Closures In Elliott Bay Cause Tengu Derby To Be Shortened

For more than half a century, Elliott Bay anglers have met in fall and winter to fish the Tengu Blackmouth Derby.

What makes the derby challenging is that only blackmouth (resident chinook) are eligible for the grand prize, and fishing is limited to Elliott Bay, where legal-sized fish (more than 22 inches long) are frequently scarce.

Derby members are also known as diehards because the weather is often chilly, windy, rainy or occasionally snowy.

The derby normally starts in October, but this year's closures in parts of Puget Sound, including Elliott Bay, for chinook fishing will delay the derby until November.

"It's a 54-year tradition our club members don't want to lose, and we are looking at some options on how to make this season possible for every participant," said Mas Tahara, a Tengu derby spokesman.

This year, Elliott Bay is open November 1-30 for salmon fishing, and members will either hold the derby every Sunday (five fishing days) or every weekend (10 days).

Boat rentals won't be available to derby participants while the City of Seattle tries to find a permanent concessionaire for the Seacrest Boathouse in West Seattle.

"About 25 percent of our members need rental boats, and since the city is geared toward keeping the boathouse a boathouse, I've petitioned them on making sure we have rentals available in the future," Tahara said.

In the meantime, Tahara said, the club has some options to get the boat-less anglers on the water such as charters, and sharing space on private boats owned by derby members.

The club plans to hold a meeting sometime next month.

The derby was founded by a group of Japanese Americans before World War II at the defunct Harbor Island Boathouse in West Seattle.

Anglers are known to exaggerate, so the derby was named after Tengu, a fabled Japanese character known for stretching the truth. Like Pinocchio, Tengu's nose grew with each lie.

Top spots of the week

1. Salmon and steelhead in Lower and Mid-Columbia River: "About one fish (coho, chinook, steelhead and cutthroat trout) for every other boat in the lower mainstem near the mouths of the Lewis, Kalama and Cowlitz," said Joe Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist in Vancouver.

Fair to good for steelhead in Drano Lake, and decent below the mouth for chinook. Effort dropped above the Astoria-Megler Bridge, but Oregon Fish and Wildlife reports a one to two fish per boat average, mostly coho or chinook.

The Columbia mainstem from the Astoria-Megler bridge to the Highway 395 bridge at Pasco is open for fishing, but could close once salmon catch estimates are reached. Areas unaffected by the impending closure are Drano Lake, White Salmon River, Klickitat River and the Hanford Reach area. State Fish and Wildlife officials were expected to make a decision today.

2. Coho in Puget Sound: "Stellar for coho (3 to 8 pounds) off West Point, Meadow Point, and from Richmond Beach to Edmonds," said Keith Robbins, owner of A Spot Tail Salmon Guide in Seattle.

Other coho options are Bush Point on West Whidbey Island, Point No Point, Eglon to Pilot Point, Kingston-Apple Tree Cove, Richmond Beach area, Possession Bar, Port Gardner and Mukilteo area.

3. Chinook and coho in Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay: "Hot fishing (Tuesday in Grays Harbor), but the bite didn't materialize (yesterday) and the average was one salmon per boat," said Tony Floor, the state Fish and Wildlife salmon enhancement chief.

"Chinook fishing picked up, and we've seen a couple kings over 40 pounds from the Johns River area," said Wendy Beeghley-White, a state Fish and Wildlife surveyor.

"Good at the North River channel entrance, but you have to work all-day to catch a fish," said Rose Taylor, owner of the Tokeland Marina. Slow at North Cove.

Nibbles and bites

-- Washington waterfowl hunters can expect another terrific season, according to State Fish and Wildlife's annual report.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife survey counted 40 million breeding ducks this year, down from a record-high 42.6 million last year. Lower numbers this year are attributed to drier conditions on prairies of north-central United States and south-central Canada.

The eastside's duck population, centered in the Columbia Basin, tops 200,000 this year, a high that hasn't' been seen for more than a decade.

