ANGLERS RECEIVED AN early holiday bonus as the coho season on the Sol Duc River has been extended.
Hatchery coho can be retained through Tuesday, Dec. 15 on the Sol Duc downstream of the Sol Duc Hatchery.
The salmon season was scheduled to end last Monday, but two factors are allowing for the extension.
Coho broodstock needs at the Sol Duc Hatchery have been met, and a late push of coho up the Sol Duc River has resulted in surplus hatchery coho (adipose fin clipped) in the Sol Duc River below the hatchery.
The daily bag limit for salmon is two, and the coho must be a minimum of 14 inches in length.
All wild coho, chinook, and wild steelhead must be released.
Hatchery steelhead season also is underway on the Sol Duc River.
Commission in PT
The state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet in Port Townsend on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11-12.
The meetings will be held at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., starting at 8 a.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
The most important agenda item concerns decisions on sport fishing regulation proposals.
State Department of Fish and Wildlife staff will seek approval from the Commission on rules proposal changes for the 2016-17 fishing season.
This includes prohibiting wild steelhead and rainbow trout harvest on many North Olympic Peninsula rivers.
Separate topics include a Puget Sound rockfish conservation update, a briefing on shellfish enforcement with a focus on bi-valve species and a status update on the boat launch project at Point No Point in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet).
The new launch was supposed to open this year but was delayed.
It is designed to handle larger boats and will be about 100 feet long.
It also will be ADA accessible.
The full agenda for the two-day event is available at tinyurl.com/PDN-Fishmeeting.
Banff film festival
The Banff Mountain Film Festival is coming to the Uptown Theater, 1120 Lawrence Street in Port Townsend, with showings at 7 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $20, available at tinyurl.com/PDN-Banfffilms.
Festival films feature travel to exotic landscapes and remote cultures, bringing audiences up close and personal with action sports and exploration of the mountain world.
For more information go to banffmountainfestivals.ca.
Paddle Smart Clinic
The North Olympic Sail and Power Squadron is offering a free safety clinic for paddlers from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.
The clinic will be at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave.
The Paddle Smart clinic will cover basic paddling equipment and terminology and how to use canoes and kayaks and safety.
Safety topics include the risks associated with paddle sports and what paddlers can do to minimize those risks.
For more information, phone Tom O’Laughlin at 360-670-2798 or visit
www.northolympicboaters.com.
Home canning workshop
Are sealed packages of summer or fall salmon taking up too much room in your freezer?
The Washington State University Clallam County Extension will host a home pressure canning workshop Saturday.
“Preserving the Catch: Home Pressure Canning of Seafood,” will be offered at First Step Family Support Center, 325 E 6th St., from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The workshop is free and open to the public.
Participants will learn principles of food preservation, including a hands-on salmon canning demonstration.
Jars, frozen salmon and recipes will be provided.
Attendees can take home two jars of salmon and recipes.
Class will be held at and taught by Betsy Wharton, Extension food preservation advisor and proprietor of the Clallam Canning Co.
The class size is limited to eight.
For more information, phone 360-417-2279.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
