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Peeling Back the Layers

October 2, 2014 by adminewa Leave a Comment

IMAG1107

In angling, at best, we just barely scratch the surface. We stand in the river or on a beach, yet remain on the outskirts, dashing in here or there, each new piece of understanding simply another layer beneath which we find more layers and yet more.

Of any angler past or present, Roderick Haig-Brown certainly came closer than most to discovering the deeper secrets of the world under water. He systematically explored the rivers, streams, and estuaries around his adopted home in Campbell River, on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. His writings record a lifetime of insights into the rhythms, patterns, and surprises of river life.

I recently spent two weeks on Vancouver Island, a copy of Fisherman’s Fall often open on my lap as I drank coffee each morning, doing my best to learn and see and hear the way Haig-Brown did. I waded through thousands of pinks on the Campbell, swam with Chinook salmon on the Stamp, and watched coho chase my fly in an estuary I stumbled upon by accident, and which I’ll leave unnamed.

For a two week trip, I didn’t fish incredibly hard or even that often. It wasn’t a fishing trip–it was a vacation and there was hiking and snorkeling and surfing to be done as well. But I did sit on the side of the Gold River beneath a rain canopy and read about Haig-Brown raising summer steelhead nearby on his Steelhead Bee; I pulled out my tying kit and wrapped a few up of my own, small flies with light wings and tails and bodies of brown and orange floss, tied slim because of the low water, tied with orange because of the huge October caddis flying around my headlamp as I tied them. I fished the flies the next morning and though I didn’t find a summer run in the low water, I watched yearling steelhead dash repeatedly at the fly, observed their rises intently, marveled at their tenacity and abandon and absolute determination.

And I thought of Haig-Brown, in his study overlooking the Line Fence Pool on the Campbell, watching the coho and steelhead fry in his aquarium, giving them funny names like “Number 1.” I thought of him with mask and snorkel on, drifting over spawned out pinks in the eddy near his home or watching the coho yearlings rise to insects. I imagined him sitting on a rock, changing flies, watching the water flow by, unraveling the mystery as best he could. Peeling back the layers. Scratching at the surface.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: British Columbia, Campbell River, Chinook, Coho, Emerald Water Anglers, Jason Rolfe, Roderick Haig-Brown, salmon, Stamp River, steelhead

OR and WA Joint Commission on Lower Columbia River Management

December 9, 2012 by adminewa

View the numbers of the report here.

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Fish and Wildlife Commission today approved a new management framework for Columbia River fisheries that includes more salmon for the sport fishery, a gradual shift of commercial gillnets to enhanced off-channel areas and development of new commercial selective gears for the mainstem. The Commission also set new barbless hook requirements for sport anglers beginning in 2013.

The adoption of the new management framework is the culmination of several months work by a two-state workgroup comprised of members of the Oregon and Washington Commissions, advisors and staff.

“We are very grateful for the time and effort of our Commissioners, our sport and commercial advisors, our colleagues in Washington and our staff in developing a new framework for Columbia River fisheries in a very challenging environment,” said Roy Elicker, ODFW director.

“The challenge going forward will be to implement this plan to the benefit of both the sport and commercial fishing industries,” he added.

Sport share of mainstem salmon harvest to increase

Both sport and commercial fisheries are constrained by the allocation of wild fish they can catch. The plan approved by the Commission generally shifts more allocation to the sport fishery.

Increased production in off-channel areas

Commercial gillnets will gradually be moved from the mainstem of the lower Columbia River to off-channel select areas. To balance the loss of mainstem fish to the commercial fleet, the number of hatchery fish in the off-channel areas will be increased. An additional 1,000,000 spring chinook, 920,000 coho, and 500,000 select area bright fall chinook smolts will be released each year during the transition period, with additional increases in future years.

The plan also would allow for some continued commercial fishing in the mainstem, particularly to harvest excess hatchery fish. In addition, the plan would allow commercial fishing in the mainstem using more selective gear such as seine nets. The commercial efficacy of alternative gear will be tested during pilot fall salmon fisheries in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Barbless hooks, new Columbia River endorsement required for sport anglers

The Commission declined to delay the barbless hook requirement on the Columbia River and selected tributaries. Therefore, beginning in 2013, barbless hooks will be required in the mainstem Columbia River up to the OR/WA border and some lower tributaries.

For 2013 the following tributaries will be restricted to barbless hooks:

Northwest Zone

Youngs River from Hwy 101 bridge upstream to markers at confluence with Klaskanine River.
Lewis and Clark River from Hwy 101 bridge upstream to Alternate Hwy 101 bridge.
Walluski River from confluence with Youngs River upstream to Hwy 201 bridge.
Gnat Creek from railroad bridge upstream to Aldrich Point Road.
Knappa/Blind Slough select areas.

Willamette Zone

Willamette River mainstem below Willamette Falls, includes the Multnomah Channel and Gilbert River.
Lower Clackamas River upstream to Hwy 99E bridge.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: Chinook, Coho, Columbia River, Emerald Water Anglers, Oregon, salmon, steelhead, Washington

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