The Eagle Outdoors

Yes, it is August already. It is said "time flies when you're having fun." Though I believe I am, I'm not sure I'm actually having fun, as the squares on the calendar sure seem to be getting X'd out at speeds upwards of mach one these days.

Per usual, there's a lot going on in the great outdoors during the eighth month of the year. Bear season takes place in mid-August, fishing, Salmon Derby, street market, farmers markets, and the Toto/Men at Work/Christopher Cross concert (for which we have tickets) on the 30th will be held outdoors. There's a lot of moving parts this month, so let's jump into some of them.

Welcome back, sockeye fishermen

Many of the local commercial fishermen who travel annually to Alaska to fish have now returned home. For some, it was an excellent year. Others did all right. The main thing is that all returned to Cathlamet safe and, hopefully, with a little bit of folding money in their pockets. I know I'm forgetting (or at least didn't know of ) some of you, but a big 'welcome home' goes out to Henry Blankenship, Billy Peek, Kyle Hurley, Devon Mueller, and everyone else who put nets in the water, provided for the nation, and came back to their loved ones.

North Jetty salmon fishing report

UPS man Tyler Robinson, Julie, and I fished the North Jetty for salmon on Wednesday, July 30, one day before the traditional Buoy 10 fishery opener. The jetty operates, per regulation, on either Ocean Rules or Buoy 10 Rules, whichever are the most liberal. This applies to the opening/closing dates and the daily bag limit, including the specific breakdown of the latter.

We fished for roughly five hours floating fresh anchovies under big bobbers. Naturally, Julie was the first on the board, catching a small but legal (over 16 inch) silver; however, the little one was wild and quickly released. Collectively, we had two more strikes, both of which were missed due to operator inattentiveness, and that was the day. It was a slow one, but it's early for the jetty and silvers. Talking with the fish checker in the parking lot, he told us he hadn't seen a single silver brought to bay as of the 30th. Be patient. They're out there, and from what we're being told by folks fishing the ocean, they're just off-shore.

The highlight of the morning was a family of river otters that were swimming and chirping at the edge of the jetty rocks. It looked like a mama and three little ones. Like hummingbirds, otters are fascinating creatures to me, always appearing to simply be having an incredible amount of fun. No jetty raccoons this time, but they're there. Pleasantly, there was an almost total lack of garbage on the rocks, which is a nice change from late August and the apparent human need to "pack it in/leave it behind" in terms of paper, plastic, and monofilament fishing line. Just a reminder to "pack it in/pack it out."

If interested, fresh and still-swimming anchovies can be found at the Ilwaco Net Pens in the boat basin. They're $8 a pound (same as last year) and, though we have some small ones, the bait is what I'd call excellent again this season. Keep an eye out for the little male mink that lives on the docks. You'll know him as he looks like a small furry brown sandbag, presumably from too many 'free' anchovies.

Dubs Vibes 4th Annual VW Show

Vancouver Lake Day Park was the scene on Saturday, Aug. 2, for the 4th Annual 'DubsVibes' Volkswagen (VW) Show. Sponsored by the Pacific Northwest VW club of the same name and coordinated by Randy Salazar, this year's event attracted folks and their rides from Vancouver, British Columbia, to southern Oregon and everywhere in between.

Cathlamet locals Jerry and Shirley Rheault in their '71 Camper, and Julie and I in her '71 Bay Window bus, spent an incredible day surrounded by great people, great food, and an amazing array of VWs ranging from early 1950s Bugs to the, in my opinion, unattractive 2025 all-electric new VW bus. As Julie's driver and wrench-turner, I learned much from hob-knobbing with the folks, mostly that I now desire a 1966/67 Bug or a '71 Bus. Maybe I just want a 1600 49.3HP motor that I can rebuild and put into a bus. A guy can dream, can't he?

Congratulations to Jerry and Shirley for taking third in the Bay Window category, and to Julie for walking away with a second-place win in the same category.

It's blackberry time!

The good news is it's berry time! The chickens and I picked a bucket yesterday. Yeah, I said the girl chickens and me. I'm hoping I can sweet-talk my wife into making a cobbler soon.

A word of warning: I picked here at the house, so I know these plants weren't sprayed with anything. That's not always the case with blackberries in other places. I know for a fact the berries along Steamboat Slough Road back to the walking trail have been sprayed and, likely, elsewhere around the refuge as well. Roadside berries might seem convenient, which they are, but be careful. Look for brown dead/dying foliage. My thought has always been if Monsanto concocts something strong enough to kill blackberries, it can't be good to eat. I'm just saying.

If one wishes, I'm sure there's plenty of safe places to publicly pick berries around the Cathlamet area. Try knocking on a door and asking a neighbor if they mind if you pick enough for a pie, jam, or a cobbler. Who knows? You just might meet someone interesting.