Northwest Sportsman Mag - August 2022 by Media Index Publishing Group

FISHING • HUNTING • NEWS

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Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 14 • Issue 11

Your Complete Hunting, Boating, Fishing and Repair Destination Since 1948.

PUBLISHER James R. Baker EDITOR Andy “Please consider doing some editing” Walgamott THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Dave Anderson, Jason Brooks, Richy Harrod, Scott Haugen, Jeff Holmes, Sara Ichtertz, David Johnson, MD Johnson, Randy King, Buzz Ramsey, Dave Workman, Mark Yuasa EDITORIAL FIELD SUPPORT Jason Brooks GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak SALES MANAGER Paul Yarnold ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Hanna Gagley, Mamie Griffin, Riland Risden, Mike Smith DESIGNER Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker OFFICE MANAGER Katie Aumann INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGER Lois Sanborn WEBMASTER/DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines DIGITAL ASSISTANT Jon Ekse ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@nwsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email letters, articles/queries, photos, etc., to awalgamott@media-inc.com, or to the mailing address below. ON THE COVER In what’s becoming a pretty good salmon year for Northwest anglers, Amanda Wiles enjoyed a great trip onto the Pacific last month, catching this Chinook. (AMANDA WILES) IN MEMORIAM Tom Posey, 64, president and CEO of Lamiglas, fish and fishing advocate. “Give it your all.” RIP.

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Northwest Sportsman 13

CONTENTS VOLUME 14 • ISSUE 11

FLYFISHING ON STEROIDS Flyfishing addict Nick Clayton is fine-tuning the next big thing for Northwest albacore fishing: catching them on the bug rod. Jeff Holmes interviews this Westport-based skipper for how it’s done, the excitement of the fishery and why it’s far from a novelty anymore.

(ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)

ALSO INSIDE 79

PLANS B AND C FOR INLAND SEA SALMON In a fishing season marked by good runs but also frequent emergency rule changes, it pays to have backup Chinook and coho fisheries. Mark Yuasa identifies some of the better ones for Puget Sound anglers.

TIMBER, TROUT AND TASTY ANTS High lakes trout aren’t picky, given the generally nutrient-poor waters they live in, but David Johnson has several go-to patterns for fly fishing mountain waters below treeline and they all revolve around the incredible, edible ant. He shares his top, er, flies and how to fish ’em.

GARAGE SALE SHOPPIN’ Macklemore’s got his thrift shops, MD Johnson his garage, yard and moving sales, where he’s found there’s fishing, hunting and camping gear to be had at a bargain. Our savvy shopper offers browsing and negotiating tips as garage sale season peaks around the region.

115 HUNTING QUIET ELK IN LATE SUMMER’S HEAT Bowhunting for wapiti in late August and early September requires a different approach. When the elk gave Richy Harrod the silent treatment in response to his calling, he really had to depend on his senses of smell and hearing to overcome hot, dry and smoky conditions that had Eastern Oregon bulls sneaking around the woods. He shares how it all came together. 131 BEWARE THE GREAT BEAR True, there are few grizzly bears in Washington and none in Oregon, but that doesn’t mean they’re irrelevant. In part one of a two-part series on outdoor mishaps and how to avoid them, Northwest-born fishing and hunting guide Zac Holmes shares hair-raising stories from the heart of the Lower 48’s grizzly country and how best to avoid dangerous encounters with these bruins.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Go to nwsportsmanmag.com for details. NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057. Periodical Postage Paid at Seattle, WA and at additional mail offices. (USPS 025-251) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Northwest Sportsman, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057. Annual subscriptions are $39.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $59.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2022 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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BUZZ RAMSEY

Chart Buoy 10 Tides For Salmon Success Even with something like 1.5 million coho and Chinook expected to enter the mouth of the Columbia this month and next, catching salmon at Buoy 10 is far from a slam dunk. Enter Buzz and his day planner, highlighting August and September’s best tide sequences, and how to work them.

(COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

COLUMNS 61

FOR THE LOVE OF THE TUG Girls Just Want To Have Fun! The sisterhood that slays tuna together, stays together! Sara took pride in getting fellow fishin’ females into their first albies, but she also found that going over the bar led to important personal growth as an angler as her summer-run stream ailed.

123 ON TARGET 10-plus Top Calibers For Black Bears With fall bruin season opening this month, our caliber coach Dave W. identifies more than 10 top rifle and handgun ammo bores that make good black bear loads. 141 NORTHWEST PURSUITS Get Serious About Hunting Preparations Zeroing might be the main thing most of us think of when preparing for fall seasons, but there’s far, faaaaaaar more to consider before heading to deer and elk camp – and the earlier the better. Jason gets out his gear checklist to help you out! 151 BECOMING A HUNTER Building A Quality Hunt Clothing System Yes, Gramps hunted in “a red plaid coat,” as Fred Bear famously observed, but today’s camouflage clothing is about so much more than just blending in. Dave A. duds us up in warm (or cool, as needs may be), comfortable camo from head to toe. 157 CHEF IN THE WILD Speed Goat Hunting With Stormtroopers How do you hunt pronghorn with five Star Wars play-acting kiddos in tow? And how do you make a chimichurri sauce for antelope backstrap? Damned good questions that our Chef Randy just happens to have patient and tasty answers for! 163 GUN DOG Last-minute Training Tips Ack! Bird hunting seasons begin in literally just a few weeks, but after a few months off, is your pup ready to hit the field for doves, grouse, September goose and other opportunities? If not, Scott’s got a crash course that should get your favorite fourlegged hunting companion in the game fast.

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Buoy 10 From Above USGS aerial images of the sportfishing fleet working North, South Channels. (USGS)

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THE EDITOR’S NOTE Dangers of extremists

READER PHOTOS Spring Chinook and gobblers, a big ’bow, kiddos’ ocean king and islands ling, and more!

PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS Coast Hunting, Fishing monthly prizes

THE DISHONOR ROLL Oregon elk herd chasers, blasters sentenced; Jackass of the Month

DERBY WATCH August ripe with fishing contests, prizes; Labor Day derby on lower Umpqua; More ongoing and upcoming events

OUTDOOR CALENDAR Upcoming openers, events, deadlines, more

SO ABOUT ALL THOSE WDFW SALMON REG CHANGES ... In-season management for ‘mixedstock,’‘terminal-area’ fisheries

nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

Northwest Sportsman 19

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THEEDITOR’SNOTE

Georgia Congressman’s plan to scrap a highly regarded federal excise tax on guns, ammo and archery equipment that has provided $15 billion in funding for wildlife conservation and hunting over the past 84 years is so far off target as to be laughable, but also must be vigorously opposed for how much support it garnered in the nation’s capital. Rep. Andrew Clyde and almost 60 other Republicans introduced a bill in late June to repeal portions of the Pittman-Robertson Act and reallocate revenues from federal offshore oil and gas leases to fill the funding gap. Clyde, a gun store owner, argues the tax (10 or 11 percent, depending on the purchase) “infringes on Americans’ ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights and creates a dangerous opportunity for the government to weaponize taxation to price this unalienable right out of reach for most Americans.” But in fact the PR Act has cemented hunters’ place at the forefront of protecting, conserving and forever perpetuating America’s wildlife, and funds hunter ed and shooting ranges. Nobody pulls the load like we do. Absolutely. Nobody. We’re diesel-strength pulling power in a world of Priuses. And we do it willingly and happily. It’s a badge of honor. A mark of pride. Clyde’s bill is utterly blind to that and is shockingly, willfully partisan. “I firmly believe that no American should be taxed on their enumerated rights, which is why I intend to stop the Left’s tyranny in its tracks by eliminating the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition,” he stated in a press release. To be clear, since 1937, PR taxes have been supported by hunters, nurtured by hunters, trumpeted by hunters, and from on high – left, right, middle, all over the damn political spectrum – as something akin to America’s Second Best Idea, next to the national parks.

CLYDE AND CREWS' bill sparked an absolute firestorm from hunters, conservation and gun groups, and as of mid-July four of the original 58 cosponsors have (wisely) withdrawn their support. They can’t say they weren’t warned. Earlier this year, the likes of the National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Sportsmen’s Alliance and others got out ahead of the cancerous idea with a strongly worded letter to Congress. “(Generating) all Pittman-Robertson funding from alternative sources would negatively impact our community’s unique relationship with state fish and wildlife agencies. Without the financial contributions of sportsmen and women and sporting manufacturers, the seat held at the decision-making table for hunters and recreational shooters may be lost,” they wrote.

I’M HYPERSENSITIVE ABOUT the issue because some of Washington Democratic Governor Jay Inslee’s recent Fish and Wildlife Commission appointments are trying to diminish the importance of hunter and angler contributions to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Again, we provide a full third of agency funding through license sales and PR and Dingell-Johnson Act disbursements, while everybody else contributes indirectly. The last thing we need is to give the likes of Lorna Smith more ammunition, in this case by threatening a venerable tax on guns, bows and ammo that’s critical for wildlife conservation. Extremism on both sides must be guarded against. –Andy Walgamott nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

Northwest Sportsman 23

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Buoy 1 M

yriad boats work the Buoy 10 fishery along either side and both ends of the Astoria-Megler Bridge over the Columbia River, just upstream from where it enters the Pacific, in this composite of undated satellite images from the U.S. Geological Survey’s online The National Map. And this is but one sliver of the famed fishery that stretches from the actual No.

(USGS THE NATIONAL MAP: ORTHOIMAGERY; APPS.NATIONALMAP.GOV/VIEWER)

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NEWS

PICTURE

10 From Above 10 buoy at the mouth of the big river, upstream to – new this year – the west end of Puget Island, although the North (left) and South (right) Channels on either side of the Desdemona Sands (middle) might be some of the most productive waters as fall Chinook and coho flood into the system. You’ll find much more on how to fish these waters in Buzz Ramsey’s column on

page 67, but back to all those boats for a moment. According to data from the Washington and Oregon Departments of Fish and Wildlife, over the past decade or so, this fishery has generated as many as 147,343 angler trips (2011), and catches of 41,535 wild and hatchery Chinook (2015) and 5,761 fin-clipped coho (2014). Even recent slower years vastly eclipse Buoy

10’s early seasons. Records show angler trip figures ranging from 21,000 to 39,000 in the early 1980s, the furthest back fishery data goes, and catches from 1,000 to 2,000 kings and all but a handful of coho. It’s a big deal for not only anglers but the sportfishing industry and local communities, and we hope to see you there this month and next! –Andy Walgamott

nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

Northwest Sportsman 33

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READER PHOTOS Steve Quinlan (pictured) had a deal with Brandon Jewett, who was recovering from shoulder surgery: “He gets me back in shape, I help him fill that first turkey tag. We had to battle the rain and thunder, but we got it done,” the mentor says of his gobblerhunting apprentice. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)

With a little help from buddy Todd Rogers, Jon Crawford harvested this nice spring turkey in Spokane County in late April. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)

Baby on board! Hudson had a front row seat as mother Shawna Boyd reeled in this very nice rainbow on a Colville Reservation lake. They were fishing from shore and friend Tara Bailey reported good luck on big trout planted by the tribes. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST) Trevin Balodis and Matt House hoist a pair of Drano Lake springers. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

For your shot at winning great fishing and hunting products from Coast and Northwest Sportsman, send your full-resolution, original images with all the pertinent details – who’s in the pic; when and where they were; what they caught their fish on/weapon they used to bag the game; and any other details you’d like to reveal (the more, the merrier!) – to awalgamott@media-inc.com or Northwest Sportsman, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for use in our print and Internet publications.

nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

Northwest Sportsman 35

READER PHOTOS

Paul Goulet of Prosser and his wife Coleen enjoyed a “very successful springer season, with many days of quick half-hour limits” in the Columbia Gorge – and the morning scenery wasn’t too bad either! (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST) Kokanee may not be among the first five species you think of when it comes to Curlew Lake fishing, but they’re there, as Cheryl Liner can attest. For her erstwhile guide, Jerry Han, it was “mission complete” after hearing rumors of landlocked sockeye and then successfully catching a few. Stocking began in 2016, with annual plants ranging from 67,000 down to 4,500 in recent years. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Leslie Hernandez shows off a Paulina Lake rainbow caught during a first anniversary camping trip with hubby Jeff. And yes, she was fishing off a paddleboard with a fishing rod holder attachment. “Yeah, buddy,” says Jeff. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST) 36 Northwest Sportsman

AUGUST 2022 | nwsportsmanmag.com

A custom-painted Mag Lip 3.5 did the trick for Brad Dailey (left) and Doug Wilson on this Olympic Peninsula spring Chinook. They were back-trolling with guide Mike Zavadlov. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

The productive waters of the eastern San Juan Islands served up a nice lingcod for Jake Petosa during this spring’s season. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

At this rate, he won’t be a “mini deckhand” for long! That’s William “Hammy” Cheser, 7, with the biggest Chinook of the day caught on the Bone, his family’s Westport-based charter boat. Dad Conner looks on. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

PHOTO

CONTEST

WINNERS!

Todd Koskiniemi is the winner of our monthly Coast Fishing Photo Contest, thanks to this shot of buddy Jerry Hess and his big fall Chinook, caught last season on the Lower Columbia. It wins him a knife and light from Coast!

Rich Mcleod is our monthly Coast Hunting Photo Contest winner, thanks to this pic of wife Jamie and her Saddle Mountain blacktail buck from fall 2021. It wins him a knife and light from Coast!

For your shot at winning a Coast knife and light, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to awalgamott@media-inc .com or Northwest Sportsman, 941 Powell Ave SW, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98057. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications.

nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

Northwest Sportsman 39

Elk Herd Chasers, Blasters Sentenced A Harney County resident received unexpected jail time on top of fines, loss of hunting privileges and an unusual sentence after pleading guilty to exceeding the bag limit on elk and unlawfully killing a bull during a closed season. Chris Lardy was taken directly into custody at his sentencing this past spring after a circuit court judge added six days in lockup on top of his plea deal centered around a disgusting incident in Southeast Oregon involving the shooting of an insane number of bullets into a herd of elk after first pursuing them in a vehicle. “There are so many facets of wrongdoing in this case,” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Big Game Manager Brian Wolfer said. “These people acted in blatant disregard for the elk, hunting laws and basic hunting ethics. To chase the elk with a vehicle and then leave five elk to waste because they didn’t check to see what they may have hit is almost unbelievable.”

STATE WILDLIFE TROOPERS say that it occurred last December in the Juniper Unit during an antlerless elk hunt with only limited permits available. Lardy, his wife Stephanie and another family member who had a mentored tag spotted 100-plus elk and Lardy “chased the herd using his Suburban and damaged native habitat.” When the Lardys got close enough to the animals in this wide-open landscape, “at least 30-40 rounds” were fired at the elk from the vehicle, according to ODFW. Stephanie and another family member

tagged two of the elk, “(but) no reasonable effort was made to locate and recover the five additional elk and they subsequently wasted, one of which was a small bull,” report troopers. Even worse, “Additional evidence showed there were also other wounded elk in the herd,” officers state. Witnesses who saw the vehicle-borne pursuit, the fusillade fired into the herd and the lack of any attempt to recover wounded wapiti alerted OSP. Lardy and his wife were stopped near Burns the next day and agreed to go back to the site of the massacre, where they got a lecture from troopers on “the recklessness of shooting so many times into a large herd of elk and the unlawful method of hunting with the use of a motor vehicle.”

CHRIS LARDY WAS originally charged with five counts of wastage, four counts of exceeding the bag limit, one count of unlawful take of a bull, as well as single counts of hunting from a vehicle, harassing wildlife and damaging habitat, to which he pled not guilty, according to troopers. But he later changed his mind and pled guilty to single counts of exceeding the bag limit and closed-season take of a bull. During his sentencing, Lardy got another earful from the circuit court judge, who “verbally reprimanded Lardy’s actions and added six days jail time in addition to the original plea terms,” troopers report. “The judge remanded him to immediate custody and ordered Fish and Wildlife Troopers to take him into custody in the

JACKASSES OF THE MONTH

hellfish swine are back at it in Washington’s inside waters this season. State game wardens report they found 12 people in five different boats to be 361, 289, 261, 186 and 182 spot shrimp over the legal limit during this spring’s opener in the San Juan Islands. With a daily bag of 80 spot shrimp per

person, the combined overage amounted to nearly 16 limits other people could have legally harvested. The dirty dozen were all cited and their shrimp were donated to food banks. But wait, there’s (ugh) more. After Dungeness season opened up off of Whidbey Island last month, three crabbers contacted by officers were found to have filled two coolers and a 5-gallon bucket with 44 of the prized shellfish.

MIXED BAG By Andy Walgamott

Two of seven elk known to have died in the incident last December. Oregon fish and wildlife troopers say other elk in the same herd were also wounded. (OSP)

court room and lodge him in jail.” Along with a three-year license suspension, Lardy was ordered to pay a $2,000 restitution fine to ODFW, perform 80 hours of community service, serve 18 months probation, during which time he can’t take part in any hunting activities, and complete a Hunter Education course. And in a unique twist, Lardy also must write a 500-word essay on hunter ethics to present during his hunter ed classes, and have published in the Burns Times-Herald. Stephanie Lardy pled guilty to aiding in a wildlife offense, was fined $500 and had her hunting privileges suspended for three years.

