HEY SANTA, WHEN we asked for more water in the rivers for Christmas, we didn’t mean this much!
From too much dryness to flooding. Go figure. As the old saying goes, be careful what you ask for.
“From one extreme to the other,” said Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim.
Steelhead anglers probably are feeling a little frustrated right now.
And except for crabbing, which is good right now (but the season closes Saturday; we’ll get to that later), steelheading is the only game in town.
The rivers were too low and clear for fishing the last couple of weeks — and now flooding has washed them out this week.
Now is a good time for anglers to do maintenance on their reels and rods and other chores, Menkal suggests, and wait for the rivers to settle down.
“Watch for the smaller rivers to come back into shape, such as the Dungeness, Calawah and Lyre,” Menkal said.
The smaller rivers always come back sooner because the larger rivers have tributaries flooding into them.
Good luck with the wait, though, because the forecast calls for rain, rain and more rain — with maybe a day respite here and there.
Anglers don’t have to drive out to each river to check on them.
They can do it from the comfort of their computers, Menkal said.
The Real-Time water data site, at http://tinyurl.com/7tyb9on, gives daily streamflow conditions in all Washington rivers.
“It gives real-time water data hourly,” Menkal said.
Two days to be crabby
Instead of fretting about a lack of fishing, go out and do some crabbing, Menkal suggests.
“Crabbing has been good,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to go for it.”
Actually, if you are going to go for it, go for it now.
Puget Sound marine areas currently open for recreational winter crabbing will close at sunset Saturday, after which all sport crabbers licensed to fish for crab in the Sound will have a month to report their winter catch.
State fishing rules require that all sport crabbers with winter catch record cards submit catch reports for the winter season to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife by Feb. 1 — even if they did not catch any crab.
All Puget Sound marine areas will be closed to recreational crabbing starting Sunday until summer 2012.
Sport crabbers should be aware that if they fail to submit a winter catch report, they will receive a $10 fine when they purchase their 2012 crab endorsement, said Rich Childers, state shellfish policy lead.
“By submitting their catch data, crabbers play an important role in managing the Puget Sound crab fishery,” Childers said.
“We need to hear from everyone who was issued a winter catch card.”
To submit catch reports, crabbers may send their catch record card to Fish and Wildlife by mail, or file their report on a special webpage on the department’s licensing website.
The mailing address is WDFW CRC Unit, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.
The online reporting system will be available Jan. 1-Feb. 1 at http://tinyurl.com/yhjxf79.
Happy as a clam
For those of you who like their shellfish a little less frisky than a crab, razor clam digging is coming soon to a beach near you.
(Well, not too close on the North Olympic Peninsula because Kalaloch Beach is still closed to clamming).
Tentative openings for early 2012 clam digging at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks beaches will be announced in early January by the state folks.
Wildlife meeting set
The state Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider increasing the number of multiple-season hunting permits available each year after hearing public comments on the issue at a meeting scheduled Jan. 6-7 in Olympia.
The commission, which sets policy for WDFW, also will accept public comments on proposed changes to the 2012 sportfishing rules, but will not take action on those proposals until its regular meeting in February.
The public meeting is scheduled to convene Jan. 6 at 9:30 a.m. and Jan. 7 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E. in Olympia.
An agenda is available on the commission’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/.
Multiple-season hunting permits allow selected hunters to hunt for deer or elk during all general hunting seasons, rather than having to choose among archery, muzzleloader or modern firearm seasons.
Hunting data show that the wider range of options increases hunters’ chance of success in the field.
State wildlife managers have proposed increasing the number multiple-season hunting permits available each year to 8,500 deer permits and 1,250 elk permits.
In 2011, the state conducted a drawing for 4,000 deer permits and 850 elk permits from among the hunters who paid an application fee.
The wildlife managers say increasing those permit levels will not pose a risk to the state’s wildlife, adding that fees generated by applicants for a higher number of permits would be used to expand efforts to prevent property damage caused by wildlife.
The public hearing on new fishing-rule proposal, scheduled Jan. 7, is the last in a series of public meetings held around the state in recent months.
Changes proposed include:
■ Closing fishing early for steelhead and other game fish in several river systems in Puget Sound and along the Strait of Juan de Fuca to protect wild steelhead.
The early closures, ranging from mid-January to mid-February, would apply to the Nooksack, Skagit, Stillaguamish, Snohomish, Green and Puyallup river systems, along with several streams along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The proposal also includes closing the upper section of the Samish River on Dec. 1 and the lower section Jan. 1 to fishing for all species.
■ Allowing anglers to fish with two poles on the Pend Oreille River and the lower Spokane River.
■ Closing fisheries on a number of small coastal streams that drain into Washington’s ocean waters to protect juvenile anadromous fish.
■ Changing the opening day of the lowland lake fishing season from the last Saturday in April to the fourth Saturday in April.
■ Closing sturgeon retention in Puget Sound, as well as its tributaries.
This proposal is designed to protect Columbia River sturgeon that venture into Puget Sound to feed.
Under the proposal, catch and release fishing for sturgeon would still be allowed
The deadline for submitting written comments on these and other proposed changes in state fishing rules ends today.
Salmon Derby
The Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby is set for Presidents Day weekend, Feb. 18-20.
The blackmouth derby spans 500 square miles of fishing with five weigh stations and a $10,000 first prize up for grabs.
For more information, visit gardinersalmonderby.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 Matt Schubert, Sports Department, Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362; phone, 360-417-3526; fax, 360-417-3521; email matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.
__________
Matt Schubert, PDN outdoors editor, is on vacation this week.
