Upper Willamette hazardous boating!

The same root wads eats another boat!

My last post was about a friends unfortunate boating accident on the upper Willamette and our efforts at recovering his boat safely.  Yesterday, I found out about another boat that had gone down in exactly the same really nasty spot and the owner asked for our help in recovering his boat.  

My son, Colby, and I met the unfortunate fellow who had endured a horrible accident (nobody was injured thank goodness) at the downstream take out and we ran upriver to find his boat pinned in nearly the exact spot as my buddy's boat from a little over a week ago.  Because this boat was hung up more downstream of the root wad than my friends boat,  I needed to find another spot to begin the extrication process.  

I used the same technique of securing the boat to the root wad with a short piece of rope and then using my pulley's and come-a-longs to begin carefully pulling the boat free.  I noticed a length of 5/16th inch stainless steel cable run through the port side of the boat and tied to a root on the stump.  I asked the boats owner if he had secured the boat to the stump with the cable.  He said that he hadn't and had no idea who put the cable on his boat?  I later discovered that this 100' length of cable ran from the boat to the tree on the right side of the channel in the below photo.  Had I chosen to run my power boat down that channel, I would have sunk my boat on the submerged cable and possibly had a tragic ending to this story.  Luckily, I chose to run the narrow channel to the right of the mid-stream tree.  It appeared to us, that someone else with a power boat had come to the scene over the past several days and attempted to recover (unsuccessfully) this fellows boat.  Who knows what their intent was, but the fact that the LEFT THAT CABLE SUBMERGED ACROSS THE CHANNEL IN A VERY DANGEROUS SPOT, PUT OTHER LIVES AT RISK!  If you're going to go out and try and recover sunken boats in heavy, dangerous currents with lots of hazards, don't make matters worse by leaving behind submerged cables!!! 

After we got the boat pulled off the root wad, it simply swung around under the force of the current and came to rest on the bottom, downstream of the obstruction.

Its an odd feeling standing on the bottom of a drift boat full of water!

Once we got the boat off the root wad, I used my power boat to pull the sunken drift boat onto a shallow gravel bar.  That was actually the most difficult and dangerous part of this recovery.  Once it was in water shallower than its sides, we simply used buckets and a hand-bilge to get the water out and get it floating again.  There was no real damage to this boat.  It had a few minor scratches and dents and lost some of its seats, flooring and oars.  I have a set of oars on my powerboat so we put them in this boats oar-locks and we were ready to head down to the take out.

Back on the water!

Back on the trailer!

There have been five boats sunk in the past couple weeks on the upper Willamette.  So far, no one has been injured (Thankfully).  There is another boat (similar to my old red, white and black Clackacraft) sunken above the Jasper Bridge.  I've not heard from anyone on this accident, but just be aware there are some VERY REAL hazards to safe boating on the upper Willamette about a mile below the Pengra boat launch.  These  tress and root wads are located near the bottom end of the island near the old steam shovel that has fallen in the river.  The one root wad has been there for years.  A new tree and root wad is in the main channel creating a very hazardous situation.  PLEASE USE CAUTION!  Wear your life jackets and scout this section out carefully before trying to run your boat through there.

Easy mends,  Dean 

Inches and Seconds

For years I've said "life changes in inches and seconds" and my good friend, Todd Hirano learned that the hard way this past week on a float trip in his driftboat on the upper Willamette. Every year, winter rains and changing flow regimes from the dams on the upper river make changes to the river.  New channels, braids around islands and large cottonwoods fall into the river creating big hazards to boaters.  Luckily, Todd and his fishing partner weren't injured and thanks to another driftboater that came along, Todd and his friend were safely plucked from the massive mid-channel log and root wad that held his aluminum driftboat hostage, pinned on its side - with the raging waters keeping it locked there all weekend.  When I got the call from Todd about the accident, he sounded a little shook-up (who wouldn't be!) but thankful that no one was hurt. I agreed to bring my power boat, some rope, come-a-longs, pulley's, power saws and anything else I could think of that might be helpful getting his boat recovered.   Todd also recruited fellow Willamette river guide, Ty Holloway to join us.

