The Eagle Outdoors

Recently, I took my wife and granddaughter to the movie theater. The movie itself isn’t important. What was important, at least to me, was the price of admission. True, thanks to Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, ad nauseam, I haven’t been to the theater for many a moon; however, what I found there shocked me.

First, there was no ticket counter; no human being with whom to interact. The tickets were purchased and our seats chosen at a kiosk opposite the concession stand. Three seats? Forty-seven dollars. Yes, sir - $47. But the trauma wasn’t over. A large Coke cost each of the girls $9, after which I dragged them away from the counter explaining that between the three of us, we don’t possess enough ‘spare’ body parts to afford an extravagance like popcorn or, heaven forbid, a box of Junior Mints. All in all, for an hour and 40 minutes of movie entertainment, we spent the better part of $100, or roughly $1 per minute.

Now, let’s look at a fishing license. If you’re a Washington resident age 15 or older and you’d like to fish (or dip smelt, which is kinda like fishing, only with a long net), you’re going to need a fishing license. Let’s say you prefer fishing here at home around Cathlamet or the Radar Lakes or Lake Sacajawea or Kress Lake. Trout are your thing, with the occasional bass or bullhead or bluegill. Or maybe northern pikeminnow. Freshwater fishing. Your fishing license, good from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, is going to cost $29.50.

Let’s do the math, shall we? That’s $29.50 for 365 days of fishing, or 8 cents per day! But maybe you’d prefer a Combination License, which allows you to fish freshwater, saltwater, and harvest shellfish, e.g. Dungeness crabs, razor clams, and steamers. This one will set you back $55.35, or 15 cents per day.

You’ve probably figured out where I’m going with this, so I won’t belabor the point. My father, soon to be 85, always said that a fishing license is the single best entertainment investment anyone can make, and I’m prone, as I have been for 50 years, to believe the man. I mean where else can you spend $55 and enjoy carte blanche outdoor adventures for an entire year? I’ll tell you where – nowhere. But…but…but I have three children who love the outdoors, ages 8, 10, and 12. Now we’re talking $220 for the four of us, right? Wrong. Here in Washington, kids ages 14 and under don’t need a fishing license. Even at 15, the cost of what’s known as a ‘Youth Annual Combination Fishing License” is only $8.05. You can’t buy a dozen eggs at most places for $8, but your 15-year-old son or daughter can fish for a year.

So let’s leave it there. A fishing license is an untouchable bargain. Period. Sure, if you’re starting from scratch, you’re going to need a little bit of stuff, i.e. fishing tackle, but let me tell you. I’m willing to bet there are dozens upon dozens of experienced anglers in and around the Cathlamet area who would gladly give your son or daughter a fish pole if needed and, if asked, I would. You would, too.

My point after all this? Go fishing. Wait. As Willy Wonka said – reverse that. Take a kid fishing. You’ll be a better person for having done so.

Smelt – Feb. 15

Sorry, folks. Same story for Feb. 15. No smelt dipping. Remember, the WDFW (Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) folks announced every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through March 22 as tentative days to be confirmed or to be announced as remaining closed on the Friday prior to the tentative openings. An opening or final approval depends “on commercial fisheries verifying the run size is large enough to support a recreational harvest that remains within the management plan’s harvest quota,” per the WDFW website. So for now, it’s a ‘wait and see’ what the next round of days (Feb. 19, 22) will bring.

You hopeless romantic

Forgot a card and flowers or some other form of “show ‘em you care” nicety for that special someone today? You remembered it’s Valentine’s Day, right? Well, never fear. To circle back around, you can always go online to the WDFW website – fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov – and get them a surprise fishing license. Nothing says “I love you” better than a fishing license. Am I right, guys? Guys? Hello?

Razor Clam Days

The WDFW announced the next series of tentative razor clam digs to be Monday, Feb. 24 through Saturday, March 1 on various beaches (Long Beach, Mocrocks, Copalis, and Twin Harbors). We’re still on evening tides; morning tides/digs are slated to begin on March 29. Plenty of clams are still out there, but she’s winding down for the season quickly.

The Eagle Outdoors is, first and foremost, your column. It gets better - or I’d like to think it improves - with your input. Have a question? A complaint? Just want to get something off your chest? Any outdoor topic you’d like to discuss? Please state your name and ask. Send a note to me, if you wish, at mdandjulie@att.net. If I don’t know, I’ll find out…or I’ll just make something up that sounds really good and believable. Ah….