Oct. 31 - Oregon Fishing Update
Friday, October 31st, 2008Oregon fishing report for Oregon Fishing Club members fishing Oregon and Washington. The Oregon Fishing Club offers private pond fishing for trout, bass, panfish and catfish and river fishing access for steelhead, salmon, trout and bass.
October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween.
* Brookside Inn Work Party. Friday, Nov. 14 1pm to 5pm and Saturday, Nov. 15 10am to 2pm. We’ll be installing a dock, working on the trail, and other fun stuff. Please, show up and help. We’ll bring food, drink and tools of construction.
* Trask #2 and Rainier Work Party reports. Both work parties were mostly about opening new trails. At the Trask #2, we opened a new trail from the south side of landowner’s house downstream ~1/2 mile to an awesome section of water. Well worth the walk for Chinook and steelhead. Expect the homeowner’s on the opposite shore to be curious as to how you got there; they are used to having it all to themselves. We also opened a new trail fro m the landowner’s home upstream to existing river trail. Before, we had to follow the river to walk upstream, but now we have an easier to walk inland trail. Look for the signs and pink ribbon trail markers. At Rainier Lakes, we built a new trail from the Middle Lake parking area to the Lower Lake outlet. We also spent a day working on the newish trail from Upper Rainier campsite #3 (across the upper lake dike on the right) to the outlet of Rainier West. This trail provides excellent fishing access to the west shoreline of Middle Rainier. The two new trails at Rainier complete the walking loop, and you can now hike all the way around all the lakes on OFC trails. We also carved out a new campsite at Middle. Thanks go to Bill, Cliff, Ed, Tim, Sam, Martha, and Bill & Tim (again). Thanks Art Wilson for the use of your tractor….one of these days it will come home clean.:)
*F all Trout Planting. Trout are being planted in OFC stillwaters. Fresh fish are going into most of the stillwaters. They are going to be very gulpible (gulpible - to gulp food and be gullible at the same time); so, handle with care and consider not using bait at the ‘bait OK’ ponds.
*Coho Season closes. Coho season ends tonight on most Oregon rivers. One exception is Eagle Creek off the Clackamas which closes Nov. 30. Too bad for those fishing the lower Trask. The state produces a hatchery run of late season coho which traditionally don’t return until mid-November. Makes you want to scratch your head and say “huh”?
* Alaska report. The coho fishing was incredible! Best Bruce has ever seen in 20 years of fishing in Alaska. The fish were big and bright, and stacked like cord wood until the rains came durin g the third week. Lots of pinks in various stages of decomposition, from chrome bright to fuzzy white. Not very many chums this year.Give us a call, if interested… 877.521.8947. The dates will be Wednesday, Sept. 9 - Wednesday, Sept. 30. Three weeks of hot coho action. Very limited availability…5 max. for weeks #1 and 2 and 3 max. for week #3. Those who’ve been before get first dibs. The cost per angler/week is $1,595. We need a $600 deposit to secure a spot ($500 refundable prior to June 30, 2009.) The balance of $995 is due by July 1, 2009.
* Trespassers! Hunting season means trespassers. Be on the lookout and report them to the office. (877.521.8947) The most important bit of info is a license plate number. A description of them, the vehicle and their activities is also handy. We can pursue them and perhaps change their ways, if we get enough info; so, please make the e ffort.
Stillwaters: Trout fishing is improving; the rain will help the water quality. Sunny afternoons should be best for bug hatches for the rest of the fall. Burdick Pond is still fishing real good for large trout and bass. (This pond is perhaps our best summer performer. It stays cool, is well oxygenated and has good food sources.) We swung by before the work party and the fish were all over a big caddis hatch. A great fallback option when the rivers are a bust. Rainier Lakes: the Middle and Lower lakes are fishing best. We patched the dike at Rainier West and it has begun to fill. We sprayed the weeds in Upper Rainier while they were still exposed. We dug out the beaver tunnel in Upper’s dike and repacked that section of dike. There were trout left in West, but they now have access to a bunch of newly flooded grasses and will be extra f inicky about what they eat. We pulled the beaver dike apart at Lower Rainier; so, the level is down a foot or so. Depends upon how busy the beavers are at night. Hartland Lake is reportedly fishing good for trout. the wind hasn’t been too bad. Tough to fish from shoreline due to weeds; so, bring a boat. Big/Little Tree: fishing is improving. Boulder, Shawna and Onie ponds all have fresh fish; water levels are still low. Lake Margaret is down several feet due to irrigation needs of the farmer. Colton Ponds: Lower is mostly weed free and fishing good…Upper is weedier. Marquam Lake is fishing slow for trout, bass and bluegill, but a little rain will fix that. Brookside Pond: A member reported catching trout and bass during a recent stay at the inn. The green slime is gone a t the upper end, and the barley straw worked good. We also treated the pond weeds; so, there should be more of a boat corridor. The poison oak is mostly dead, but not all the way dead; so, use caution. Twin Oaks is slow for trout. Water levels could change at Twin Oaks as we are now able to tap into an irrigation line.
