🐹 Two Fishing Holes 🎣🎣

Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Wednesday update from The Hamster Wheel.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Or, hit reply to send me photos via email. 📧

It’s been a few years since I fished either of the two spots we’re looking at today, but I have tremendously fond memories of fishing both with my good friend Liam. With the leaves starting to change, the timing seems right for a little salmon update: the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has posted a reminder about the special rules in place for the late-summer Chinook fishery on the Samish River, while here in Bellingham thousands of hatchery Chinook are beginning their annual return to the mouth of Whatcom Creek.

If you’ve never fished the Samish, it’s both unfathomable gorgeous, and a total s##t-show 👆 , plus the lower Samish has some unusually specific rules this year. From the Bayview-Edison Road Bridge upstream to the yellow marker, you’re limited to fish eggs for bait, unweighted tackle, and one single-point hook with a gap no wider than half an inch. There’s also a night closure and a Stationary Gear Rule. WDFW says the restrictions are meant in part to keep a crowded fishery orderly. If you make the trek south to join the throng, be sure to check the full regs. Fish and Game have a pretty active presence on this river and you don’t want to get on the wrong side of the rules.

One other calendar note: that lower section (from the mouth to the yellow marker) is reserved for veterans and active military on Saturday, September 5, and anglers under 15 on Sunday, September 6.

Closer to home, the City says about 6,582 hatchery Chinook are expected to return to inner Bellingham Bay and the mouth of Whatcom Creek this season. The fish were raised as part of a partnership involving Bellingham Technical College, WDFW, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Lummi Nation, and Nooksack Indian Tribe. They originate from WDFW’s Samish River Hatchery, head out to the ocean, then begin showing up around Maritime Heritage Park about now, often after the first rain bumps up the creek level.

One interesting wrinkle is that these hatchery Chinook aren’t released with the intention of their reproducing in Whatcom Creek. During their time at sea they can provide food for Southern Resident orcas, and returning fish that aren’t eaten can be harvested in tribal, recreational, or commercial fisheries. Those that die in the creek eventually put nutrients back into the surrounding ecosystem.

These Birchwood Garden Club meetings always sound fascinating to me. The club opens its 2026-27 season tonight, September 2, with a talk from garden designer and author Karen Chapman 👇 on ideas American gardeners can borrow from England. Chapman was born in England and has led garden tours around the world, with a particular focus on the gardens she grew up around there.

The meeting runs from 7 to 9 pm in the Rotunda Room at Old City Hall. Club meetings are open to guests, and this one looks like a nice excuse to spend an evening thinking about gardens somewhere other than your own backyard.

LOCAL READS

New technology tracks bumblebees across the Nooksack and Bellingham
By Atlanta Moss · Salish Current
State researchers are testing 0.06-gram solar-powered radio tags on about 50 bumblebees along the Nooksack River and near Western Washington University. Atlanta explains how the system can trace individual movement and foraging patterns, including western bumblebees whose local population may offer clues about habitat conditions that support the species. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Changing the Housing Narrative in Bellingham
By Rebecca Quirke · Whatcom Watch
Tenants Revolt says unsafe conditions and limited enforcement leave Bellingham renters carrying much of the risk when housing problems go unresolved. Rebecca explains how the group combines tenant reports, inspections, and its Rental Radar database to identify repeat problems and press for greater accountability from landlords and city officials. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Wednesday
Lake Whatcom Policy Group, 3:00 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center

Thursday
WTA Board, 8:00 am, WTA Office
Greenways Advisory Committee, 7:00 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center
Whatcom County Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, 5280 Northwest Drive - Portable Building

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Wednesday
Stream Team: Help Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) maintain older sites that need love. Meet at NSEA’s campus by 8 am and your group leader will shuttle everyone to the site. You can expect to be back to NSEA at 12 pm. Register

Thurs-Sun
Olsen Creek: Help Washington Trails Association implement a multi-use recreation opportunity just outside of Bellingham. Thurs, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Friday
Todd Creek: Join Whatcom Land Trust at a beautiful stretch of protected land along the South Fork of the Nooksack River for a day of trail work and invasive species removal at Todd Creek. Register

New Prospect Theatre
Pippin (theatre) | Fri-Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Revolution Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:00 pm
Beginner Ballet - Karate Church - Sat 10 am
Beginner Contemporary - Karate Church - Sat 11:30 am
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sun 10:30 am

Local trio D’vas returns to Stones Throw Brewery in Fairhaven on Wednesday, September 2, from 6 to 8 pm. Dianne Ardourel, Darcy Haughian, and Diane Leigh share vocal duties while playing guitar, bass, and keyboard, building their sets around three-part harmonies.

Rachael and Luke Price bring Love, DEAN to New Prospect Theatre tomorrow, September 3, at 8 pm for an evening of soul, Americana, and indie-inflected music. Usually centered on their two voices and a vintage hollow-body guitar, the Portland duo will be joined by a full band for this Bellingham performance.

Southern Culture on the Skids brings more than four decades of rootsy rock and roll to the Wild Buffalo tomorrow, September 3, with Poi Rogers opening. Guitarist Rick Miller, bassist Mary Huff, and drummer Dave Hartman have played together for more than 30 years, drawing on rockabilly, surf, country, and Southern garage rock.

Flower Market, Ohio Street Work Studios – The North Sound Flower Cooperative hosts a market from 9 am to noon with locally grown, seasonal cut flowers from regional farms, open to both floral professionals and the public.

North Forest Beer Release and Farm Fund Pint Night, Aslan Depot – A 6 to 10 pm release of a limited-edition pilsner made with Community Food Co-op supports the Farm Fund with $1 from every Aslan beer sold, with music by Elk starting at 7 pm.

Wednesday Music & Trivia →

Open Haus Jam, Schweinhaus Biergarten – An open jam session at 7 pm welcomes all skill levels, with guitar, bass, percussion, and microphones provided for group or solo performances.

Stand Up Comedy, Beach Cat Brewing – A free comedy night starts at 8 pm with an open mic portion, with performer sign-ups beginning at 7:30 pm.

Trivia Night, Beach Cat Bellingham – Jordan hosts a free trivia night from 6:30 to 8 pm with a mix of questions across multiple topics.

Thursday Music & Trivia →

Advertise in Bham’s #1 Newsletter
Email me to include a note in The Wheel

Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you found something helpful, please share it with a friend and encourage them to click here to subscribe. 🙏

Reply to this email if you have news to share, an event you’d like me to know about, or to send me a love note. 💘