Breeding in Canada is good, and provides the bulk of mid- to late-season hunting once they move south.

Spokane, Lincoln and Whitman counties usually provide good early-season hunting for local ducks, while the southeast part of the region provides good late-season hunting.

The northwest region offers unique waterfowl hunting, from snow goose and brant in North Puget Sound, to sea ducks on the coast. Over-wintering birds in the Skagit-Snohomish County area departed for nesting grounds in large numbers and excellent physical condition.

The Skagit Wildlife area should be good for duck hunting, and grain production on the islands will be at or near past levels. In the southwest, expect the best hunting in lowlands of Clark, Cowlitz and Lewis counties from late November through January.

-- Washington deer hunting participation declined again after the severe winters of 1992-93 and 1996-97. Most of the impact was on mule deer, less on whitetailed and blacktailed deer.

Last year, 134,199 hunters spent about 908,700 days in the field, and took 31,522 deer (5,723 antlerless). Last year's mild winter should significantly improve deer availability for this year's hunting season.

-- The Seattle Times Washington State hunting hotline is 206-464-2000, category HUNT (4868).

-- Seattle City Parks is taking public input on the future of the Seacrest Boathouse. Meetings: Today, 6-8 p.m., at Parks Dept. office, 100 Dexter in Seattle; and Tuesday, 6-8 p.m., at the boathouse.

-- Puget Sound Anglers Coho Salmon Derby is Sunday. Cost is $20. Details: 206-932-4488.

-- Coastal razor clam season public input meeting, today, 7 p.m., at Fife High School. Public can reply to a survey via Fish and Wildlife's Internet site at: http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/fish/regs/clamsurv.htm

Fishing spots

-- Westport - Very good for tuna. Charter anglers average four to 15 tuna per trip. -- Sekiu and Port Angeles - Open for salmon catch-and-release fishing. Fair to good for coho. -- San Juan Islands - Slow for coho. Samish Bay is a good morning bet for kings near Samish Island. -- Midchannel Bank, Port Townsend - Fair for coho. -- Hood Canal - Slow to fair for coho off Misery Point. -- Edmonds and Seacrest Boathouse pier - Slow for salmon, but more coho reappeared this week. -- Alki Point - Slow for coho. -- Point Defiance Park, Tacoma - Fair for coho. -- North coastal rivers - "Water is pretty low in all the rivers, and the Hoh is good for coho and steelhead, and a few late kings," said Bob Gooding, owner of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks. Also, try for coho in the Soleduck and Quillayute. -- Skagit River - Water is low, but cutthroat fishing improved from Sedro-Woolley downstream. -- Samish River - "Pretty good for kings, and we had a guy weigh a 41-pounder (Tuesday)," said Kelly Hawley at Priced Less Sporting Goods in Sedro-Woolley. -- Skykomish River - Low and clear water has created spotty steelhead fishing. -- Green River - Slow for steelhead. -- Soos Creek - Slow for kings. -- Puyallup River - Slow to fair for coho. -- Carbon River - Good for kings and coho. -- Humptulips, Chehalis, Satsop and Wynoochee rivers - Rivers open for salmon fishing. -- Cowlitz River - Slow to fair for steelhead. -- Lewis and Kalama rivers - Slow for steelhead. -- Columbia River - Anglers at Deep River averaging one legal-sized sturgeon per boat, and charter anglers averaged almost one sturgeon per trip. Good for walleyes and bass in the John Day Pool. Slow to fair for chinook at Hanford Reach area. Good salmon fishing off the mouths of the Bonneville Pool tributaries. -- Freshwater fishing - "Good fishing for perch, bass and catfish in Lake Washington (Arboretum, Mount Baker and Coulon Park areas), Lake Union and Lake Sammamish," said Maria Beppu, owner of Linc's Tackle Shop in Seattle. Lake Aberdeen and Lake Sylvia were planted with steelhead up to 12 pounds. Shannon Lake (north of Concrete) is good for trout.