The daily limit is five hard-shelled males at least 6.25 inches across the carapace. The trio had only marked four of the crabs on their cards, and what’s more, they were still actively fishing eight pots – in aggregate, two more than allowed. Criminal charges of first-degree overlimits, failure to record their catch and using too many pots were filed with the county prosecutor. But at least in this case, the crabs were able to be returned to the water for lawabiding shellfishers to catch.

nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

Northwest Sportsman 41

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August Ripe With Fishing Contests, Prizes

f it’s an August weekend, you can just about bet there’s a derby going on somewhere in the Northwest. From the briny blue to that one buoy, Oregon’s High Cascades to Washington’s Upper Columbia, big prizes and bragging rights are on the line this month as anglers vie to catch the biggest tuna, fall Chinook, kokanee and summer king. Starting on the Pacific, the Washington and Oregon Tuna Classics are a go, with the With solid ocean conditions to feed in, it might take fall Chinook the former held on the month’s size of these from 2013 to win the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association’s Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge. Note that due to this year’s first Friday-Saturday out of regs, only hatchery salmon can be retained during the derby. (NSIA) Westport and the latter on the third set of week-enders out of Garibaldi. Tickets (and gas) will cost a pretty penny, but $10,000 and $6,000 top prizes for the teams with the five biggest tuna will make up for that in a flash. Closer to the mainland, Buoy 10 is the scene of a pair of derbies, with the Lipstick Salmon Slayers Tournament up first on August 13. It features a lip-smackingly delicious $4,000 first prize for the fish closest to a mystery weight drawn at that evening’s award ceremony. Then it’s time for the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association’s 22nd annual Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge. While a fundraiser for the Portland-based organization, which advocates for fish and fisheries, the goodies also flow in the direction of participants. “Virtually no one will go home empty-handed!” NSIA boasts online. Every fish weighed in is good for a raffle ticket that could win you prizes or gift cards, plus there’s the big-fish contest. Awards are handed out at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds Friday evening after the fleet comes in. But if big water isn’t your thing but big prizes are, there is also the Brewster Salmon Derby, which proclaims itself the biggest such event on the entire Columbia system and says north of $20,000 in prizes will be awarded out of this small Okanogan County town. The South King County and Gig Harbor chapters of Puget Sound Anglers also hold their Tacomaarea derbies on August’s first two Saturdays, with a $3,500 top prize at the former. And, finally, there’s Kokanee Power of Oregon’s shindig at Odell Lake, with $500 for first place. For more information on all of these events, see the links below.

UPCOMING EVENTS  Now through Sept. 11: Bandon Crab Derby; tonyscrabshack.com/crab-derby

 Now through mid-October: Westport Charterboat Salmon, Halibut and Lingcod Derbies, Pacific off Westport; charterwestport.com/fishing.html  Now through Oct. 31: WDFW 2022 Trout Derby, select lakes; wdfw.wa.gov/ fishing/contests/trout-derby

 Aug. 5-6: Washington Tuna Classic, Pacific off Westport; missionoutdoors .org/wtc

 Aug. 5-7: Brewster Salmon Derby, upper Brewster Pool; brewsterkingsalmonderby.com  Aug. 6: South King County PSA Salmon Derby, Areas 11, 13; pugetsoundanglers.net  Aug. 13: Gig Harbor PSA Salmon Derby, Areas 11, 13; gigharborpsa.org  Aug. 13: Kokanee Power Odell Lake Derby; kokaneepoweroregon.com/derby  Aug. 13: Lipstick Salmon Slayers Womens Fishing Tournament, Buoy 10 and Pacific off Astoria; lipsticksalmonslayer.com

By Andy Walgamott

Labor Day Derby On Lower Umpqua

ou’ll need a big, stout net if you plan to fish the Gardiner, Reedsport, Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program’s annual Salmon Derby over Labor Day Weekend. “Chinook salmon to 30-plus pounds have been caught,” reports organizer Rick Rockholt. “The average salmon weighs in at plus or minus 18 pounds.” The September 3-5 event held on the 12-plus-mile-long Umpqua River estuary features a $500 top prize for the heftiest overall salmon and daily $100 prizes for biggest fish weighed in. There’s even $100 for the smallest salmon brought to the scale. Tickets are $20 each and prizes will be awarded on Labor Day, where there will also be a raffle and an auction. Rockholt says winners don’t have to be present. The derby is a fundraiser for the STEP chapter, which annually releases almost 200,000 fin-clipped fall Chinook smolts into Winchester Bay, in the Umpqua’s lower estuary. They return to the East Boat Basin after three to five years at sea, “creating a terminal fishery” there and in nearby waters of the river system. For more info, see the link below.

 Aug. 19: Buoy 10 Salmon Challenge, Columbia estuary; nsiafishing.org  Aug. 19-20: 17th Annual Oregon Tuna Classic, Pacific off Garibaldi; oregontunaclassic.org  Sept. 3-5: Gardiner, Reedsport, Winchester Bay STEP Salmon Derby, Umpqua River estuary; 541-662-5505, grwbstep@gmail.com; Facebook.com/ LowerUmpquaSTEP.org  Sept. 10: Edmonds Coho Derby, Puget Sound; edmondscohoderby.com  Sept. 24-25: Everett Coho Derby, Puget Sound and rivers; everettcohoderby.com nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

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OUTDOOR

CALENDAR AUGUST

Oregon and Washington fall bear season openers; Columbia River from west Puget Island line upstream to Highway 395 bridge in Pasco Chinook and hatchery coho opener; Steelhead closures begin on select Washington-side Lower Columbia tributary mouths 1-24 Buoy 10 (actual buoy to west Puget Island line) hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho season dates 4-6 Oregon Central Coast summer all-depth halibut dates 6 2022 Washington State Duck and Goose Calling Championships, Sumner Sportsmen’s Club, Puyallup – info: facebook.com/ WashingtonStateDuckAndGooseCallingChampionship 7 ODFW Shotgun Skills Workshop ($, register), Creswell Clay Target Sports – info: myodfw.com/workshops-and-events 10, 23 ODFW Intro To Hunting In Oregon Seminars ($, register), Sportsman’s Warehouse, Portland – info: see above 18-20 Oregon Central Coast summer all-depth halibut dates 25 Buoy 10 any-Chinook opener 27 Oregon general and controlled deer and elk bow openers 30 Idaho deer and elk bow openers in many units; Idaho fall bear opener

SEPTEMBER 1

Washington cougar, dove and bow deer openers; Fall turkey opener in many Eastern Washington units; Oregon grouse, mourning dove openers; Fall turkey opener in select Northcentral Oregon units; Steelhead closures begin on mainstem Columbia from The Dalles Dam to Highway 395 bridge 3 Oregon Central Coast nonselective ocean coho opener through Sept. 30 or until 17,000-fish quota met; CAST For Kids event on Clear Lake (Fairchild AFB) – info: castforkids.org 3-4/8/11 Washington September goose season dates (varies by area) 7 Last scheduled day Buoy 10 open for Chinook retention 8 Buoy 10 hatchery coho limit increases to three a day 8-10 Oregon Central Coast summer all-depth halibut dates 10 CAST For Kids event on Lake Washington – info: see above; ODFW Pheasant Hunting Workshop ($, register), Sauvie Island Wildlife Area – info: see above; Washington bow elk opener 10-14/18 Oregon September Canada goose season dates (varies by zone) 11 CAST For Kids event on Hagg Lake – info: see above 12 Opening of fee pheasant hunting at Fern Ridge Wildlife Area 15 Washington statewide grouse opener 15-18 Portland Fall RV & Van Show, Portland Expo Center – info: otshows.com 15-23 Oregon bandtail pigeon season dates 15-25 High Buck Hunt in several Washington Cascades and Olympics wilderness areas, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area 17 ODFW Pheasant Hunting Workshop ($, register), EE Wilson Wildlife Area – info: see above 17-18 Oregon youth upland bird hunting weekend at Denman, Klamath, Ladd Marsh and Sauvie Island Wildlife Areas, and Madras and John Day; Washington pheasant, quail and partridge youth hunting weekend 17-25 Washington bandtail pigeon season dates 19 Opening of fee pheasant hunting at Denman, Sauvie Island Wildlife Areas 19-23 Washington senior and disabled hunter pheasant hunting week 22-24 Oregon Central Coast summer all-depth halibut dates 24 51st Annual National Hunting & Fishing Day – info: nhfday.org; Washington statewide muzzleloader deer hunt opener; Washington youth duck, coot and goose hunting day 24-25 Oregon youth waterfowl hunting weekend; Coquille Valley, EE Wilson, Irrigon and White River Wildlife Areas youth upland bird hunting weekend 26 Opening of fee pheasant hunting at EE Wilson Wildlife Area nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

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FISHING Albacore are the undisputed pound-for-pound champions of Northwest waters, and pursuing them with fly gear adds yet another aspect of sport and challenge. All Rivers and Saltwater Charters’ Captain Nick Clayton runs specialized trips for albacore that are growing in popularity. (ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)

Flyfishing On Steroids An interview with flyfishing addict Nick Clayton, who is fine-tuning the next big thing in Northwest albacore fishing. By Jeff Holmes

ick Clayton has fishing in his blood, and his life is awash in fish blood – part of the year. The other part, not so much. Clayton is a former commercial fisherman

and a very busy charter captain out of Westport working for Mark Coleman’s All Rivers and Saltwater Charters from spring through fall. He’s very good at what he does for ARSC – bringing in big hauls of bottomfish, salmon and albacore tuna

– but left to his own preferences, he’d usually rather have a fly rod in hand and a boatful of flyfishing clients. Clayton is such a diehard fly flogger that he ditched financially lucrative commercial fishing several years ago and instead started his own Puget nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

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FISHING Clayton’s passion for flyfishing knows no seasonal or navigational boundaries. When he’s not dialing in tuna on the fly – “There is nothing in the Pacific Northwest that will smash a stripped fly as hard as an albacore” – or guiding traditional trips for tuna, halibut, salmon and bottomfish, he’s running his winter-time Puget Sound flyfishing business (South Sound Skiffs) out of a specialized 19-foot Ranger saltwater boat designed for casting fly lines. It’s a perfect craft for the Sound’s abundant cutthroat and resident coho. (ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)

Sound flyfishing guide service, South Sound Skiffs (southsoundskiffs.com). From November through March, he guides clients for sea-run cutthroat and resident coho in the world-class catch-and-release fishery throughout southern Puget Sound. In recent years Clayton has found a way to marry his passions – flyfishing and tuna fishing – and he has many trips under his belt guiding clients in the cobalt-blue waters on the edge of the continental shelf off of Westport. In this interview with Westport’s only albacore fly guide, Clayton’s passion for catching 50 mph tuna on fly gear shines through.

Jeff Holmes Tell me about the origin of flyfishing for tuna with ARSC. How did it get started? Nick Clayton Over the years, Mark 48 Northwest Sportsman

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has done a few albacore flyfishing trips for groups who sought him out and requested it, but it was never something that was “offered” by ARSC (allriversguideservice.com). I have been a diehard fly fisherman for over 25 years, with a large percentage of that time dedicated specifically to saltwater flyfishing in Washington’s saltwaters. I commercial albacore fished the season before I started working for Mark as a deckhand six or seven years ago, and during that commercial experience I became obsessed with the notion that albacore could be caught quite successfully on the fly. I spent three years working as an ARSC deckhand and this experience only solidified that belief. By the time I started running an ARSC boat full time as a captain in 2019, I had successfully

caught them on the fly, and had built up some interest in this fishery with other fly anglers through some internet forums and such. I talked to Mark and Merry Coleman and discussed the interest level that I had seen, and they were supportive of booking trips. So in 2020 I kinda just went full steam ahead with pushing these trips in the flyfishing world and ended up with quite a few booked. Although I had caught more albacore on the fly than I could count at that point, I had never run a dedicated flyfishing charter for them, so I was nervous as can be for my first couple of trips. Turns out that nervousness was truly not needed. On my first flyonly albacore trip, I took four diehard saltwater fly anglers out and we put 40 albacore in the boat by noon. I always knew success with a dedicated flyfishing crew was possible, but this trip far exceeded my expectations. The next day, in some seriously lousy ocean conditions, we went back out and put 25 more fish in the boat. That weekend absolutely exploded the popularity and interest level in these trips moving forward because I posted it on the flyfishing forums, as did clients. I don’t recall how many fly trips I ended up with that season, but it was quite a few, and they were all quite successful.

JH Does ARSC offer dedicated flyfishing trips? How many people can do this at a time? NC While virtually all of our captains have at least some flyfishing experience, at this time I am the only one really running these trips. I’m certain that if there was a large enough group that wanted to book for a single day that would require booking more than one of our boats, then any of our captains would be willing and able to run a fly trip successfully. For flyfishing trips I find a group of four anglers to be the ideal number, although I have taken five several times. On a typical albacore charter we take six people maximum, but

FISHING Although ARSC’s specialized Defiance tuna boats are not set up as flyfishing boats, Captain Clayton can comfortably fish four to five anglers per trip. Flyfishing for tuna shines, especially on the troll since weighted fly lines allow much smaller offerings to be presented than with terminal gear. Another advantage is not needing to reel up troll rods and being able to hook up multiple fish on “the slide,” the 30 seconds or so the boat is still in motion after the captain cuts the engine after a troll fish hits. (ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)

I always advise four to five max for fly trips just to allow for a little more room. Our boats are not at all the traditional flyfishing platform, so I find that four fly anglers is the ideal number for having room to work and flyfish and such, although with a fairly experienced crew who can work together, five is definitely doable.

JH Elephant in the room question: Why flyfish for tuna? It seems like it would be a lot more efficient to use terminal gear, and how do you actually achieve flyfishing in terms of backcast, etc.? What are the mechanics behind it? NC The first part of the answer is that for many people, catching new species on a fly rod is reason enough for the trip itself. Catching fish on a 50 Northwest Sportsman

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fly rod is fun and challenging enough that overall efficiency isn’t really part of the equation. Ever hear the saying that some people would rather catch one fish on a dry fly than 10 fish on a nymph? It’s the same concept – just doing something in the way someone prefers to do it. Catching tuna on a fly rod is incredibly exciting. As in all walks of life, some people would just rather do it their own way, even if it isn’t the most traditionally effective method. Now, that said, I’m gonna tell you the absolute truth as I have seen it: Flyfishing for albacore is not a major handicap. I totally understand how this doesn’t stand to reason on the surface, but I’ve done enough flyfishing trips at this point to convince myself. After a good many albacore flyfishing trips

I have not had a single trip where the fly crew didn’t put up numbers that were right on par with, or even occasionally better than, the rest of our boats that were out there fishing with standard gear and techniques. There have been a few days where we hit the dock as top boat in terms of numbers of albacore landed. Now, I can’t claim that flyfishing for albacore is 100-percent more effective/ efficient than our standard methods of fishing live anchovies, but I can claim we are not limiting our potential whatsoever. I like to describe it by saying that whatever type of fishing the charters are going to experience on any particular day, we will experience the same type of fishing on our fly trips. If it’s a slow day, it will typically be a slow day for everyone. But if it’s a day of wide-open albacore fishing, it will be just as wide open for the fly crew almost always. I would say that when albacore fishing is truly wide open, it is probably just a bit quicker to plug a boat with traditional gear versus fly gear, but only because on average a tuna hooked on the fly tends to take just a bit longer to land. As far as the mechanics of the trip, I approach a flyfishing trip similarly to how I approach a standard trip where we are looking to fish live anchovies as bait. First, we have to find the fish. Finding albacore is done in one of two ways: visually spotting signs of fish and trolling to hook them up. Watching birds, scanning the horizon, searching for signs of a school of albacore feeding on the surface – this is the ultimate experience, no matter what gear is being used. When a school is spotted, I position the boat in a manner that allows us to start casting flies directly into the school of feeding fish. This scenario is as exciting as fishing gets, but unfortunately this doesn’t occur every day. Some years this type of activity doesn’t occur a whole lot over the course of the whole season. The most common way of locating a school of albacore is by trolling. On a traditional-gear charter we troll a

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FISHING five-rod spread until we get bit, at which point we stop the boat, reel in all the troll gear as quickly as possible, start chumming the water, and start deploying live anchovies in the hopes that we are now basically sitting on top of the school and we can start hooking them fast and furiously. On fly trips I do the exact same thing, only I troll with fly rods and instead of fishing live anchovies when we are stopped, we are casting and retrieving flies. It is while trolling, and the time immediately following a troll hookup, where I believe fly gear absolutely outshines traditional gear. When it comes to trolling standard gear for albacore, one has to rely on the weight of the lure to keep that lure below the surface of the water. Typically this gear is only in, say, the top 5 feet of the water column, but trolling for albacore tends to take place at higher speeds than other forms of trolling in the Pacific Northwest; 5 to 7 knots is pretty common, so lures need to be heavy enough to stay below the surface as they are pulled across various waves at this speed. Because of this, we are fairly limited to the size of the lures we can use. Much of what an albacore is eating off our coast is not overly large in size/profile, but it’s difficult to fish really small stuff on traditional rods because whatever is at the terminal end of the line needs to be heavy enough to actually keep the lure in the water as it’s trolled. So, without adding additional weight somehow, when it comes to trolling standard gear, there is just a limit to how small of troll lures we can effectively use. Now, when trolling with fly rods, we are not using the weight of the lure, or fly as it were, to keep it in the water. Rather, we are relying on the line itself to keep it down. We use fast-sinking fly lines that easily keep the fly down a few feet below the surface, even when trolled at 5-plus knots. Because of this we can present flies of virtually any size without having to add weight. This allows us to fish flies that much 52 Northwest Sportsman

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When it comes to flies, Clayton finds the most important elements to be size/profile and movement. There are times when color can make a difference, but in general he’s a big believer in matching the size/profile of a particular food source more than anything else. Albacore are visual hunters, so they can see extremely well, and the more movement he can incorporate into a fly pattern, the better. With that in mind, Clayton ties flies using materials that move extremely well in the water: saddle hackles, marabou, rabbit fur and soft flash. (ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)

more realistically match what the fish are feeding on, especially when they are feeding on smaller prey. This can make a huge difference. Trolling a 2-inch lure is almost impossible using standard gear, but trolling a 2-inch fly is no problem at all using fly gear. It is very common as the season progresses that the albacore start keying in on smaller food sources, and getting them to eat the standard, larger troll lures can often prove difficult. I would argue very strongly that from day to day through the course of an albacore season that an all-fly-rod troll spread produces more consistent bites for me than an all-gear-rod spread. When we are trolling with fly rods and one rod gets bit, the first thing I do is put the boat in neutral near a school of albacore and hopefully we can start casting and retrieving and hooking them. When I put the boat in neutral, it takes a good 30 seconds or so for the boat to come to a full stop. This period is what is known as “the slide.” A popular tactic when fishing traditional gear is to deploy jigs, or swimbaits, at this moment when the boat is sliding, the idea being that you are deploying that gear over the top

of a school of albacore and are likely to get a hookup or two. So the other huge advantage that trolling fly gear provides is that when I put the boat in neutral and the boat goes on the slide, our gear is already in the water. At that point, all the anglers have to do is start retrieving their flies and they are retrieving them over a school of albacore without having to reel any troll rods in and deploy jigs/ swimbaits. It is very common to hook a single fish trolling, but then hook two or more additional fish while retrieving flies on the slide. This can be an enormous advantage over traditional methods, especially on days when the fish aren’t responding well to chum/live bait. Being able to hook up additional fish during nearly every troll hookup really adds up over the course of a day. Once the flies are retrieved back to the boat, then we begin the traditional method of casting/retrieving flies. As I mentioned, our boats are not typical flyfishing platforms, and as such a bit of creativity is often required when casting. My usual routine is to have someone go to the bow where they have all the room needed to make long, traditional fly casts. The

FISHING Fly trips can turn up plenty of blue sharks, and there is also always strong potential for bluefin tuna, yellowtail jacks, opah, mako sharks and even striped marlin. As such, Clayton runs 250 to 300 yards of gel-spun backing on his tuna reels, excessive for albacore but a strong insurance policy for landing exotics should they bite. (ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)

super expensive or fancy. A reel with a decent drag that has the capacity to hold, say, 250 to 300 yards of gelspun backing is all that is required. Typically, albacore aren’t going to take more than about 100 yards of backing, max, at any particular time, but I always advocate for having plenty of backing just in case we manage to hook up with something other than an albacore. Besides several species of large and fast sharks, bluefin, opah, yellowtail jacks, striped marlin and other exotic species are always a possibility, and I always prefer to be prepared just in case. For fly lines, I like fast-sinking, integrated shooting-head-style lines. These lines are designed to cast large flies with a minimal amount of false casting, and don’t require a lot of line to be carried in the air, which makes them ideal for this type of fishing. The fast sink rate allows for a wide range of depths to be covered when casting/ retrieving and trolling. Something I have gotten way into the last couple of years, when conditions are just right, is fishing a floating line and a popper, which is unbelievably fun.

