Thanksgiving will be a long weekend for a lot of folks, and once you’ve done the bird, there are a lot of outdoor options remaining. The Friday-Saturday razor clam dig on all Pacific Beaches will be a top draw, weather and surf conditions permitting. There are a lot of clams left, even though digging will be mostly be lantern, so reserve a motel room, buy a shellfish license, and grab your shovel or clam gun. Low tides are a minus 0.6 at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, and a minus 0.8 at about 6:30 p.m.
Squid jigging is picking up, primarily at lighted piers in the Seattle area. The Edmonds pier will put out squid, but has not been a top fishery the past few years. Perhaps this winter will be more productive.
Northern ducks are now starting to filter into the Columbia Basin, pushed south out of British Columbia and Alberta by colder temperatures, and the Thanksgiving weekend is almost always marked by large, final, releases of pen-raised pheasants at Western Washington release sites.
Chum salmon fishing is good in the Skagit, on the bars around Lyman and Hamilton, and an excellent blackmouth season continues on Possession Bar, Midchannel Bank, and around Baby Island.
Duck hunt: The “duck taxi” service for waterfowl hunters on Potholes Reservoir is on tap again this fall and winter, ferrying hunters daily from MarDon Resort to sand dune islands and other choice spots on the reservoir. Unguided, “drop-off” hunts include the boat ride, a blind, and decoys, for $125 per person, two-person minimum. Fully guided hunts go for $175 per person, three-person minimum. Call 1-800-416-2736.
Boat show: The 2001 Lake Union Boats Afloat Show comes to Seattle Jan. 12-21, at Chandler’s Cove, billed as the largest floating boat show on the west coast. The lakefront location in the heart of Seattle, according to Jane Love of the Northwest Yacht Brokers Association, allows brokers and dealers to display many of their largest sail and power boats. Show hours will be 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends. Boarding passes are $10 for single day pass, or $20 for multi-day pass. A free shuttle service will connect the Lake Union site with the indoor displays at the Seattle Boat Show, located in the Stadium Exhibition Center just north of Safeco Field. For more information call Love at 206-748-0012, or visit www.boatsafloatshow.com.
Turkey shoot: The Granite Falls Sportsmen’s Club, one of the oldest such groups in the area, hosts its 68th annual fall turkey shoot today, at its range near Granite Falls, from 10 a.m. to dusk, public invited. Food and beverages will be available all day. Awards will include turkeys and/or bacon to all game winners – trap, five-stand, splatterboard, bingo, and others. Guaranteed prizes are available. To reach the range, drive through Granite Falls on the Mountain Loop Highway, past the high school, around the bend, and then right on Gun Club Road. Call Mike Elke, 425-355-2913 or Kelly Brown, 360-435-4010.
Razor clams: Remaining recreational razor clam openings this fall and winter, afternoon tides only, are as follows: Nov. 24-25, all beaches; Dec. 8-9, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Kalaloch only; Dec. 10-12, Kalaloch only; Dec. 13, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Kalaloch only; Dec. 14, Kalaloch only.
Puyallup sportsmen’s show: The 2001 Washington Sportsmen’s Show is set for Jan. 24-28 at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup, 1-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 1-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults, free for children under six, and $5 for juniors 6-16. Discount coupons good for $3 off adult admission will be available at participating Western Washington AM/PM stores. Call 503-246-8291, or visit www.oloughlintradeshows.com. Heading this year’s long list of featured experts is Ray Scott – known among bass anglers around the country as “Mr. Bass.” The Alabama native founded the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society and transformed bass fishing forever. He will be talking bass and autographing copies of his biography, “Bass Boss,” on Jan. 26-27.
Steelhead contest: MacDaniel’s Do-It Center, 510 2nd Street, Snohomish, hosts its annual winter steelhead contest again this year, offering a $10 certificate for the heaviest fish entered each week. All entries are then eligible for a grand prize season-end drawing. No cost to enter, simply bring your fish by and have it weighed. Phone number is 360-568-1544.
????Hunter ed: Successful completion of a certified hunter safety class is required in order to obtain a first Washington State hunting license for those of a certain age, or for those planning on hunting as a non-resident in any of several other states. For information on upcoming classes, call certified instructors Dick Abbey, at 206-542-2792 (leave a message if no answer), or Jim Elliott at 425-353-2211, after 5 p.m.
River fishing: Sam Ingram, Arlington resident and river guide, will be the guest speaker at the Nov. 21 meeting of the Sky Valley Chapter, Trout Unlimited. Time is 7 p.m. and place is the Snohomish County PUD building in Monroe, 120 E. Fremont Street. Ingram will be giving tips on chasing late chum and early winter steelhead in local rivers, making your own raspberry liqueur, and will be available to answer questions.
