Yahtzee!!!

Decided to try the Klaskanine out even though the river seems to be as low as early summer levels, Yahtzee! I picked up a small 7 pound buck! He was a beauty! The fish was completely “chrome” with a slight reddish hue on his cheek! There are only a few holes realistically the fish will hold, or stay in for any time at all when the river is as low as it is, so I went strait to my favorite big hole! I amused myself when I arrived at the hole because I told myself that if there was going to be a successful hookup I would more than likely pick one up within the first or second cast and wouldn’t you know, I did! I was even sort of spacing off a bit thinking of work and BAM, this little fella hit like a Fat man protecting his pizza! The Steelie came bursting out of the water and ripping all over this hole! I thought early in the battle that this is more than likely a native (perhaps not a true native, but what we used to call “natural” meaning a hatchery fish that came back and spawned naturally with a native fish of another hatchery fish) but alas it was a spunky hatchery fish. After the battle I fished for a little wile longer and then head up to the hatchery to speak to my friend Bob. He wasn’t in, nor was the manager Allen so I moseyed down to the fish trap to see what fish were stacked up but there were none and I have no idea if they took any down stream lately or if they just haven’t come in large numbers. I see that today it raining, misting anyway, so I may go out tomorrow if it picks up a bit!

Markus

Great quote

" Love is the answer, but wile you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions"

Woody Allen

Dont really care to much for this guy's politics or personal habits/quirks, but the quote is good.

RAZZOR ALERT!!!

I almost forgot! If you dig Razors, do this, but make sure you follow the rules! They watch us diggers closely! Dress warm and bring a friend, preferably someone who hates Razors like my Beautiful wife Heather! You get to eat their clams! Uhhh, did I say that out loud? Snicker...
Oh ya, if you use a clam gun, stay home, cause you suck!

The mighty Killi!

Now, you may be asking yourself, “What the hell is a killifish?” Well, join the crowd! It is amazing to think we have been keeping fish decoratively since about 960 with everyone and his retarded brother keeping a ten gallon tank of tetras or guppies, but I run into this question every day at work!
As is described by the AKA, The American Killifish Association, Killifish are fish from the Family Cyprinodontidae, the egg laying tooth carps. There are hundreds of varieties coming from several continents, including our own for a change and many of these are beautifully colored! I highly recommend visiting this site if you appreciate pretty fish or even digital photography! How this Swedish guy gets his fish to pose is a good trick! “Hold still Erin or you won’t get your hot Lutefisk!” Anyway, before I rudely interrupted myself, these fish are very diversified as far as breeding styles, color, size and availability! This picture is a fish called Fundulas diaphanous. This beauty has a wide distribution here in the country, with a nice population in the Naselle River inlet. Of course these little brackish water dwellers are a transplant from years ago when someone thought these fish from the southern United States would take care of mosquitoes in a sewer treatment plant! Of course this is speculation, but really, can’t you totally see some idiot, unknowingly doing this? Yup I can.
I have kept this species for almost a year now in a 30 breeder aquarium in my back yard with limited success in breeding more, but they are beautiful to look at!

Fundulas diaphanus

Sad, very, very sad.

Well, it helps to get out of bed before noon if you intend to go fishing in the morning! I have gotten into the habit of staying up to late and getting up to late! I imagine there were a few Steelies taken on the Klaskanine today. I meant to call the hatchery and ask when they intend to recycle the fish again. To those of you who haven’t heard of this “recycling” thing before, here it is. Some hatcheries in the State of Oregon will load up early returning Steelhead in water trucks and take them down river and release them so fisherman get another crack at them. This is a sad thing, but better than the alternative in my mind. Let me explain. It is a fact that my favorite Hatchery and river do not need many returning adults to continue the stock. I understand that many Steelies are taken from the Big Creek Hatchery and reared and released from the Klaskanine Hatchery. That means they do not need the majority of the returning adult Steelies, so in their wisdom, (yes, sarcasm) they take the Steelhead to their wasted doom to a shit hole, man made lake called Coffenbury Lake to allow “Sportsmen” to catch them! I hate this shit! Hate, Hate Hate! These kings of the trout (Not really trout, they are classified with the Salmon Genus Oncorhynchus) are left to die, or be caught in this semi-sterile excuse for a lake.
I know, there are individuals who think trolling for these miracle’s of osmosis, the only anadromous fish on the west coast which can traverse oceans and rivers to return to make more deity babies and then return back to the ocean (remember it’s a one way trip for the Mighty salmon!) to come back the following years, “Fishing” but I these people need to go back in their trailers and go back to counting their food stamps!
I would much rather see these fish frozen and then distributed IN the river to feed the rivers nutrient level and thus feed the basis of the rivers ecology! I know, as I have asked, and formerly being one myself, that most Hatchery Technicians and Field Biologists agree that this is a waste and the fish should be used in a manner which fits in with the natural order of nature.
Politics, public image and convenience are more of an interest to the general public and some in the Dept of Fish and Wildlife than what is better for the fish and the natural resource of these rivers we call home!
Ok, now that I have vented. I feel better!

Fishin in the new year!

After waiting for a week for some rain to give the rivers around here a little color, if not volume, we received some! We received very little, but it should be enough to inspire a few new Steelies to come up river and run for the border! Of course, the border in this instance is the North Fork of the Klaskanine Hatchery. I went out a week ago and found very little water, a little color and one 7 pound buck, but he was beautiful! The Steelie had all his war paint on and had been in the river for a little wile!
The picture I have posted (still learnin) was from last season. It is a 15.5 pound buck! A real beauty! The small lamaglass rod I use, coupled with 8 lb test line made for an exciting 35 min!! Anyway, better get some rest, or I will wake up a bit to late for weekend fishing!