking
Peninsula elk continued their ant-social behavior this past week.
For whatever reason, the horned herders just don’t want to talk to armed individuals.
Go figure.
“I’ve heard of a four-point taken . . . but overall [it’s been] kind of slow,” Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said.
“They are just kind of clamming up and not talking much,” he added. And in the thick and tall brush hunters tend to stake out for elk, “you need them to make a little noise.”
Muzzleloaders have just one more day (today) before their early elk season comes to a close.
One would’ve expected the bulls to be in the rut at this point in the season, but alas, that didn’t appear to be the case.
Hunters won’t get another shot at elk until the modern firearm season begins Nov. 6-16 in the Hoko, Dickey, Pysht, Sol Duc, Goodman, Clearwater, Matheny and Coyle (except for elk area 6071) GMUs.
The focus will shift back to the bucks next week, with modern firearm deer season set for Oct. 16-31 in each of the Peninsula GMUs.
The Olympic GMU (621) has been the most steady producer of deer during the past two years, with 371 coming out of the area in 2009 and 314 in ’08.
The Coyle (627) is coming off a decent year as well, with 346 taken in ’09 compared to 214 in ’08.
Out west, the Pysht GMU (603) has been the most steady producer, with 167 deer taken in 2009.
As for other hunting options:
• The Dungeness Recreation Area is once again the Peninsula’s lone pheasant release site.
Pheasants are put out for hunters on Saturday, Sunday and holiday mornings from the first weekend in October through Nov. 30, according to Fish and Wildlife’s Western Washington Pheasant Release Program brochure.
Due to the tightness of the hunting grounds and close proximity of other hunters, hunter orange must be worn at all times.
• An early duck season opens statewide Oct. 16-20.
After a brief closure, the ducks will be fair game once again Oct. 23 through Jan. 30.
Down to dig
Razor clam season begins this weekend at five ocean beaches, including Kalaloch.
The set of afternoon digs began Thursday at Twin Harbors, which opens each day through Sunday.
Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch and Long Beach all open to digging today and Saturday only.
The state approved the digs after finding that clams at all five beaches were safe to eat (as long as you actually chew before swallowing, of course).
Digging is not allowed before noon.
That works out well since low minus tides all come during the afternoon in the fall and winter anyway.
While today might see the best surf conditions, Saturday is the better tide (although the difference appears negligible).
It’s always best to hit the beach at least one hour before high tide. Here’s a list of tides for this weekend’s digs:
• Today — Minus 1.0 feet at 6:55 p.m.
• Friday — Minus 1.4 feet at 7:42 p.m.
• Saturday – Minus 1.5 feet at 8:28 p.m.
• Sunday – Minus 1.3 feet at 9:15 p.m.
For more information on coastal razor clams, visit wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/.
Also . . .
• Dave Jackson of Dungeness River Audubon Center will lead a trip to Carrie Blake Park and John Wayne Marina for beginning birders on Oct. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
The trip will allow participants to learn birding techniques and get to know birds in the area. It will also benefit Peninsula residents who are new to the area.
Pre-registration is required. To do so, contact Jackson at 360-683-1355 or djackson@wavecable.com.
• Admiralty Audubon’s Ron Sikes will be leading a birding trip by kayak through the Quilcene Bay estuary Oct. 16.
A group will depart the Haines Place Park-n-Ride near Safeway in Port Townsend at 11 a.m. Participants must bring their own kayak, gear, lunch and water.
To register for the trip, contact Sikes at 360-385-0307 or sikes@olympus.net.
• As was mentioned in Thursday’s column, Gibbs and Teal lakes in Jefferson County each received jumbo rainbow trout plants in mid-September.
The fish, which average about 0.75 pounds in size, were added to both lakes to boost its winter fishing prospects.
Gibbs received 390 jumbo trout and Teal 210.
• Puget Sound Anglers-East Jefferson chapter will hold its monthly meeting in the Marina Room of the Point Hudson Marina on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Details on the guest speaker were not available because of a last-minute cancellation. The public is invited and refreshments will be served.
• Puget Sound Anglers-North Olympic chapter will hold its monthly meeting at Trinity Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., in Sequim this Thursday at 7 p.m.
Information on the guest speaker was not available.
• Washington Trails Association will gather a volunteer work party at Humes Ranch Loop on the Elwha River on Saturday, Oct. 16., starting at 8:30 a.m.
Volunteers will help finish off a re-route of the trail inside Olympic National Park. Volunteers must pre-register 48 hours in advance.
To pre-register, contact Washington Trails at 206-625-1367 or visit www.wta.org.
• The Coastal Conservation Association-North Olympic Peninsula Chapter will hold its first fundraising banquet in John Wayne Marina on Oct. 16 at 4 p.m.
There will be live and silent auctions of fishing gear, trips, art and more. Tickets are $65 per person or $120 for couples. That includes a one-year membership in the CCA.
For information on ordering tickets, contact banquet chair Bill Batson at 877-875-2381 (ext. 20) or bill@batsonenterprises.com.
• The Gardiner Salmon Derby Association will host a “Taste of Italy” fundraising event at the Gardiner Community Center on Nov. 6.
The event will feature live and silent auctions that will include fishing trips, vacations, sporting event tickets and various other items.
Proceeds will support the nonprofit Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby (formerly Discovery Bay Salmon Derby) on Presidents Day weekend.
Dinner tickets cost $15 and must be purchased in advance. To do so, contact Marylou Tatum (360-797-7710) or Linda Hanel (360-797-0050).
Those interested in sponsoring the event or donating auction items can contact Dan Tatum at 360-797-7710.
Send photos, stories
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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.