Greetings to all members, and especially to those who have joined us in the past year! Like so many other organizations and businesses, we have moved from monthly in-person meetings on Mercer Island, to online platforms. How fortunate it is that we have the technology for audio-visual connections.
A year ago, we had our annual Winter Social/potluck with our close friends, The Trailblazers. Then a week later, pandemic, and our state was shut down as a strategy to contain the virus.
We want your membership with the Hi-Lakers to be a great resource. We can’t have in-person meetings yet (and I don’t know when), but we have lots of online resources to help increase your fishing and hiking skills. Our monthly speakers have expert knowledge, and recent programs have addressed fishing for high lake trout, navigation, search and rescue, insect life, and best ways to release a fish. Many of these programs were recorded and are available to members online.
As part of our effort to maintain community during this time, we are making some adjustments to our communications. Our goal is to focus more on our members, providing content that’s educational and entertaining, and connecting with more of you on our social media channels. We hope you find our content helpful. We’d appreciate your feedback, so let us know.
We’re going to work our way through the pandemic, and we’ll be stronger for the experience. For all the chaos, heartbreak and loss it has caused, there are things we can do, safely, to stay healthy. We can hike in small groups (2-6). We can wear masks when we pass others or where we can’t maintain social distancing. The same goes for fishing, which seems to lend itself nicely to having your own space.
King County is blessed with many urban greenbelt trails – and lots of “front country” foothills – Cougar, Squak and Tiger, to name a few. I hike weekly, and also XC-ski & snowshoe. Those are great training opportunities, to build an endurance base and be ready when the high country melts off and the lakes are ice free. Explore those local trails and you might find a promising lake or beaver pond nearby.
While our alpine lakes are iced up and buried in snow, check out the lowland lakes that are open year-round. Look up recent stocking schedules and try those lakes. We have many miles of public-access saltwater beaches, where you can find sea-run Cutthroat, Coho, and maybe a Chinook or Chum. I’ve read that the Coho run in the Columbia will be huge this summer. And 2021 is a pink salmon year.
Until we can meet in person, I hope you’ll be active in our online community. Please share your recent outdoor adventures or photos. And do feel free to contact me with any questions you have about fishing, hiking or suggestions for club activities, I’d love to hear from you – I mean that sincerely.
Tight Lines,
Jeff Norman
2021 Hi-Lakers President
Send me an email.
Related Sources:
Fishing and stocking reports | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife MORE
Bill Monroe: Good news in a massive turnaround for offshore and Columbia sport fishing – oregonlive.com MORE
WDFW managers predict a whopping 2.9-million-plus Puget Sound pink salmon return that’ll have anglers blushing this summer, while other salmon forecasts are a mix of good, bad and downright ugly | The Outdoor Line Blog MORE
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