ON THE WATER FOR APRIL     (2007)

 

Hello, you All……don’t forget to CLICK on FISH WRAPPER to get all of the CLUB SCOOP for APRIL !!!!                     THE HOOK

CAMP PALMER CREEK

CAMP PALMER CREEK           (29 March 07)

 

THIS JUST IN……….All’s well in Camp, on Day 3 !!  The Steelhead Smolt are being fed 2 times a day. Many of the little buggers have actually started to go over the stop logs & begin their migration down the Siletz River to the sea !!  It still looks like Casey will hold the remaining Smolt in the Beaver Ponds thru Saturday.

 

You may recall, that all of the Fishing Club Officers agreed to hold our 2^nd Quarter Board meeting at Camp Palmer Creek today. The meeting went along rather well until the very end. It seems that Big Fish, First Lady & the Surveyor took umbrage with us calling the ponds…BEAVER PONDS !!!    It was their contention & they proposed a motion to that effect, that the ponds should be called…DUCK PONDS !!!  

 

This resulted in the General, Ducks & the Creek Meister finding this motion very contrary to the laws of nature & general approbation !! At this point Sparky did not have an opinion & Ginger abstained from what was rapidly becoming a VERY HEATED DEBATE !!!

 

As the Club President…..I was about to intervene, when Ducks got hit on the head with a plastic Water Bottle, the exact culprit has still not been determined. Be that as it may, in a fit of great angst, the Surveyor knocked the table over & the First Lady’s camera got trampled….Big Fish & the Creek Meister found themselves under the table, engaged in some very sharp dialogue, the exact contents of which I prefer not to relate in this report. While all of this was going on, I became aware of the First Lady accusing the General of intentionally damaging her camera. He of course, was defending his innocence with great vigor !!!  

 

It was at this point, that Sparky’s CERT Training came in handy, because some how Big Fishes Pants caught ON FIRE !! There is reason to believe, this was the result of a surreptitious cigarette lighter in the possession of the Creek Meister.

 

Clearly this was the appropriate for me, as the Club President, TO ACT !!!  I did & both groups of antagonists’ TURNED ON ME & they THREW ME INTO THE….”I am afraid for my life to use the correct (B) term”…. POND !!!    Suffice to say, it was “Katy Bar the Door” when Ginger suggested’ we all have some more coffee & another cookie !!!  Yes, she returned us to our civilized sense of decorum with a COOKIE !!!

 

I was a little WET, but closed the meeting, with all of us agreeing, it was one of the BEST BOARD MEETINGS we have ever had & I might add we agreed to table the “TYPE OF POND ISSUE” for a later meeting in JUNE !!!                   THE HOOK

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of us went to Palmer Creek to begin the great smolt watch on Tuesday, March 27th. We helped Frank set up his trailer, then helped with the unloading of the smolts. It turned out to be a nice day and was a wonderful spot for exploring. Brian was nice enough to show Ginger Stout and me the weir and the old growth forest. It really was amazing . . . thanks Brian. I think we were all a little envious that Frank and Ginger were going to be able to stay and all reluctantly said good-bye (although as the temperature dropped leaving was a little easier). This is a good thing our Club is doing, but it is definitely made easier because it is such a beautiful setting.
First Lady

CAMP PALMER CREEK !!!

CAMP PALMER CREEK !!!         (27 March 07)

 

THIS JUST IN……….Today began the largest combined ODFW///LVH Fishing Club Project we have ever attempted !!!

 

As you may have heard, ODFW wanted to plant 50 Thousand Winter Run Steelhead Smolt in 2 beaver Ponds that feed into Palmer Creek, which feeds into the Siletz River. The supervising ODFW Biologist, Casey Deckard, needed to have pond protection for the smolt, 24 Hrs. a day, for about 6 to 7 days. This would protect the smolt from predation & allow them to acclimate to their natural environment….. before they were released from the ponds to begin their migration to the sea.

HOW TO DO THAT ???

 

That’s where our Club stepped up to the plate !!!   Big Fish & the General got a hold of this challenge & away we went !!!!

 

Today the Steelhead Smolt went into the ponds & CAMP PALMER CREEK became a reality !!!  This all was made possible because of a Gathering of Eagles……Frank & Ginger Stout have provided their cool 26ft Trailer & Bud Roark kicked in a dandy generator. Big Fish has a Watch Bill in place, that will meet the needs of providing a 24 hour vigil for these fish until “Casey says, LET’ EM GO”  !!!!

 

Special THANKS to the camp set up crew….Wayne, Brian, Wayde, Barb, Butch & Me !!!!   