JH Do you guys provide fly gear? NC ARSC as a company doesn’t Pacific saury are the most prevalent food source for albacore off the Washington Coast and have a thin, almost snaky profile. They can range in size from 1 inch to upwards of 15 inches. Clayton says there are many times when albacore will get keyed into schools of saury, especially smaller ones, so this is one food source that should definitely be represented. He also likes flies that mimic mackerel and sardines. For all the baitfish patterns he ties and keeps on the boat, he ties them in a multitude of sizes and colors. (ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)

remaining anglers are on the back deck, and this generally requires less traditional casting. Roll casts, sidearm casts, casting over the opposite shoulder – that sort of thing. It’s important to understand that long, accurate casts aren’t the goal here. We aren’t trying to punch 60 feet into a stiff headwind and lay a crab fly 12 inches in front of a tailing permit. Rather, it’s just a matter of getting your fly out there, whatever it takes. In that regard, this likely isn’t the fishery for the truest of flyfishing purists, but for those willing to think outside the box a bit, the excitement that can ensue in 54 Northwest Sportsman

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these scenarios is second to none.

JH What kind of gear do you use? NC I like fast-action 12-weight fly rods with lots of lifting power. After the excitement of the initial grab and that first run, this becomes a game of straight up and down tug of war. Having a rod with a lot of lifting power makes this so much easier on the body, and allows one to land these fish as quickly as possible. Landing a fish quicker means you can get back in the water quicker and potentially hook another one. For reels you don’t need anything

provide fly gear, as they have never been a flyfishing company. That said, I keep a large amount of my own fly gear onboard for use as needed. I always tell people it’s ideal for them to bring their own gear if they have it, but if not, I will have everything available for some or all of a crew on any particular day. Most people seem to bring their own gear, but if someone wanted to come try this fishery, didn’t already own appropriate gear, and didn’t want to spend the money to acquire some, that is not an issue. Same goes for flies. I tie my own flies and keep a ton of flies onboard, but it seems most fly anglers who come out like to fish their own flies that they’ve tied. A relatively inexpensive fly setup that I personally use a lot and recommend is an Echo Boost Blue 9-foot 12-weight rod, an

FISHING Echo Bravo 10/12 reel, 50-pound gel-spun backing, and an Orvis Depth Charge 550 Grain or other deepwater big game fly line.

JH What kind of fly patterns do you use? NC For flies I like to focus mostly on various baitfish patterns. I tie a lot of flies that mimic anchovies, but I also focus a lot on flies that represent Pacific saury. Pacific saury are one of the most prevalent food sources for albacore off the Washington Coast. Saury have a thin, almost snaky profile, and can range in size from 1 inch to upwards of 15 inches. There are many times when albacore will get keyed into schools of saury, especially smaller ones, so this is one food source that should definitely be represented. I also like flies that mimic mackerel and sardines. For all the baitfish patterns I tie and keep on the boat, I tie them in a

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multitude of sizes and colors, as you just never know from day to day what they will prefer. On a lesser scale, I also like to fish squid and shrimp patterns, and I always have just some random attractor-style patterns of various sizes/styles.

JH What is the coolest part about flyfishing for tuna? NC For me, the coolest thing about flyfishing for albacore is the grab and the initial run. There is nothing in the Pacific Northwest that will smash a stripped fly as hard as an albacore. Not even close. There is just nothing like calmly retrieving my fly, only to have it get destroyed by an albacore moving at 30 mph in the opposite direction. The excitement and sheer chaos that follows is like nothing I’ve ever experienced in all my years of flyfishing. Another aspect that I love about this fishery is that these fish can be as finicky and selective as any spring

creek trout in the world. There are days it seems like the fish are so aggressive they would chew on your boot if you stuck it in the water, but there are also plenty of days where you have to figure out all the pieces of the puzzle to succeed. Fly style, size, color, retrieve speed – all these things must be right to succeed. It is extremely gratifying to line up all these pieces to the puzzle and suddenly find success. My other favorite part of flyfishing for albacore is just continuing to prove that this is not a novelty fishery. It seems every trip we are opening more and more people’s eyes to the concept that this is a fishery that can be done with great success with fly rods. For those willing to put aside any preconceived notions of what is required to catch albacore and be willing to think outside the box a bit, this is an incredible fly rod fishery that is severely underutilized in the flyfishing world. NS

COLUMN

Girls Just Want To Have Fun! R

ise and shine, it’s tuna-slaying time! In order to head out onto the bluest of blues, pretty FOR THE LOVE much everything must OF THE TUG fall into place. The By Sara Ichtertz fishing grounds for these incredible torpedoes of the Pacific are well offshore. You can pick a date on the calendar, but with all the variables

Mother Nature can throw your way, it doesn’t actually mean albacore fishing will happen that day. As my love for these beautiful badasses was instant, I learned that many moons can come and go before everything falls into place for just such a chase. Yet desiring to grow into the best fisherlady I can be, I knew I needed to grow over the bar. Even with my freshwater fishery in a dark hour, my hunger to connect with fish still burned

bright, and so I knew it was time to head out of the mouth of the river that I have learned so very much from. It was time for me to emerge from the hermit shell I can so easily slip into, and not only to try and connect with these apex predator fish of the Pacific. I also knew my heart needed to connect with ladies on the water. And so we took a chance and picked a date.

AS THE GROUP of gals came together, I

Tina Fountain and Heather Renee hold albacore caught on a trip off the Oregon Coast last summer, a ladies-only adventure that paid off with a pretty nice grade of albacore, and so much more. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

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COLUMN Another albie is about to go in the tails-up tank! Renee keeps the rod tip up as Ted Jones goes to gaff her fish. (SARA ICHTERTZ)

felt my excitement grow. Three out of the four of my companions had never felt the explosion of an albacore before, nor had they ever seen that bluest of blue water that is one of a kind. No matter how many fish I am blessed to connect with, I absolutely love sharing in other people’s growth and to be a part of their first catches – there is nothing better! The thrill of the entire experience feeds my river of life and I am thankful for it. Mother Nature must have been in favor of our ladies-only adventure too, as she laid down her mighty ocean for us. Despite a mostly cloudy sky, the Pacific wanted us to play and so we headed out ahead of the sun. Ted and Tanner Jones of Roseburgbased Northwest Oregon Outfitters (nworegonoutfitters.com) had a boat full of eager ladies onboard, consisting of myself, Jacque Kyriss, Tina Fountain, Heather Renee and Vicki Swenson Wells. When traveling offshore the ride is as important as the destination itself and I love that Ted understands and agrees. 62 Northwest Sportsman

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Watching the sun rise from the ocean is something quite special that not everyone gets the chance to see. Hauling ass over the water as you head out into the somewhat unknown while smiling from ear to ear with the ladies you have missed is a treasure. And having dolphins right beside you – amazing! Seeing their love for one another, along with some tricks, provided us with an up-close connection to the cetaceans. Yes, I have seen dolphins in passing while in a hurry to reach the fishing grounds, but Ted felt the passion too and understood it was important to stop. It’s important to take in the moment, as you will never live that moment ever again. In things like that I know I have the right guide. Being deadly is great, but feeling the passion is where it’s at.

THE CLOUDS STARTED to clear and that bluest of blues began to appear as Tanner and I got the rods to trolling. It always amazes me how fast you actually go when hunting these fish that happen to

be hunters themselves. Hearing the zing of a tuna on the line never leaves you, no matter how long it’s been since you last heard the glorious sound. Our first fish of the day went to one of the ladies who had never felt this type of a fight before, and I will never forget it. Vicki is a tiny gal and even though the first fish was your average albacore football with water wings, she was shaking in her boots, no doubt! Once Ted gaffed that first fish and it came onboard, Vicki, in total adrenaline, sent a pile of puke straight into the Pacific. It wasn’t because she was seasick; it was because she was completely packed full of adrenaline and some of it was coming on out regardless. It was pretty freaking awesome and definitely a killer start! One thing I love about fishing with ladies is that girls just want to have fun! Their excitement is 89 times greater than men I’ve shared boats with. We cheer each other on, laugh loudly and want to experience more than just the catch.

COLUMN Fishing with Ted for salmon last season I fished with more men in a chartered situation than ever and, honestly, I was surprised by guys’ way of thinking and the experience of their catch or harvest. I have to say, I’m glad I’m a girl! I’m thankful to feel things on a deep level and truly want to connect with the experience wholeheartedly. And I bet that is why guides enjoy ladies more as well. It’s not just that they are beauties, as most narratives claim; they are just more fun, more excited and far more engaged, from what I have experienced. The grade of fish that day was also the best I have seen yet. Our first tuna was the only average-sized fish of the day. Though

I have landed more fish on a trip, I have never seen multiple tuna of that size. Tina and Heather’s first albacore were beasts, and considering that Tina had just been cleared to fish after a pretty major shoulder surgery, she rocked that fish’s world, and that fish rocked hers as well! The way she held her fish with total love was adorable and considering how much this little lady means to me, I am beyond grateful to have been a part of her first albacore adventure and success. Heather smiled brighter than I have ever seen her smile, and the shakes she acquired were the good stuff! Can’t fake those shakes, and you can’t find them anyplace else!

The sisterhood that slays tuna together, stays together. Surrounded by Jacque Kyriss, Vicki Swenson Wells, Fountain and Renee, author Sara Ichtertz (middle) takes pride in getting fellow females into their first fish. But going over the bar while her favorite freshwater run ails also empowers her and leads to important growth as an angler and ambassador for the sport. (SARA ICHTERTZ) 64 Northwest Sportsman

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Miss Jacque has fought and landed fish around the world. On a solo adventure in South Africa, she landed tuna larger than herself. I am impressed with her desire and ability to head out into the world on such grand adventures! Memories are what will matter when we reach the time of total reflection and I am honored to finally get to fish with Jacque and make some memories together, as I feel like we have been friends for quite some time in Facebook land. If you know me, you know I crave the real. Watching Jacque fight her fish with strength and grace was awesome and when Ted gaffed that monster from the sea and it hit the deck, I knew what she had landed: a grade A Oregon Coast tuna. Yes, there are bigger elsewhere, but Jacque landed one of that albacore school’s best and I will never forget it!

WE ALL CAUGHT multiple beauties out of that beautiful place offshore, fish that would provide wonderful meals to our friends and family, all while we bonded in the sisterhood of fishing! All while hearing and experiencing the bloodbath that is the slapping of tuna on the decks! Such a sight is one you really must see and feel in your lifetime. If I can cultivate such moments for other women, then I will. I will support this sisterhood to the best of my abilities. I will make the most of that time in the most positive way I can. The sisterhood does exist. If we could all focus on how rad we truly are together and how lifting each other up is a beautiful thing, then we truly can have it all. Personally, life has a funny way of pushing you when you need to be pushed. It’s true I could forever hide away on the banks of my river, but she knows I am meant for more than simply that. I am meant to embrace new waters in life. I am meant to laugh with ladies in the glory of the chase. I am meant to share the passion. Radical ladies-only adventures in such a massively intriguing place with my good buddies Tanner and Ted help me see that. My heart is on the river, but she pushes me to share it with other people, places, creatures and moments, not to hide. NS

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Northwest Sportsman 65

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Chart Buoy 10 Tides For Salmon Success Y

es, I know: I wrote about Buoy 10 in my July column, but the sport fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River is the NorthBUZZ RAMSEY west’s most popular for salmon. As well it should be, especially this year, with nearly half a million Chinook and perhaps as many as a million coho expected to return to the region’s largest river this month and next. Given the impressive numbers, one might think catching salmon here would be easy as pie, but they can be as elusive as a savvy whitetail buck in heavy cover for those who don’t understand how ocean tides affect their movements. The basic concept of where salmon can be found at Buoy 10 is pretty simple and something every veteran of this fishery understands: Salmon wanting to enter the Columbia each day collect at the entrance of the river when the tide is outgoing (ebbing) and simply allow the flooding ocean water (incoming tide) to carry them into the estuary. Many anglers wait for this pulse of fish near the fishery’s western boundary – the actual No. 10 buoy – at the beginning of the incoming tide. How far each wave of salmon floods into the estuary just depends on how big the tide is. And while you can refer to a printed tide book, they are not nearly as handy as a smartphone app (“Tides” is the app I’m currently using), as these apps can provide you with the timing of the daily tide swings at various locations within the Buoy 10 management zone and beyond, and also tell you the amount of water being exchanged with each in-and-out tidal movement. This is important because a big tide will push more fish further into the estuary, in which case you will need to move upriver with the

Guide Bill Monroe Jr. and author Buzz Ramsey show off a Buoy 10 Chinook caught during 2019’s season. Keep in mind that only hatchery kings can be kept here until August 25, when retention switches to any Chinook. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

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Northwest Sportsman 67

COLUMN

Whereas fall salmon anglers further up the Columbia form hoglines to intercept Chinook, at Buoy 10 it’s all about trolling with the tides. Many fishermen focus on the channels on both ends of the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Beware the Desdemona Sands in between. (BUZZ RAMSEY) school, while a low exchange will cause fish to accumulate in the middle estuary – near Warrenton, Hammond, the west end of Desdemona Sands, or along Baker Bay/Chinook – where they may linger until building tides move them eastward.

FOR THOSE WHO don’t know, the island called Desdemona Sands separates the dredged south channel from the north, or false, channel. The western tip of the sands is located 2 miles west of Hammond and extends eastward all the way to Rice Island, well above the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Although there are places you can cross the island, many anglers wanting to fish the north channel from Oregon navigate around the western tip of the sands before heading eastward. Realize too that the north channel – although ultimately a false one – maintains mostly reasonable depth over 3 miles above the Astoria-Megler Bridge and can offer success equal to, and sometimes better than, the south channel. 68 Northwest Sportsman

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Given a decent exchange of water, your strategy near and upstream from the bridge should be to troll upstream (the same direction as the flooding water) during the latter half of the flood and switch directions, going westward, when the tide begins to ebb. Fishing this area is popular for those wanting to target Chinook, while fishing Buoy 10’s western boundary is mostly a coho show. What many anglers do when fishing the north channel west of the bridge is to troll parallel near the island in 20 to 30 feet of water and make their upriver troll well past the bridge as the flood tide is nearing its peak. Once the tide changes direction and begins to ebb, they turn their boats around and troll westward. In the south channel, the well-maintained shipping channel, anglers will let their lines out 20 to 30 feet on their linecounter reels, as many salmon will often suspend at mid-depth over deep water, especially when tides are soft or flooding. The fish can be found deep or along

current edges when the tides, especially strong ones, are outgoing.

