Salmon derbies on the Sound enjoy popularity

Salmon fishing derbies have long been a favorite pastime around the greater Puget Sound area, as far back as the 1930s.

That legacy continues July 26 along Seattle's waterfront with the Elliott Bay Salmon Derby, the eighth of 14 events in the Northwest Salmon Derby Series.

"There is clearly a resurrection going on as far as the derbies go," said Tony Floor, the derby series coordinator.

Many refer to the 1930s and '40s as the golden years of salmon fishing in Puget Sound, when specimens of king salmon in excess of 40 pounds were commonly caught by trolling Heddon-type plugs with bamboo poles on silkworm-gut fishing lines.

The derby hoopla began with the Ben Paris Salmon Derby in 1931, which was held at the Hermosa Point Resort on Tulalip Bay.

Ben Paris, who owned a huge downtown sporting-goods store, sponsored a yearlong derby that culminated in late summer. Anglers would try to catch a big fish to win one of many prizes, including cars (worth $1,000 at the time), boats, a refrigerator or cash.

"The term 'derby' most likely originated from here, and the popularity of them took off with just about every community around Puget Sound having their own," said Frank Haw, a retired state Fish and Wildlife biologist who is writing a book on the history of sport salmon fishing in Puget Sound.

Just after World War II, hundreds of boathouses lined the Puget Sound shorelines, the majority of them situated around Elliott and Shilshole bays. Along with them came more salmon derbies, making it one of the biggest outdoor attractions for years to come.

The Seattle Times Derby started in 1940, and this heavyweight of derbies went on to become one of the most popular of its time, but that inaugural year was also filled with scandal.

Four people, led by Anthony Zuanich Jr. of Everett, decided to cash in on the derby by buying big fish beforehand from some Swinomish tribal members.

During the pre-dawn hours of the derby, Zuanich drove to a spot on the West Seattle shore near Joe's Boathouse and dumped the fish in a sack on the beach.

After checking out of Joe's Boathouse, Zuanich rowed out to the spot and placed the four fish in his boat. Then he met the other conspirators at a prearranged spot on Elliott Bay at different times and handed off the fish.

Derby officials became suspicious by the prize winners' lack of fishing knowledge.

Zuanich, who won a Plymouth sedan, didn't know what kind of plug he was using — just that it was a plug.

June Smaaladen, another of the foursome who won a Dodge sedan with the purchased salmon, said she was new to fishing, and wasn't quite sure how she caught her fish.

"I caught my fish on a hook," said Smaaladen. "And I was fishing awfully deep." A check of her gear disclosed she was fishing with a Harris Plug and a 4-ounce weight.

A newspaper story dated Oct. 2, 1940, revealed that fraud was committed, and all four were forced to relinquish their prizes and dignity.

The jury in the trial of Zuanich reached its verdict in less than an hour, and he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail for grand larceny. Merwin Smith and Frank Du Pay were sentenced to maximum terms of 15 years, but the sentences were suspended on good behavior and both got probation.

Smaaladen, whose confession implicated the three men, was released after serving nearly three months in jail.

Despite the scandal, the local salmon derbies remained quite popular from the 1950s through the 1960s and '80s.

The Seattle Seafair Salmon Derby held in September in the 1970s paid out $10,000 for the biggest fish. The top fish was also canned and labeled for the winner to take home.

The Schuck's Auto Million Dollar Salmon Derbies in the 1980s, which benefited charity, was set to pay $1 million to the lucky angler who caught one of the five prized marked coho salmon.

"I worked with the National Marine Fisheries Service over in Manchester, and we had some pen-reared coho," Haw recalled. "What we did was put about five tags in the backs of these fish and wired it under the dorsal fin. The derby sponsors worked out with an insurance company and paid out a premium and the company was betting $1 million that nobody would catch these fish."

"None of the fish were ever caught during the derby, but usually a day or two after the derby a couple were caught."

One of the longest-running current salmon derbies is the Tengu Club Winter Blackmouth Derby on Elliott Bay, which dates to 1946.

The derby was named after Tengu, a mythical long-nosed Japanese character who was known for stretching the truth. Like Pinocchio, Tengu's nose grew longer with each fib.

The Tengu derby is in the winter, when salmon are usually sparse in the bay, and anglers can only "mooch" — a fishing method that requires herring for bait. No artificial lures or downriggers are allowed.

In the 1990s, when salmon returns to Puget Sound reached an all-time low, the popularity of derbies dipped as well.

Hatchery production of salmon began to increase dramatically by around 2000, and more fisheries were targeting these healthy runs of fish and seasons again became more liberal.

In February 2004, the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA) debuted the derby series that involved six events, which this year has grown to 14.

"The derbies are increasing in a time when there is a concern to protect wild chinook greater than ever," Floor said. "The derby series and every derby within the yearlong event is designed to take advantage of healthy hatchery-produced salmon stocks."

This renewed interest in derbies was shown in the Roche Harbor Salmon Classic in February, which sold out of tickets (limited to 100 boats with four anglers per boat) two months before it began. The Anacortes Salmon Derby in March sold out 800 tickets a month in advance.

The Everett Coho Derby, which is not affiliated with the series, claims to be the largest on the West Coast and annually draws about 3,000 participants in late September.

The Port Angeles Halibut Derby is the second largest in the state, and lures up to 1,000 anglers. The other derbies bring in about 300 to 600 anglers. Last year, there were about 10,000 participants in the derby series.

Some of the derbies also give back to the communities such as the Elliott Bay Salmon Derby, coming July 26.

"Our derby is all for the kids and we give 100 percent of the money to the North Seattle Boys & Girls Club," said Steve Schwartz, coordinator for the Elliott Bay Salmon Derby.

"What we are trying to do is revive the tradition of hosting a derby like they did back in the 1940s and '50s. Last year we were able to raise $4,000 for the club."

The Anacortes Salmon Derby raises scholarship money, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, for students pursuing careers in fisheries and related sciences.

"Last year the net proceeds from the derby was $25,000 and it was all awarded in scholarships, and this year we raised $29,000 for scholarships," said Jay Field, president of the Fidalgo Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers that plays host to the Anacortes Derby.

The Discovery Bay Salmon Derby, which has been ongoing for 30 years, raises money for their local volunteer firefighters. The Portland Salmon Quest Derby also donates some of its proceeds for improving local boat-launch access and spring chinook-habitat projects.

"This has grown beyond our expectations in the sense that we want more people to go fishing," said Michael Campbell, president of the NMTA. "The derby series draws attention to fishing, fishing opportunities and conservation. It is also good for the boating industry, which comes back to our core mission."

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com