By popular demand, the annual Kendall Subaru Clearwater Snake Steelhead Derby will be held Nov. 17-24 to allow anglers to take advantage of a national holiday -- Thanksgiving.

In addition, the 2012 Kendall Subaru Clearwater Snake Steelhead Derby will include Washington waters.

Adding miles of new water should help boost entries in the event organized by the Lewis Clark Valley Chamber of Commerce. Chamber officials obtained a permit from the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department to make the change.

 The fishing contest will extend westward and include the portion of the Snake River that’s solely in Washington. In past years, anglers were allowed to fish only in Idaho waters. That rule eliminated popular spots west of the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers, such as the mouth of Steptoe Canyon, which is known for harboring large fish.

 The old boundaries also spawned rumors of some anglers cheating by entering fish that were caught downriver.

Adding Washington waters allows The Waters Edge tackle shop in Clarkston to participate as a weigh station.

"I bet you see participation up 200 to 300 people from what it has been the last three years," Randy Krall, owner of the Lewiston tackle shop Camp, Cabin and Home, told the Lewiston Tribune. "We think the chamber has done a really good job and we appreciate them listening to our concerns.”

Information about the tournament is available from Lewis Clark Valley Chamber of Commerce, (509) 758-7712.