Seattle anglers land large king salmon in B.C. waters

The big king salmon keep rolling in around the Queen Charlotte Islands of northern British Columbia, and two local anglers have been lucky enough to hook into them.

The latest happened on July 28, when Clifton Stratton was salmon fishing with his father Jairus Stratton and friend Greg Fenton all of Seattle on the west side of the Queen Charlotte Islands out of Englefield Bay's West Coast Resort.

The group was on their second of three fishing days, and the morning started off on the slow side with wet and blustery conditions as they trolled in an area simply called "No Name."

After coming back in for a break they decided to go out in the afternoon to try an area around Denham Point.

"I wasn't super excited about going back out there, and I heard the wind had picked up too," Clifton recalled. "But, I figured what the heck we were on a fishing trip."

After arriving at Denham Point, they moved into a spot that was somewhat sheltered from the wind.

"Ironically I was thinking that the last time I was on a trip up there this was the same little cove that I caught a Tyee salmon of 30 pounds," Clifton said.

They were trolling down about 45 feet below the surface using cut-plug herring on downriggers, when around 4 p.m. the bite began to pick up.

"There was a bunch of boats that had fish on, and while I was watching them catch their fish, my pole was hit hard and line started to scream off the reel," Clifton said. "I tried to set the hook but couldn't."

"We knew it was a big fish, and it roared out a couple of hundred yards of fishing line," Jairus said. "Then the fish came running back toward the boat, and then it went down and stayed down totally in control of the line."

Clifton remembered, "sitting there sweating bullets because it wasn't moving at all."

After a grueling 25 minute battle Clifton got the huge king up near the boat within sight distance.

Jairus said we all went: "On my god! It was just enormous laying there in the water."

Clifton gingerly brought the king into the net head first.

The only problem was it was too big for the net, but they managed to get it into the boat.

"It was the biggest fish I had ever seen," Jairus said. "It was such a long fish they had to adjust the scale so the fin wouldn't touch the ground."

The scale indicated the big king weighed 67 pounds, and it measured 51 ½ inches long with a girth of 33 inches. The big fish earned Clifton a gold Tyee pin, which are given out to anglers who catch a trophy king over 50 pounds.

"My biggest king on the trip was 32 pounds, and the rest were in the 20 pound range," said Jairus, who claimed his biggest catch looked puny compared to his son's fish.

This was the sixth year the Stratton's have made the trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands, and Clifton was 12 years old when he made his first trip up north.

"I can't brag because it was simply the luck of the draw that the fish chose my line, but it will be something that I will always remember," said Clifton who attended Lakeside High School and is attending Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

When asked if he would tell his buddies about his big fish tale back at school, Clifton responded by saying they probably wouldn't realize just what a true fishing spectacle it was.

The Stratton's plan to have a replica of the king mounted.

"This is the biggest king caught at Englefield Bay this year," said George Cuthbert with industry and community relations for West Coast Resorts. "That king was probably headed to one of the big rivers on the mainland coast of British Columbia."

Cuthbert says another 70 pound king was caught by Debby Cuchna at Tasu Sound in The Gap off Queen Charlotte Island on July 24.

On July 2, Eric Bruener of Tenino was fishing on the northern Queen Charlotte Islands off Cohoe Point near Langara Island when he hooked a 65 pound king that was 49 inches long with a girth of 33 inches.

Fishing & Hunting News ends publication

After 54 years of publication, Fishing & News magazine printed its final edition this month.

Bill Farden, who passed away in 2006, founded Fishing & Hunting News on April 1, 1954 with a mission to serve the outdoorsman and the outdoors industry.

The twice monthly publication offered readers colorful pictures, detailed maps, and informative information on places to go for anglers and hunters.

A statement on the magazine's Web site pointed out that unfortunately, outdoor industry consolidation and the recent state of the economy have resulted in a declining business climate for much of the magazine industry. Outdoor Empire Publishing has taken this sad but prudent step in recognition of those facts.

Word on sockeye

The possibility of a Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery is so close that you can almost feel the red hooks sinking into the lips of the prized eating fish.

"We are at 20,178 sockeye over Tumwater Dam, and so we are approaching enough to have a fishery," said Art Viola, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist. "For now though it is still in a wait and see mode. We are so close, but just not quite there yet."

Viola says we should have a much better idea by sometime next week.

Lake Wenatchee needs about 23,000 for spawning escapement, plus an additional 4,000 fish to have a fishery.

Sport sockeye fishing in Lake Wenatchee last occurred in 2004 and 2001. The fishery would typically open in early August and stay open until the surplus was taken.

Anglers fish it similar to the Lake Washington sockeye fishery.

Downriggers are most effective to catch them or a 4- to 8-ounce lead crescent sinker attached to one or two bare red, blue or black hooks on a short 9- to 12-inch leader trailed behind a 0-size chrome dodger. Many add krill-gel scent to their hooks or a tiny gob of Power Bait.

Notes

• The Sportsman's Warehouse in Federal Way is hosting a class titled the "The Fundamentals of Fly Casting," 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Aug. 17. Instructors are Darrel Martin, certified by the Federation of Fly-Fishers and Michael Martin. Students are required to have some of their own gear, but the store can help with supplies. Cost is $50. Details: 253-835-4100.

• The Washington Butterfly Association is hosting a seminar titled "Share the Wealth" 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St. in Seattle. Bring photos to share with us for education, entertainment or species identification. New members are welcome to attend. Details: 206-364-4935 or www.naba.org/Chapters/nabaws.

