Out & About: Fly rod building class to start Feb. 6

The Clark-Skamania Flyfishers are offering their annual rod building class, which will run on consecutive Thursday evenings beginning Feb. 6 and concluding March 5.

The classes will be held at member Al Woods workshop from 6-8:30 p.m. Gene Reinert and Richard Bowers will be the main instructors, and there will be other experienced rod builders on hand to help.

Due to space considerations, the class will be limited to 12 students on a first-come first-served basis.

For more information, contact Richard Bowers at: 360-609-2794, or at bowersrichard@msn.com

Wildlife League meeting Feb. 5

The Vancouver Wildlife League will host its monthly members meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at the WDFW Region 5 headquarters in Ridgefield. The meeting will run from 7-9 p.m. The speaker will be Columbian outdoor reporter Terry Otto, and there will be a segment about Larry Cassidy’s YouTube site featuring fishing.

Non-members are welcome to attend.

One-day waterfowl hunt offered

Youth hunters, veterans, and active military personnel may take part in a special one-day waterfowl hunt on Saturday. This hunt consists of all regular season opportunities including ducks, geese, brant and coots.

“The chance for our veterans and active military to hunt with their kids is pretty special,” said WDFW waterfowl section manager Kyle Spragens in a news release. “There are few times when people get to hunt with fewer hunters on the landscape, so we’re excited to be able to offer this chance.”

Bag limits will be the same as in the regular seasons, with a one-day possession limit. For species that have special authorization or require a mandatory harvest report card those requirements still apply.

Access will be allowed at all WDFW wildlife areas, local national wildlife refuges including the Julia Butler-Hansen NWR, the Ridgefield NWR, and the Willapa NWR. There are private lands opportunities as well.

“It’s an opportunity to build memories and mentorship for Washington’s waterfowlers, and a small way of thanking those that have and continue to serve our country,” continued Spragens.

Youth waterfowl hunters must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years old who is not hunting, unless that individual is a veteran or active military.

This is a Washington-state only opportunity, and the WDFW reminds would-be participants to familiarize themselves with all applicable waterfowl hunting rules, including special rules for each refuge or wildlife area.

The information on bag limits and special hunting authorization requirements are available in WDFW’s Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons hunting pamphlet at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations.

For more information, contact: Kyle Spragens, 360 902-2522

Razor clam digs approved

WDFW has approved the first razor clam digs for February, after the clams were tested for bio-toxins and found to be safe to eat.

Diggers may return to their favorite ocean beaches for seven days of digging beginning Feb. 6.

The approved digs are for the following beaches, dates and low tides:

• Feb. 6, Thursday, 4:40 p.m. -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

• Feb. 7, Friday, 5:26 p.m. -0.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

• Feb. 8, Saturday, 6:09 p.m. -1.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

• Feb. 9, Sunday, 6:51 p.m. -1.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

• Feb. 10, Monday, 7:32 p.m. -1.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

• Feb. 11, Tuesday, 8:13 p.m. -0.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

• Feb. 12, Wednesday, 8:55 p.m. -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

When low tides occur in the evening, no digging is allowed before noon.

“Work to dodge the rain, and this should be a great dig,” said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager in a news release. “Razor clams do not like fresh water, so heavy rain can make them harder to find, but with a bit of patience and good timing it should still be possible to bag limits of clams given the healthy populations across the beaches.”

For a list of proposed razor clam digs through the month of February, please see the WDFW razor clam webpage.

Diggers are reminded to be extra careful during evening tides. Dig with a friend, carry good lighting devices, and always keep an eye on the surf.

Under state law, diggers at open beaches can take 15 razor clams per day and are required to keep the first 15 they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.