Ty (on the left) and Todd assessing our strategy for getting the boat back from the waters of the upper Willamette.  The boat is laying on its side, pinned by the heavy current against the root-wad and log in the upper portion of this photo.  The log in this photo has been moved and swung downstream from the rootwad so this channel is opened up a bit.  Still a VERY dangerous place below the Pengra boat launch.  

This is the boat, looking down on it while standing on the root wad.

 

Ty attaches the first rope to the bottom bow ring.

 

We discovered that one line and come-a-long was no match for the current, so we set a second line to the lower bow ring and used one of my large pulley's to increase the pull of the second come-a-long.

In the above photo, you can see water cascading over the log that ran underwater back to the lower end of the island.  This log became very problematic for us as we continued to try and drag the boat away from the massive obstruction. 

 

We would crank on one come-a-long until we ran out of cable.  Then we would release the first come-a-long and pull out all the cable, re-attached the rope and pull in all that cable and repeat the process, each time gaining a few inches on the boat. 

 

At one point, we noticed we weren't able to move the boat another inch.  We hoped back in my powerboat and ran out to the root wad to figure out what was going on.  We discovered a large limb at the base of the log running underwater was preventing the boat from any movement.  We were stuck. We weighed our options and kicked around some ideas.  We could use a portion of rope to keep the boat tied securely to the root wad until the Corps of Engineers lowered the flows on the river, likely to happen in the coming weeks and give it another try in less powerful current.  We could perhaps cut the log on the end of the island and use the combined force of the current and our powerboats to pull the log and root wad out of the way...  Since it involved using chainsaws and powerboats... and not having to wait, that was the obvious "new" strategy.  Like all guys, if we can blow it up, cut logs with a power saw or drag something with a motorized vehicle of some sort, that's always our preference.  This plan included several of these fundamental impulses.  We're dudes..Duh!



 

Once this log was cut (just below where Todd is working) and moved (pivoted) downstream and out of the channel and driftboats way, the war was over! A few more minutes of cranking by Todd and...

 

The boat really started to move towards us.

 

 

Freedom!

 

Once the boat was free of the root wad and log, we were actually able to pull it around on the current by hand.  It was amazingly easy to move even full of water until we brought it up on the end of the island.  It was still sunk and full of water that we  had to get out of it. 

 

 

Anyone got a bucket?

 

 

So what we did is attach a line to the bow of Todd's boat, ran the line through my pulley that was attached to a big log up the bank.  We attached the other end of the rope to Ty's boat.

 

 

 

PULL!

 



 

We drug the boat up the bank until the sides were out of the water and used buckets to remove the rest of the water.

 

 

Recovered!

 

 

A very happy dry-line steelheader is back on the water!

 

The boat survived fine.  It received some scratches in the paint and one broken oar.  The only gear lost was a bench seat and a few life jackets.

 

Be careful out there! 

 

 



A "True" fish story... I'm not kidding! I have witnesses...

I caught this fish yesterday, only because of...

this family. 

I met Randy Johnson (the guy holding the fish) and his family a couple of spring Chinook seasons ago. They're a great bunch of guys who take their hunting and fishing damned seriously.  They catch a lot of fish, shoot a lot of elk and a lot of ducks and geese.  My kind of people! 

Yesterday, Kyle and I were working on the Willy's and Kyle's CJ-7, when Randy shot me a text message inviting me down to his boat and crew - to fish and hang out a bit.  I grabbed a rod and hopped in my boat and headed down river.

I set anchor and slid up next to Randy's boat, jumped in and got caught up on all the local river gossip, fishing reports, upcoming plans for this fall's hunting and fishing - and all the other great things we share in common. 

