THAT EL NIÑO sure knows how to mix it up.
Give me spring when I’m expecting winter, then come with winter when I’m hoping for spring?
Yes, that little boy is a laugh a minute, not unlike the character it once inspired Chris Farley to portray once upon a time on Saturday Night Live.
To quote one of my favorite chunky comics, “All other tropical storms must bow before El Niño!”
Peninsulites found themselves doing just that by the end of the week.
Steelhead city
Vampire country in particular felt its wrath.
Blustery winds, pouring rain and, yes, the occasional spat of hail hit the West End on Thursday.
“You name it, we had it, I kid you not,” Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods (360-374-6330) in Forks said. “It was ug-ly.”
As gnarly as things might have gotten, the recent return of precipitation couldn’t have come at a better time for steelhead anglers.
Almost all of the rivers out west were approaching the dreaded “low and clear” status. Now, they should all be back in shape just in time for the weekend.
Hopefully, the rain will entice a few more big natives to come in as well.
So far, those steelhead have been a little less present this season, according to Gooding.
“I’ve seen some decent fish around,” he said. “I saw some pictures of a 27- and a 25-[pounder], so there were some decent fish here and there, but it’s awfully tough.
“We just haven’t seen that many big ones. There’s usually a few more. I just haven’t seen that many in the 20s.”
The 25- and 27-pound steelies both came out of the Sol Duc River, which tends to see its fair share of mammoth wild steelhead in March and early April.
The Hoh, which should fall back into fishable shape this weekend, has also churned out a few.
“The rivers are OK,” Gooding said. “The ones that aren’t will be OK tomorrow.”
Getting salty
The once-hot Area 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) blackmouth fishery appears to be headed in the opposite direction.
Labeled one of the best blackmouth bets in the state as recently as a week ago, the Port Angeles-area fishery has hit a snag of late, according to Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles.
“It has slowed down considerably,” he said. “I fished Saturday, and the only thing we had a hold of a seal took.
“Tuesday was a good day, at least for a couple of different gentlemen, but overall it’s really slowed down.”
Those two anglers Aunspach spoke of were Mark and Jeff Reynolds of Port Angeles.
The father-son fishing duo came back with blackmouth weighing 18 pounds and 21 pounds, 14 ounces, respectively.
Yet theirs were one of the few success stories bandied about this week. And it doesn’t look like things will get an easier this weekend.
“We look like we’re going to be kind of weather-oriented here in the next few days,” Aunspach said.
Val Olson at Olson’s Resort (360-963-2311) in Sekiu said anglers are still getting limits off Slip Point and near Eagle Bay.
“They’ve been doing real good. . . [with fish] anywhere from 4 to 18 pounds,” Olson said. “They are not going far.”
Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) anglers, on the other hand, aren’t going much of anywhere.
Another week of tepid interest has given way to a stark reality in Port Townsend: This year’s blackmouth fishery stinks.
“It’s just dismal,” Brian Menkal of Swain’s Outdoor (360-385-1313) in Port Townsend said. “It’s been terrible to start with, and I haven’t heard any real success stories.
“It just never got better.”
Sunday at the lake?
Perhaps Jefferson County folk ought to look inward.
Lake Leland, open year round to fishing, is sure to be a bit on the warm side given El Nino’s playful pranks this winter.
So perhaps an angler can pick off one of the several species of fish — including trout, bass and bluegill — swimming around its waters.
“Some [anglers] will troll a plain spinner by itself, others a plug,” Menkal said. “You can troll wedding rings with a worm on it. There’s lots of opportunities.”
Lake Sutherland in Clallam County is also open year round.
Menkal went out there a week ago and found that most of the fish were down 30 or 40 feet in depth. The lake’s prized kokanee are surely even deeper.
“You’ve got to get down deep [for those],” he said. “Most of the time they are caught trolling. And when there is one, there is more [hanging around].”
Ridge discount
A late winter is just what the doctor ordered atop Hurricane Ridge.
The Ridge received nearly a foot of fresh powder this week, according to mountain manager Craig Hofer.
So the north side of the mountain (aka the Poma side) should be pretty user-friendly as it opens to its first full weekend of shredding in two years.
“It’s going to be a really good weekend,” Hofer said.
Skiers and snowboarders will receive a $2 discount on lift tickets if they bring two canned food items to the Ridge this weekend.
The Poma lift will be in operation Saturday and Sunday, as will the bunny and intermediate rope tows.
Full-day lift rates are $10 for the bunny lift, $20 for the bunny and intermediate lifts and $25 for all three, including the Poma.
Half days cost $10 for the bunny, $18 for the bunny and intermediate and $22 for all three.
Snacks and ski rentals will be available at the snack bar and gift shop inside Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.
