FishingRomantis

By Mark Yuasa

Seattle Times staff reporter

Analissa Merrill

A couple of local young anglers have taken home the title in the Kids All-American Fishing Challenge for two consecutive years.

Nick Barr, 16, of Lacey, teamed up with Pro Angler Mark Phillips to win the overall crown of the Kids All-American Fishing Challenge and Recognition Ceremony in Tulsa, Okla., last month.

The six-team challenge not only consisted of catching fish, but an eight-hole golf casting competition and a casting accuracy challenge.

In order to qualify for the event, each youth must be selected to the KAAF team scholarship and ambassador program, which doesn't judge how good he or she is at fishing; rather, their ability to communicate their joy of fishing and the leadership they show in their communities.

Barr was one of six young anglers selected from more than 200 applicants of the 2006 KAAF program to participate in the challenge this summer.

Each received a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond to use for education, and other prizes.

Barr is the president and founder of the Timberline High School fishing club that involves 38 students, and also is president of the Capital City Junior Bass Club. He also is a member of the varsity football team at Timberline.

Last year, during the inaugural KAAF Challenge, 13-year-old Analissa Merrill of Lynnwood took home the grand prize after starting the final day of the contest in last place. She was paired with Pro Angler Todd Huckabee.

Merrill is an eighth-grade student at Meadowdale Middle School, and participated this past spring and summer with the C.A.S.T. for Kids Fishing Events, and is a member of the Everett Salmon & Steelhead Club and the Snohomish Sportsman Club. She also is a Cadet Girl Scout, a member of the school's cross country team and plays the violin.

Notes

• The Lake Mayfield Tiger Muskie Team Tournament is Sept. 15-16 at Lake Mayfield near Mossyrock in Lewis County. The event is all catch-and-release fishing. Cost is $100 per two-person team. The payback is based on 30 teams participating. Details: 360-985-2357 or www.lakemayfield.com.

• The Lake Union Boats Afloat Show is Sept. 12-16 on South Lake Union in Seattle, and will display more than 330 boats of all price ranges.

The show will also offer boating seminars, pro-am sailing regatta, marine product exhibits, and food and entertainment.

There will be a kid's lifejacket giveaway to the first 400 kids age 12 and under attending the show. Each child will be properly fitted with a free U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket courtesy of Discovery Yachts, Olympic Boat Center and Stearns. The program includes water safety education and fun activities for kids of all ages.

Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on the weekend. Cost is $10 for adults (three-day pass is $18), and $5 for kids 12 and under. Details: www.BoatsAfloatShow.com.

• The Northshore Chapter of Trout Unlimited meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Lake Forest Park Town Center, 17171 Bothell Way N.E. Former chapter president Chris Tompkins will discuss fly fishing on the Missouri River in Montana. Details: www.northshoretu.org.

• World-champion freeskier Kit DesLauriers will discuss her adventures in a seminar "7 Continents, 7 Summits, 2 Skis and 1 Buddhist Lama," 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Mountaineers Club, 300 Third Ave. W. Cost is $12. Details: 206-284-6310 or 206-622-4111 or www.thenorthface.com.

• The Puget Sound Anglers of Lake Washington meeting is 7 p.m. Thursday at the Mercer Island Fire Station, 3030 78th S.E. Curtis Welch, owner of Special Moments Guide Service, will discuss fishing on Lake Washington, and Mike Carey, founder of WashingtonLakes.com, will discuss the Internet. Details: 425-823-0704.

• The Snoqualmie Valley Chapter of Ducks Unlimited Banquet is 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Hilton Garden Inn in Issaquah. Details: 425-861-7789.

• The Ruffed Grouse Society is holding an upland bird hunt Sept. 15-16 at the Aster Inn in Cle Elum. Details: 206-667-8211 or 206-232-0603 or www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.

• The Renton Chapter of the Puget Sound Anglers meeting is 6:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Kennydale Memorial Hall, 2424 N.E. 27th St., Renton. Details: 206-218-9759 or www.rentonpsa.com.

• The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and other groups are inviting the public to participate in Operation Shore Patrol Days, an ocean and inner-waterway beach cleanup on Sept. 15-16.

