by Uncle Wes, April 10, 2005

What’s all of the hoopla about?
As I reported last October, the trophy trout are here in Whatcom County, in Silver Lake to be exact. There have been three separate plants put into the lake, one last September, and then February and March of this year. These Kamloops rainbows weigh from a pound-and-a-half all the way up to ten-plus-pounds, and are known for their fighting and acrobatic abilities.

But don’t get to cocky just yet. These fish don’t simply jump in the boat and go home with you. Yes, you’re going to have put some time on the water for these big boys. These monsters will enhance the 17,000 ten-to-twelve-inch trout stocked by the state. There are another three to four stockings of these trophies planned for this season. With all of these stockings, I guess you’ll never know when the big one is going to give you the tussle of a lifetime.

Now don’t think that the trophy opportunities are going to end at Silver Lake. Yes, that’s right another lake is being added to the fold. Samish Lake will be receiving three to four stockings of these monsters this year to. And one great thing about Samish is that it is open year-round. Can you imagine having the opportunity to chase these trophy trout all year right here in Whatcom County?

This program has been getting a lot of press lately, not only by our local publications and television but some regional magazines and websites. To the anglers of this county it is a big deal, and a great opportunity not only for the adults but our children. I had the chance to take a couple of youngsters out this last fall and had them hook up and land their first trophy trout of their young lives. It was fun to watch them do battle with these monsters but it was equally rewarding to see the smiles on their faces.

Now you may be wondering who has stepped up to make donations for this program and I’m happy to give you the list of current participants; Noon Kiwanis of Lynden, Haggen Food and Pharmacy of Bellingham, Harley Davidson of Bellingham, Ace Hardware of Lynden, Mt. Baker Lodging of Maple Falls, Crossroads Grocery of Maple Falls, Maple Fuels Was-A-Ton of Maple Falls, Fred Mooremier of Lynden, Henry Wohlrab of Lynden, Uncle Wess’ Trout Lures of Maple Falls, Yeagers Sporting Goods of Bellingham, The Hampton Inn of Bellingham, and Mountain Do’s Hair Styling of Maple Falls. Also I don’t want to forget Brad Rinke, the graphic artist who is donating his time to designing the poster that will be displayed at the participating contributors. To have your business, organization, or even your name added to this poster only requires a $100 donation, but don’t let that stop you from donating more.

I think the real story is about a small but dedicated group called the Whatcom County Trout Enhancement. For the first year this group had only two members then three more folks stepped forward and as of last month two more folks came forward bringing their total to seven. These individuals have donated countless hours to make this program a reality, speaking to different groups, sending out mailers in search of financial support, and many more hours on the phone. At their monthly meetings they’ve worked on strategies and putting this program together for all anglers to enjoy.

Now I can assure you that they have heard the answer “no” more times than you can imagine but that hasn’t stopped them from pursuing their goal of $25,000 to get this program firmly established for your enjoyment. The one thing I can guarantee you is that every dollar donated for these trophy trout is applied to purchasing trophy trout. It’s not very often that a not-for-profit organization can claim that 100 percent of the money actually goes to the project. If you would like to learn more, call 360-599-2508 or attend their regular meeting at the Fairway Café in Lynden every second Tuesday of the month at 7p.m. So until next time may the fish at the end of your line be the one of your dreams.