Free fishing weekend June 11-12

Published 5:03 pm Wednesday, June 1, 2011

It looks like my brother, who taught me how to fish and is very good at it, will get to fish with me this month.

That’s because the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has picked June 11 and 12 as a free fishing weekend, meaning you don’t have to buy a license to fish or to go after shellfish. You don’t need a vehicle parking permit, either.

That’s good timing because starting this Saturday, most of the state’s rivers open for fishing. They’re a little high with runoff, but most of my favorites are looking pretty good for summer-run steelhead. The lakes are already open.

I say my brother and I will be able to fish together because he’s still waiting for a reason to buy his license this year.

The fact that a good run of pink salmon some 6 million humpies are expected in Puget Sound rivers is reason enough, but he wants to wait until the last minute to fork over the cash.

If you haven’t bought one either, you can at least plan on getting out there on the weekend of the 11th.

Fishing the Skykomish River for a nice steelhead would be my recommendation.

The state promotes free fishing weekend as a good time to renew an old hobby.

Or, like my brother, it’s a good time to prolong paying for something you know you eventually won’t be able to do without.