Rivers: The coastal rivers are on the rise and fish will be on the move. Fish now while the rivers are still in good shape. The weekend’s tides are sort of wishy washy. There will be an outgoing high tide at Trask #1 tomorrow and Sun. morning and fish should be available. The Trask #3 should produce fish as well. If we get enough rain, fish will make it up to the Trask #2. The big holes at the top end are great Chinook holding pools, but the water we opened up access to below the owner’s home is where I’d be headed. We noted a good number of cutthroat rises while at the work party….big caddis hatch. At the Wilson, the ‘Piling Hole’ will produce fish, and the gravel bar corner is better after last winter’s flood. The Nestucca #1 should be fishing good, too. The corner below the bridge is good, and two sets of cablestairs lead down to some great water above the bridge. All the coastal rivers have been worked on recently and are in good shape for fall fishing. The inland rivers are in good shape. The Sandy and Clackamas close tonight for coho. Eagle Creek #1 upper end is open to members. Remember to enter the site via Wildcat Mountain Road. We worked on the trails there,and the place is ready to fish. A suggested trail from the bridge downstream to the property corner need s a day of work partying to make it real. Eagle Creek #3 has been worked on and signs have been posted re: the ‘Off-Limits Hole’. The Washougal has fish in, and with the rain will be more boat friendly.
Go fish
Brian
OFC
877.521.8947
Referrals: Do you know someone who’d enjoy an Oregon Fishing Club membership? Send us their name and number. We’ll mail them some info re. the Club and a DVD. If they join, you will be rewarded with a $50 OFC credit.
* OFC Google Map. an OFC map on Google’s Mapquest. Here is the link http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=100160749089880217653.00043b4570c6145e43de8 Thanks Shing. Update your google map program online, if you haven’t recently. A new beta version is available. They have a car running around out there taking 360 degree pictures every 50 feet and you can see them on the new program. Kind of Big Brother like, but still very cool.
Links:
Oregon Fishing Club Forum - http://members.ofc.org/
Oregon Anglers - www.oregon-anglers.org - 503.655.4077 (Denny Richey)
ALERT! ALERT!! ALERT!!!
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO YOUR MEMBERS
The marine reserve proposals were unveiled at the OPAC meeting in Reedsport this week. Of 20 proposals, only 2 were generated by local groups that included fishermen, residents, and local business owners: the most reasonable one was by the Depot Bay group, and is being endorsed by Oregon Anglers and RFA Oregon. The rest remove a considerable amount of the best fishing areas in our near shore ocean.
In some areas up to 50% of access to sustainably managed fishery resources would be shut down. All fishermen should get involved now! This is the biggest threat to our fishing heritage to date, and will not stop here if successful. We need to flood OPAC leaders with emails, because the radical conservation groups have been working for weeks to do just that- asking to install reserves that will take our access PERMANENTLY- FOREVER!
You can go to the state’s website http://www.oregonmarinereserves.net/ and view the 20 proposals. Many areas have several proposals on the same locations. This is the “conservation” groups’ way of trying to force us to pick one of several bad choices. These different proposals are reported to be nominated by ‘Our Ocean”, “community groups” and ” unnamed Individuals”, where it is obvious they are the same plan with minor variations.
How can you help?
1. Look at the proposals and pick an area, then comment on it, or on the proposals as a whole. Suggestions:
A.These areas take too much of the good fishing area, and will affect your ability to
access our well managed fish stocks, thus you will not go there.
B.Taking that much of the productive area will severely damage the local economy.
2. Please include comments regarding the Cape Arago/ Coos Bay proposal. This is the most damaging of all the proposals.
It amounts to a fatal economic blow to the area. It takes the most productive reef area in the state, and puts it permanently out
of use by fishermen, scientists, and educators (many class es use it for field trips). The South Coast fishermen have helped us
with Columbia basin problems, now they need our help.
3. Do support the Depot Bay proposal. It is reasonable, and was done by collaboration of all the affected community in the area over a
long period. It is an example of the compromise that the Governor’s Executive Order #08-07 addressed to avoid severe economic
impacts to the coastal communities.
Who do you send it to?
Scott McMullen (OPAC Chair): smcmullen@ofcc.com
Frank Warrens: frank@frankwarrensauto.com
Brad Pettinger: bpettinger@ortrawl.net
David N. Allen: dnallen@actionnet.net
Jeff Feldner: Jeff.Feldner@oregonstate.edu
And send a copy to us @ denn2311@q.com - we will present them at the OPAC meeting
These 5 are all our allies, they need our support, not any abuse.
If you have more questions call the Oregon Anglers office @ 503-655-4077
Thank you for your help, Dennis Richey & Fred VanNatt a
Oregon Fishing Club Prostaff -
Chris Nordling - Chris is fishing for Chinook on the north coastal streams and Columbia. He’s also booking ’keeper’ sturgeon trips on the Columbia. Give him a call to get on board. www.catchsomefish.net 503.866.0971 chrisnordlingfishingguide@comcast.net
Grant Scheele - http://home.comcast.net/~grantsnwguideservice/ 541.990.6358 scheeleteam1@comcast.net
Shane Groshong - www.fishonnw.com 541.338.8362 shane@fishonnw.com
Jack LaFond - www.fishyfs.com 503.622.3634 jack@fishyfs.com
Ron Lauzon - www.theflyfishinginstructor.com 503.622.3634 ron@theflyfishinginstructor.com
Oregon Fishing Websites -
Ifish - www.ifish.net (Jenny Logsdon Martin’s premier Oregon Fishing website)
Willamette Falls fish counts - http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/fish_counts/willamette%20falls.asp
Weather - http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/weather/10_day.cgi (NOAA 10 day forecast)
http://raws.wrh.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/roman/meso_base.cgi?stn=EGKO3&time=GMT (Eagle Creek weather)
Tides - http://www.saltwatertides.com/dynamic.dir/oregonsites.html