Many of Oregon’s streams, lakes and river banks were a popular place this last weekend with the state-wide free fishing weekend. Many outdoors lovers took the opportunity to get out there and try their luck.
In this day and age, with technology so advanced, some might say there is no luck involved, only first-hand knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. It all depends on where you are at and what you are doing. Fishing from a drift boat for metal heads on the Santiam River calls for a different approach than merely standing along the river bank and casting in. You can even be out on the lake with your fish finder telling you where the fish are so you can try for the one that looks large on the screen. The advances of technology have definitely helped outdoors man of all types bring in the catch.
A couple of local retailers such as Dan Dee Sales or L.B. Batterman both can give you an almost perfect recipe if you tell them where you’re going and what you’re fishing for. Although, if you’re like me and don’t stop to ask for directions, sometimes the school of hard knocks works better for you. Most of the time I promise a fresh fish dinner of kokanee or trout and it ends up being a McFish sandwich on the way home! That’s still fish right?!
On the more serious side, salmon and steelhead fishing appears to be picking up on the South Santiam. Brad Porter at DanDee Sales says fishermen have been catching a lot of steelhead near the dam, particularly at the Dead Line Hole, just below the hatchery, and at the Wiley Creek inflow.
Porter said that salmon have been biting at Waterloo, around Church Camp Hole.
Green Peter Lake has been drafted in the last couple of weeks to help provide desirable flows in the mainstream Willamette to assist the outmigration of juvenile steelhead. The kokanee fishery has been spotty so far, but has been producing some fish in the 12 to13-inch range. Porter, at DanDee, said best results seem to come from fishing at 40 to 60 feet deep.
Anglers may also catch some of the juvenile chinook in Green Peter. The chinook may be kept, but should be counted as part of the trout limit and not as kokanee.
Fishing in Foster is still hit-and-miss, though Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reports the lake has “good numbers of rainbow.” The lake is full now in preparation for the summer recreation season.
Willamette River levels were unchanged last week. Flows early in the week were at 22,400 cfs, the water temperature had risen to 62 degrees, and the visibility was at 4.2 feet. Fish counts at Willamette Falls were 6,851 summer steelhead, and 23,962 spring chinook through May 28. These are incomplete numbers since two days in mid-May have yet to be counted. Winter steelhead counting ended on May 15 with the updated final season count totaling 6,404.
The spring chinook activity has been fairly slow in the lower Willamette, though the river at St Johns has had a few boats and those going out were picking up a fair number of spring chinook. This area of the Willamette is probably seeing more success than any other part of the river.
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Here’s a little quiz question: What do you do when you’re out bumping around in the woods and run across a baby animal that apparently is out there all by itself?
State wildlife officials say that the best way to care about baby wildlife is to leave the animals in the wild.
Deer, elk, birds, seals and other animals often leave their young while they forage for food. Unfortunately, each year well-meaning people who encounter baby animals temporarily away from their parents mistake the babies for orphans and remove them from the wild.
Picking up baby wildlife stresses both the baby and the mother, who is often nearby and returns later looking for her young. A doe, for example, will continue looking and calling for her fawn for up to two days. State wildlife officials say that, unless the death of the adult animal is witnessed first-hand, no baby animal should be presumed orphaned.
Many well-intentioned people who “rescue” baby animals are unable to provide an appropriate diet for the animal, so the animals can suffer malnourishment and even death. The animals that do live miss out on the chance to learn important skills, such as finding food and escaping from predators, so often don’t survive when reintroduced into the wild.
When encountering baby wildlife, it is better to live by the motto “If you care, leave them there.” Officials also offered the following tips for some of the more frequently ìrescuedî Oregon wildlife species.
– Baby birds: Nestlings (baby birds not fully feathered) can be gently and quickly returned to the nest. If the nest is out of reach, place the bird on an elevated branch or fence, out of the reach of children and pets. Leave the area so the parents can return.
– Deer: Fawns often are left for several hours at a time, but are well adapted to their surroundings. Unless you see the parent killed, it is safe to presume the doe is nearby. In fact, your presence could be what is keeping the doe away.
– Raccoons and squirrels: Animal rehabilitation facilities in suburban and urban areas get overloaded with squirrels and raccoons each spring. Raccoons are a major transmitter of diseases dangerous to people and pets, including a virus that can cause permanent blindness in humans. Both species are highly adaptive animals, and many babies that appear too young to make it on their own are capable of surviving, especially in suburban and urban environments where food is plentiful and predators are few.
– Seal pups: Like deer, seals often leave their young for hours at a time while foraging. People should maintain at least 100 yards between themselves and seal pups, and remember to keep dogs on leashes. Female seals will not return to their pups if people are in the vicinity.
Individuals who see an animal that clearly is in distress, is being disturbed by people or pets, or is in a situation that endangers the animal (such as lying near or in a road), should call the local ODFW or Oregon State Police office, or their local wildlife rehabilitation center.
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Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have announced the Salem field office, located at 4412 Silverton Road NE in Salem, will close to public traffic June 30.
The office presently houses two employees, who will be relocated. Department officials said the move provides a substantial cost savings for the agency.
Local hunters are welcome to visit ODFW Headquarters, 3406 Cherry Ave. NE, Salem, or the ODFW Corvallis Field Office, 7118 NE Vandenberg Road, Corvallis.
Hunters, anglers and other constituents with questions should call ODFW at (503) 947-6000, or visit ODFW’s Web site at http://www.dfw.state.or.us