The Eagle Outdoors

I'm in Ohio again, and have been since Feb. 9. Pop had his second chemo/immuno treatment on Tuesday, Feb. 10. I've got to say he's doing amazingly well. He's eating like the proverbial horse, which is unusual for him. He's staying hydrated; again, unusual. These are two things he didn't do on "round one," and we think it might make a difference. Still, I'm just your average writer with a first name that gives one the impression I have a doctorate in something, which I don't.

I do greatly appreciate the kind words from you readers of The Wahkiakum Eagle. The support means a lot. At times, during this so-called adventure, I've felt like a coho salmon in September; swimming upstream, essentially Julie and me, trying to make it home while avoiding any number of obstacles. A tad melodramatic perhaps, but an appropriate analogy. Whether you know it or not, you folks have made this journey manageable. For that, we are truly grateful.

Onto the Great Outdoors

Smelt! There's good news and not-so-good news on the smelt front. The good news is that the WDFW gave the green light to a one-morning dip on the Cowlitz on Feb. 18 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Just like last year, fishers needed a current fishing license, and the per-person limit is 10 pounds or roughly one-quarter of a five-gallon bucket.

That's the good news. The not-so-good news is the one-morning season was scheduled for the day before the Feb. 19 issue of The Eagle, so I didn't have a chance to get any kind of updates on eulachon abundance until well after the fact. However, the WDFW is looking at another one-morning dip on Saturday, Feb. 21. That's tentative at this point, but if there were fish to be dipped on Wednesday, I'm betting Saturday will be a go. We'll wait and see, but I can assure you if it is, I'll be there simply to enjoy what I refer to as the "carnival atmosphere." See y'all there!

Clams? Yes. There are more clam tides on the horizon. In fact, there's a dig slated for Thursday, Feb. 19, with a low of 0.3 at 7:32 p.m. Another series of tentative digs with slightly better low tides is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 26, through Wednesday, March 4, with a -0.5 and -0.4 right in the middle of that. If you can't make these, theoretically, there should be more digs throughout March and April, so y'all should have plenty of time.

At this point, please allow me the soapbox. Sometimes, the clams we find are small. Sometimes, we beat them up with the gun because we're in too much of a hurry. The WDFW states, "All diggers must keep the first 15 clams they dig, regardless of size or condition." Why is that? The little one you put back, the next wave exposes it and a seagull gets a free meal. Those with the cracked shell, even though the crack may seem insignificant, will die. Before I climb back down from the soapbox, I'll finish with this: respect the resource, and our grandkids and their kids will have the opportunity to walk the beach, lantern in hand.

The Great Backyard Bird Count 2026 finished up on Monday, Feb. 16. If you're a "bird nerd" like me, the results, both here in the United States and globally, are quite interesting. It's amazing to me the numbers that come from this annual event. It's far too early for the 2026 numbers; but, in 2025, some 8,078 species were identified in 217 countries by an estimated 838,113 participants. I was one of those participants. It's a neat deal. Step outside, walk around for 15 minutes, jot down the birds you see, and record your sightings on the birdcount.org website. A tip of the hat to the United States, where, in 2025, a staggering 200,258 individuals recorded 670 different bird species. Not surprising, at least to me, California, Texas, and Florida lead the list with the most species (i.e. 'checklists' submitted); however, Washington and Oregon saw a big growth in participation last year.

That's that for this week. Should you decide to go smelt dipping on Saturday (if, that is, it's open), please be careful. Waders, cold water, and fast current can make for a dangerous situation. Take a friend, and give serious thought to wearing a personal flotation device. Take the kids, but keep a close eye on them. They'll enjoy themselves.