EACH AND EVERY year I write the time of each daytime high and low tide for Buoy 10 on my month-at-a-glance calendar, and this year is no exception. The reason is that the majority of the time, the best bite – especially for Chinook near or above the bridge – will occur three hours before and after each high tide. Unless you’re willing to fish the afternoon or evening high tide (a growing number of anglers do this, especially those living close to or vacationing in the area), the days I plan to fish are those when high tide occurs in the morning. To me, salmon, especially Chinook, bite best before and after the morning high tide. Although the amount of water exchanged during the first week of August is good and should push a fair number of salmon into the estuary, the first several days of the month start off with the outgoing, low tide happening during the midmorning hours. What this means is that the

COLUMN

The author’s August and September calendars chart Columbia mouth tides, based off of measurements at the Astoria docks. Knowing the highs, lows and amount of water exchanged between them, and when they occur, is key to understanding this fishery. (BUZZ RAMSEY) best fishing is likely to start an hour or two after low tide near the western boundary and progressively move upriver as the salmon ride into the big river on the afternoon flood. It’s not until August 4 that high tide occurs during the morning hours, which is

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why my first trip to Buoy 10 is scheduled for that day. Depending on fishing reports, our plan is to perhaps fish the ocean (depending on how rough), as the flooding tide will likely make a morning bar crossing easy and, unlike inside the river, the fin-clipped rule doesn’t apply for Chinook

caught on the ocean. During the latter portion of the first week of the month, the bigger of the daily high tides will occur during the afternoon, which might make for some pretty good Chinook action at or near the Astoria-Megler Bridge before and after the

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Northwest Sportsman 71

COLUMN

2022 B10 Regs

his season’s rules for the fall salmon fishery that extends from the red navigation marker with the number 10 stamped on it (Buoy 10) upstream to the new eastern boundary – the west end of Puget Island, located east of Tongue Point – is as follows: • Only one of your two-salmon limit can be a Chinook, barbless hooks are required and kept coho salmon must be of hatchery origin and identified by a missing adipose fin. • This year any kept Chinook caught during the first 24 days of August must be of hatchery origin and are required to have their adipose fin missing in order to keep. In case you don’t know, the adipose is the small fin located on the back of the fish between their dorsal and tail fin. • From August 25 through September 7 you can keep any Chinook, fin-clipped or not. The Buoy 10 season for Chinook will close at the end of the day on September 7. Beginning September 8 through the end of the month, the coho salmon limit will be three fat, fin-clipped silvers per day. • Keep in mind that fishing for salmon is not allowed in the Columbia River Control Zone, which extends westward from the Buoy 10 line to Buoy 7 and Buoy 4 and separates the ocean from Buoy 10 river fishing zone. This means the first place you can ambush salmon as they enter the Columbia River is east of the number 10 buoy and an imaginary north/south line extending from it. • You should also be aware that there is a sportfishing closure within and in front of the entrance to Youngs Bay that extends north from the east end of Oregon’s Warrenton seawall to the green buoy line, including Buoys 29, 31, 33 and 35A, all the way upriver/east to the Astoria-Megler Bridge abutment and then south following the bridge to the Oregon shore. See your Oregon or Washington sportfishing rule books – printed or online – for clarity on this and all other restrictions around the fishery. –BR

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Bob Sourek holds a fat coho he caught at Buoy 10 last season. This year should see another strong run of silvers, and the daily limit switches to three hatchery fish a day starting September 8. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

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COLUMN Avoid the mess. Bleeding your salmon in a bucket before placing them on ice in a cooler or kill bag is growing in popularity. (BUZZ RAMSEY)

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peak of the flood. Keep in mind, however, that the tides will be softening by week’s end, which may cause the number of salmon to accumulate midestuary. The second week of August starts off with high tide happening during the midmorning hours and pushing back roughly an hour each day until becoming afternoon tides on Tuesday of that week. Since it’s the high tide that pushes the most salmon into the estuary, your schedule might not demand an early start if you are targeting Chinook, as it’s likely the fishing for bigger kings will be the best near or above the bridge a few hours before and after the afternoon flood. It’s my guess that the latter half of the second week – given the big tides – will likely push a decent surge of coho into and up the river. Of course, these same tides will push a lot of Chinook into the river too. But with more than half of the forecasted coho return expected to be made up of the early-returning stock, you are likely to find hot silver action near the western boundary beginning an hour or so after

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COLUMN low tide through the first half of the flood. Although the tides start off big at the beginning of the third week of August, they will be diminishing as the week progresses and stay minimal into the beginning of the fourth week. It’s these “bathtub” tides that can cause vast numbers of fish to build up in the midestuary, especially during the latter portion of the month when Chinook numbers are peaking. As such, the most productive fishing might be had off Hammond, the town of Chinook and the lower portion of Desdemona Sands.

EVERYTHING CHANGES ON August 25, when the rules allow any Chinook, fin-clipped or not, to be kept within the Buoy 10 management zone. This, combined with the fact that the Chinook run generally peaks during the last week of the month, will likely make for a high rate of fishing success and participation. The tides for the fourth week start off with a midmorning high on the 21st and switch to afternoon highs on Tuesday

of that week. Given that the tides will be building and big through the end of the month, the fishing should be really good near and above the bridge for a mixed bag of Chinook and coho. Just like during the second week, the coho fishing should be good near the western boundary during the first half of the flood too. One strategy that has become popular at Buoy 10 when big tides prevail – and not only near the western boundary, where it’s mostly a coho show, but near the bridge too – is to hold your boat into the incoming water and allow the flooding tide to push fish into your gear as you hold steady into the current. It’s back-trolling but with the bow of your boat facing westward. Keep in mind that while the afternoon high tide will likely offer the best opportunity to catch limits of Chinook at or upstream of the bridge, the west wind can be daunting when the tide ebbs as compared to when it’s flooding. To avoid the big waves, try timing your afternoon trip back to Oregon when the tide is still flooding

or goes slack at its peak. In addition, if you fish the evening tide east of the bridge, you may be able to escape much of the rough ride back to port (presuming you’re returning to Oregon) by launching at the East Mooring Basin or John Day boat ramp, rather than Hammond or Warrenton. High morning tides will resume over Labor Day Weekend, with bathtub tides dominating the waters. This should make for some awesome fishing. Keep in mind that September 7 is the last day you can keep a Chinook at Buoy 10. However, beginning September 8, the fin-clipped coho limit will go to three fish per day. The enhanced coho limit is scheduled to remain in effect through the end of that month. NS Editor’s note: Buzz Ramsey is regarded as a trout, steelhead and salmon sport fishing authority and proficient lure and fishing rod designer. He has been honored into the Hall of Fame for the Association of Northwest Steelheaders and the national Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame.

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HUNTING FISHING Paula Corcoran hoists a 15-minute Chinook limit, caught in overlooked Puget Sound waters – the deep southern end of the inland sea. While Marine Areas 7, 9, 10 and 11 get the bulk of angler attention, terminal zones, off-channel areas and other tucked-away spots can be worth fishing for salmon in late summer or when popular areas close due to quota issues. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

Plans B And C For Inland Sea Salmon

In a season marked by good runs and frequent rule changes, it pays to have backup Chinook and coho fisheries, and these are among the better ones for Puget Sound anglers.

By Mark Yuasa

ncertainty has lurked around several corners of this summer’s Washington saltwater salmon fisheries, but there are plenty of bright spots in August.

Since the 2022 season began, anglers have faced some closures, modifications to catch limits or pauses in fisheries around Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and off the coast. These unforeseen inseason modifications to fisheries have

become the norm in recent years – likely due to improved salmon returns and increased participation – and now require an angler to keep a “Plan B” or even a “Plan C” on their list of places to fish to avoid any unexpected surprises. nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

Northwest Sportsman 79

FISHING In this month’s column we’ll examine some decent late-summer salmon fishing alternatives that should be on par or nearly as good as your Plan A Puget Sound adventure.

No big boat, no problem! Some of this salmon season’s better Plans B and C are accessible in bay boats, while piers and beaches give shore-bound anglers a chance to catch coho and Chinook too. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

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THE INNER-ELLIOTT BAY Chinook fishery is open from August 5 through August 7 at 12 p.m. only for all Chinook. Fishing is allowed east of a line from Duwamish Head to Pier 91 up to the Duwamish River mouth, including Harbor Island (both the west and east Duwamish waterways). Additional fishing time could be added if more Chinook return than expected and is determined by inseason test fisheries. The Chinook minimum size is 22 inches. The daily limit is two salmon, and release chum. The fishery is based on returns to the Green River, where 24,061 hatchery and 4,055 wild Chinook are predicted in 2022 (24,368 hatchery and 3,949 wild Chinook was the forecast in 2021).

FISHING There are many places within the eastern section of the bay to catch a salmon, including around the Duwamish Head marker, from the Don Armeni boat ramp to Salty’s on Alki Restaurant, the breakwater off the Elliott Bay Marina, in front of Todd Shipyards and both the west and east waterways. As with other salmon fisheries, locating baitfish schools in the bay is an important factor in catching salmon, and knowing their habits during certain times of the day will also raise the bar to catching fish. The prime time for the Elliott Bay Chinook fishery is usually in the early morning hours or just before sunset, although you can catch them throughout the day. These migrating Chinook tend to be in the upper water column in the predawn hours and will gradually go deeper as the sun rises. The three most commonly used techniques are trolling, drift or motor “mooching,” and jigging. Downrigger trolling is best since you can cover a lot of ground, especially when baitfish schools are sparse. A variety of plastic hoochies, spoons or plugs, or a cut-plug or whole herring, along with a flasher or dodger works best. Drift or motor mooching with a whole or cut-plug herring is an oldschool way to catch fish and consists of working your bait from the surface down to the bottom. You can try jigging with a 3- to 6-ounce leadheadstyle jig. Be sure to take the treble off of store-bought lures and replace it with a barbless-style hook.

COHO FISHING IN Marine Area 8-1 along the east side of the northern two-thirds of Whidbey Island is open August 1 through October 9 for coho (closed in 2021 due to low expected salmon abundance). The daily limit is two salmon, release all Chinook and chum. Despite coho still being in a rebuilding status after experiencing poor escapements since 2015, it appears several Puget Sound stocks could see an improvement, allowing for these types 82 Northwest Sportsman

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SO ABOUT ALL THE REG CHANGES THIS YEAR ...

WDFW on in-season management for ‘mixed-stock’ and ‘terminal-area’ salmon fisheries.

ashington offers both “mixed-stock” and “terminal-area” salmon fisheries. Mixed-stock fisheries, such as those in the Pacific Ocean, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound and the lower Columbia River, present unique challenges for fisheries managers who seek to provide sustainable salmon fishing opportunities for healthy or hatchery populations while limiting impacts on sensitive or Endangered Species Act-listed salmon runs that are also present. In mixed-stock areas, state and tribal fisheries managers must abide by harvest quotas and allowable impacts that are federally approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service based on agreed-upon run forecasts prior to the fishing season, even when actual salmon returns appear to exceed preseason forecasts. WDFW is working with federal agencies and tribal comanagers to provide greater stability for mixed-stock salmon fisheries in the future, including through a new 10-year Puget Sound Chinook Harvest Management Plan. As of right now, WDFW does not have a good way to conduct in-season updates on mixed-stock fisheries. This makes it difficult to impossible to adjust run-size or update forecasts while a fishery is being conducted. While it may appear that there is higher than expected returns, there is no way to determine whether these fish are from critical stocks. Without that knowledge, fisheries cannot be adjusted in-season in mixed-stock areas. Terminal-area fisheries, or fisheries nearer to hatcheries and natal rivers where typically only one salmon stock is present, allow state and tribal fisheries managers greater flexibility for in-season fishing adjustments depending on the actual returns of salmon, such as those counted at dams on the Columbia River during the spring, summer and fall. Therefore anglers on the Columbia, other rivers and in certain bays may see added or expanded in-season fishing opportunities when salmon runs come in above forecast. There is no such mechanism in place for most Puget Sound and coastal marine areas. We know Washington anglers look forward to salmon seasons each year, with many planning trips months in advance. We share your frustration when scheduled fishing seasons change or close early due to conservation concerns or harvest quotas being met. We do not make these decisions lightly, typically consulting with the Puget Sound sportfishing advisory group and other members of the public. WDFW is committed to providing sustainable fishing opportunities balanced with salmon conservation needs, and is continually working to improve fisheries management in the interest of salmon, fishermen and -women, tribes and all Washingtonians. –WDFW

of silver-directed fisheries to occur. The Snohomish wild coho spawning escapement goal is 55,000 and the 2022 forecast is for 64,218 wild fish (60,000 in 2021) and 22,559 hatchery fish (29,938 in 2021). The Skagit is expected to see 80,378 wild fish (58,434 in 2021) and 21,373 hatchery fish (22,017 in 2021). The southeast side of Whidbey Island, Marine Area 8-2, is open from August 13 through September 19 for hatchery-marked coho only. Only

the portion south and west of a line between the Clinton and Mukilteo ferry docks down to the Marine Area 9 boundary is open. The daily limit is two salmon, release all Chinook, chum and wild unmarked coho. Most anglers will troll for coho around Possession Point, in the middle of the channel up to the boundary deadline, and from the Shipwreck to Browns Bay along the eastern shoreline. Usually, it’s good for coho in mid- to late August and September.

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FISHING FURTHER NORTH, THE Bellingham Bay terminal Chinook fishery is open from August 16 through September 30. The Chinook minimum size is 22 inches. The daily limit is four salmon, and up to two Chinook may be retained. Lummi Bay is open from August 16 through September 5 for hatchery coho only. The daily limit is two salmon, release all Chinook, chum and wild unmarked coho. Plans call for the San Juan Islands (Marine Area 7) to reopen from August 16 through September 30 for a hatchery-coho-only fishery – keep close tabs for any emergency closures before hitting the water. In Hood Canal, Quilcene Bay is open August 1 through 31 for a fishery directed at coho only and a daily limit of four coho. The Big Quilcene forecast is 35,243 hatchery and 256 wild coho in 2022 compared to 31,748 and 410 in 2021. This is a terminal fishery and anglers have the best success tossing jigs like a Puget Pounder, Buzz Bomb or Point Wilson Dart. This month is also a productive time in southern Puget Sound’s Marine Area 13 for hatchery Chinook. These waters are actually open year-round, but at this time the Chinook minimum size is 20 inches. The daily limit is two salmon, release all chum, wild coho and wild Chinook. Anglers may use two fishing poles with purchase of the Two-Pole Endorsement. Look for hatchery Chinook at Gibson Point and Point Fosdick, Fox Point in Hale Passage, the northwest corner at the Sand Spit, Toy Point and the Concrete Dock Fox Island Fishing Pier. Other Deep South Sound spots include Nisqually Flats, Dover Point near Zangle Cove, Itsami Ledge, Dickenson Point, Anderson Island, and Little Fish Trap Bay and Big Fish Trap Bay. Coho fishing the past few seasons here has also seen an improvement during late summer. Lastly, many piers are open yearround for shore-bound anglers and should provide decent salmon 86 Northwest Sportsman

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The San Juans are scheduled to open for hatchery coho later this month, with fishing continuing through September, if all goes well. Sara and Chad Smith show off a pair of island silvers from a couple seasons ago. (COAST FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)

fishing action. They are the Edmonds Marina Pier, Seacrest Pier in West Seattle, Fox Island Public Pier, Dash Point Dock, Des Moines Pier, Les Davis Pier, Point Defiance Boathouse Dock, Redondo Pier, Bremerton Boardwalk, Illahee State Park Pier and Waterman Pier. Anglers should consult the WDFW regulation pamphlet or website

(wdfw.wa.gov) for any changes. A comprehensive list of statewide salmon fisheries can be found along with detailed marine fisheries on WDFW’s website. NS Editor’s note: Mark Yuasa is a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife communications manager and longtime local fishing and outdoor writer.

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HUNTING FISHING For fishing high lakes, be sure to carry a selection of ant patterns in various sizes and colors, such as (left to right from second fly) a foam grey-bodied ant with orange hackle, foam black ant with red hackle, classic fur-bodied black ant and a fur-bodied winged black ant. Honorable mention goes to Wulff flies (far left), which though attractors, sometimes appeal to fish looking for ants to eat. (DAVID JOHNSON)

Timber, Trout And Tasty Ants Ant patterns should be your go-to choice when fly fishing the Northwest’s subalpine mountain lakes in summer. By David Johnson

ummer fishing trips to mountain lakes promise fly anglers great scenery, camping under the stars, cooler weather than lower-elevation fisheries and the hope of lots of hungry trout. But like any fishing trip, occasionally the fishing slows. Even more irritating, you might see a series of rises from a single fish cruising along the shoreline within casting distance. You cast to them but the fish blow off your offering. The fish are eating something. You step onto a log at the water’s edge and look into the clear water in hopes of spotting what’s on the menu.

But there’s nothing there. Even more irritating, you have to keep squishing ants that are crawling from the log up your pants. There are a lot of ants and they are an annoying distraction from your efforts to figure out what the fish are eating. Exactly. Although ant imitations are in most anglers’ fly boxes, they are seldom the first fly tied on. But if you are fishing mountain lakes this summer, ants should move up in your batting order.

TROUT EAT ANTS for the same reason terrestrials typically interest trout: ants are larger than aquatic insects, so the energy they provide to a trout rising to the surface to feed is much larger

than that provided by, say, a mosquito. Ants are also more or less helpless in the water, so they are easy to catch. In mountain lakes with relatively nutrient-poor water and short growing seasons, trout that want to survive can’t ignore such a valuable resource. Ant imitations do not work equally well on all lakes. The characteristics of a lake that make ants a good choice include: • Lakes below or on the edge of the treeline. Most “carpenter” ants live on woody debris, so lakes surrounded by trees will have more ants than waters high above treeline. Trout that see ants regularly are more likely to focus on looking for ants. • Wilderness lakes. Lakes surrounded by forests that have not been logged or

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FISHING HUNTING Focus on lakes below the timberline, as these will naturally have more ants than those at higher elevations. But also check state stocking stats to see if the water you’re interested in fishing has seen recent releases. In the case of Northeast Oregon’s Twin Lakes – this image – they annually receive legal-size rainbows. (RICK SWART, ODFW)

thinned commercially for many decades will have stands of timber that are “thinning” themselves. As thick stands of young trees age, the weaker trees get crowded out, die, fall down and are broken down slowly by ants. If on the hike to the lake you’re fishing you see lots of dead trees and treetrunks scattered like matchsticks on the ground, you are looking at ant habitat. • Lakes with logjams. The outlets of lakes, coves and any shoreline where wind blows logs into logjams in the water are spots trout will hunt ants. Trees along the shore of a lake that fall into or hang over the water obviously put ants more in danger of falling into the water. Inlet streams flowing into a lake are also places ants get washed into the water, especially if the tributary flows through timber near the lake. • Lakes in dry country. Ants live everywhere, but in dry areas there are fewer things besides ants to break down wood and other vegetable matter that ants eat. So, for example, mountain lakes on the east slope of the Cascades favor ants. 90 Northwest Sportsman

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• Lakes next to old burns. Wildfire kills trees and thus a year or two after a blaze, ants that make a living off dead wood have a tremendous increase in food and shelter. It can take ants a while to repopulate after a fire, but old burns are good ant habitat and trout in adjacent lakes take advantage of that.