• Fly-tying expert Steve Rohrbach will host a free seminar titled "Fly-fishing Puget Sound" at 1 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Orvis Store, 10223 N.E. 10th St. in Bellevue. Rohrbach will be tying some of his favorite Puget Sound baitfish patterns and discussing his secret fishing spots. Details: 425-452-9138.

• The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group is seeking volunteers to help with the summer chum project on the Union River in Belfair. Work is needed from Aug. 15 to Oct. 15. Details: 360-275-3575.

• The Puget Sound Anglers SnoKing Chapter Edmonds Coho Derby is Sept. 6. Weigh-ins will be held at the Edmonds Marina and at Bayside Marine in Everett. Largest coho is worth $5,000. Tickets are now on sale and will end Sept. 1. Details: 206-624-6550 or 425-743-9505 or www.edmondscohoderby.com.

• The Tacoma Outboard Association Salmon Derby is Aug. 23. Largest salmon is worth $1,000. Cost is $10. Weigh-in at the Narrows Marina. Details: 253-564-1468.

• The Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge is Aug. 21-22 at the Lower Columbia River mouth. All activities will be at Warrior Hall at Camp Rilea in Astoria. Derby is limited to 245 entrants. Cost is $270 for a team of three anglers. Details: 503-631-8859 or www.nsiafishing.org.

• The Sunrise area in Mount Rainier National Park is open, and has a lodge, snack bar and visitor center. Visitors should be aware that 3 to 10 feet of snow remains on the ground, and trails in the area are generally inaccessible.

The White River Campground is open, but silt from heavy snowmelt is clogging the water system. Mowich Lake Road is open to the Paul Peak Trailhead, but up to 8 feet of snow remains on the road beyond Paul Peak. Details: 360-569-2211.

• State Fish and Wildlife is offering a women's workshop on fishing, hunting and outdoor skills with experts and other certified instructors Sept. 12-14 at Camp River Ranch in Carnation.

The workshop is coordinated by Washington Outdoor Women, a nonprofit program dedicated to teaching women outdoor skills and natural resource stewardship.

Classes offered are archery, basic fishing, fly-fishing and tying, canoeing, kayaking, preparing fish and shellfish, big-game hunting basics, map and compass reading, wilderness first aid, survival skills, wildlife identification, outdoor photography, and more.

Several state Fish and Wildlife staff members serve as volunteer instructors for the event, including biologists Laura Till and Shelly Ament who will teach "Map and Compass" and "Wildlife Identification" workshops, respectively. In all, 36 instructors will volunteer their time. Participants must be at least 18 years old and must have a current Washington recreational fishing license to participate in the fishing and fly-fishing sessions.

Cost is $225 includes the weekend's lodging, meals and use of all necessary equipment. A limited number of partial scholarships, provided by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, are available for first-time participants. Details: 425-455-1986 or www.washingtonoutdoorwomen.org.

• Mount Rainier National Park visitors can now ride a shuttle from Ashford, six miles from the park's Nisqually Entrance, to Longmire on weekends.

Shuttles will depart from Ashford every 30 minutes from 9:15 a.m. through 10:45 a.m., and every 75 minutes from noon to 5 p.m.

Although the shuttle itself is free, visitors will be required to pay the park entrance fee of $5 per person (no more than $15 per car load). Details: 360-569-2211, ext. 2301.

• The Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is celebrating its 40th Anniversary, and the Stehekin and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area are providing plenty of opportunities for family fun this summer.

Stehekin is accessible by foot, air, or passenger ferry. Hike down the Pacific Crest Trail from Highway 20 or over Cascade Pass and along the Stehekin River to arrive in Stehekin. The Lake Chelan Boat Company operates two boats (www.ladyofthelake.com) and Chelan Airways flies floatplanes (www.chelanairways.com).

Hikers of all ages and abilities can trek through nearly 400 miles of trails and more than 100 backcountry campsites accessible to hikers, boaters, and stock users are available. Details: 360-854-7245 or www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit.htm or www.stehekin.com.

• The North Cascades National Park Visitor Center, near the town of Newhalem, is open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The center features exhibits, theater presentations, and is staffed by park rangers and volunteers. The center has access to the scenic Sterling Munro Overlook and a network of easy hiking trails such as the 1/3 mile Rock Shelter Trail and the 1.8 mile River Loop Trail.

The Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount is open daily, and offers trip planning information and is the main location for backcountry users to obtain permits required for all overnight stays. Details: www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/hiking.htm. Reservations for campgrounds can be made at www.recreation.gov.

• The Washington Trails Association offers statewide trip reports and trail conditions. Details: www.wta.org.

• The Northwest Fly Anglers offers various public classes through the year. The public also is invited to club meetings on the third Thursday of each month, at the Haller Lake Community Center, 12579 Densmore Ave N., in North Seattle. Details: 206-684-7524.

• The Emerald Sea Dive Club offers year-round activities including the big buddy program and weekly and monthly dives. The club meets on the first Wednesday of every month, 7-9 p.m. at Alfy's Pizza, 4820 196th S.W. in Lynnwood. Details: 425-775-2410 or www.emeraldseadiveclub.org.

• The Seattle Audubon Society offers field trips and classes every month. Details: 206-523-4483 or www.seattleaudubon.org.

• Northend Bassmasters is accepting new members who want to learn more about bass fishing. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Crystal Creek Cafe, 22620 Bothell-Everett Highway (Canyon Park) in Bothell. Details: 206-789-4259 or e-mail Gary Millard at glmillard@comcast.net.

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