The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
32°F
Current Conditions
Fog
View complete weather report

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Out & About: Idaho girl’s perch confirmed as record

Tia Wiese, 12, of Eagle, Idaho, holds the yellow perch weighing 2 pounds 11.68 ounces she caught on March 1, 2014, at Lake Cascade. The fish is the state record for perch and later was named the world record for perch caught ice fishing with a tip-up, a special category recognized by the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame based in Wisconsin. (c / Courtesy)
Tia Wiese, 12, of Eagle, Idaho, holds the yellow perch weighing 2 pounds 11.68 ounces she caught on March 1, 2014, at Lake Cascade. The fish is the state record for perch and later was named the world record for perch caught ice fishing with a tip-up, a special category recognized by the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame based in Wisconsin. (c / Courtesy)

OUTCATCH – Tia Wiese, 12, of Eagle, Idaho, caught a yellow perch weighing 2 pounds, 11.68 ounces on March 1, 2014, at Lake Cascade. Shortly afterward, the fish was confirmed as the Idaho state record.

During a hunting trip in Wisconsin, her father, Gary Wiese, visited the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, where he learned of a special world-record category for ice fishing with a tip-up – and the yellow perch record was 2 pounds, 6 ounces caught in Massachusetts.

“I knew there were different line-class records, but I didn’t know there were records like ice fishing,” Gary said.

The Wieses sent the paperwork on Tia’s fish to the Hall of Fame and recently received confirmation that it had been declared the world record in the ice-fishing category.

In the late 1990s, Idaho Fish and Game Department fishery managers recognized that Lake Cascade’s perch population had depleted dramatically. Thousands of yellow perch were released into the lake, where the species has recovered and started producing several catches of large perch last spring.

ATVs with tracks OK on Kootenai trails

OUTRIDE – While most of the region’s snowmobile trails have decent snow coverage that’s been touched up by groomers, the snowpack is thin enough to make off-trail riding dangerous in many areas.

“You might find a stump or some other hazard, Deputy Jeff Burns of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department Backcountry Patrol said.

The lack of new snow has tempted some wheeled vehicles to venture onto groomed snowmobile trails.

Wheeled vehicle travel is not allowed once a route has been designated as a snowmobile trail for the season, Burns said.

An ordinance change this year allows an ATVs or side-by-side seating UTVs access to the Kootenai County trail system as long as they are fitted with tracks, are less than 74 inches wide and weigh less than 2,000 pounds, he said.

“These vehicles must also be registered as a snowmobile and have a groomer sticker attached,” he said.

Trails that have signs explaining the new ordinance include Fernan Saddle, Hayden Creek, Bunco Trailhead, 4th of July Pass and Bumblebee.

Shoshone County is working on a similar ordinance, but it’s not yet approved, Burns said.

Coming events focus on muscle power

• Methow Valley Nordic Festival, Friday through next Sunday, based in Winthrop with events and activities for nordic skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking and winter trail running.

Info: (509) 996-3860 or methowtrails.org.

• Western Nordic Round, 9 a.m., Saturday, featuring cross-country skiing and snowshoeing races at Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, Info: sandpointnordic.com.