BESIDES HABITAT, SOME transitory fishing conditions can indicate that ant imitations might be a better-than-usual choice. Midday heat is one such condition, because like most terrestrial insects, ants are more active when it’s warm than cold. The more ants move around, the more that fall into the water. Often in the middle of the day there are few alternatives for trout in the way of aquatic hatches, which makes trout more likely to be looking for ants. A mountain storm rolling in after a few hours of midday heat can make ant-fishing even better for a while. Thunderstorms are proceeded by wind, and wind knocks even more ants into the water. Temperatures also tend to drop, sometimes rapidly, and coldstunned ants are clumsy ants and more

likely to fall into the water. Under these conditions, you can catch trout on the downwind side of the lake (where all the ants in the water are being blown toward), but you can also catch them on the upwind side of the lake, as ants blown into the shallows will be swept toward the first dropoff into deeper water, where trout are comfortable. I like the downwind side, but casting into a strong wind does take some work. In any case, afternoon storms are likely to involve lightning in the summer, so exercise common sense with regard to standing in water in the middle of a lightning storm. Then there’s the presence of flying ants. At some point in the year, some ant colonies divide, with some ants developing wings and swarming into the air. Ants are not efficient flyers, however, and the slightest breeze can knock them into the water.

IF YOU SEE ants with wings around, definitely fish parachute or winged versions of ants. But because swarming occurs periodically, with timing varying from ant colony to ant colony, trout

FISHING

Given the generally nutrient-poor waters high lakes trout swim in, they won’t turn up a chance to scarf down ants that have fallen off or been blown out of lakeside trees, downed or standing. (STEVEN JOHNSON) are conditioned to feed on flying ants whenever they appear at random. Thus you don’t have to wait for a swarm to “match the hatch.” White-winged ants are also much easier for you to see at the end of a long cast than are imitations of “wingless” ants. Wingless ants can be quite effective, however. A mix of imitations ranging from size 12 to 16 will cover most situations. The most popular color

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is black, but I also always have predominantly black ants with some red in every size. Most of the ants I carry (and most ant imitations in stores) have black bodies, but some ants are reddishorange, so it’s not a bad idea to carry a few orange-bodied ants as well.

ALL THESE IMITATIONS are fished about the same: The highest percentage cast lands several feet in front of a series of rises.

You don’t need to impart motion to the fly at first. If nothing rises, a series of small twitches can work. Ants don’t swim strongly, so they look normal to fish if they don’t move much. On the retrieve, though, I usually fish a series of short strips and pauses to bring the fly in; trout are predators and predators sometimes react to motion. I also do not worry too much if my ant gets waterlogged and sits a bit under the water. Real ants can get waterlogged, so fish will still take them. Carry some variety in each size. For reasons known only to trout, sometimes they will ignore ants that are not parachute imitations. Or vice versa. Or, they will ignore ants without red. Or vice versa. Simply let the trout tell you what they want. When you find the pattern they bite, keep throwing it: Fishing is not rocket science. Just make sure that on a hikein trip you have multiple copies of each type, because you don’t want to run out of the one the fish want. NS

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DESTINATION IDAHO

daho is a place of vast fishing opportunity for anglers with a variety of fish species spread across millions of acres of diverse landscapes ranging from deserts to mountains to rainforests. Idaho has 26,000 miles of streams and rivers, more than 3,000 natural lakes, and a quarter-million acres of reservoirs and ponds. Nearly all those waters contain game fish, which includes 42 species ranging from giant white sturgeon to native wild trout to abundant warmwater fish. As a bonus, most Idaho waters have year-round fishing seasons. To add to this alluring mix, Idaho is the most inland state in the West that has ocean-going salmon and steelhead, which gives anglers an opportunity to catch these sea-run fish as far as 900 miles from the ocean under the backdrop of Idaho’s majestic mountain ranges. “Anglers’ paradise is probably overused, so let’s just say if you can’t find the kind of fishing you’re after in Idaho, you might not be looking hard enough,” Idaho Fish and Game Public Information Supervisor Roger Phillips said. “In addition to every world-famous fishing opportunity Idaho offers, such as fly fishing for trout at Silver Creek, catching 10-foot sturgeon in Hells Canyon, or 10-pound steelhead in the Clearwater River, there are more equally impres-

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sive fishing spots you’ve probably never heard about.” It’s difficult to segregate Idaho into distinct fishing regions because each part of the state tends to have similar, yet different, opportunities. Idaho’s favorite fish, trout, can be found in every nook, cranny and corner of the state. They’re a mixture of wild, native trout along with a complement of stocked hatchery trout and introduced brown, brook and lake trout. The Snake River, which cuts through eastern, southern and western Idaho, runs from the Wyoming border across southern Idaho before turning north and eventually flowing into Washington. The river and its series of reservoirs hold abundant populations of warmwater fish, including several world-class smallmouth bass fisheries, as well as perch, crappie, bluegill, catfish and more. Idaho also has a host of “Great Lakes” spread throughout the state that are known for their size and fishing quality. For example, Lake Pend Oreille in the Panhandle is 43 miles long and boasts a healthy kokanee fishery that also feeds a monstrous strain of “Kamloops” rainbow trout that grow in excess of 25 pounds. Not to speak too loudly about it, but Idaho’s backcountry is often spoken of in hushed tones by anglers and may be the state’s worst-kept fishing secret. That’s because it’s obvious, yet challenging, because the state boasts 4.8 million acres of Congressionally designated wilderness. There are thousands of miles of pristine rivers and streams and hundreds of alpine lakes spread across that vast, unspoiled, roadless landscape. With such rich fishing opportunities, anglers can pick and choose their favorite methods of fishing, whether wading a mountain stream for trout during summer, trolling for trophy fish on a large lake or reservoir, or drilling a hole in the ice during winter. Idaho’s rich fishing opportunities allow you to use your imagination, and its variety allows you to let your imagination run wild. For more information, check out www.idfg.idaho.gov.

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FISHING

Garage Sale Shoppin’ There’s plenty of fishing, hunting and camping gear to be had by savvy buyers hitting local yard sales. By MD Johnson “That’s the whole meaning of life, isn’t it, trying to find a place for your stuff. That’s all your house is. It’s just a place for your stuff. If you didn’t have so much stuff, you wouldn’t need a house. You could just walk around all the time.” –The late George Carlin talking about “stuff.”

came to an inescapable conclusion recently. What might that be, you ask? Oh, it’s nothing many if not most of you outdoorsmen and -women haven’t realized. I have, to put it simply, too much stuff. Hunting stuff. Fishing stuff. Camping stuff. Mounds of decoys, some actually semiorganized and hanging rather neatly from the rafters. Piles of fullbody Canadas. Layout blinds. Tents. Sleeping bags. Cots. Two-burner Coleman stoves. Crayfish traps. Fish poles. Pyramids of tackle boxes – and that doesn’t include the metal coffee cans filled to overflowing with jigs, sinkers and whatnot – and, well, stuff of all outdoor sorts. And as I got to looking around the house … and garage … and upstairs in the garage … and my wife Julie’s shop, I came to another realization, and that was this. If it weren’t for garage sales, I wouldn’t have but maybe 50 percent of the outdoor stuff I have. Yes, I’ll admit it. I’m a garage sale junkie. Why’d I buy two more Zebco spincasting outfits when I already am the owner of 50? My goto response to that one: They were a dollar. Or two dollars. Doesn’t matter; they were cheap.

Author MD Johnson eyes up a Mitchell 320 at a garage sale. Whether it’s a vintage piece of fishing, hunting or camping gear, or a lightly used item you actually need, these annual summer sales can be a good source of newto-you outdoors gear. (JULIA JOHNSON)

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FISHING

For some thrifty shoppers, the thrill of the chase is bagging collectible items that sellers are just looking to get rid of. (JULIA JOHNSON)

Which brings me to the present day and outdoor gear, and that’s that none of it’s cheap anymore. Remember 99-cent, 50-round boxes of Winchester Wildcat .22 Long Rifle cartridges? OK, if you’re under 50, you probably don’t, but there are $1,200 chest waders, $300 turkey vests and $375 waterfowl blind bags, not to mention $600 baitcasting reels and a $94 jointed fishing lure that looks like a tarpon. It’s expensive, a lot of this stuff is, and when you multiply the cost by two or three or more, given that your children or grandchildren, and rightfully so, want to start spending time in The Great Outdoors with you and, as such, must be equipped to some extent, well, the Benjamins start to accumulate. Enter the Garage Sale. Garage sales are incredible for a couple different reasons. One, attending a garage sale makes you understand just how badly – tongue in cheek! – you needed Item X, despite the fact you already have seven of them; however, those seven didn’t cost a dollar each, which, apparently, is why you need one more. And two, garage sales, if worked, for lack of a better word, correctly, are, or can be, fantastic places to outfit you and the entire family for your next outdoor adventure. And how, you ask, is this done correctly? Continue, oh Gentle Reader, and let this self-proclaimed Garage Sale Guru – that’s me! – school you in the art of, er, “stuff” acquisition.

PROOF’S IN THE PUDD’N Let me begin here with a couple recent bargain outdoor acquisitions, à la garage sale, that I’m particularly proud of. The first price is what Ms. Google has the item listed at; the second is what I actually paid for said necessity: Eddie Bauer “Cruiser 2” flannellined sleeping bag: $60; $4. Metal fish pole by American Fork & Hoe Company: $45; free. Camping gear, including three nice tents, sleeping bags, complete porcelain 98 Northwest Sportsman

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FISHING well, OK, maybe just a little – but to demonstrate that the bargains are out there, if you’re willing to 1) go to the garage sales; and 2) be mindful of a few simple guidelines. Not rules, so much, but guidelines.

DON’T BE LATE!

Late spring and summer is the peak of garage sale season in the Northwest, and sometimes the events are done as a neighborhood, raising the odds of finding fishing and hunting gear you just might need. But remember the author’s rules: Get there early, and bring cash. (BEN HOWARD)

cook set with utensils, Coleman twoburner stove: $300+; $20. Literal truckload o’ fishing gear: $A lot; $20. Okuma Celilo MH 8’6” rod: $60; $30. Hav-A-Hart X-Large live trap:

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$129; $5. Ball 33-quart porcelain water bath canner in mint condition: $60; $8. Bogs 11” Workman Mid boots, size 13: $145; $10. My point here is not to brag –

If the ad or the roadside sign says the sale begins at 9 a.m., be there when they open the doors. Or the driveway, as the case may be. Some folks hate early birds – that is, buyers who arrive prior to the posted opening bell – while others don’t mind. Me, I lean to the latter, and try to be there right when the sign says open. Nothing worse than seeing your stuff walking away triumphantly as you pull in at 9:15. Ugh!

HOMEWORK NEVER HURTS … It’s not a bad idea to have some idea – thank you, Ms. Google – of the current street price of the items you’re looking at in order to answer those burning

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FISHING questions: Is this a good price? Great price? Bargain? Bust? True, it’s often a challenge to be as informed as you might need be without knowing for certain what it is you’ll run across; however, there’s always your phone and your cellular data, right? There’s nothing wrong with picking up Item X, whatever that might be, and holding it tight – note: We’ll address this as we close – while doing a little price checking online. Chances are, though, if it’s on a garage sale table, there’s a bargain to be had.

… AND NEITHER DO QUESTIONS It never hurts to ask questions of the seller, inquiries like “Are you the original owner,” “Any problems,” or elementally, “Does it work?” No need, I don’t believe, in asking the seller why they’re getting rid of it. Truth of the matter is, they just don’t want it around anymore and they’d

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rather you had it at your house cluttering up things as opposed to their house cluttering up things. Plus, any space a seller frees up via the sale of items, particularly large items like decrepit camp trailers and claw-foot tubs, is space that can be refilled with their own garage sale purchases. Ah, the madness!

PLAY WITH CASH Garage sales are, with only some exceptions I’ve seen over the years, a cash-only experience. True, I have on one or two occasions asked a seller if either they’d 1) hold items so that I might return later with said cash, or 2) be agreeable to accepting a local check. In the case of the latter and depending upon what the item is, e.g. a set of new-in-the-box Sitka chest waders, Size 12, for $50 and I have but a single $20, I’ve been known to offer my brother-in-law

Gordie, or even one of the grandkids, as collateral, which has worked a time or two. Seriously, though, plan to pay in cash and, perhaps most importantly and just like I do when Julie and I make the run up to Rochester and the Lucky Eagle Casino, only take as much as you can afford to spend. Or lose, however you wanna look at it.

NEGOTIATE, BUT DO IT NICELY I absolutely love the negotiation – the back-and-forth horse-trading, as it were – aspect of garage sales, but, and while this hasn’t always been the case, I try very hard to negotiate fairly, diplomatically and without being ridiculous. What’s the definition of “ridiculous negotiation?” If the tag has “Firm” written on it in black Sharpie marker, then you’re probably wasting your breath making a lower than listed

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offer. And if it’s a $200 Lamiglas rod in excellent condition, you know it’s a $200 Lamiglas rod in excellent condition, they’re asking $50, and you up and offer the seller a 10spot, well, when they grimace and shake their head while mumbling something that sounds dreadfully close to %$@*$! $@#!, well, you deserved that one. What should you have done? Dug out a $50 with your fingernails on fire, snatched up your new rod, giggled and walked back to your rig. Done. Tip: It never hurts – and can actually be to your financial benefit – to group items you might want. As a courtesy, I ask the seller if it’s OK to “start a pile,” i.e. group items together. If I get their blessing, I’ll do so, and then, having arrived at an asmarked $40 total, I’ll offer, say, $30, depending on what’s in the pile.

MAKE DAMN SURE YOU DON’T WANT IT Garage sales present (IMHO) the ultimate in improvise, adjust and adapt. Do I really need it? Or just want it? Will it still be here if I come back in an hour? Fifty bucks! Wonder if they’ll take $40? It’s a game of give and take. Shrewd negotiation skills, where meeting the seller halfway – or a little more than halfway – might be to your benefit. There are really no hard-andfast rules to successful garage sale-ing, save for be nice, be respectful, ask questions and take cash, except … Do not – I repeat, do not – put any item down until you either buy it, or you’re absolutely certain you don’t need and/or want it. If you pick something up, consider its place in your home, get cheap, set it back down and then, 60 seconds later, realize you’re being an idiot, here’s what’s going to happen: The guy behind you is going to pick up that like-new Ambassadeur 5000-series levelwind with the $8 price tag, turn to his wife and shout – “Holy crap, hon! Look at this 5000! And only $8! Hey, buddy (note: That’s you). You see this reel? Eight bucks – damn!” Been there. Done that. NS

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think we can all agree that it’s been a crazy couple of years. By the looks of it, everyone is eager to get back to doing the things they love. Hunters, if you’re looking to book that next big trip, an unmatched assortment of non-resident opportunities, along with a host of friendly and professional outfitters and guides, await you in Alberta. Unique in its geography and biodiversity, our midwest province is home to 10 different big game species and tremendous bird hunting as well. Whether you’re a bow or gun hunter looking for an antlered harvest, a predator hunter, or just looking to fill your freezer, consider making Alberta your next destination. Accessible and affordable, if you live in the Pacific Northwest, Alberta is only a short trip north across the border. With three international airports, visiting hunters commonly fly into Edmonton (YEG), Calgary PHOTOS BY SINCLAIR IMAGERY

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Interested in Alberta, but not sure where to start? The Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS) has two tools available on our website at apos.ab.ca. Using our interactive map under Find an Outfitter, you can narrow down your search by specifying your needs and preferences. Alternatively, you can submit a hunt inquiry through FollowTheLead, which will automatically circulate your customized inquiry to members who offer that species.

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ere at Miller’s North Outfitting we focus on the quality of your experience first and foremost. We want this to be something you cherish and remember for a lifetime. Additionally, we focus on spending as much time as possible throughout the year to make sure you have a successful hunt. Leave it up to us; we are here to make sure you bag the trophy of a lifetime. Chad and Ashley Miller run a small family-based operation, dedicated to ensuring you have a high-quality trip and the best opportunity to be successful on

your hunt. With just under 20 years of experience guiding/outfitting in Alberta, BC, NWT, and Asia, they are hardworking, enthusiastic, and enjoy the many challenges of these adventures There are not too many hunts more exciting than chasing whitetails during the rut. Located in Lac La Biche, Alberta, about two and a half hours north of Edmonton, this is widely considered to be one of, if not the best, zones for big northern deer. Farmland and swamp mixed with big bush and timber create perfect habitat that continually produces mature bucks. Hunting all through November, the high deer population provides us the perfect opportunity

to be selective and help you get your dream whitetail. Depending on where and what the deer are doing determines how we will be hunting. We use 4x4 trucks, ATVs, and sometimes a little walking for access. Our most effective method of hunting is done from the stand. We use tower stands, tree stands and ground blinds. These are set up on fields, cut lines or back in the timber/bush country on scrapes and natural travel routes. In the right situations, spot-and-stalk can also be quite productive. We provide heaters on cold days as required.

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HUNTING Author Richy Harrod pauses for a moment on a dry slope to look for elk. With Northwest bow seasons starting as early as August 25 in Oregon, late summer’s heat and bone-dry conditions make it even more of a challenge to find and hunt the elusive animals. (RICHY HARROD)

Hunting Quiet Elk In Late Summer’s Heat Bowhunting in the early season requires a different approach. Here’s how an Eastern Oregon archer relied on his senses of smell, hearing to overcome hot, dry conditions. By Richy Harrod

oths and gnats were circling the light of my headlamp. The temperature was easily 60 degrees and sweat was rolling down my face as I labored up the hill. Dried balsamroot leaves crackled with every other step, rudely interrupting the silence of early morning. All I could think about was that every elk for half a mile in every direction was slowly moving away from my ruckus.

My heaving breathing was becoming more uncomfortable as wildfire smoke stung my throat and nose the higher I climbed. Indeed, the first week of September was feeling more like the first week in August. My brother, lifelong friend Riley and I had been hunting for days without a peep from an elk and seeing but a few. Elk were only active during the first one to two hours of daylight, so I knew I needed to hustle to the top of the hill. The grade was

lessening and so was my breathing. The trail snaked through mahogany and eventually split in the darkness of a dense clump of Douglas fir. The glow on the horizon encouraged me to move faster, but there was time for a quick change to a dry shirt.

