[CQ-Contest] Salmon Run 2021

[Michael Dinkelman]

The salmon are starting to bunch up at the mouths of the rivers of Washington State
waiting for the fall rains to head up stream and spawn. There is the Chinook, the Coho,
and the nastiest but rarest of them all...  the Washington State HamSockeye.

The notorious HamSockeye:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/117ZN4VWBtQ_y74pkQqe1t1U90n708SCP/view?usp=sharing

HamSockeye are only available during the Salmon Run Contest, September 18th and 19th.
Amazingly, they can be caught in every county of the state - even those with no
ocean access! That might be why these fish are not particularly good for eating and,
when smoked, smell like a sneaker worn on your feet all day in 90 degree heat. The flesh
is as tough as that old climbing harness you have in the shed and darn near the same color.
Though most are pretty fat, they have a lot of small bones.

That's why we encourage you to catch as many as you want to leave room for the more
desirable species coming up the river's just a few weeks later. What to do with them
after you catch 'em? Well, it's best to rototill them into the garden this Fall and
you'll have an amazing garden by next Spring. (The smell goes away by Christmas.)

There is one HamSockeye that is catch and release only - W7DX. That old boar is worth 500
points if you can hook it but you gotta cut him loose to be caught by others. (That fish
isn't too bright and pretty ornery.)  If you do manage to pull in enough HamSockeye, you
could be rewarded with smoked salmon from a tastier species. Those that manage a clean
sweep will be entered into a drawing for a 2021 Salmon Run Glass (USA only). There will
be a minimum of 20 glasses given away. You can see the 2021 design at
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AVjpkD7JeI6GJ-OQm5OFc4nxpnwzoTCi/view?usp=sharing

Want to pull in some HamSockeye this year? Everything you need to know should be
http://salmonrun.wwdxc.org/rules/

If the answer isn't there, send me some email and I'll get you an answer.

Don't forget to check out the County activation page  athttp://salmonrun.wwdxc.org/
as we get closer to the event. In particular, to locate those HamSockeye that wander
among the counties (Fishfinders don't well work on these guys).

cheers
dink,n7wa at arrl.net


p.s.
Just in case you don't want to rely on the whims of propagation to get a Salmon Run 2021
glass. We do sell them, at cost, for $7 each plus postage. If you are interested, send me
a note and I'll send you the details. Here is an example of last year's glass:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZIFawG3EgZegjROxr2SLlETMaZ_dxdTe/view?usp=sharing