Edmonds fishing pier reopens and Shoreline residents are there

Members of the Collins family are clearly enjoying themselves as they prepare their crab traps.

From My Edmonds News
Text and photos by Larry Vogel

“Rain? What rain?” exclaimed Josh Collins, clad in a yellow rain slicker with crab pot in hand. “We’ve been waiting months for this!”

Josh, along with dad Dave and grandfather Ken, were among a score of intrepid fisherfolk waiting in the driving rain to get out on the newly reopened Edmonds fishing pier as the construction barricades came down at 9am Friday morning.

Built in 1975, the pier draws an estimated 100,000 users annually. But time and weather had taken their toll on the structure, and after years of rust and oxidation the underlying support beams were badly in need of renovation.

Work began in March 2016, necessitating a complete closure of the pier. Crews soon found that the old structure required more extensive repairs than originally anticipated, which pushed the initial estimate of an early summer completion out to at least Labor Day. See earlier My Edmonds News coverage here.

Oblivious of the driving rain, intrepid pier fishers spread out along
the full length of the newly-reopened fishing pier Friday

“We still have some odds and ends to complete before our grand opening sometime around the third week of October,” said City Capital Projects Manager Henry Schroder, who has overseen the repair work. 

“The biggest piece will be a two-day closure for sealing the concrete. We’ll also be adding shelters over the fish-cleaning stations, some signage, and additional railings and finish work, but these can be done by just roping off sections of the pier and won’t require a full closure.”

But to the folks fishing on the pier, it was a day for sunny smiles as they returned to their favorite pastimes of fishing, crabbing and reveling in the special ambiance of the Edmonds fishing pier.

Gilbert Campbell of Richmond Beach
untangles his crab trap line.

“Fishermen are as crazy as golfers, and I’m both,” said Gilbert Campbell of Richmond Beach as he untangled his crab trap line. 

“I wore my golf clothes this morning, and as soon as I get these crab traps set, I’m off for a tee time. 

"Talk about a perfect day — fishing in the morning, golf in the afternoon and fresh crab for dinner. 

"It doesn’t get any better than this!”