Each year, as various state agencies vie for a piece of the finite financial pie, hunters and fishermen wonder what will become of the department that serves many of their needs.

With pressure from other interests and assorted budget crunches, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife has traditionally struggled to maintain its position during budget debates.

Maine’s fish and wildlife resources are important, we all tell each other. The fact that they exist makes life richer and more enjoyable for all of us. And us hunters and anglers? We make a difference, too.

Or so we tell each other.

According to a report released this week we’ve been right.

Hunters and anglers are pitching in and helping to fuel the nation’s economy on a scale many of us never imagined.

That report – “Hunting and Fishing, Bright Stars of the American Economy, A Force as big as all outdoors” – was produced by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Association. Support was provided by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and SCI – First For Hunters.

The basic point that the study made: 34 million sportsmen age 16 and older spent more than $76 billion nationwide in 2006 and supported 1.6 million jobs.

Its publishers claim that the report underestimates the actual impact, if you consider that hunters and anglers under the age of 16 were not included in the data.

The report ranked each of the 50 states on numbers of resident and out-of-state sportsmen, among other categories.

Here’s how Maine stacked up:

. Resident sportsmen: 266,000, 36th in the nation.

. Resident anglers: 220,000, 36th.

. Resident hunters: 146,000, 29th.

. Non-resident hunters: 29,000, 28th.

. Non-resident anglers: 131,000, 23rd.

. Sportsman spending: $581 million, for a rank of 39th in the nation.

Just a few numbers to consider on a Saturday morning.

Salmon season hearing set

Interested anglers, conservationists and river-watchers – along with a sizeable group of governmental employees – are sure to head to Holden on Jan. 24 to make their positions known.

That’s the date for a public hearing in front of the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission, during which a proposed spring fishing season on the Penobscot River will be debated.

The Penobscot, along with all of Maine’s other rivers, was closed to all salmon fishing in 1999. For the past two years, a monthlong fall season has been held on the river, and many anglers have made it clear that they’d prefer a spring season.

The proposal on the table calls for a catch-and-release season that would stretch from May 1-31. The season would end prematurely if a total of 50 fish were landed, or if other conditions threatened the well-being of the salmon.

The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. at the Holden Elementary School.

Despite vocal past support from some salmon anglers, enacting the proposed season may be an uphill battle.

The ASC’s own biologists haven’t universally embraced such a plan in the past, and federal agencies and non-governmental groups are paying close attention to the proposal.

According to past reports in the BDN, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is in the process of deciding whether to add Penobscot River salmon to the salmon in other Maine rivers that are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

From this vantage point, those factors indicate that a spring season on the Penobscot, while theoretically on the table, is unlikely.

The voices heard at the hearing, however, could change all that.

Mark the date on your calendar, and I’ll see you there. It promises to be an interesting evening.

Fly-tying class still has seats

Well, you’re really up against it now. Just a couple days left to shop for Christmas, and you’re scurrying around like a crazed elf.

Relax.

If you’ve got a beginning fly fisher – or someone who has always wanted to give the sport a try – on your list, you can solve one gift-giving dilemma with a simple phone call.

The Penobscot Fly Fishers are again hosting a fly-tying class for beginners, and it may be just what you’ve been looking for.

The PFF gang is a low-key bunch who knows a lot about fishing and tying alike. And they love to teach others about their favorite sport.

Classes are held at the Bangor Recreation and Parks building on Main Street each Thursday beginning Jan. 3. The course will run for eight weeks, with each class beginning at 6 p.m.

The course fee is $30, which includes the use of all equipment and materials that will be needed.

Spots in the class are limited so each student receives plenty of hands-on instruction. For more information or to register for the course, e-mail don@annikarodandfly.com or call Don Corey at 843-5634.

As a proud graduate of the PFF class (although many of my instructors will likely absolve themselves from all blame in the matter), I can tell you that learning to tie was much easier than I had imagined.

Kids often end up in the class, and the PFF welcomes them, as long as an adult shows up to supervise each night.

In addition to the top-notch instruction, you’re also likely to find some pretty tasty snacks each night … that’s a PFF tradition as well.

And at the end of the class, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve met a few new fishing buddies, too.

And one more gift suggestion …

So, fly-tying lessons aren’t up your alley, or won’t complete your shopping list.

Here’s a suggestion that you may not have thought of: Stuff it.

Really.

If you’ve got a successful hunter in your family, chances are good that he or she has taken one critter or another to the taxidermist in the past few months.

As you know, quality taxidermy mounts aren’t cheap … and covertly chipping in on the cost of a loved one’s deer, bear or moose mount – or fish carving, for that matter – would be a gesture many would appreciate.

I know I would have … especially knowing the price I paid for the beautiful black bear that now graces my wall.

If your favorite hunter has deep pockets, this idea may not make as much sense. But if they’re scraping by like most of us, it may be a perfect gift they never expected.

Especially if they show up at the taxidermist’s shop a few months from now to pick up the mount and find out that Santa’s helper has paid the balance in full.

jholyoke@bangordailynews.net

990-8214