I was having trouble keeping my spinner blade spinning in the lower flows, so Randy handed me a smaller, lighter blade and suggested I give it try.  I put his spinner on and put it out behind my boat and noted that it was working great.  I put the rod in the holder and returned to our conversation. 

 

A short time later, Randy exclaimed "HEY, you got a fish on!"  I turned around and saw my rod nearly being jerked out of the rod holder!  I reached down and grabbed the rod like I'd done countless times before, and as I started to come up tight on the fish, it turned hard in the current and with a violent head shake, ripped the rod out of my grip!  I watched in what looked like SLOOOW MOTION as the rod sailed several feet off the back of my boat and splashed into the waters of the Umpqua River.  I immediately went from total elation from hooking a fish to "AW DAMN!, I REALLY LIKED THAT ROD AND REEL!"    That was one of the worst sights I've ever seen, my expensive (and favorite!) salmon rod splashing into the water five feet behind my boat and racing down stream at the speed of sound, as a spring Chinook headed back to the ocean with Randy's spinner in its mouth and my rod attached by a leash of 50 lb. "tuff-line".

 

"Well Hell!" I thought.  That was that!  I finally hooked a springer that I was going to get to fight and keep for my family (as a guide, I RARELY get to fight a fish, let alone get one for my family) and now the unthinkable has happened...I hooked a fish and not only lost it, but also my rod! This fish, if its not able to throw the spinner will surely perish.  "YOU SUCK!" my mind screamed!  I was so embarrassed.  I felt awful for the fish I've doomed.  I felt like a such a total idiot.  I've heard of this happening to others, (twice already this season) but I've never had it happen to me, until now.   Well, there was that time ten or so years ago, when a customer had a fall Chinook strip him of my rod and reel down in the bay.  That happens. You feel bad for the customer, the fish, bummed you lost an expensive rod and reel, but until now, that was all I really felt.  I always carry extra rods and reels, so if this happens we can keep fishing.  This was different.  I'm a GUIDE for crying out loud!, this doesn't happen to me!  Before I could lick my wounds and assuage my destroyed ego another second, Garrett Johnson shouts "Dean, we can get that rod and fish back!  toss your anchor and lets go get it!"  Garrett leaps across from his dad's boat and lands in my boat with a solid thud with his rod in hand.  I stare at him in disbelief, but reluctantly start my motor and began backing down towards the rapids.  HOW are we EVER going to get that rod back? its gone forever and so is that fish!

 

Less than a hundred yards below us, is a fairly formidable set of rapids.  That was the last known destination of my rod and the fish.  No way are we EVER going to see either again, EVER!

Undeterred, Garret is shouting directions to me "head over that way, I know that fish is going over there".  I move that way for a bit, then Garrett's dad, Randy shouts directions for another search pattern, closer to the main channel.  Randy is thinking like I am, that fish headed straight back down the rapids and both are gone forever. 

 

Not Garrett,  he's self assured and full of confidence.  I admit I'm an idiot and embarrassed and sorry for loosing their spinner, and he says "no way, we'll get that rod and fish back, head over that way!"

 

I follow his directions and move to the north side of the river, directly ahead of the rapids.  Its all over in my mind.  I've likely killed a magnificent fish for no good reason other than my own bumbling ineptness, I deserve to loose a great rod and reel.  I just hope the fish was fortunate enough to pull away from the spinner and continue on its journey a little wiser for the encounter with this dork!

 

Like he knew he was going to see the rod any second, never a doubt in his mind, Garrett points and screams "there it is, there's your rod!"  Sure enough, tip pointed down stream towards the rapids in five feet of water, I see my rod laying solidly in amongst the ledge rock - 20 yards above the start of the rapids.  Garrett has already made a cast with his rod and drug the spinner across the area roughly at the rip of my sunken rod.  I see the bend start to form in his rod as he reels and lifts - and I begin to see my rod lift off the bottom, as I start to spin the bow of my power boat away from the head of the rapids.  For a moment it looks like I'll at least get my rod back, when suddenly it begins to slip back into the current.  I quickly reach down and barely grab my rod tip, before it slips back under the surface.  Garrett is all grins as we "high five" each other for the unbelievable good luck and fortune of not only finding the rod, but actually being able to get it hooked with another rod and dragging it off the bottom and back into my hands! 