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HUNTING constant buzzing of bald-faced hornets circling my head. I could feel the heat of the day coming and apparently so could the elk. Openings on the hillside provided excellent glassing spots. I sat for a few minutes at a time, hoping to see elk on the hillside across the drainage. Nothing seemed to be moving except a raven as he lazily flew across the expanse. It was time to cover as much ground as possible to meet my aspirations of finding an elk that would talk back.

THE GAME TRAIL I followed traversed a

If it’s not brittle arrowleaf balsamroot, it’s downed limbs and pine cones that are like landmines to hunters on the sneak. But darker timber like this is also where wapiti will lay up this time of year, and so Harrod was forced into the elk enclave. (RICHY HARROD)

direction. The noise with every step now echoed under the canopy of old trees. With no escape from my racket, I grabbed the cow call hanging around my neck and did my best impersonation of a happy group of cow elk moving through the forest to some place unknown. The unmistakable sound of running water became audible as the creek bottom narrowed and another fork joined. This was my cue to start grading around the hill. Birds were beginning to greet daylight and shadowy images appeared under the canopy of old trees. My pace slowed and I was intent on every noise. A cool breeze was gently descending downhill, bringing every scent to my nose. 116 Northwest Sportsman

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The chances of hearing a bull elk bugle were slim, but I ripped off a couple screams in the dim light. Each time I called, I stood and listened for as long as I could muster patience. Experience told me that patience was required if I hoped to find an elk in these hot and dry conditions. The only sounds so far were pine cones dropping from high in the trees, as squirrels cut them free as fast as they could. Game trails were now clearly visible as light flooded the forest understory. With a well-used trail ahead, my walking quieted slightly and soft cow calls helped muffle my crunching feet. Stopping every 40 or 50 yards allowed me to take in any new sounds. It was amazingly quiet, minus the birds and

relatively open, east-facing mahogany and pine slope that was beginning to take the brunt of the morning sun. Ahead was a north slope that had held elk many times before. It’s one of my favorite spots. The canopy is dense with shade most of the day, so elk often bed there to escape the heat. It’s steep but there are small benches with quiet game trails for stalking. I entered the north aspect at the perfect elevation to cross the largest bench. With my senses in overdrive, I crept forward at a snail’s pace, trying to see every detail in the dark woods. Every crack or thump was quickly analyzed in my brain: the cracking wood of an old snag warming in the sunlight, a squirrel’s pine cone dropping onto a punky forest floor. I listened for the snap of sticks under a hoof, but again, there was mostly silence. The trail crossed the bench and would soon dive into a side draw, placing me onto another east-facing mahogany slope. With 100 yards to go, I suddenly smelled the strong and unmistakable odor of an elk nearby. I’ve been fooled by elk smells before. A recently used elk bed with fresh urine can waft smells your way – the ghostly hint of an elk that is no longer there. But this smell was strong and constant on the breeze. I’d been in this situation before and knew I should conceal myself. A patch of 3-foot-tall fir trees was the perfect spot to set up. With my

HUNTING binoculars, I peered up the dark hillside and around every tree but nothing was visible. A few quiet cow calls yielded no response. My calling became more alluring and searching as I tried to entice whatever might be uphill. I waited several minutes between calls, listening intently, and it soon paid off.

AFTER NEARLY 20 minutes had passed, I decided to stand to relieve the pressure on my old and well-used knee. I was beginning to think maybe I had been fooled by the odor of a recent elk bed, but then the crack of sticks under hoof caused me to snap my head around to a spot directly uphill. Dropping back to one knee, I did my best lonely cow call, which was immediately followed by loud crashing of something big coming my way. The sound was getting louder and coming from multiple directions. It was more than one something big! Two bull elk were now visible, trotting down the hill like a pair of dogs looking for their master and a

scratch behind the ears. One was a good-sized five-point or small sixpoint and the other appeared to be a spike. Although I was intent on the bigger bull, antler size has never really mattered that much to me, so my singular goal was to call one of them within bow range. Their rush downhill brought them to my left about 50 yards; a long shot, particularly with many small trees blocking a clean shooting lane. I was more exposed, as my little tree patch didn’t cover my left side, so I quickly debated with myself about whether to call again or not. The decision was immediately made for me as the bulls started to wander further away. A couple of short cow calls brought them to a stop and then both immediately started trotting in my direction. These bulls were looking for love in a bad way! The larger bull stayed above the smaller as they came closer and closer. I became fixated on the smaller bull. A cluster of large trees served as my opportunity to

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draw my bow. The five-point spooked a bit when I drew, running up the hill 20 yards before stopping, but the small bull kept coming and finally stopped broadside at 25 yards. “Pop, ssswaaaack!” The arrow left my string and hit pay dirt in the lower third of his chest behind the front shoulder. He wheeled and ran across the slope, crashing through branches and little trees, before ending in a heap not 40 yards away. The larger bull added to the cacophony by sprinting the opposite direction. And then, suddenly, all was quiet again, as if I had just dreamed the entire scene.

I FELL BACK on my heels and then lay on the ground, letting my heart stop pounding in my ears. It was a surreal moment. The elk hadn’t been talking at all for days and the woods were eerily hot and smoky. But here I was, soaking up two minutes of adrenaline-packed action and still wondering what had just happened.

HUNTING It turns out he was a spike by fork, obviously not the biggest bull I’ve been fortunate to harvest. But the whole experience was one of the most memorable. My plan to patiently move through elk country, to be keenly in tune with my sense of hearing, and most importantly, to pay close attention to my sense of smell, resulted in a full freezer of the best meat on the planet. Silent elk are a challenge like no other, but I’ll never forget the time my nose was my biggest asset. NS

While this young bull and a larger, older one were silent, not bugling, they did respond to an alluring cow call the author used to bring them in and keep them close enough for a short-range shot. “Obviously not the biggest bull I’ve been fortunate to harvest. But the whole experience was one of the most memorable,” Harrod writes. (RICHY HARROD)

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Editor’s note: Richy J. Harrod is the owner of Harrod Outdoors LLC, a small outdoor media production company. He produces The Northwest Outdoorsmen television series, which has received eight awards from the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association. Harrod has produced awardwinning short films, produced numerous product promotional videos, coproduces a podcast (We are Outdoorsmen), and written outdoor books, blogs, and newsletter articles. For more, see harrodoutdoors.com.

COLUMN

10-plus Top Calibers For Black Bears A

ugust is black bear month, and since Evergreen State bruin busters were denied the opportunity of a ON TARGET traditional spring hunt, By Dave Workman now it’s time to hit the high country, or even the lowlands, where bears are fattening up on ripening berries and other chow. This year’s regulations are easy to understand. According to the rules, the statewide season opens August 1 and runs to November 15, with the following specifications: • Area restrictions: Game Management Units 157, 490 and 522 (Mill Creek Watershed, Cedar River, Loo-wit) are closed to fall bear hunting. A special deer/ elk permit is required to hunt bear in GMU 485 (Green River). • License required: A valid big game hunting license, which includes black bear as a species option. • Second black bear license/tag: A second black bear transport tag/license must be purchased to take a second bear. Hunters may purchase a maximum of two black bear transport tag/licenses. • Bag limit: Two black bears during the license year. • Hunting methods: Hunters may use any legal weapon for hunting black bear. Bait or hounds are not allowed for bear hunting, per RCW 77.15.245. • Notes: “All successful black bear hunters statewide must submit a black bear premolar tooth,” according to the regulations. “Pre-paid and self-addressed tooth envelopes can be obtained at all WDFW offices (see page 6 of the regs pamphlet).” Premolars are located behind the canine teeth on the upper jaw. Successful hunters are required to submit

Samantha Gaudette smiles behind her first black bear, which she harvested in Washington in August 2020 with a 100-yard shot out of her 7mm-08. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)

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Ruger’s New Model Marlin Trapper in .45-70 (above) would be an excellent choice for Northwest black bears, as would author Dave Workman’s Model 57 S&W in .41 Magnum (middle), as well as a Colt Python or Model 586 Smith & Wesson (bottom), both in .357 Magnum. (RUGER, DAVE WORKMAN)

a tooth from their bear to the agency, the sooner the better, and at least by December 1.

AND THIS IS where I come in. When I was in my midteens and hunting bears with hounds was still legal, I spent many spring and late-summer weekends pursuing Ursus americanus in the company of some fellows who had hounds. Frankly, I would be delighted to see hound hunting revived, and it would be a good way to reduce predation on elk calves and deer fawns. Banning hound hunting for bears and mountain lions was, in my humble opinion, remarkably short-sighted. Later, I hunted with a guy with whom I graduated from high school way up the Busy Wild Creek drainage, a Mashel River tributary, east of Eatonville where he had found lots of bear sign. Where hunting transforms to shooting, there are lots of options, and in my humble opinion, here are several of the best. The .30-30 Winchester is a proven bear killer. I recommend 170-grain bullets because by now, some of those bruins will be pretty hefty, having spent the spring and summer fattening up. Sure, the caliber is more than 100 years old. There is a reason it has hung on this long: It works and with modern ammunition, the reliable “thuttythutty” will put ’em down for the count. In a Model 94 lever-action Winchester, it’s a fairly light, reliable gun-and-ammo combination. (My own levergun in .32 Special is almost ballistically identical to the .30-30, with a bit more sizzle and a slightly larger bullet. Either will decisively deck a black bear.) Many bears have tumbled to the 124 Northwest Sportsman

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Bruin medicine includes (left, from left) rifle cartridges in .30-30 Winchester, .300 Savage and .308 Winchester and handgun loads such as (right, from left) the .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .480 Ruger. (DAVE WORKMAN) venerable .300 Savage, a cartridge overshadowed by the .308 Winchester, which is another excellent bear caliber. I like the .300 Savage for reasons of nostalgia, and in a Model 99 lever-action Savage (I own one), it’s a formidable bear stopper. As for the .308 Winchester, I’ve seen it perform admirably on all kinds of Washington big game. In either caliber, 165- or 180-grain pills are your best bet. Don’t overlook the .35 Remington, for which a lot of Marlin 336 lever-actions were chambered, and those guns are still good choices for clobbering a bear this year. That big .35-caliber bullet weighing 200 grains is guaranteed to put terminal hurt on a bear, and recoil is easily manageable.

WANT SOMETHING BIGGER? Then try your luck with a .444 Marlin, which is a hardslamming load that launches a 240-grain bullet at better than 2,200 feet per second with the right propellant. Over the years I’ve seen some very big black bears in Washington’s Cascades, but I doubt any of them could walk away from an encounter with a .444 slug. The .45/70 Government round has been conking everything from deer to buffalo (bison) on this continent for well more than a century, and it is still potent bear medicine. Bullets weighing 300 to 126 Northwest Sportsman

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400 grains are available, and they can hit like a freight train. Another round with lots of horsepower is the .450 Marlin, a belted rimless cartridge for a lever-action rifle. Developed by Marlin and Hornady, this round can launch a 300-grain bullet at well above 2,300 fps, depending upon the powder charge.

and .500 Smith & Wesson and .480 Ruger – I like the latter better than the former two, and it’s a matter of personal preference. Having fired guns in all three calibers, I’ve found the .480 to be the most manageable in a Ruger Super Redhawk. Your mileage may vary, as they say, and if you like one of the S&W calibers, more power to you!

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well, and the .357 Magnum with heavier bullets is where I’d start. I would not go any lighter in bullet weight than the 150-grain Hornady XTP, and all the way up to a 180-grainer is the better option. A .41 Magnum loaded up with 210- or 220-grain bullets can bring a bear down. I own and handload for a .41 Magnum, and you’ll find good factory loads with either JHP or JSP bullets. I’ve killed three deer with the .41 Magnum, so I am very familiar with its stopping power. Of course, the .44 Magnum is a proven bear stopper, and a 240-grain bullet is strong medicine. Whether shooting factory loads or handloads, the .44 Magnum can deliver deep penetration on a black bear, and hunting with a single- or double-action sixgun keeps your hands free for moving and climbing, and also provide a challenging experience you’ll talk about for a long time. Of all the big bore magnums – the .460

.350 Remington Magnum, another rifle cartridge capable of devastating delivery at typical ranges one will find in most of Washington’s bear country. I shot a moving mule deer in Montana back in 2003 with a .350 Remington at about 250 yards and the bullet hit so hard it spun him completely around before he dropped like a bag of wet sand. I enjoy shooting the .45 Colt, another cartridge from the late 19th century that even today can deliver surprising performance in the field, especially with heavier loads designed only for Ruger Blackhawks or Thompson/Center single-shots. If you’ve got a .454 Casull, you own it for a reason. It is a handful, and it produces tremendous stopping power for a handgun. I doubt a black bear has been born that could travel very far after taking a hit in the boilerworks, and there are bullet weights ranging to nearly 400 grains, though a 335or 360-grain pill packs plenty of punch.

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COLUMN Take a good long look at your target to make sure it’s not a sow with cubs. While game managers encourage hunters not to shoot females with young in tow, antihunting forces are using the possibility of orphaning as an emotional cudgel against the hunt. Bruin hunters also must take a bear identification test in areas there may be grizzlies. (COAST HUNTING PHOTO CONTEST)

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DO YOURSELF A favor as you hunt the hills this month and into next for a bear: Keep your eyes peeled for grouse. Washington’s season once again begins in mid-September, and those lucky enough to find fool hens now should make a mental note to come back with a shotgun in about six weeks. Grouse hunting is one of my favorite pastimes, and I enjoy hunting the early fall for these challenging, albeit sometimes remarkably stupid, gamebirds. I’m already spending time at the range practicing with a .22 pistol, and I’ve got a Ruger 10/22 that is dead-bang accurate enough to shoot bottle caps at 25 yards. Of course, I’ll haul out my 20-gauge double-barrel shotgun and load it up with No. 6s and later on, my 12-gauge double to look for some of those really big blue grouse, if I can afford the gas to make a trip to Northeast Washington or the Okanogan. Good luck and be sure to share your photos of successful hunts with Northwest Sportsman! NS

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HUNTING

This Pacific Northwest grizzly was caught on trail camera at a hair snare trap by the Kalispel Tribe’s Bart George. The tribe is keenly interested in understanding predator-prey relationships and predator science and management across their 2.2 million ceded acres in Northeast Washington, North Idaho and Northwest Montana. Anywhere grizzlies live, hunters must respect their presence. Though in short supply in the Northwest at the present time, in Wyoming and Montana, their presence presents very real challenges that must be met by hunters looking to stay safe and protect their kill. (KALISPEL TRIBE)

Beware The Great Bear A Northwest-born fishing guide and backcountry hunter shares stories from grizzly country, and how best to avoid dangerous encounters. PART ONE OF TWO ON AVOIDING OUTDOOR MISHAPS

By Jeff Holmes

orthwest hunters face many dangers in the woods during big game seasons – most notably heart attacks and hypothermia – but in Washington, and especially Oregon, grizzly bears are near the bottom of the list. Slips and falls, punctured femoral arteries, traffic accidents, falling trees and a very long list of hazards are more likely to befall a hunter in the Pacific Northwest than a bear attack,

except for the small handful who hunt the thick timber of Northeast Washington’s and North Idaho’s Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains backcountry. But even here, the odds are long. With zero grizzlies in Oregon and one spotted every 20 years in the North Cascades of Washington, that leaves only the Selkirks with a viable population of mostly timid and mostly nocturnal bears. Still, we hunters love to hold forth in sporting goods stores, around campfires and in internet forums

about our favorite grizzly calibers and our personal “griz guns.” While most of this talk is just talk and a good portion of us don’t wander too far from our four-wheelers, it’s still not a bad idea to carry a sidearm or at least bear spray in the woods, especially since all of our landscapes are frequented by the West’s, and the world’s, most deadly predator: crazy people. The small Glock 43X in 9mm that I carry is sufficient for crazies, God forbid, but bouncing a slow 130-grain bullet off of a grizzly’s noggin (if I could even hit nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

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HUNTING Zac and Will Holmes (the author’s brother and young nephew, respectively) live in Cody, Wyoming, a few miles east of the densest population of grizzlies in the Lower 48. Zac is extremely active in the backcountry of Wyoming from the moment grizzlies emerge from dens to the moment they return to snore and fart in them. His string of grizzly encounters and the lengths he must go to stay safe around them are interesting and instructive for sportsmen planning on recreating here. (ZAC HOLMES)

Lower 48 are astronomically low until we start creeping around making elk sounds in places where there actually are lots of bears – bears that have been habituated to running toward gunshots to eat gut piles and steal kills.

MY BROTHER ZAC Holmes has had a somewhat disturbing number of bear encounters over the past 20 years of guiding fly fishermen and hunting, hiking, backpacking and shed collecting in the most densely populated grizzly country in the Lower 48: the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains west of his hometown of Cody, Wyoming, and east of Yellowstone National Park. It was with great reluctance that he agreed to let me interview him for this article, and I appreciate it, and you might too. Zac is superstitious about talking about bears, and he insists I make it clear that he’s not an expert on bears or hunting. But for him, grizzly bears are not the tall tale they are for most of us. As he has racked up scary stories, his superstitions and cautions have grown. He even sleeps with a little electric fence around his tent these days, like hunters do in Alaska. He won’t let me tell all of his stories, but he agreed to describe a handful of encounters he’s had hunting and shed hunting, and he agreed to talk about some important considerations for protecting yourself and, more importantly, preventing encounters. Jeff Holmes

it) is likely a really bad idea. I’ll take my chances with bear spray and my 9mm around these here parts, but my attitude changes when I head deeper east into the Rockies. For those who travel further to the densely populated grizzly areas of parts of Montana, Wyoming and Southeast Idaho to hunt deer and elk – and lots of us do – taking grizzlies seriously is a much more important 132 Northwest Sportsman

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consideration. Prevention is preferable over the need for protection, but both enter the equation, especially for people who increase their chances of grizzly encounters by spending lots of time in wild places where grizzlies forage for pine nuts, berries, plants, moths, rodents, ungulates, carrion, trash, the animals we kill, and occasionally people. The odds of a dangerous grizzly encounter in the

I appreciate your superstitions and that you don’t want to tell all the stories that scare our family, but for the good of those headed east to hunt in your area, can you share a few? Zac Holmes Opening day of rifle season is October 1 where I live, and I was out hunting bulls with a rifle and a friend in a favorite spot that requires 4,000 feet of vertical climbing to reach it. Bulls were still bugling like crazy. We were set up overlooking a ravine where a bull was screaming its head off, but obscured by cliffs and trees. It was noon and almost 60 degrees, so I was disinterested and kept falling

HUNTING Holmes shot this nice bull and several others in the same basin where he has had multiple close encounters with grizzlies near Cody. He got every pound of this bull into his freezer before a bear could steal it away, but he and others are not always so lucky. Vigilant attention to grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is essential to success and safety for Pacific Northwest hunters headed east on backcountry hunts. (ZAC HOLMES)

in and out of sleep for about an hour and a half. Every 15 minutes or so, I would awake and let out a couple of toots on a Hoochie Mama call. After we had been there for 90 minutes or so, my friend yelled, “Zac!” I looked over and he was gesturing for me to join him about 80 yards away. I quickly walked over and before we could speak, he pointed back to the tree that I had been sleeping under. There was a large black grizzly right where I had just been. It was aggressively sniffing my scent. We readied ourselves and yelled at the bear. It looked up and disappeared into the trees. My friend had seen that bear coming from 400 134 Northwest Sportsman

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yards away at a jog in open alpine country, presumably coming to my “expert” calling sequences. The next day, we approached nearly the same spot at first light, and saw a small herd of elk with a nice bull feeding about 300 yards away. We both set up. My friend spotted them, so he had first shot, and I would back him up. He shot. The bull did not move. I then shot at the bull, but my muzzle was so close to the ground that the percussion blew dirt and pine needles in our faces. The herd ran off. The bull appeared to be fine. A second later and before we could converse, the same black grizzly from the day before burst out of the cliffs

directly above the elk. It emerged almost instantly after the shot from mountain goat habitat. It then followed the herd like a damned bird dog, running hard. We were obliged to go check for blood, even though we would likely lose the bull to the bear even if we did hit it. We found no blood and concluded that we missed, and it was good that we did! I went back to the exact same spot on opening day about 10 years later and set up for the day to glass. Elk could be seen in distant basins, but not in ours. Two friends and I took turns napping and glassing. At one point, though, all of us fell asleep. We all awoke in the early afternoon and started glassing. After only a minute or two, I spotted a grizzly coming up the draw toward us on nearly the same trail as the other bear years before. It turned out to be a sow with two large 2-year-old cubs. They were coming directly for the small saddle that we sat on. We chose to back out and retreat a quarter mile to a better vantage point. The bears reached our spot, and the mother freaked out. She rounded up the cubs and took them quickly into the trees and led them completely out of the basin. Locals here call these “good bears.” The encounters I had a couple of weeks ago while I was horn hunting shook me up. A few hours after dropping off Will [the author’s nephew] at the folks’ house and reading your flyfishing article in Northwest Sportsman that mentioned me and all the grizzly bears over here, I walked up on three bears in two encounters in a remote basin over 10,000 feet. In both circumstances I walked up on them before they were aware of my presence, less than 80 yards for both encounters. Elk were calving like crazy in the area, and this attracts lots of bears during late May and early June. In the first encounter, I stopped in an avalanche chute to catch my breath and looked behind me to see a big-ass boar jogging toward me. I think that it was trying to run from my scent

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HUNTING

This beautiful grizzly track was photographed about 3½hours from Spokane and was a nice surprise for author Jeff Holmes, who respects and is intrigued by bears. However, grizzly tracks are anything but a surprise on riverbanks surrounding Yellowstone and other bear-rich parts of the Northern Rockies in Montana and Wyoming. Grizzlies frequent stream corridors, trails, roads, ridges, meadows, lake shores – some of the exact same places humans do. (JEFF HOLMES)

but didn’t know where I was. I drew my pistol and bear spray, jacked one in, and slowly backed away with my dog under control. Once I was out of sight, I ran like an SOB, looking back over my shoulder every 30 yards. On that same hike a couple hours later, as I was walking through burned heavy timber, I noticed my Brittany spaniel staring intently at something. I looked in that direction and saw two very large subadult bears staring directly at me. I jacked in a shell, and grabbed my bear spray. The dog and I backed away; the fearless bears did not pursue. A short time later, making a beeline away from the bears, I crested a small hill and saw 40 cow elk lying down in a small meadow, which meant they had calves in the trees, likely what drew the bears. That was enough for that day, and I hiked out to where I had left a four-wheeler. Unfortunately, the transmission went out and in cold temps and bad weather. Fortunately, I was at high enough elevation that I got off a cell phone call to a friend in Cody. He showed up a few hours later and towed out my four-wheeler. After trailering the four-wheelers 136 Northwest Sportsman

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and starting the drive down the mountain, a sow and two tiny cubs crossed the road. Six grizzlies in a day in a giant ecosystem the feds say is only supposed to have 1,000 bears suggests there may be more, which is a suspicion a lot of us have over here … I see a lot of bears, different bears, all over the place. That includes the sow and cub my clients and I walked up on in that Beartooths meadow that I told you about just a few days ago. I got bluff charged by a subadult grizzly while guiding a client on a fishing trip a while back. After initially seeing it at 120 yards, it disappeared for several minutes, only to reappear on the opposite bank of a quite small mountain river. We were ready to fire our bear sprays, but it slowly walked away, frequently looking back over its shoulder. It wasn’t long after that when I decided to get a 10mm and carry it religiously.

JH For hunters coming east from the Northwest to hunt the Rockies, without addressing firearms or other forms of protection like bear spray, can you tell me what you think the best forms of prevention are for deer and elk hunters traipsing around the

woods where grizzlies live? What forms of prevention do you employ? ZH Always be aware! Pay attention! Sounds stupid, but I think that senses have to be way more active in heavy grizzly country. Bears travel the exact same routes, paths, trails and land features that humans do. Assume that you will see one, and hopefully you won’t. If you see or smell something dead, get the hell out of there! Walking up on gut piles and kills is one of the primary ways people get mauled, besides walking up on sows with cubs. Be hypersensitive to where gut piles might be located. Bears will also come to gunshots because they have learned that there will be leftovers. If at all possible, do not camp on or near a trail, river/creek, meadow, road or ridge. Again, bears use the exact same paths and routes that people do, and they frequent these types of areas. Grizzly bear expert Doug Peacock advises – and I do this – putting your camp in thick, monotonous forests, several hundred yards from a forest opening. Bears are less likely to travel through these areas at night. Sleep away from where you cook and eat, always, even if it’s freezedried or whatever. Hang your food way the hell up in a tree. Keep a clean camp. Bears will check out every camp, even clean ones, so cover yourself by being ultravigilant with camp cleanliness. Don’t bring food, whiskey, toothpaste, chapstick or granola into your damn tent! Also, consider an “escape plan” should a nocturnal grizzly take an interest in your camp. What are you going to do if a bear comes at night? We rarely kill anything in the evening hunt because it is so likely that a bear will get it. Hunt the morning and afternoon. When you do hunt, be careful when calling animals. Don’t do it alone. Watch your back, and don’t take naps alone! Don’t hunt alone either. Groups of three or more rarely get attacked. Regardless of the size of your party, if there are lots of fresh tracks and turds in the area, consider moving locations

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HUNTING

The .44 Magnum and other super-magnum revolver calibers were once all the rage when it came to sidearms potentially capable of dealing with a grizzly. For adept shooters with big wheel guns, they are still great options. In recent years, however, high-capacity 10mm handguns have gained popularity. No pistol is guaranteed to take down or even repel a bear, but having one handy in densely populated grizzly habitat is smart, as is having a can of fresh Counter Assault or UDAP bear spray as a first line of defense. (ZAC HOLMES)

or at least be hypervigilant. If you have to leave your kill for any amount of time, quarter it, and move it several hundred yards from the guts/ carcass. Hang all of the meat at least 10 feet up a tree (or off of a cliff). Parachute cord bites into trees and doesn’t pull very well. Light climbing rope works better. Some people take small pulleys. Finding a tree big enough to hang from can be a challenge in some places. I lost two-thirds of my first bull to a grizzly sow and cubs and to coyotes. I packed out a hindquarter and the loose meat in the evening when I shot it, and I buried the rest in a deep snow drift 400 yards from the carcass. I then followed the advice of peeing all around it. Didn’t matter; they found it and ate it up overnight. My future wife and I had a chilling walk into the kill site that next morning, walking on top of fresh grizzly tracks. Be hyperaware while fielddressing an animal over here. Have someone keeping watch with a gun. Make a fire if it’s safe, legal and possible. Cut the animal up quickly, move the quarters, and get the hell out of there! The clock is ticking, so hurry up and quit taking Instagram pictures and waxing poetic. A bear is probably coming. Will you still be there when it arrives? Dogs can be very effective at both 138 Northwest Sportsman

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locating and repelling bears. They can also bring the bear to you when they are chased ... Certain breeds, such as herding dogs, Karelian bear dogs and others, can be very useful for spotting/ smelling bears before people can and making them leave. This takes special dogs, though, especially to trust them to come along on a big game hunt. As you hike/hunt, frequently consider what you would do if you encounter an aggressive bear. Is the wind in your face? Probably yes, since you are hunting, so bear spray is often useless. Plan on using a firearm if it comes to that. Also, know that grizzlies are the most aggressive that they will be all year during hunting season (as they enter hyperphagia, gorging on food before denning), so know that any bear encounter could be especially dangerous. Every year over here guys get mauled or worse. They are often making elk calls when it happens.

JH I’d like to hear your perspective on protection. I know you’re not an expert on this, but it’s something you deal with on an almost weekly basis. What forms of protection do you use for grizzlies? ZH There are so many variables with the effectiveness of different bear protections. All of them, from bear spray to a hunting rifle, could save your

life one day and get you killed the next. I carried only bear spray for many years, but now I carry a pistol too. The wind is a major problem for bear spray, and it is usually windy in griz country, so my first line of defense is now a 10mm. Of course it is on the light side for large carnivores, but I like these features: it’s light and compact, has less recoil, enables 15 shots that are self-contained in a magazine, and it’s easier to fire warning shots at bears without blowing your wad like you would with a six-shooter. Weaknesses of my 10mm include that the gun could jam, bullets could easily ricochet off a skull or piss off the bear more, and I am not trained to use this weapon in “combat” situations. However, I know of Wyoming grizzlies killed in self-defense by .45 Auto, 10mm, .41 Magnum, .3006 and a .22-caliber rifle! Under suspicious circumstances, a camper shot a grizzly in the hind end and killed it, presumably hitting an artery. I feel “safest” not with my bear spray or 10mm or my friend’s .44 Magnum, but with either my .300 Win. Mag. shot from the hip or a 12-gauge pump loaded with size 000 buckshot or slugs. These guns would be used as a last line of defense, but they have the knockdown power to stop a charging bear. I think that the best defense system involves two or more people. One or two people use the bear spray, while one or two people back them up with firearms. That’s the best of both worlds. I always would try to use nonlethal means first. Another “weakness” of using firearms is the fact that if your partner is being mauled, it is easy to accidentally shoot them rather than the bear while they are rolling around. This has happened multiple times in the area – “friendly fire.” My hiking acquaintances have full permission to douche me with bear spray if I am being mauled, but they need to be careful if they are going to shoot it! They know bear spray antidote is in the first-aid kit in my backpack. NS

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Zeroing might be the main thing most hunters think of when prepping for fall seasons, but there’s far more to consider, and the earlier the better, argues Jason Brooks, here behind one of his mountain rifles. (JASON BROOKS)

Get Serious About Hunting Preparations L

ooking up ahead at the pass we needed to go over before making our descent back to the truck, I noticed NW PURSUITS clouds had moved By Jason Brooks in and could feel the temperature dropping. This was last month, over the Fourth of July, as my son and I kickstarted our “get ready for elk season” preparations by going on an 11mile day hike. The idea was to dust off the backpacks and strap on our hunting boots for our first high-country jaunt of the year. Spring and early summer were a bit

colder and wetter than normal, with snow falling in the mountains in late June and ski resorts boasting summertime skiing opportunities. But the holiday has always been our unofficial start of fall – that is, time to get ready for our planned hunts. Most hunters don’t start getting excited or ready for their hunts until pumpkin spice lattes are on offer at their local coffee stands. But by then it is too late to learn new areas or replace gear that might have become worn out or simply outdated. You really should start as soon as possible, even the day after last year’s hunting season, to get ready for the next fall. But if you haven’t started yet, it is not too late,

as August is a month of good weather and great hiking conditions, as well as a prime time to head to the range.

DIET AND EXERCISE are among the most common things hunters think of when they start to get ready for upcoming hunting seasons, and there are plenty of resources on “sheep shape” workouts and diet plans. But it isn’t just dropping a few pounds that can make or break your fall hunts. Often overlooked are such things as gear and locations. Starting with gear, new boots must be well broken in before the hunting season. If you are in need of new boots, now is the time to get them. Once nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

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COLUMN Unlike shopping for school clothes for the kids, you don’t want to leave hunting boot purchases till the last moment. If you need a new pair, now is the time to get them and use every chance to break them in and oil the leather. (JASON BROOKS)

purchased, condition the boots to the manufacturer’s suggestions, which may include a conditioning oil or cream made by the same company. Start wearing the boots as often as you can, from evening walks around the neighborhood to wearing them at work if you can. Not only are you breaking in the footwear, but you are also getting your feet used to the new boots. I wear hunting boots year-round and am very comfortable in them; when hunting season starts, it is just another day in my boots for me. Break out the tent and put it up in the yard. This past June we took my wall tent up to Neah Bay for the salmon opener and it rained every day. When we got home I wanted to dry out the tent, so I put it up in my driveway. I didn’t want it on grass, as that would hold moisture and the goal was to get the tent completely dry. 142 Northwest Sportsman

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Tying off the guylines to my truck and the basketball hoop did the trick and the tent dried out in a few hours. And by putting up your tent now, you will relearn how it goes up so that when you get to elk camp it is ready to go. There is nothing worse than driving into the mountains and starting to put up the tent only to find out a stake is bent, you forgot the rubber mallet or somehow a new hole magically appeared in the roof since last fall. Now is the time to make any repairs and to reseal the seams.

SHARPENING KNIVES MIGHT not be one of your top priorities, or even on the list of things to do before heading to camp, but the time is now to break out the blades and give them a good edge. The last thing you want is to be standing over your deer and pull the knife out of the sheath and realize

that you never resharpened it. Even if you didn’t use your hunting knife last year, it is best to put a new edge on it, as corrosion can dull a knife. Other items to go over include basically everything in your hunting pack. Take it apart and look at each item. Replace batteries in all electronics, such as your GPS, radio, headlamps and everything else powered by battery. If you carry extra batteries, then be sure to replace those too, even if unused. Any leftover food items also need to be tossed and replaced. A few years ago I found an energy bar in my backpack while deer hunting. One bite and I realized it was a bit old and would have done me no good if that was my snack or, worse, my survival pack food. Lighters should be replaced each year too, as the flint in them can corrode with moisture or the little flint wheel can

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COLUMN become rusted. My survival gear pack gets updated regularly but if you only head to the mountains a few weeks a year it is best to make sure everything is up to date. And since you took everything out of your pack, now is also a good time to wash the carrier. You wear this pack out hiking and that means sweating, as well as putting meat and other items into it, so it probably needs a good washing anyway. While washing your pack, also look it over for broken buckles, worn straps or damaged zippers. Keep your gear in good shape and it will take care of you.

The author airs out his wall tent after a rainy stay at fish camp earlier this summer. The exercise was also a good reminder about how to set up the structure so there aren’t any hitches in the woods this fall. (JASON BROOKS)

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SHOOTING YOUR RIFLE should never just be a day at the range and checking the zero. Of course, with ammo being hard to come by it doesn’t mean go plinking with your deer rifle, but if you have a .22 rimfire or even a pellet gun, now is the time to start practicing. Then, as the season draws nearer, you can go to the range and make sure your deer rifle is ready. If you don’t shoot often, then you are doing yourself and the animals a disservice

COLUMN by only sighting in and then going hunting. Archery hunters take this to heart, as they tend to shoot a lot in the summertime, either with a backyard range or just a target to fling arrows into. If you are planning on bowhunting this fall, you have hopefully started shooting your bow well before now; if not, then start today. It doesn’t take much to become proficient with a bow, as it is mostly making sure the release is consistent. Of course, shooting at longer distances helps, as it highlights the compounding of minor errors and thus shows you what you need to work on, as well as builds confidence. If you can’t shoot longer distance but can shoot 10 to 20 yards – which is a typical backyard distance – then be sure to shoot every day and work on proper draw, aim point and release.

THEN THERE’S YOUR “sleeping system,” as A hunter enjoys a meal under a headlamp. Checking and replacing the batteries for all of your hunting lights, GPS and other electronic devices is a must. (JASON BROOKS)

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I call my sleeping bag, bivy (bivouac) bag and sleep pad. I prefer to use lightweight air pads and a couple of deer seasons ago I found out my pad had a pinhole in it. Over

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COLUMN

Some of us will just get lucky – editor raises hand – but the spoils in the form of more notched tags will always go towards those who prepared the most for hunting season. Plus getting out your gear now will provide that extra motivation to get in better physical shape, Brooks points out. (JASON BROOKS)

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time, as I folded and then compressed it, the edge rubbed on something in my pack and the hole formed. Unfortunately, I found that out while on a backcountry hunt. In my youth, before lightweight air pads we used pine boughs, a trick my father taught me. It creates loft underneath you and separates you from the cold ground, trapping air, and is a natural insulator. It’s not the best option, but it worked. Nowadays, before fall’s hunts, I take out my air pad and fill the bathtub with water. Submerging the pad in the water and looking for air bubbles is an easy way to find those small pinholes. Wash your sleeping bag and bivy bag and see if you need to recondition them. A down bag that has lost its loft can be put in the dryer on a low heat or no-heat setting with a few tennis balls to help reloft the bag. Never store a sleeping bag fully compressed; instead, put it in a large cotton, breathable-type laundry bag. Only compress the sleeping bag while hiking or

traveling to camp, as this breaks down the microfibers used for insulation or feathers if it is a down bag. I mentioned my “sleeping system”; what I mean by that is I will put both my pad and my bag into my bivy bag so I don’t roll off of my pad and it keeps my bag clean and dry. I hunt a lot in the backcountry and that means small tents where I need to crawl into them and often on top of my sleeping bag. I don’t want it to get wet or muddy, so the bivy bag keeps everything clean and provides me a place to sit in my wet hunting clothes.