During the event State Parks will waive campsite fees for the event at Cape Disappointment in the Long Beach area (call for reservations at 360-560-4598), Twin Harbors South Beach area (360-893-8447) and Ocean City North Beach area (206-617-9478) for cleanup participants. A limited number of standard campsites are also available.

Participants for other cleanup areas are asked to pre-register by contacting the following area coordinators: David Shaffer, Port of Seattle, at 206-728-3408; Birch Bay, Kathy Berg, Friends of Birch Bay State Park, at 360-371-0171; and Bremerton, Don Larson, Sinclair Inlet Watershed, at 360-373-7593. For more details, contact the International Ocean Conservancy Coastal Cleanup at 360-866-9253 or e-mail wa.coastcleanup@comcast.net.

• The Coast Guard Auxiliary Edmonds Flotilla is offering a course titled "Boating Skills and Seamanship" in South Snohomish County beginning Sept. 11. There will also be an Advanced Coastal Navigation class in North King County beginning Sept. 18, which will cover longer range trips with an emphasis on navigation. Both classes meet on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Details: 206-234-8138 or e-mail Boatclasses@hotmail.com.

• Those seeking out a whitewater rafting adventure should take advantage of the increased water flows on the Tieton River starting this and next month.

Water is currently being released from a full water-filled Rimrock Lake into the river to allow farmers to water their crops in the Yakima Valley, which creates a Class III whitewater river rafting adventure.

The experienced Osprey Rafting Company offers late summer 12-mile rafting trips on the Tieton River. A half-day excursion in the morning or afternoon costs $74.07, and includes a BBQ lunch. Overnight lodgings packages are also available. Details: 888-548-6850 or www.ospreyrafting.com.

• Alaskan fishing guide Dick Lange is hosting a nine-week class titled Fly Fishing 101 -- The Basics of Fly Fishing for Trout beginning Sept. 13 at the Carol Edwards Center Building in Woodinville.

Learn entomology, habitat, technique, basic casting, how and when to use flies and wading. The final class will be held on the Green River. Cost is $39 for Woodinville residents) or $44.85 for non-residents, plus $15 for a course manual. Details: 425-398-9327 or www.ci.woodinville.wa.us.

• Alki Kayak Tours is hosting a variety of trips and events from the Seacrest Boathouse at Alki Crab and Fish, 1660 Harbor Ave. S.W. in West Seattle.

The group offers weekday and weekend paddle tours. There are midweek overnight stays now through September on Blake Island. Cost is $199 and includes all kayak gear, tents, dinner and breakfast. Also try out the Eddyline Kayaks and talk with the staff to find a kayak fit for you. Details: 206-935-0237 or www.kayakalki.com.

• The Inn at Suncadia Resort in Roslyn offers guided half-day guided hikes, and three-hour guided mountain bike rides and fly-fishing trips to the Cle Elum and Yakima rivers. Cost is $50.

The hikes and bike rides are led by Central Washington University's Outdoor Pursuits Team, and packages include gear and lunch. The fly fishing package includes instruction, equipment and fishing license and lunch. Rooms are available for those who want to stay overnight. Details: 800-667-1828 or www.suncadia.com.

• The Seattle Rifle and Pistol Association's hunter sight-in will be 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sept. 22-23 and 29-30, and Oct. 6-7 and 13-14 at 725 135th. Ave. S.E. in Snohomish. Cost is $5 per person. Details: 360-659-9362.

• The Rainier Mountain Festival is Sept. 15-16 at the Rainier Basecamp on Highway 706 in Ashford.

The free festival will feature noted climbers Jim Whittaker (first American to summit Mount Everest), Ed Viesturs (first American to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks without oxygen), Lou Whittaker (American climbing legend and founder of Rainier Mountaineering Inc.), and more than 15 other climbers who have stood on top of Everest.

The climbers will be hosting films and slide shows, signing books and conducting equipment demonstrations.

Other activities include an equipment and clothing sale, a 5-mile run, alpine games, climbing wall for all ages, barbecue and local brews, live entertainment, raffles, mountaineering travel displays and kids' games. Details: 800-238-5756 or www.rainierfestival.com.

