Yesterday’s Catch: The Movie

After the Rain: The Movie

My husband Vic and I both were moved by the vibrancy of the clouds transiting Hells Canyon’s basalt hills after the rain. He set his video cam on a window sill and timed 30-second intervals for a little more than half an hour. I thought it was striking.

Back on the River: The Movie

Catching a Rainbow

Chief Timothy’s pelicans

Today’s weather was brisk, but far more pleasant than the last few days of thunder, lightning, and rain. My husband and I celebrated with a Snake River fishing cruise in our bonny boat Pisca-Dory, and decided to visit Chief Timothy State Park.

The park has a boat ramp and there was no wait, and in fact, no one else there. There’s a $5 parking fee, and it was worth every cent for the peace and quiet and absence of anyone else on the entire portion of the river. A gaggle of pelicans was a very special sight. I think of all birds, pelicans are the most beautiful in flight.

We were out for crappie and bass, but also to enjoy being out on our boat on a pleasant day. My husband caught an 11″ Smallmouth bass who fought a good fight before he was brought on board. We both had two bites from fighters who bolted before we could land them in the boat.

Fishing has a lot of variables, and the fisherman doesn’t always win, but a fisherman loves fishing whether or not he secures a catch.

You bet I shoot pelicans! At a
shutter speed of 1/2000!

The Chief Timothy Pelican Council

(Vic’s and my photos; Vic’s video)

Saturday’s six

We went to the pond Saturday after lunch, and the fish were jumping all over the water. At first they ignored us, but then my husband brought one in, and within about two hours we had each brought in three trout, all 10-inchers. The weather was mild and breezy. Once we were home, the canning kettle stayed busy preserving 21 trout, including the day’s new crew and all the trout in the freezer.

The River’s consolation

No crocuses. No daffodils, no tulips. No spring flowers yet at all. We usually have flowers by now, and we haven’t had a stem or leaf emerge from the ground. Even at five hundred feet lower elevation, spring is getting off with a yawn.

But fishing goes on! Fish remain cold and sleepy, but the ice is gone, the quest is on. We fished from Pisca-Dory on the Snake River in a light but cold rain with wind. We had our lunch in our boat on the river. My hands froze when I took off my gloves to eat. Our little propane heater warmed them enough.

Enjoying the river from our bonny Pisca-Dory taps my sensory responses to spring as surely as our beautiful flowers have done in previous years–and they may yet emerge.

My husband set up a small video camera on our boat’s deck to record our outing this 40-something-degree rainy day.

Pisca-Dory’s Second Launch–and Was it Cold!

We launched Pisca-Dory on the Snake River at Swallows Nest today for her second run. My husband, who designed and built our 19.5-foot dory, wanted to test some new widgets he has added; and, evidently, we were also motivated to take up the challenge of boosting our cold hardiness. We withstood the barely above freezing temperature and biting wind speeds in the teens for more than two hours.

My husband shot the video and initial photo that I incorporated into it, and I wrote the captions, checking with him so I could properly identify the instruments. The new widgets I was sure of identifying correctly were the fishing rod holders.

I was unable to take any photos because I needed at all times to wear my warmest hand gear, which is too chunky and clumsy to make handling my camera possible. I even continued to wear my three-fingered gloves in the boat’s warm heated cabin.

On our Garmin fish finder, we could see fish 12-15 feet below us, but they were, in my husband’s words, “too sleepy and cold” to grab onto our enticing lures, even with the prospect of coming home with us.

The cold notwithstanding, we enjoyed a good time of it. We always enjoy fishing; and fishing is more about fishing than about fish, though we do find it delightful to bring fish home with us.

Saturday bliss: bass fishing, otter sighting, and quiet on the Snake

We launched our skiff Companion Star from Clarkston Saturday at 9 AM and fished and caught bass until noon. The morning was warm and peaceful, and the few boaters anywhere near us were considerate. No one zoomed around aggressively or came too close. Everyone on the river kept sufficient distance to avoid creating annoying wakes, and most waved cordially.

We observed an otter with a fish or some indistinct prize, scamper out of the river and up the rocks. He was so delightful to watch as he looked back at us, making sure his catch was secure!

A pair of pleasant Department of Fish and Wildlife guys hailed us for a routine check of our licences and catch. My husband asked if they’d like to see our fish, and they were happy to see them. Of the 12″ Smallmouth that provided me a sporting challenge to land once I set the hook, one of the agents said, “He’s got some size!” I really liked those guys.

My husband took the video and all the photos on this excursion. I was just into fishing.

Launching

An otter (bottom, center) makes his way up the rocks at the river’s edge.

The otter looks back from the middle of the rocks.