September President message
Club Members,
August is behind us, and so is our summer chinook fishery. I hope you were able to get out on the water and have some success, as the fish were here in good numbers and were slightly larger than in years past. But now it is time for us to shift our focus onto the coho fishery, where I am hearing mixed results for MA-11. But it is early in the season and the fishery should pick up soon.
We had a very successful salmon derby this year. As you know, it was the club’s 30th annual derby and it was the largest derby in the south sound this year. We had approximately 341 participants, with 104 fish weighed in. The adult winning salmon weighed in at 23.10 lbs and the youth winning salmon at 14.99 lbs. The winning mystery weight fish was weighed in at 14.66 lbs and there were 16 fish that were weighed in that were 14 lbs or larger. More than 200 prizes were claimed by the participants.
The derby wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the many, many volunteers. Both, in the planning for the derby and the help on the day of the derby, the help was extraordinary. Not to mention those that helped to procure the more than $21,000 in donations. I can’t list all the volunteers here, but I would like to specifically thank the club’s vice president, Patrick Sanchez, for his work on planning the derby and organizing the many volunteers required for a successful day. THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY VOLUNTEER!
A few upcoming dates for club members: the club picnic and smoked salmon contest is on Saturday September 12th at Titlow Park, 11:00 am. On Sunday, September 13th at 11:00am, the second fly fishing outing. The first nutrient enhancement outing on the Puyallup watershed is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16th, with more information provided at the club meeting. There is also a club member only coho fishing activity on Saturday, September 19th. Fee is $10 and sign-up at the club meeting. These dates will also be available on the website and at our monthly meetings.
The guest speaker for our September club meeting is lure and rod builder, Shane Hunter. Shane is also a member of the Fallen Outdoors veteran group, who have participated in our annual salmon derby the last couple years. Shane will be discussing coho fishing strategies. There will not be a Tech Tips presentation this month.
During our August meeting, we did not have a winner in our monthly membership drawing. Through the generosity of John Hager of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing in August will be for an amount of $370. Be sure to come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing.
Our board meetings are held at Ben Dew’s Clubhouse on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. The address is 6501 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. All club members are invited and encouraged to attend this meeting.
The next club meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 9th, 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.
Thank you,
Bill Macaras, president GHPSA