Lunching at the base of Clay Hills Rapid. There is a lot of good steelhead water in this section of the river and the largest of the rapids are now behind us;ses. FRANK ARMENDARIZ/CHRONICLE PHOTOS As you float away from Grave Creek landing, before you even have time to wave[Read More…]
Outdoors
Commentary: Praying for rain while planning and helping
Bob Beck Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same[Read More…]
Safety first: Plenty of fish and space for the vaccinated
There are plenty of out-of-the way places in Oregon and fish to catch but accommodations are difficult to secure. Also in much of western Oregon, small-town restaurants are understaffed, supply-chain disruptions are common and many eateries have limited their days and hours of operation. I have always been drawn to[Read More…]
The Angler’s Log: Wildfire threats limit options
FRANK ARMENDARIZ/CHRONICLE PHOTOLarge and smallmouth bass are abundant in western Lane and other neighboring counties. Pictured here a hefty smallmouth caught along the BigK Ranch on the Umpqua River. A “pay-to-play” fishery, call 541-584-2295 or go to [email protected] for info. A couple of weeks ago a monsoonal weather front with[Read More…]
Judge’s ruling should open the gates for salmon, steelhead
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS Detroit Dam creates the largest lake in the Willamette Valley, completed in 1953. It is one of 13 Army Corps dams built in the Willamette basin with no passage for migrating fish. Court-ordered changes should open miles of salmon and steelhead habitats[Read More…]
Strategic water release helped salmon; believe it or not – walleye gain ground
FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO At low water levels, portions of the McKenzie River’s main channel can become difficult to read. If possible, stop and scout – but always wear a life jacket in or out of the boat while on the river. Cooler weather was in the forecast as I prepared this[Read More…]
Expect heat-related restrictions to impact fishing, trout stocking
FRANK ARMENDARIZ/CHRONICLE PHOTOAt low tide, a stairway leads to a sandy beach and shellfish flats. As Oregon begins to reopen I was intending to write up beat news and I will get to that in a bit. As I prepared this article we experienced the hottest day in Oregon history.[Read More…]
Trout are plentiful; beware fire dangers
FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO Bass fishing on the dune lake near Florence picked up over the Memorial Day weekend. Although no trophy fish were caught (at least not in our boat) it was a fun and productive weekend of fishing. Author’s note: I had the opportunity to join an angling trip in[Read More…]
Well-outfitted watercraft provide everything a fishing boater needs
FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO Westlake Park at Siltcoos Lake, above, is one of the two Lane County Parks that dot the shoreline. The second is at Ada Park on the east side of Siltcoos, where camping and boat moorage are offered at Darling’s and Nightingale’s fish camps. In my last report I[Read More…]
Bigmouth, smallmouth bass provide fun challenge for Oregon anglers
FRANK ARMENDARIZ/PHOTO We spent a couple of hours fishing but with water temperatures still in the 50s the bass were somewhat disinterested. So the day was more about getting the boat ready for a long season and marking potential future fishing spots on the GPS. Before about 1890 there were[Read More…]