Salmon angler nets $110,000

The $110,000 Andre Cyr won last month in British Columbia’s Salmon Masters Tournament is chump change compared to next year’s possibility of winning more than $1 million.

The angler from Quebec landed a 46.7-pound chinook to win the May 31-June 4 event, which boasts North America’s richest cash jackpot. The fourth annual tournament was based out of Richmond and sponsored by West Coast Resorts, which donates at least $60,000 from the event to charities.

Next year the purse will be $350,000, the grand prize will be boosted to $115,000 and anglers will be able to enter a million dollar Super Calcutta awarded to the person who catches the biggest chinook during each of the tourney’s three days.

The 2007 Salmon Masters is open only to those who can afford the $6,995 entry fee, plus $500 for the calcutta. Gambling anglers like the odds, though. This year’s field included only 118 competitors.

Rich Landers

BIRDWATCHING

Birders flock to Republic

Participants had a field day during the recent Washington Ornithological Society conference based in Republic with forays as far east as the Little Pend Oreille Wildlife refuge.

”(The refuge) offered one of the most diverse areas for birding and seems to have great potential for future visits at this relatively under birded area!” according to an e-mail by WOS members Ruth and Patrick Sullivan.

Highlights for the Sullivans included comparing songs and getting photos of numerous species including willow flycatcher, Wilson’s phalarope, Vesper sparrow, great gray owl, Williamson’s sapsucker, least flycatcher and an alder flycatcher in the same location and nearly the same date the bird was documented four years ago.

Check out photos at www.pbase.com/godwit/ recent_photos.

Rich Landers

BOATING

Vandals destroy Clarkston dock

A boat dock at Clearwater Landing at the Snake River in Clarkston is still closed after vandals set it on fire in June.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated repair costs at $13,000.

Rich Landers