 

 It was a Great Team Effort & Really Fun to see all of those little Steelhead about to go to sea. Stay tuned for more information as our vigil progresses to Release Day.                 THE HOOK

 

 

 

 

APRIL MEETING & EVENT SCHEDULE

LONGVIEW HILLS FISHING CLUB

 

APRIL MEETING & EVENT SCHEDULE   (2007)

 

1^st & 2^nd   (Sunday & Monday)…..CAMP PALMER CREEK….Prepare to close down our 7 day, Beaver Ponds, vigil on the 50,000 Steelhead Smolt planted & released; to start their Palmer Creek/Siletz River migration to the Ocean.

 

5^th   (Thursday)…..@ 9 AM     BREAKFAST MEETING….At the Agate Beach Golf Course Restaurant. This is a very special gathering. We have been fortunate to have Bill Lackner (Bill Really Knows His CLAMS) agree to be with us, to give us a slide presentation on CLAMMING in our local waters. We will be following Bill’s presentation, later in the month, with a CLAM DIG under his Expert Supervision. Watch for more information on this Very Special DIG !!!!

 

19^th   (Thursday)…..@ 9 AM     COMMERCIAL FISHING BOAT TOUR….All interested Members are invited to meet at the Club House & we will organize car pools to proceed down to the Bay Front for this informative tour of the various Commercial Fishing Boats operating out of Yaquina Bay. Some of you may recall we took this fun tour last year. Once again, Dean Fleck, of Englund Marine, has arranged for Mike Pettis to be our Tour Host with the various Boat Captains. You don’t want to miss this one & be sure to bring your camera & a guest

 

20^th   (Friday)     TENATIVE CLAMMING DAY…SUBJECT TO CHANGE…WATCH FOR MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION !!!

 

30^th   (Monday)…..@ 8:30 to 11:30 AM     COMBINED…FISH ALONG & LITTER PATROL ON BIG CREEK….All interested members can meet at the Club House or go direct to Big Creek. In any event, we will combine both events for a fun & productive morning of Fishing & Camaraderie.    

 

AS ALWAYS….FEEL FREE TO BEING A GUEST OR FRIEND.             THE HOOK

 

 

TRAP REPORT

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP REPORT          (19 March 07)

 

Team Chinook (Sparky, Bud Roark, Ben Davi & me) made the run & found a pristine trap with very good clear water flow. The end result was 4 very wet Trappers, a really cool Golden Salamander & No Fish !!

 

Upon our return to LVH, Bud & I went up to Big Creek & replaced 2 Litter Bag Stations that were removed from the Lower Reservoir….Special thanks to the “Salmon King” McCarthy for providing the necessary materials & to the Creek Meister Dinsmoor for taking his own time to make an earlier check of the 15 Bag Stations on the Reservoir Complex.

 

All in All it was a great Day !!!!               THE HOOK   

There was a meeting held at the LVH Clubhouse on March 15th. I was unable to attend that meeting but I understand the guest speaker, Ryan Miner, did an excellent job. Ryan is a a professional fishing guide, however, he agreed to talk about crabbing and clamming. Luckily, Shutterbug (aka Charles Burke) was there and took these great pictures. Thanks, Shutterbug.
First Lady

Team Steelhead went on their scheduled trip to the Schooner Creek Fish trap on Monday, March 12th. Alas, as you can see by the dejected souls in the photo, there were no fish. The good news is everything was clean and in working order. The fish trap was cleaned of debris and we went on our way. It is never a wasted trip to Schooner Creek because you always get to experience the great beauty of the area. It beats working any day . . .

SOLV

When you get a chance, check out the board on The Wall in the Clubhouse. The March issued of the SOLV newsletter and Longview Hills Fishing Club is in it! Also, a great photo of Bill Furgason and the rest of the gang after a litter patrol at Big Creek. Good job, Club!
First Lady

SILETZ TRAPPERS REPORT

SILETZ TRAPPERS REPORT   ( 7 March 07)

 

This Just In……..The Dynamic Duo ( Bud Roark & Butch Minich ) with Casey at the Helm…Report a Good Day at the Trap !!!

 

They had a Total of 33 Steelhead.....( 23 Natives & 10 Hatchery ).

 

The Natives were transported back down to Spring Creek for release. The Trappers said, it rained on & off, but the Bucket Ride & seeing the beautiful Native Steelhead released back into the wild made it all worthwhile. They also reported, that it looks like Casey’s successful knee surgery has him “about ready” for a Marathon Run !!!

 

THE HOOK

Several members of the Longview Hills Fishing Club met at Beverly Beach on Saturday, March 3rd to participate in our quarterly beach cleanup project. Beach Meister (Dave Dinsmoor) coordinated everything beautifully, even the weather.

It always surprises us, no matter how many times we do this, how much garbage we pick up. It is also surprising what we find. For instance, Wayne Hill found a light bulb sitting on the rocks. It had been washed up and remained unbroken.

