Todd Duncan Tennyson
Well-known member
It'd been about 2 years since I'd been down to the spot on the river that I like to fish.
One of the good things about it, is it is kind of out of the way. It involves crossing another part of the river and then a walk through a labyrinth of blackberries and brambles.
There is a cow pasture and then a swamp with a beaver dam.
After that, All you have to do is walk a half mile or so upriver to a big bend.
Of course, I decided to go in the dark with a headlamp that worked until I needed it crossing the water.
I was glad that could still remember the way although I got kind of turned around a time or too, but not for too long fortunately.
was able to find a decent leak on the left side of my waders too. Big enough to get about a pint of water in over the morning.
There are always a couple of fishermen on the other side that ask "How the hell did you get down there?" Most of them think I came ashore by boat.
I always make up a tale to try to dissuade anyone from getting to my spot and say, "You know I got turned around in the swamp and blackberries for nearly an hour, and I am not sure I'll be able to find my way back".
I tried a bead headed pheasant tail and didn't have any takers, so I switched it up to a Green butted skunk. That seemed to be on the menu for at least one decent sea run cutthroat trout.
These fish are native to the Rogue, and although many trips out you'll get one, you have to set them free as they are all native fish.
They go out to the ocean just like salmon and steelhead. You can see why they are called cutthroat (see the red slice of color on their throat.)
50 years back when my father used to fish for salmon, it was common to catch 3 or 4 nice cutthroat (@20 inches) while fishing for salmon. Of course, everybody kept them, and it nearly wiped them out of the river.
I am glad they are returning in decent numbers.
Saw one guy get about a 6 lb steelhead, but it was wild too, so he took a photo and set it loose.
I'll see if I can manage one last season out of those waders of mine.
One of the good things about it, is it is kind of out of the way. It involves crossing another part of the river and then a walk through a labyrinth of blackberries and brambles.
There is a cow pasture and then a swamp with a beaver dam.
After that, All you have to do is walk a half mile or so upriver to a big bend.
Of course, I decided to go in the dark with a headlamp that worked until I needed it crossing the water.
I was glad that could still remember the way although I got kind of turned around a time or too, but not for too long fortunately.
was able to find a decent leak on the left side of my waders too. Big enough to get about a pint of water in over the morning.
There are always a couple of fishermen on the other side that ask "How the hell did you get down there?" Most of them think I came ashore by boat.
I always make up a tale to try to dissuade anyone from getting to my spot and say, "You know I got turned around in the swamp and blackberries for nearly an hour, and I am not sure I'll be able to find my way back".
I tried a bead headed pheasant tail and didn't have any takers, so I switched it up to a Green butted skunk. That seemed to be on the menu for at least one decent sea run cutthroat trout.
These fish are native to the Rogue, and although many trips out you'll get one, you have to set them free as they are all native fish.
They go out to the ocean just like salmon and steelhead. You can see why they are called cutthroat (see the red slice of color on their throat.)
50 years back when my father used to fish for salmon, it was common to catch 3 or 4 nice cutthroat (@20 inches) while fishing for salmon. Of course, everybody kept them, and it nearly wiped them out of the river.
I am glad they are returning in decent numbers.
Saw one guy get about a 6 lb steelhead, but it was wild too, so he took a photo and set it loose.
I'll see if I can manage one last season out of those waders of mine.