• Twenty hunters will get a chance to hunt for deer on 6,300 acres of Okanogan County rangelands in the Ninemile Creek area near Oroville, which will open to public hunting for the first time this fall. To apply for the limited hunt, which is done by a random drawing, call 509-754-4624 or 360-902-2515 through Sept. 4.

Five of the special permits will be reserved for bowhunters, five for muzzleloaders and 10 for hunters using modern firearms. Area deer-hunting seasons are Sept. 15-30 for bowhunters, Oct. 6-12 for muzzleloaders and Oct. 13-21 for hunters using modern firearms. The drawing will take place on Sept. 6.

• Recent repairs along the popular Wonderland Trail in the Mount Rainier backcountry has restored access, and users may apply for permits to hike the entire trail system for the remainder of the season.

Repair work included new steel bridges in three locations. Trail reroutes are also in place in some locations and hikers must will have to walk along the road in the Stevens Canyon area.

Hikers may get their first views of the extensive damage that occurred during last fall's rain and wind storms. Hundreds of volunteers have been working hard this summer to get as many trails open as possible and progress has been good. Hikers should use caution because many trails are still damaged and repair work continues is still on-going throughout Mount Rainier National Park.

Hikers looking to make reservations for the Wonderland Trail: call 360-569-2211.

• A new hiking trail along the Iron Goat Trail is open and follows most of the abandoned Great Northern Railroad line, just west of Stevens Pass Summit.

The upper and lower grades of the system are now connected by a crossover trail between Windy Point and the Iron Goat Interpretive Site.

The Iron Goat Interpretive Site is adjacent to the Stevens Pass Greenway near Milepost 58.3 on U.S. Highway 2, and includes a parking area with restrooms and interpretive exhibits.

The crossover switchback trail is less than a mile long and climbs a bit steeply over 600 feet to connect with the upper grade. After that it is only a quarter-mile hike on the upper grade to the Windy Point Overlook, with views of the upper Tye River Basin.

The abandoned Great Northern Railway grade was built in the early 1890s, and the trail is along a portion that was abandoned in 1929 when the "new" Cascade Tunnel was open. Details: 360-677-2414 or www.irongoat.org.

• The North Cascades Institute and North Cascades National Park are offering free guided canoe trips on Diablo Lake and naturalist-led forest and waterfall hikes. Naturalists and park rangers will conduct the day trips from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 8 and 15 at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center, on Diablo Lake off Hwy. 20. Details: 360-856-5700 ext. 209 or www.ncascades.org/learning_center/visit.

After taking the canoe or hiking trip, head to the Diablo Lake Trail suspension bridge, which has reopened for visitor use after being closed for structural replacement work in mid-April.

The bridge spans the long arm of Diablo Lake that reaches the foot of Ross Dam, and connects the 3.8-mile Diablo Lake Trail with Haul Road and the Ross Dam Trail.

For those who prefer to hike the trail one-way, Seattle City Light offers daily ferry service to the base of Ross Dam at 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Cost is $10. Details: 360-854-7245 or www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/trail-conditions.htm.

• Vehicle access is now allowed to the Cascade Park parking area after temporary repairs were made.

Flooding last winter forced the closure of the Cascade River Road three miles from its end. The road through the repaired area remains rough and narrow so caution is advised. Plans for permanent repairs are set to begin next spring and will be finished by July 1, 2008.

The Cascade Pass Trail is a popular day hike area with great views of peaks and glaciers, including peaks such as Eldorado, Johannesburg, Magic, Mix-up and McGregor.

Overnight stays in the backcountry require a free permit, and can be obtained in person and is issued on a first come first served basis at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount. Details: 360-854-7245 or www.nps.gov.

• The Cascade Bicycle Club's High Pass Challenge is 7 a.m. Sept. 23 at the Cowlitz River Lodge, 13069 U.S. Highway 12 in Packwood. The course is a 120-mile bicycle route through Gifford Pinchot Wilderness Area and will climb more than 7,500 feet in elevation during the allotted 10-hour time limit.

The course heads up Independence Pass past Spirit Lake to the Windy Ridge Viewpoint. Cost is $75 by Sept. 18 and limited to 500 cyclists. Details: 206-522-3222 or www.cascade.org.

