Washington has seen an increase in the number of fishing licenses sold this year, beating a national trend.

The number of fishing licenses sold from January through September is up 18 percent compared with the same months last year. Through September, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has sold more than 1.06 million licenses, including annual, temporary and shellfish licenses.

That boost in sales also means additional revenue.

The department took in just under $20 million through September, up from $17.2 million for the same months in 2008 and $17.8 million in 2007.

The state’s sales numbers are running ahead of those contained in the quarterly report released by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and American Sportfishing Association. The two groups track fishing license sales in Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

That report said those states saw a 7.7 percent increase in the number of licenses sold from January through July this year compared with last year at the same time.

“Reasons for the 2009 license sales increases range from a slow economy, which might allow people more time to engage in outdoor activities, to recreational fishing being a lower cost alternative to other forms of recreation,” Frank Peterson, the foundation president, said in a statement.

It’s possible the slow recovery from the recession has played a role in Washington’s increase, but some strong fisheries and good summer weather also can be cited as contributors.

If you were into salmon fishing in the slightest, you likely took part in the fantastic pink salmon fishing in August and September.

“We thought it would cause an uptick (in sales),” said Steve Thiesfeld, Puget Sound recreational salmon manager. “Clearly, the pink salmon bring in people who are not hard-core salmon anglers. They’re not the guy out there in the middle of winter fishing for blackmouth. That’s a good thing.”

It will be a while before final numbers are calculated, but there are some indications this year could have been a record return in some rivers. From August to mid-October, crews transported more than 470,000 pinks around Mud Mountain Dam on the White River. The previous record for pinks at the dam was 127,541 in 2007.

The ocean coho fishery was another that perhaps sparked a boost in license sales, Thiesfeld said.

This season recreational anglers, caught 158,642 coho along the coast, up from the dismal catch in 2008 of just 20,932 fish. Good reports from ports like Westport and Ilwaco certainly drew more fishermen. According to the state, 158,642 recreational anglers were checked this season, up from 37,832 anglers the season before.

“We had a lot of press on pinks. Everyone was talking about that and the coho forecasts,” Thiesfeld said. “The stars also aligned and (the runs) came in at or maybe even above forecast.”

Like the national report, Thiesfeld said the economy likely played a role. It’s hard to determine just how much, he added.

“The third aspect (of the sales increase) is whether folks are staying close to home this summer. A trip out on the Sound or the coast this summer might have included a license, rather than an expensive trip somewhere out of state,” he said.

Despite the reasons, the increase is good news for a department that saw the ouster of its director almost a year ago and then saw its budget cut $30 million by the Legislature earlier this year, forcing the agency to lay off 76 staff members and leave vacant an additional 67 jobs.

Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640

Jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com

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