Categories

Content Type

Sources

Northwest Salmon Derby encourages citizens to grab the rods and reels

By Mark Yuasa, The Seattle Times, Source: MCT News Service

SEATTLE _ The Northwest Salmon Derby Series, the largest such fishing series in the United States, has added four more events this year.

"The purpose of the derby series is to encourage people to go fishing and boating," said Tony Floor, director of fishing affairs for the Northwest Marine Trade Association and coordinator of the derby series. "It has been an incredible success, and we have tripled in size."

The derby series inaugural season was 2004 when it hosted six derbies that drew about 5,000 anglers. Now it has swelled to 17 derbies and is expected to lure about 10,000 anglers this season.

Floor pointed out that the derby series is designed to target healthy runs of hatchery-marked salmon.

"We are very sensitive to protect and not impact wild fish of concern," Floor said.

The derbies also give back to the communities, provide student scholarships or donate funds to restoration of fish and wildlife habitat.

"They all have different causes that they provide to, and none are designed just for the profit of money," Floor said. "They all give back something to the community or resource."

After a two-year hiatus, the Everett Coho Derby _ the largest on the West Coast with a draw of about 3,000 anglers _ has returned to the series.

One local angler has a goal to attend all the derbies this season, something that has never been attempted since the derby-series conception.

"I plan to fish every one of the derbies," said Steve Stout of Marysville. "I used to be an anti-derby guy and never did them, but then got involved with the ones that had some sort of charities.

"I enjoy just going to the events as much as the fishing," Stout said. "I get to see the new areas, learn new fishing techniques of each area and visit places I've never fished before."

Stout says there are so many good charities each derby is involved with that it makes it well worth his time to attend.

"I attempted to do all of them last year, but fell a little short," said Stout. "I've entered fish in a lot of the derbies and never placed, but it's not about winning the money."

___

(c) 2010, The Seattle Times.

Visit The Seattle Times Extra on the World Wide Web at http://www.seattletimes.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.