Calling all members and prospective members of the Crab Creek Riders; the first event of the year is not far away. Read on.

The Crab Creek Riders will hold a mini-clinic at Bill Bailey's place on Saturday, April 28 beginning at 10 a.m.

Most of the clinic will be in the arena, but Chuck Jackson will be teaching knot tying again. Bill will be helping those that want to teach their horse to be hobbled.

After the clinic is over, a ride behind Bill's place is planned. The lunch will be potluck. Bob Mayer said something about bringing ribs.

Since this is the first ride of the year for the club the number of participants is limited.

The contact is Donna Caraway at 750-0318.

Fish and Wildlife Commission action

New hunting rules approved by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for the 2012-14 seasons will expand hunting opportunities for elk and cougar, but leave intact the statewide ban on using electronic decoys to attract waterfowl.

The commission recently took action on those and dozens of other proposed rules during a public meeting March 13-14 in Olympia.

With most of the state's 10 elk herds increasing in size, the commission increased the number of bull-elk permits for the Nooksack, Blue Mountain and Yakima herds. Permits for antlerless elk were also increased in the Yakima and Colockum areas.

The commission also expanded hunting seasons for cougar, reflecting changes in laws and management models for the species. Starting Sept. 1, the general hunting season will run through March 31 statewide, so long as harvest guidelines are not exceeded.

But the commission rejected a proposal to lift the statewide ban on using electronic decoys to attract waterfowl. Also not adopted was a proposal to allow the use of illuminated arrow nocks, which make it easier for bow hunters to recover their arrows. The commission did, however, indicate a willingness to revisit that issue next year.

Look for the changes in the Hunting Pamphlet coming out toward the end of this month.

Sprague Lake derby June 9

Mark your calendar: June 9 is the day and Sprague Lake is the place. It will be the First Annual Sprague Lake Trout Derby. This is the Washington State Free Fishing Weekend, so no anglers will need a license.

The entry fee is $7 for adults and $5 for anglers 16 years old and younger. The time will be 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Contact Sprague Lake Resort at 509-259-7060.

or Four Seasons Resort at 509-257-2332.

Purchase a new fishing license

The Washington fishing license anglers had last Saturday is out of date. They expired at midnight March 31. In order to continue fishing legally, anglers 15 years of age and older must purchase a 2012-13 license. Licenses and permits are available online, by phone, at 1-866-246-9453, and from sporting goods stores and other retail license dealers around the state.

From Fish and Wildlife:

2012 salmon fisheries

State and tribal co-managers today agreed on a package of salmon fisheries that meets conservation goals for wild salmon populations, while providing fishing opportunities on healthy stocks.

Washington's 2012 salmon fishing seasons, developed by Fish and Wildlife and treaty tribal co-managers, were finalized recently during a meeting in Seattle. The fishing package defines regulations for salmon fisheries in Puget Sound, Washington's ocean and coastal areas and the Columbia River.

As in past years, recreational salmon fisheries in 2012 will vary by area:

Puget Sound: Most chinook and coho fisheries will be similar to last year's seasons. That includes a closure of the sport fishery for chinook in inner Elliott Bay and the Green River to protect naturally spawning chinook, which are expected to return in low numbers this year.

Additional restrictions approved this year include shortening the summer salmon fishery on the Skokomish River and requiring anglers to release wild chinook during the fall salmon fishery in Hood Canal to help meet conservation goals for mid-Hood Canal wild chinook.

On the bright side, a new sockeye fishery will open this summer in the Skagit River. The river, from Highway 536 to the mouth of Gilligan Creek, will be open for sockeye fishing from June 16 to July 15 with a daily limit of three sockeye.

Meanwhile, the Baker Lake sockeye fishery will open a couple weeks earlier this year. The lake will be open July 1 through Sept. 4 with a daily limit of three sockeye salmon. Anglers fishing Baker Lake will be allowed to use two poles, with the purchase of a two-pole endorsement.

The Tulalip Bay "bubble" salmon fishery also will open early this year. The fishery will get under way May 4, a month earlier than last year, and salmon anglers fishing the bubble also will be allowed to use two poles.

Washington's ocean waters: A recreational chinook catch quota of 51,500 fish, nearly 18,000 more than last year's quota, has been approved. A quota of 69,720 coho has been approved in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast for this year's recreational ocean fishery, slightly higher than last year's quota.

This year's ocean fishery will begin with a mark-selective fishery for hatchery chinook opening June 9 in marine areas 1 and 2 and June 16 in marine areas 3 and 4. The fishery will run through June 22 in Marine Area 1, June 23 in Marine Area 2 and June 30 in marine areas 3 and 4, or until a coastwide quota of 8,000 hatchery chinook are retained.

In all marine areas, the fishery will be open seven days a week with a daily limit of two salmon. All coho must be released. Recreational ocean salmon fisheries for chinook and hatchery coho will continue June 23 in Marine Area 1, June 24 in Marine Area 2, and July 1 in marine areas 3 and 4.

Anglers fishing marine areas 1 and 2 will be allowed to retain one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit. Anglers fishing marine areas 3 and 4 will have a daily limit of two salmon. Fishing will be open seven days a week, except in Marine Area 2 where fishing will be open Sunday through Thursday.

Columbia River: The Buoy 10 fishery will be open for chinook and hatchery coho Aug. 1 through Sept. 3 and Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. From Aug. 1 through Sept. 3, anglers will have a daily limit of two salmon, only one of which may be a chinook. From Sept. 4 through Sept. 30, anglers will have a daily limit of two hatchery coho, but must release chinook.

From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, anglers can keep six fish, only two of which can be adults. North Jetty salmonid anglers may use barbed hooks seven days a week when Marine Area 1 or Buoy 10 salmon seasons are open. The mainstem Columbia River from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam will be open for chinook and hatchery coho Aug. 1 through Dec. 31. Anglers will be allowed to retain one adult chinook as part of their two-adult daily limit through Sept. 9.

From Sept. 10 through Sept. 30, chinook retention will only be allowed upstream of the Lewis River, but up to two adult chinook may be retained. Beginning Oct. 1, up to two adult chinook may be retained throughout the lower river, from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam.