August at TVTU?

Hopefully you got the word that August is our break from things TVTU - a time to go out and enjoy the fruits of your labors with activities revolving around the Cold, Clean and Fishable waters of the region. Or perhaps some other region that you have chosen to explore. Regardless, we are all in this together and hopefully there are fruits to be savored....

To that end....THERE IS NO TVTU MEMBER MEETING FOR AUGUST! Enjoy your time off! Still looking for some stuff to do? Check these out.....

Mt Thielsen above Diamond Lake

CAMPOUTING!
WHEN: August 4-6, 2017
WHERE: Diamond Lake - Broken Arrow Campground
WHAT TIME: whenever you can make it
WHAT to EXPECT: Hopefully, you read in our various notices that the date has changed for the Diamond Lake outing [to NOT coincide with the ecliptic state migration in hopes of saving you added pains of sitting idle on our roadways and being shoe-horned into our campgrounds...]. So gather up your camp stuff...

From THE BULLETIN....

Dam removal should boost fish passage
Published July 23, 2017

PENDLETON — Work has started to remove a dam in Eastern Oregon that blocks salmon, steelhead and lamprey. 

The effort to remove the Dillon Diversion Dam on the Umatilla River outside of Echo started earlier this month. The dam is 200 feet long. 

Bill Duke, district fish biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, said fish ladders on either side of dam don’t always work properly, and the dam was considered a significant problem for native salmon and steelhead. 

“Fall chinook and coho, they tend to come up to that obstruction and get delayed there,” Duke said. “They end up spawning there below the dam.” 

He said the spot is not conducive for rearing juvenile salmon and steelhead. 

The dam built in 1915 served five landowners as part of the Dillon Irrigation Co. with water rights dating to the 1890s.

But the landowners say......read the rest of the ARTICLE.

EJ Harris/East Oregonian

 

ODFW seeks Sport Fishing Representative for Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program Board

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking qualified applicants to fill a soon to be vacant sport fishing position on the Fish Restoration and Enhancement (R and E) Program Board. Interested individuals must apply by July 31, 2017 using <<THIS APPLICATION>>. The appointment will be effective on Jan. 1, 2018.

The ideal Sport Fishing Representative candidate will be a resident of Oregon that is able to effectively represent the sport anglers of Oregon. Desirable attributes include involvement with local fishing groups or fish management, previous experience with boards or commissions, and knowledge of, or involvement with, the diverse sport fisheries across Oregon.

The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program was created by the Oregon Legislature in 1989 to help fund fish restoration and enhancement projects throughout the state. The program is funded by a surcharge on sport and commercial fishing licenses and commercial poundage fees and is overseen by a seven-member citizen board made up of three sport fishing representatives, three representatives from the troll, gillnet and seafood processing industries and one public-at-large representative. The Board reviews grant proposals from various organizations and agencies and recommends projects for funding.

Board members, who are appointed to four-year terms by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission, meet three or four times each year in various communities throughout the state to review project funding applications, hear public testimony, act as liaisons between the program and the public and to conduct other program business. Board members are volunteers; however, Board-related business expenses are reimbursed.

For more information and to obtain an application, go to the R and E Program website at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/RE/board.asp or contact Kevin Herkamp at (503) 947-6232 or Kevin.Herkamp@state.or.us.

ODFW: anglers give region’s steelhead a helping hand

July 13, 2017

CLACKAMAS, Ore. – Facing some of the lowest steelhead returns on record, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has already curtailed steelhead fishing seasons throughout the Columbia River basin by adopting rolling season closures, reduced bag limits, and a night angling closure for all species.

Additionally, ODFW is asking anglers to further help the region’s steelhead by adopting ODFW’s best handling practices when they’re out on the water this summer.

“Positive voluntary efforts may reduce the necessity for future mandatory regulations,” said Tucker Jones, ODFW’s manager of Ocean Salmon and Columbia River fisheries. “If a person happens to intercept a wild steelhead, or any steelhead during a retention closure period for that matter, it is imperative that they do their utmost to ensure its survival by using best handling practices.”

ODFW lists best handling practices on Page 13 of the 2017 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. These practices include:

• Use barbless hooks (even where not required)
• Use tackle strong enough to bring your fish in quickly
• Land fish as quickly and carefully as possible
• Avoid removing the fish from the water
• If taking a photo, cradle the fish at water level and quickly take the picture
• Remove hooks quickly and gently while keeping the fish under water
• Use long-nosed pliers or hemostats to back out a hook
• If a fish is hooked deeply, cut the line near the hook
• Revive fish (point them into slow current or move them back and forth until gills are working)
• When possible, let the fish swim out of your hands
• Fish when it’s cool out – likely early in the morning or late in the afternoon – fishing is better and stress on fish is less.

Upriver summer steelhead forecasts are very low this year at approximately 119,000, compared to 5- and 10-year average actual returns of 236,000 and 315,000, respectively. Wild upriver summer steelhead forecasts are low as well, with a forecast return of just 34,000 fish versus the 5- and 10-year average actual returns of 87,000 and 105,000, respectively. Snake River wild “B” steelhead returns are the most imperiled, with a forecast of just 1,100 fish.

With returns of steelhead so low, another strategy is to not target them and focus on other species, including warmwater species such as bass, walleye, and pikeminnow. These species are not only fun to catch but they also prey on juvenile steelhead and salmon.

A report....

Laurance Lake - early June:

I suppose if we received more reports from members we might publish them more for other members – as the case is, we don’t receive that many and I don’t seem to make the time to fish all that often these days to make reports. Who does right? I do however, have a group of people whom I consider fishing friends who invited me along on an annual trip of theirs. Mostly coworkers and work acquaintances, this crew has been fishing annually for 21 years – I was first invited in 2012. The premise, started by a now retired structural engineer, was to take a day in the middle of the week and leave work behind – as he states “it’s a reason to play ‘hooky’ for a day”.

For as many years as I have been involved, this so-called “Shut Up and Fish” gathering has been going to Laurance Lake...

July at TVTU?

As promised with the passing of July 4th we are deep into our rainless period which spells summertime! We hope everyone survived the holiday finger and toes intact - lest the balance of your cast becomes hindered.....
So what are you doing to pass the time? Maybe we can help.....

NEWSLETTER!

Jerry, our soon to be retiring from the editor position Editor, has filled one of the last editions of his career - take a look and what your chapter is doing!

>>> The Trout Line <<<

Good news we have an editor in training will to take on the assemblage of our little publication here.....still, if you are interested and care to help or otherwise lend a hand; let Lori Day know! CONTACT US! We can always use help!

GENERAL MEETING!
WHEN: Wednesday, July 12, 2017
WHERE: Cook Park - Shelter #3 - Tigard, Oregon
WHAT TIME: 6:00 p.m.
WHAT to EXPECT: No speaker: it's TVTU Potluck Picnic time!
Well, there will be plenty of speaking going on as this is when we all informally gather and chat amongst ourselves while chowing on grilled burgers and hot dogs! Bring a spouse, friend, family member and a side-dish or dessert and join the fun. The Clackamas River Chapter and Stonefly Maidens will be joining us again too!
Ron has promised a "Whole Bunch of “Good” stuff" for the silent auction fundraiser - and asks that everyone bring a charitable attitude and a moderately full wallet! We hope to see you there!
NOTE: VENUE AND TIME CHANGE [the we're pretty lax and won't turn off the grill immediately so if you're lagging a bit behind schedule - stop on by anyways!]

OUTING CHANGE!

NOTICE: Andy Andrews and Jeff Horton have revised the dates of the August outing to Diamond Lake - due to it's coinciding with the eclipse and all that ODOT is promising about freeway lockdowns, they have moved the dates UP on the calendar......AUGUST 4-6 are the new dates. Act accordingly or be one of too many stuck on the freeway on the originally scheduled weekend!

What'd I Miss - June Edition

The Chapter welcomed well over 30 people to the Lucky Lab Public House-Multnomah this past month in anticipation of hearing Jeff Morgan regale all with information on Fishing the Hidden Cascades of Oregon. Erle started off the meeting with new member and visitor introductions – a nice showing of folks self-introducing including Jackie [a recent Vermont transplant], Andrew and Preston [first time attendees], John [recent transfer from NY] and Phil Hafele a long-time participant and visitor. Thanks to all and we hope you had a good time! 

Fish Reports: Andy was not at this meeting but a few folks who made the Timothy Lake outing shared their reports – Tom Wolf noted that many fish were caught; John corroborates the story noting several 17” through 20” fish were brought