• World Champion freeskier Kit DesLauriers will discuss her adventures in a seminar "7 Continents, 7 Summits, 2 Skis and 1 Buddhist Lama," 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Mountaineers Club, 300 Third Avenue West in Seattle. Cost is $12. Details: 206-284-6310 or 206-622-4111 or www.thenorthface.com.

• The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has launched a "Wear It!" life-jacket campaign. The "Be a Survivor!" essay contest entry forms are available at all West Marine stores. Contestants can submit an original story (350 to 700 words) that describes how someone was saved by wearing a life jacket. All entries must be received by Sept. 4. Details: www.safeboatingcampaign.com or www.cgaux.org.

• Anglers can receive rewards for providing information about tagged chinook salmon they catch in areas of the Upper Columbia River. Anglers will be entered in a raffle with a chance to win $50 to $100.

Anglers who catch a salmon fitted with either a jaw or a gill-plate tag are asked to return the tag, along with information about the date and location to: Chris Waldbillig, Fish Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia WA 98501 or call 360-902-2740.

• The Washington Trails Association is hosting an event titled "Families Go Hiking," a series of interactive educational clinics and guided hikes for families.

All hikes begin at 10 a.m.; reservations are required. Dates: Sept. 15, Park Butte-Railroad Grade, exploring nature using your five senses; and Oct. 13, Heather Lake, fabulous fall colors. Details: 206-625-1367 or www.wta.org.

• The Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall holds numerous outdoors events, including a monthly "Tracking Club," that meets in Sultan on the third Saturday of each month now through May (but not December) from 9 a.m. to noon.

The program is open to naturalists, hunters and people curious about learning to identify, follow and understand stories written in tracks left by animals on the Skykomish River shoreline. Details: 425-788-1301 or www.wildernessawareness.org.

• Alpine Ascents International Inc. will begin offering a variety of guided climbs and instructional programs on Mount Rainier starting next year. The group has scheduled more than 30 expeditions and more than 50 training courses in 14 countries, including the Arctic and Antarctic regions. These expeditions range from six-day training courses in the North Cascades and Alaska to three-month expeditions to Mount Everest to summit climbs and courses on Mount Rainier. Details: 206-378-1927 or www.AlpineAscents.com.

• The Washington Trails Association offers statewide trip reports and trail conditions. Details: www.wta.org.

• The Northwest Fly Anglers offers various public classes through the year. The public also is invited to club meetings on the third Thursday of each month, at the Haller Lake Community Center, 12579 Densmore Ave N., in North Seattle. Details: 206-684-7524.

• The Emerald Sea Dive Club offers year-round activities including the big buddy program and weekly and monthly dives. The club meets on the first Wednesday of every month, 7-9 p.m. at Alfy's Pizza, 4820 196th S.W. in Lynnwood. Details: 425-775-2410 or www.emeraldseadiveclub.org.

• The Seattle Audubon Society offers field trips and classes every month. Details: 206-523-4483 or www.seattleaudubon.org.

• Northend Bassmasters is accepting new members who want to learn more about bass fishing. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Crystal Creek Cafe, 22620 Bothell-Everett Highway (Canyon Park) in Bothell. Details: 206-789-4259 or e-mail Gary Millard at glmillard@comcast.net.

• Local Escapes, a local-based travel planner and tour operator, offers a two-night guided exploration of the Olympic Peninsula's rainforest, mountains and coastline.

The personal guided package offers snowshoeing, hiking and other recreational activities. The cost is $950 per person and includes two-night accommodations; transportation; all equipment including snowshoes, poles and raingear; park entrance fees and all meals and refreshments. Details: 877-780-4162Cor www.localescapes.com.

• The Washington Audubon Society has unveiled a new section of the Great Washington State Birding Trail to include the Olympic Loop in the Olympic Peninsula.

The new route features more than 200 of Washington's 365 bird species. The trails are usually self-guided driving tours to places where birds are likely to be seen, and some include water routes where visitors can paddle canoes or kayaks. Copies of the trail maps can be ordered at www.wa.audubon.org.