As you can see from the photos, it was a wonderful Oregon Coast day and a great time spent with friends. I want to thank everyone for helping me add to my rock and shell collection. I really came home with a lot of "treasures."
First Lady

SCHOONER FISH TRAP-03/05/07

Today Frank Stout's team had fish trap duty. Not everyone on his team could make it today so we improvised and our group this morning included Frank, Bob Abbott, Hank Bryson, Wayde and myself. Unfortunately, there were no fish in the trap today. We did, however, have a very productive morning. Wayde replaced the broken cable with new and the gate worked just fine. With three shovels working and the Creek running as fast as it was, it didn't take long to get the Creek cleaned up. You can see by the picture of Hank how fast the water was running. I especially like the photo of him "behind bars". Anyway, everything looks good, now we just have to wait for some fish to come along and enjoy it!
First Lady

You might notice a new link on the right that says "River Water Levels". Click this and it goes to a site called Oregon H20. This shows the water levels in various bays, rivers, etc. Could really come in handy. Thanks to Brian Hudson for turning us on to this very cool website.

SILETZ FISH TRAP

We had our first meeting of the month today (Thursday, March 1st) which is always a breakfast meeting at the Agate Beach Golf Course. We did not have a speaker today so just enjoyed a great breakfast and good company . . . this retired life is tough. We had a quick meeting and discussed the fish traps, the fishing and cleanup at Big Creek, the upcoming cleanup at Beverly Beach (this Saturday), upcoming events and other normal Club "stuff." We have lots going on so be sure to check your e-mails from Big Fish on a regular basis, and check the calendar on the website.

In response to the discussion regarding the Siletz Fish Trap, Big Fish sent the following e-mail to everyone (if you have volunteered to help, please make a note of your time and be sure to call Bill Furgason or Wayne Hill if you will be unable to make it):

"Below is the email I sent to Casey Deckard today. We are always looking for more hands to sign up to help with this worthwhile program. If you have signed up, please make sure the contact information is correct.

Be sure to take a lunch and water!!!

What is the experience like at the Siletz fish trap? John Spangler wrote the following about his day with Casey:

• This is a very labor & time intensive operation, and not with out some risks (guiding & filling the transfer bucket & fish transport).
• Dress warm & wear good socks..you will be in the water for a long period of time (Gloves would be a good idea too).
• Hip Boots are OK..but..If you help net fish, you will need full waders. Even then you will get wet.for some reason the 40 in. Steelhead do not like to go in a net !!
• Yes..2 hands are much better than 1 hand !!...I was able to help Casey with fish registration data & several other useful functions, but those of you without my limitations would make the day go along a bit more quickly.
• When the fish counts begin to rise, it may well require at least 2 volunteers to handle the volume.
• Access to & from the traps is not particularly difficult, but handling a net with a very unhappy Steelhead would be a good skill to develop.

All in All it was a very fine experience & Casey is a Prince of a Man to work with. He has the patience of a saint & the strength of a bull. I would go again in a Heart Beat, but I believe the project would be best served, if I were viewed as a last resort, fill-in kind of guy. Our Club's involvement is greatly appreciated by Casey & it is worth the effort to be doing such a Fine Thing, in such a Beautiful Place, with such a Fine Man. THE HOOK

Following is a copy of the e-mail sent today (Thursday, March 1st) from Big Fish to Casey Deckard at ODFW:

Hi Casey:

Longview Hills Fish Club had our meeting this morning and appointed myself to be the coordinator with you for the Siletz trap for the present time.

Today I asked for volunteers to accompany you to the fish trap for the next 4 weeks and have put together the following assistants for you:

• March 7: Butch Minich--563-6176 and Bud Roark--574-0896
• March 14: Brian Hudson--574-7978
• March 21: Phil Reed--265-2494
• March 28: Hank Bryson--265-9325 and Mike Samples--994-9960

The following is a list of participating members that have signed up for the fish trap duty and you should feel free to contact any of the individuals if you find yourself in need of a hand with the duty at any time:

• Jack Blower: 265-4073
• Bob Brakefield: 907-252-3528 (cell)
• Hank Bryson: 265-9325
• Wayde Dudley: 574-7962
• Bill Furgason: 574-6056
• Wayne Hill: 961-3708
• Brian Hudson: 574-7978
• Butch Minich: 563-6176
• Phil Reed: 265-2494
• Bud Roark: 574-0896
• John Spangler: 265-4542
• Frank Stout: 574-1864
• Mike Samples: 994-9960

Of course, you can always give me a call at 961-3708 or email me at lvhfishclub@hotmail.com and I will round up a crew for you. If you anticipate the need for more boots on the ground we can always get more people and take an extra car.

The crew has been instructed to meet you at ODFW at 08:30.

Thanks,

Wayne Hill"