 

We were all laughing, hootin' and hollering about finding the rod  and getting it back, Garrett and I in my boat (with my dog Molly barking in the background because of all the excitement) but also Randy, Tyson and Garrett's young son Hoyt, we were all screaming and yelling and laughing hysterically about what just happened. 

 

I started to reel in the line and when it came up tight, I first thought the spinner had just hung up on a ledge at the head of the rapids, but then I felt weight that began to move!  unbelievably the Chinook was still on!  Neither Garrett or I could hardly believe the fish was still there. 

 

Honestly, the poor thing had little fight left after dragging my rod to the top of the rapids where it hung up in the ledge rock.  I simply brought the fish to the side of the boat and then realized, I didn't even have the presence of mind to throw a net in when I came down to visit the Johnson's!  NO NET!!! I shouted to Garrett, as I started to drive my boat towards their boat (and net) so that we could finally, once and for all put this poor fish out of its miserable encounter with me!  Garrett never missed a beat, he simply reached down, grabbed the leader and hoisted the 12 pound springer over the side of my boat and let it land gently in the bottom.

 

Unbelievable!  If there hadn't been witnesses, I would have NEVER told this story! I simply would have drove my boat home and shared this amazing fish with my family, maybe mentioning a great battle, that I caught it on a spinner loaned to me by Randy and his family, not a word of what actually happened.  But there it is!  this is how I came to land my only fish of the 2016 spring Chinook season (so far)  Yes, others have caught fish in my boat this season, this was just MY first, and if I get another takedown on my rod between now and the end of the season in early June, I hope its not as stressful as this one was.

 

Thank you Johnson family for a memory of a lifetime!

    

Spring Chinook trips / $150 per person & Cabela's presentations

 

 

Its been a tough winter steelhead season for some of my guides because of all the rain and high/muddy water we've had this year.  Its caused more cancellations than days on the water. So a few of them have asked me to give folks an incentive to book spring Chinook trips in the coming weeks.  For now, we're rolling prices back to the 1990's on our spring Chinook trips on the Umpqua only.  So for $150 per person (2 person max) you get a full, 8 hours of spring Chinook fishing on one of the worlds best spring Chinook rivers.  This does not include food/beverage or lic./tags, but all your tackle will be provided.

 

At these rates, my guides will have few openings left so you better book now!

 

Also, if you're in Springfield, Oregon this Saturday (March 12th) or in Tualatin, Oregon this Sunday (March 13th) I'll be giving presentations at Cabela's on fighting large fish on a fly rod both days at 2:30 p.m.  Stop by and say hi!

 

Then on April 16th I'll be back at the Cabela's in Tualatin and the next day at Cabela's in Springfield to give a presentation on Spring Chinook tactics.  All of these presentations are free of charge and will hopefully give you some information to help make your days on the water more successful.   

 



Winter Steelhead Stampede

I love winter steelhead season.  I especially like chasing winter steelhead after my duck/goose season has ended.  From now, until the first spring Chinook start to arrive in my backyard, I can totally focus and concentrate on getting my clients, family and friends (and myself!) into the greatest game fish that swims!

 

Watertime Outfitters guide, Rob Crandell with a beautiful winter steelhead he caught while out with me last week.

 

Some folks at ODFW recently told me that we have some very strong runs of winter steelhead up and down the coast right now.  High water kept many anglers from fishing through most of December and January so lots of fresh winter steelhead have been able to make their way into the stretches of water that I typically fish with the swung fly.  Its going to be a great February and March!

 

The past few weeks have given us multiple fish days so grab your gear and lets GO!

 

I have openings so give me a shout.