Free ranger-led snowshoe walks are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. A $5 donation is requested.
Space is limited for the 90-minute walks, so participants should register at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center information desk 30 minutes beforehand.
Hurricane Ridge Road opens Fridays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to dusk, weather permitting.
Always check road and weather conditions before your trip by phoning the park’s 24-hour road conditions hotline at 360-565-3131.
For information on skiing and snowboarding at the Ridge, visit www.hurricaneridge.com.
No word
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is still awaiting approval from the National Marine Fisheries Service for a series of proposed halibut fishing dates.
When the final word will come is uncertain. Here are the tentative dates for Peninsula flatty fisheries:
• Areas 3 (LaPush) and 4 (Neah Bay) — May 13 through May 22 on Thursdays and Saturday only.
If enough quota remains, there will be dates June 3 through June 17 on Thursdays and Saturdays only.
• Area 5 (Sekiu) — May 28 through June 19, three days a week (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays).
The fishery will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday during Memorial Day weekend.
• Areas 6 (eastern Strait) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet): May 1 through 30, three days a week (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays).
Like Area 5, it will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday during Memorial Day weekend.
Behave yourselves
Those stubborn elk just won’t behave.
Tribal biologists, Fish and Wildlife and Eyes in the Woods Association are looking for volunteers to assist in the Dungeness Elk herd behavior modification.
There will be a meeting March 27 at 1 p.m. in the Guy Cole Convention Center at Carrie Blake Park, 202 N. Blake Ave. in Sequim, explaining the collaborative project.
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and Fish and Wildlife are responsible for the health and safety of the herds located in the Sequim area.
Both will work with Eyes in the Woods, a volunteer citizen’s organization, to keep the animals off the highways and roads.
They will try to re-establish the elk into their historic range within the northeastern portion of the Peninsula.
Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to attend the March 27 meeting.
For more information, e-mail Jesse Sandifer at jesses@eyesinthewoods.org.
Also . . .
• The Olympic Peninsula Fly Fishers and Grey Wolf Fly Fishing Club are offering scholarships for the 2010 Northwest Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Academy.
The academy, set for June 20-26 at Hicks Lake in Lacey, provides youth anglers all they need to know about the art of fly fishing. The cost is $275.
For information on how to apply for a scholarship, contact Grey Wolf’s Dave Bailey (360-681-7043) or send the Fly Fishers an e-mail at info@opff.org.
For more information about the academy, visit www.nwycffa.org, or contact Mike Clancy at 360-753-1259.
• The latest in a series of free fly tying seminars at Waters West Fly Fishing Outfitters, 140 W. Front St. in Port Angeles, is set for Saturday at 10 a.m.
The seminar will focus on steelhead spey and dee flies. There will be more free seminars every other Saturday through April 24.
For more information on the seminars or classes, call 360-417-0937 or send an e-mail to info@waterswest.com.
• Admiralty Audubon’s Dan Waggoner will lead a birding trip from Oak Bay County Park to the parks on Indian and Marrowstone Island on Saturday.
Birders can expect migrating sea water birds and early warblers. A group will meet at Oak Bay Park at 8:30 a.m. as well as at the Port Townsend Park and Ride at 8 a.m.
To pre-register for the trip, contact Waggoner at 360-301-1788 or danwags57@gmail.com.
• The Olympic Peninsula Paddlers Club will hold its Third Saturday Paddle next week at Freshwater Bay.
The event is scheduled for all day. For more information, visit www.olympicpeninsulapaddlers.com.
• Starfish expert Phillip Lambert is the guest speaker at the Feiro Marine Life Center’s monthly presentation March 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Port Angeles Pier.
Lambert is the curator emeritus at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. He has written numerous handbooks and guidebooks featuring Pacific Northwest invertebrate marine life.
A $5 donation is suggested but not required. For more information, or to reserve a spot, call 360-417-6254.
• Two sets of razor clam digs have been tentatively set for coastal beaches in late March and mid April.
Olympic National Park’s Kalaloch Beach is included in the digs, with openers set for March 26-27 (evening) and April 17-18 (morning).
For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/oyekj.
• The Port Angeles Shotgun Club, located at 253093 Highway 101 east of Port Angeles, will hold an open practice shoot this Sunday at 11 a.m.
Club members will be on hand to assist anyone interested. For more information, visit www.shootpagc.com or e-mail Karen Rogers at Karen@karenrogersconsulting.com.
• Washington Trails Association will gather a volunteer work party at Peabody Creek Trail this Tuesday.
Volunteers must pre-register 48 hours in advance. To pre-register, contact Washington Trails at 206-625-1367 or visit www.wta.org.
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.
