Grays Harbor Closure Criticized
Each week we round-up the top fishing news from the Northwest and beyond. Do you have a news tip? E-mail us at news /at/ salmonuniversity.com.
Grays Harbor Closure Criticized by CCA
This week the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced the closure of fishing in Grays Harbor and its tributaries. In addition to the closure of Grays Harbor, the daily coho limit on the Lower Columbia was reduced to one and Area 9 anglers are now limited to chum only as of Sunday, November 1 (be sure to check-out Salmon University’s guide to saltwater chum fishing here).
The closure of Grays Harbor was criticized by the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) of Washington. In a statement, the group said:
This week WDFW made an announcement that they will “close the steelhead and gamefish seasons in (Grays) harbor and tributaries” due to concerns expressed by the Quinalt Indian Tribe over “hooking mortality of coho.” Several CCA members, who fully support the conservation of our fisheries, are left wondering how many wild coho will be conserved with this massive sportfishing closure and how many wild coho have been killed in gillnet fisheries to date. This information was not made available in WDFW’s announcement to the general public. With this and other closures, resulting in a significant loss of fishing opportunity around the state, it is hard to imagine how WDFW will be able to justify a rate increase to our fishing license fees.
Complete Washington regulations updates are available on the website of the WDFW.
S’Klallam and Suquamish in Chum Dispute
In Washington, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe are protesting a decision by the Suquamish to begin fishing for Hood Canal chum, Kingston Community News reports.
The decision reportedly breaks a decade-old agreement by Elwha Klallam, Jamestown S’Klallam, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Skokomish and Suquamish to not fish for Hood Canal chum in order to let the population recover.
Salmon University Welcomes Rod Dog Arches
Salmon University welcomes its newest sponsor, Rod Dog Arches. Located in Anacortes, Washington, Rod Dog Arches builds custom aluminum arches for sportsmen, boaters, and families. Their custom aluminum radar arches are suitable for all makes and models of sport and leisure boats including Thunder Jet, Hewes Craft, Luhrs, Chris Craft, Sea Craft and more. For more information, call them at 360-770-3428, email at info@roddogarches.com, or visit their website.
ODFW Art Show Scheduled
The third annual Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife art show will take place at Duck Pond Cellars in Dunee, Oregon on Saturday, November 7 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The show features 56 entries submitted by artists as part of ODFW’s 2016 Habitat Conservation, Upland Game Bird, and Waterfowl Stamp art contests. The winning entry from each contest is then used to produce collector stamps and other promotional items with proceeds going to support Oregon’s native wildlife.
At the art show, Duck Pond Cellars will release “Conservation Cuvee – Lot 3” featuring the 2015 winning artwork of Tufted Puffins by Don Meinders of Otto, North Carolina.
“This is a special, small lot Pinot Noir we crafted using fruit from our family’s Oregon vineyards. A classic interpretation of Oregon Pinot Noir, this cuvee is nuanced and supple with earthy undertones and a soft, spicy finish,” Fries said.
For more information, visit Duck Pond Cellars’ website.