THE COMPLETE DETAILS of last week’s salmon season agreement between state Department of Fish and Wildlife and treaty tribes is available online at tinyurl.com/PDN-Salmon16-17.
There were some surprises in the agreement, including the preservation of fall coho fisheries on both Dungeness Bay in Marine Area 6 (East Strait of Juan de Fuca) and the Dungeness River.
Drastically reduced coho runs have been forecast by state and tribal co-managers this summer and fall, and the preservation of those runs was a sticking point in negotiations between the two sides.
But the Dungeness coho stock is believed strong enough to support saltwater and river fisheries.
A two-fish hatchery coho limit for recreational anglers will be in place on Dungeness Bay from Oct. 1-31.
The co-managers will meet mid-month to assess catch totals.
Treaty tribal and non-treaty commercial fishing also will be conducted in Dungeness Bay this September and October.
Dungeness River coho anglers will see a reduction in time on the water of a little more than a month compared to 2015.
That fishery is planned from Oct. 16 to Nov. 27 from the river mouth up to the hatchery intake pipe at river mile 11.3.
The traditional four-fish limit for coho of a minimum 12 inches will be in place.
Treaty tribe anglers will use hand-held gear to fish the Dungeness three days a week beginning Oct. 16.
Elwha River moratorium
A total of four chinook will be harvested in July for ceremonial purposes by the Lower Elwha S’Klallam tribe.
No other tribal or recreational fishing is scheduled for the river, which remains under a five-year moratorium through March 1, 2017, due to the removal of the Elwha River dams.
I’m not a gambler, but I wouldn’t wager even a dime on the Elwha River opening to fishing upon expiration of that moratorium.
Coho on Hood Canal
Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) will be open to coho fishing both north and south of Ayock Point starting Aug. 16 and July 1, respectively.
Those fishing north of Ayock Point, which is located in Mason County, can fish for hatchery coho between Aug. 16 and Sept. 30.
The northern end of Tarboo Bay, north of Quilcene, will be closed to fishing from Sept. 16-30.
Hatchery chinook also can be kept north of Ayock Point from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.
Anglers fishing south of Ayock Point can retain up to four hatchery chinook 20 inches or longer, from July 1 through Sept. 30.
Anglers with a two-pole fishing endorsement can fish with two poles from July through October.
Recreational anglers also can fish the Quilcene River from Rodgers Street to the U.S. Highway 101 bridge for hatchery coho from Aug. 16 to Oct. 31.
A four-fish limit and 12-inch minimum size rules will be in effect.
Skokomish closed
Television channels are still likely to provide footage of salmon crossing the U.S. Highway 101 at the Skokomish River come the first major flood this fall.
But recreational anglers won’t get a shot at those fish this fall.
The lower mainstem of the Skokomish River will be closed to nontribal fishing this year due to a claim by the tribe that the river is part of the Skokomish Reservation and public access is prohibited.
Fish and Wildlife is working to evaluate this claim.
The closed area includes the section of river from the Tacoma Public Utilities power lines near the mouth of the river upstream to the Bonneville Power Administration power lines upstream and west of U.S. Highway 101.
Fish and Wildlife warned that department police will monitor the closure this fall.
Fly Show fundraiser
Olympic Peninsula Fishing Innovations co-president Dean Childs has big plans for his nonprofit organization and will be making a presentation at the Atlantic Salmon Fly International Expo this weekend in Renton.
The Sequim-based nonprofit produces one-handed fly fishing and fly tying devices and provides these products at no charge to wounded service veterans and stroke and breast cancer survivors.
It receives production help from the Boeing Co., which uses the same 3-D printing technologies to build airplane parts as it does to craft pieces like the Casting Partner.
The Casting Partner allows a person with one working hand or arm to cast and fly fish.
The device performs the function of the line hand, letter anglers tie knots, change flies, grip fly line and fight and land fish.
Childs will speak a banquet and staff a booth at the event, which celebrates the art and passion of the Atlantic salmon fly, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday at the Pavilion Event Center, 233 Burnett Ave. S. in Renton.
More than 70 world-class fly tyers will be on hand, including Ryan Houston, Mikko Stenberg, Marvin Notle and Marc LeBlanc.
Fly fishing outfitters will exhibit their products, and presentations, demonstrations and silent auctions are planned.
Besides a facility packed full of those with a serious passion for elk-hair caddis and other flies, all proceeds from the event will benefit Olympic Peninsula Fishing Innovations.
Admission fees are $15 per day for ages 15 and older, with three-day passes available for $30.
Youth age 14 and younger are free.
Funds from silent auctions held at the expo also will be given to Olympic Peninsula Fishing Innovations.
For more information on the expo, visit www.asfi-expo.com.
For more information on Olympic Peninsula Fishing Innovations, visit www.fishagain.org.
Shrimp limit increased
Fish and Wildlife announced changes to shrimping seasons in Marine Areas 6 and 9.
The daily bag limit for all shrimp species has increased to 160 shrimp in Marine Area 6.
Marine Area 9 has reopened for recreational coonstripe and pink shrimp fishing with a 150-foot maximum fishing depth restriction.
All spot shrimp caught in Marine Area 9 must be returned to the water immediately.
Sufficient recreational quota remains in Marine Area 6 for raising the daily limit on a trial basis.
Although the spot shrimp quotas was reached in Marine Area 9, there is sufficient non-spot quota remaining to reopen.
These reopenings do not affect the Hood Canal and Discovery Bay Shrimp Districts, where the last open fishing day was May 30.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 57050 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
