SATURDAY IS YOUR last chance for halibut.
I know, I know; It seems like halibut season just started.
But, it has been more than a month since the fishery opened in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and four weeks since it began on the northern coast.
Sekiu (Marine Area 5) was left watching for three weekends.
To the east, Marine Areas 6 (Port Angeles, Sequim) 9 (Admiralty Inlet) had a monster openings the first weekend in May.
The next weekend, anglers drove through Sekiu on their way to Neah Bay to catch halibut.
The following week, every area but Sekiu was open to halibut fishing.
Now Sekiu’s wait pays off, although not nearly as much as it did in previous years when the halibut fishery lasted deep into June.
This year, Sekiu’s halibut season ends Saturday.
And it will end with a bang.
The Clallam Bay-Sekiu Chamber of Commerce and area resorts are sponsoring a one-day Last Chance halibut derby.
The money the first-prize fish earns will depend on how big the big, flat ugly thing is: It will garner $10 per pound, with no weight limit.
Second place gets $400, and third place wins $100.
At last weekend’s halibut derby put on by Olson’s Resort (360-963-2311) in Sekiu, the top three fish weighed 131, 113 and 85 pounds.
If the winner of Saturday’s derby can catch a fish in the neighborhood of those three halibut, he or she will pocket between $800 and $1,300.
Of course, the dream scenario would be for a 225-pound halibut to be caught, like the one Woody Woods of Everett caught in Sequim last Friday.
A fish that size would earn its master $2,250, and would really test the wallet of the Clallam Bay-Sekiu Chamber of Commerce.
There is also a $100 prize for the largest sea bass caught by a derby participant.
The entry fee is $15.
The derby boundaries are west to the Sekiu River, and east to Pillar Point.
For more information, contact Sekiu area resorts, such as Olson’s (360-963-2311), Van Riper’s (360-963-2334), Curley’s (360-963-2281) or Straitside (360-963-2100).
Another reminder is that this is Free Fishing Weekend, so you don’t need a license to fish this derby. (For more on Free Fishing Weekend, read Thursday’s column: www.tinyurl.com/freefishin.)
Fly Fishing 101
Waters West (360-417-0937) in Port Angeles will be holding a Fly Fishing 101 class on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The half-day, crash course in fly fishing will take place at a nearby pond.
The class will have a heavy emphasis on casting, line control and presentation.
All rods, reels, flies and other essential equipment will be provided, and no license is required.
The cost for the class is $25.
For additional information, or to enroll, visit www.waterswest.com/classes-clinics, or phone 360-417-0937.
Puget Sound Anglers
This month’s meeting of the North Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the Puget Sound Anglers will focus on how to catch king and coho on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The salmon season on the Strait and Hood Canal opens Monday, July 1.
Club members will provide demonstrations of equipment, advice on fishing areas, and methods of saltwater salmon fishing.
The meeting takes place Thursday, June 20, at 6:45 p.m. at the Trinity United Methodist Church (100 S. Blake Ave. in Sequim).
Archery tournament
The Wapiti Bowmen Archery Club of Port Angeles is sponsoring a tournament for traditional archers at its facility (374 E. Arnette Road in Port Angeles) Saturday and Sunday, June 15-16.
At the tournament, traditional shooters (no compound bows) will be able to shoot at 30 3-D full-size targets.
All traditional shooters are invited to participate. Registration begins a 7:30 a.m. both days.
Breakfast and lunch will be served at 7 a.m. for a cost of $5, and raffles will be held for a Bear Encounter Compound Bow and a Rinehart 18-1 Spot Target.
For more information, phone Walt at 360-531-2153, or Steve at 360-460-9132, or visit the club’s website at www.wapitibowmen.us.
Adventure talks
Beginning next Friday, June 14, and lasting through the summer, the Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles will host a weekly Basecamp Adventure Talks series, each Friday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
These adventure talks will touch on many of the various adventure options available on the Peninsula.
Speakers will include ecologists, tour guides, storytellers, film makers, historians, fishermen and mountaineers.
The first talk will be “Olympic Changes Over Space and Time,” by Carolyn Wilcox, owner of Experience Olympic Tours.
The talks are free and open to the public, and light hors d’oeuvres are included. Happy hour Basecamp drink specials will also be offered.
Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles is located at 221 N. Lincoln St.
Day of trails
The fourth annual Longest Day of Trails 10K Run and 15-mile Bike Ride will take place Sunday, June 23, on the Larry Scott Memorial Trail in Port Townsend.
The out-and-back 10K run begins at 9 a.m., and costs $20 if you register by Thursday, June 20 (and $25 if you register the day of the event).
The start and finish area is at the water in the Port Townsend boat yard. Runners should park at the Park and Ride across from Safeway on Lower Sims Way.
The 15-mile bike ride covers the entire length of the trail. To participate, gather by the trail entrance at 4 p.m.
This main goal of the event is raise money for trail caretakers the Jefferson Trails Coalition and the Pacific Northwest Trails Association.
For more information, email longestdayoftrails@gmail.com, or visit www.tinyurl.com/LongDayPT.
Eagles battle
Anglers cleaning their halibut at Freshwater Bay last week brought out many eagles
Reader Mick Carver captured some cool video of a pair of eagles fighting, and uploaded it to YouTube.
Here is a link: www.tinyurl.com/EagleFight.
You should watch it.
Send photos, stories
Have a photograph, a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique?
Send it to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
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Outdoors columnist Lee Horton appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