GOING THROUGH YOUR gear now will get it ready for this fall’s hunts. Don’t wait until a week or two before the season to start your prep work, as by then it might be too late to replace gear or properly break it in. Besides, who doesn’t like playing with their hunting gear? It reminds us of past hunts and gets us excited for upcoming hunts. It also makes it a bit easier to step onto the stair climber and get a workout in with the excitement of fall coming soon. NS

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Building A Quality Hunt Clothing System H

unting clothing and footwear have come so far in the past 20 years. We are so lucky to have clothing available to BECOMING us that wicks away A HUNTER By Dave Anderson moisture, keeping us cool, dry and warm. In addition, the weight of new hunting clothing is a fraction of what it used to be. My entire system weighs less than a single jacket I had in the past. As for what camouflage pattern you should wear, it all comes down to personal preference and where you plan on pursuing big game, but it can be more crucial when bowhunting, since you are trying to get close to deer and elk without being detected. For a rifle hunter who might be positioned hundreds of yards away from their target, a specific camo pattern may not be as important. Several manufacturers produce high-end mountain gear, including Kuiu, Sitka and First Light. Depending on what state you live in, you will more times than not also need a high-visibility vest or jacket. For instance, Washington rules require hunters to wear a minimum of 400 square inches of fluorescent hunter orange or fluorescent hunter pink exterior clothing during certain seasons. This clothing must be worn above the waist and be visible from all sides. When it comes to selecting a pattern, do not beat yourself up too much. Remember, not that long ago many of us would hunt in Wrangler blue jeans and plaid jackets. The main thing is having something to break up your outline if you have an animal lock eyes on you.

BUILDING A SYSTEM that is right for you is key. I would start with your base layer. I wear merino wool as a base layer. Merino

Hunting clothes are so much more than just camo outerwear; it’s a system that should keep you warm, dry and comfortable from head to toe while on the prowl for deer and elk. (DAVE ANDERSON)

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COLUMN wool is breathable, will wick moisture, insulate, help with temperature regulation, and is odor resistant. Having both longsleeve and short-sleeve shirts, along with long underwear, is a great start. Hunting socks are another important aspect to your hunting clothing system. A quality sock like Smart Wool, which is made of merino wool, is key to comfort. In addition to your main wool sock, you should always add a sock liner inside of the wool socks. Using liner socks is a gamechanger when it comes to comfort and preventing blisters. You’ll never go back once you start wearing a liner sock. The next important part of your system is a good pair of pants. Sitka Timberline pants are my go-tos. They are well built, with reinforced knees and seat. The knees and seat are also waterproof, which comes in handy when you sit to glass or crawl in on an animal in wet or muddy conditions. These pants also come with removable knee pads, which are extra handy for crawling over rocky terrain.

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Part of wearing camo while hunting is that it’s just part of the fall uniform, per se, but blending in well with your surroundings is a stronger consideration. Pick patterns that help break up your outline. (DAVE ANDERSON) There are also other brands and styles that work well. The key is to find what is the best fit and application for the hunts you are going to go on. Different weights for weather are key. If you are primarily hunting early archery, I would suggest the lightest weight possible that does not burn you up during the day. If you are hunting during the

cold rifle season, you will want something that is a little heavier and slightly looser to allow room for base layers beneath.

JACKETS ARE ANOTHER key aspect to your clothing system. When selecting a jacket, I would follow the same principles with layering. First, I would find a good outer

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When it comes to your hunting coat, go a size larger than you otherwise would so as to be able to add a layer or two underneath and not feel constricted in your range of motion. (DAVE ANDERSON) shell like the Sitka Jet Stream or Kuiu Guide jacket. I would suggest going a size up rather than your normal size so that you can fit a down puffy jacket or vest beneath when temperatures are cooler. There are several benefits to having a down jacket. Down jackets are super lightweight and pack down really small, so there is no reason to carry an extra warm jacket or vest in your pack. It is a great insurance policy if you get stuck on the mountain for the night. The important thing with layers is that you can shed them as temperatures increase and add on as temps get colder. It is particularly important to be able to regulate your body temperature and not get too sweaty on the mountain. Excessive sweat can be dangerous if you get stuck in frigid conditions. 154 Northwest Sportsman

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Rain gear is another piece of gear that does not take up much room in your pack and there are some super lightweight options out there. Keep in mind that if you are going to be primarily hunting in rainy conditions, it may be worth stepping away from lightweight gear and going with something heavier and more durable. A good set of rain gear is worth its weight in gold, especially if you find yourself getting caught in a rainstorm or wet snow conditions. I would suggest purchasing a jacket that is sized appropriately so that it can slip over the outside of your normal hunting clothing. It is not a bad idea to test the fit over your other layers to make sure it fits properly.

THE NEXT PARTS of a good clothing system

are gloves and hats. These items will also depend on the weather you plan to hunt in. For hats, a ball cap is sufficient for warmer conditions, while a good stocking hat is key for colder weather. As far as gloves, I have gloves for the early season, as well as gloves for frigid subzero months. Gloves can make or break a hunt. As someone who spends a lot of time behind my binoculars, I have even stepped up to a pair of down glassing gloves from Kuiu. Having warm hands and fingers is key to spending long hours on the mountain in chilly weather. I have experienced painful freezing-cold hunting conditions in which my fingers were uncomfortably cold because I lacked a good pair of gloves. Trust me, you will only do this once. Lastly, I would like to touch on boots. There are some amazing brands out there, including Kenetrek, Meindl, Crispi and Kuiu. I am sure I have missed a lot of other companies, but these are a select few that I have had experience with. Like gloves, there will be different boots for different seasons, ranging from noninsulated to insulated. I run noninsulated boots for most of the season. Socks and toe warmers are my insulation and do an excellent job at keeping my toes warm. I will not touch my insulated boots until late November or early December.

WHEN THE TIME comes to invest in clothing for hunting, you will be sticker-shocked by the price for a complete system. Depending on your budget it may be easier to pick up a piece here as you build your wardrobe. The saying “buy once, cry once” will definitely come in to play when purchasing hunting clothing. My biggest piece of advice is to invest in quality clothing so that you are comfortable when in the woods or on the mountain. When you are comfortable, your hunts will be much more enjoyable. I compare a lot of my hunting clothes to wearing pajamas because they are so comfortable. Furthermore, summer is a great time to start searching for deals to help put together a good hunting system. A lot of manufacturers will send out sale ads and emails during the offseason. In the end, find a system that works for you, while also making sure to consider when and where you will be hunting. NS

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Author Randy King’s buddy Nate looks over his pronghorn antelope, harvested on an outing with five Star Wars-loving kids in tow. (RANDY KING)

Speed Goat Hunting With Stormtroopers W

hite dots in a field of green, miles away. They stuck out, but were they CHEF IN antelope? I studied THE WILD them, watching for By Randy King movement. Then a new white dot walked out of the sage onto the field to lay down and join the others. “I got goats,” I said to my buddy Nate. “Green farmer’s field about 2 miles out …

You see them?” “Yep, got ’em,” he replied. “How do we get there?” I had no idea. Then I heard it – the “Imperial Death March” from Star Wars, as belted out by a gaggle of children. Soon the noise stopped and the mock lightsaber battle began. Five kids from the ages of 7 to 15 were now locked in a battle to the death with sticks. One gained the high ground of the tailgate, letting the others know his position.

Another tried to “force” choke a third. It was absolute chaos – hilarious and loud chaos.

NATE AND I had both brought a few kids along for the hunt – two-thirds of my crew and three-fifths of Nate’s brood. And this was good; it was a day trip and kids are always welcome, in my opinion. But just how the hell were we going to stalk an antelope herd with seven people, five of them being children? Antelope have binoculars strapped to their heads for nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2022

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Grilled antelope backstrap with Argentinian red chimichurri sauce. (RANDY KING)

ADD PIZZAZZ, PUNCH TO PRONGHORN

he time-honored roasted red bell pepper is a flavor staple. A shockingly wide variety of European cultures use roasted red bell peppers as a staple of their cuisine. Spanish have Romesco; Italians make a great pasta sauce. Pimentos are a thing. Honestly, roasted red peppers are everywhere because they are so delicious. The widely loved roasted red pepper, like all peppers, is originally from the New World. The plants were named “peppers” by Columbus and his crew, so goes the legend, because they were spicy and they hoped to use them like peppercorns from India. Columbus was looking for spices, after all. Like a lot of the food stuffs that migrated from New to Old World, the pepper was heavily adopted. I find it particularly interesting in the case of Argentina. Known for its beef consumption, Argentina boasts a great mashup of Italian, Spanish and indigenous cuisines. Nothing describes this better than a traditional green chimichurri. It is fresh and flavorful and screams at me the

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influence of gremolata and pesto from the Old World, but with a New World twist on the ingredients. When the chips are down, gremolata, chimichurri and pesto are all doing the same thing for a dish – providing a little pizzazz, a little punch where it is needed. Most “good” dishes are a combination of four elements – fat, salt, heat and acid. Chimichurri is no exception. Acid in the form of red wine vinegar. Salt, well, as salt. Heat from the peppers and fat from the olive oil. It really is a perfectly constructed food – especially when slathered on a hunk of beef or venison. And if we add one last layer of awesome to this dish with the sweet/tart combo of roasted red peppers, it becomes off-the-charts good. Roasted red pepper chimichurri is not as common as the green version, but it is more delicious, in my opinion. The sweetness and tartness of the peppers make the dish.

PREPPING BELL PEPPERS Bell peppers Olive oil

Heat the barbecue grill or broiler to high heat. Cut bell peppers in half. Toss them in a small amount of olive oil and salt. Place them skin side down on the barbecue or skin side up under the broiler. Cook them until the skin is almost completely black. When nearly black, remove them from the heat and place in a mixing bowl. Cover mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap. This will create a lot of condensation and steam in the bowl since the peppers are very hot when cooked until black. When the peppers are no longer hot, remove the cling wrap and rinse the peppers under cold water. The skin should slough off in most places. Remove most of the black skin, but not all. You now have restaurantstyle roasted red peppers. They will last for about five days in the fridge this way. The following chimichurri sauce recipe is inspired by Hank Shaw (@honest-food .net), who recommends putting this on a chorizo with a bun too.

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE 3 cloves garlic, minced ½ small white onion, minced 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced 1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped (see recipe above, or buy a can if you are a heathen) 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, lightly packed ½ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon sweet paprika Zest and juice of one lime Salt and black pepper to taste Combine the garlic, onion, jalapeños, bell pepper and vinegar in a bowl. If the bell pepper is still warm from being roasted, let it cool to room temperature at this point. When the mix is room temp (you are not looking to cook the parsley in hot peppers), add the parsley, olive oil, cumin, paprika, lime zest and juice to the bowl. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper. This sauce will last four to five days in the fridge, but I have never had a batch make it out of the night alive. Enjoy this sauce with grilled pronghorn backstrap or other form of venison steak. For more wild game recipes, see chefrandyking.com. –RK

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COLUMN eyeballs. They can smell threats from miles away and are born paranoid. Checking the wind on the antelope, Nate and I knew we could not do a “frontal” assault, even with a veritable army of little stormtroopers. We needed a better angle of approach. We needed the high ground. We pinned the speed goats on our phones and began a long two-track drive across the desert away from the goats in order to circle around on them. On the way there we stopped and shot jackrabbits. Because, well, kids. We even investigated an old burnt-out car in the sagebrush sea. The goal was simple: Create a positive experience for all the kids so they want to go hunting every time we ask. Finally we got to the ridge where the stalk would begin. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” I said under my breath. “Never tell me the odds,” Nate replied. And so we began, seven on the stalk. It went about as expected. Rocktossing competitions. Whisper yells from

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parents. Older children trying to police younger children with loud yells. This was not like shooting womp rats off a speeder. When we crested the small hill that would give us a shooting lane, the goats were gone from the field but still within sight. They had migrated to a knob for a better view of the show. Forty sets of eyes were trained upon us. This was not a successful stalk. We backed out slowly, but even that action sent the pronghorn into a run. Time to find a new herd. This was not the first blown stalk of the day. “These aren’t the goats we are looking for anyway,” Nate said.

BACK AT THE vehicles, roughly a half-mile away, we plotted a course across the sage in hopes of spotting the pronghorn again and planning a different stalk. As we caravanned across the desert, we stopped periodically to glass. Nada. Then I caught sight of Nate’s tail lights as his Suburban skidded to a stop. Nate was out of his seat and grabbing for his

cased gun in the back. Then I saw them. A small nerf herd of antelopes. Nate was squatting on the ground and using one of his trekking poles as a shooting stick. Then we had meat on the ground. Mission successful, even if it didn’t go as planned. A few days later, Nate and I stood looking at the scale on my kitchen counter, laughing to ourselves. We had just finished the processing work on his first-ever antelope. The doe he shot happened to have been radio-collared. He’d bagged the animal with a perfect shot on a day filled with blown stalks, a gaggle of children and impromptu rabbit hunts. We laughed because “all in,” this doe provided 34 pounds of meat. This was every scrap of grind, every steak, every hunk of stew meat. We even tossed the heart on the scale for fun. Thirty-four pounds. We started doing the math on the cost per pound of meat and it was not looking good. But this is the way of the hunter, so we kept a little optimism as we considered what to make with the meat. NS

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Last-minute Training Tips H

unting season is only days away. Here are some last-minute training tips to keep your gun dog focused, in shape, GUN DOGGIN’ 101 healthy, obedient and By Scott Haugen having fun.

TRAIN WHERE YOU’LL HUNT Especially for first-season pups, getting familiar with the land they’ll be hunting is a good way to alleviate stress, appease curiosity and instill confidence. I’m not saying let them chase or point birds where you’ll soon be hunting. Just give them enough exposure to the area so they learn the sights, smells and terrain. Be it a hunt in the Cascades for forest grouse, valley quail in the lowlands or ducks on the river, exposing dogs to the places they’ll soon be working is a good thing. Run some quick training drills and do a bit of conditioning. Let them explore, too. Keep them under control and your pup will be excited when the time comes to hunt these places, and they’ll perform with confidence.

WATER TRAINING The intense heat of summer is a great time to get that dog in top shape by swimming. As with humans, swimming is one of the best all-around workouts a dog can have. And I’m not talking about tossing a bumper in for a few retrieves. I mean long swims. Dogs are much better swimmers than we are, so having them follow you while rowing a canoe, kayak or paddle board is a great way to keep them moving. They can also follow alongside your drift boat on a river or small boat in a pond. If heading to a lake with the family, take the dog. Having a dog swim back and forth between someone on land and someone in the water keeps it fun for everyone; kids love this!

BEACH TIME To escape intense summer heat, many of

Introducing new dummies keeps training sessions fun for your dog. Avery’s EZ-Bird Pheasant offers many benefits, including sight and scent training bonuses. (SCOTT HAUGEN) us head to the coast. Sandy beaches are great places for dogs to run full-throttle. Sand dunes are excellent for workouts. Running dogs up dunes in the loose sand is a great way to build strength in their hind end. If swimming in the ocean or bay, limit bumper retrieves in saltwater, as it’s not

good for a dog to ingest and can dehydrate them. Don’t swim dogs in waves where they take in saltwater. Be sure to have fresh water for them to drink.

SALON TIME With hard ground training this time of year, and lots of dry grass and seeds around, be

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COLUMN sure to keep your dog’s toenails short, ear hair plucked and the hair between their toes trimmed. These measures will prevent potential injury that could cost your dog hunting time. If you’re not a fan of nail clippers, try a nail grinder. Grinders greatly reduce the chance of hitting the quick of the nail, thus excessive bleeding; your dog will let you know when you’re close to the quick. There are dog-specific grinders, but I just use the one from my shop. Plucking long hair inside the ears will help keep grass and troublesome seeds from traveling into the ear canal. The same is true for keeping the hair short between their toes and pads, which will prevent sharp seeds from embedding in the webbing between toes, or round seeds from balling up between pads.

HEALTHY EATS AND TREATS If clipping dog nails makes you – or your pup – nervous, try a grinder, which will help from hitting the quick. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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The two most important things you can do is teach your dog consistent discipline and feed it a healthy diet. Avoid big-boxstore foods if you’re serious about keeping

your dog healthy and helping it live a long, full life. Just because you see repeated ads on billboards and in magazines doesn’t always mean it’s the best. Read labels and know the difference between good and subpar dog food; it’s like us living on fast food versus home-cooked meals. Avoid unhealthy treats too, as these contain fillers and many ingredients dogs are allergic to. Last season a buddy let a gas station attendant give his dog a biscuit. He didn’t make it a mile down the road and the dog threw up and had an allergic reaction. It was out of commission for three weeks. I’ve done loads of research on dog food over the years and learned a lot from two local feed stores – even more than from my vet. Bottom line: I feed my dogs NutriSource foods and treats that are packed with protein and no fillers. A third of their diet is raw, too. Their health, performance and recovery is amazing on this food.

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COLUMN summer is a good time to introduce new training dummies and bumpers. Not only does this excite dogs, it mentally lifts them up, which makes them work harder. Work with the new training tools on land and in water where you usually train, but also in places you’ve not trained all summer. A change in location, along with new toys, will fire up a dog, allowing you to get the most from your training time. Be sure and have plenty of water for your dog. The average hunting dog drinks about a gallon of water per day. And above all, keep training sessions fun. Training does not need to be long and intense in order to be effective. Train in the shade and early and late in the day, when it’s cool. The more fun it is for dogs, the more pleased you’ll be with the results, especially come hunting season. NS

With bird season only days away, now is the time to ensure a quality diet and focused, fun training for your dog. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

Editor’s note: Scott Haugen is a full-time writer. See his puppy training videos and learn more about his many books at scotthaugen.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

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Northwest Sportsman Mag - August 2022

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