McDonald Pool in 1950

This very cool old picture of the McDonald Pool in the fly water section of the North Umpqua River was e-mailed to me this evening from Frank Moore.  The black and white photo was taken 60 years ago!

Frank explained that the murky colored water was caused from the construction that was going on then at Soda Springs Dam. 

I've added the two arrows (one horizontal the other vertical).  The horizontal arrow I placed to show the location of the current casting station most all of us use nowadays.

The vertical arrow I placed to point out what Frank used to do when he was guiding.  If you look beneath the arrow you'll see a large pile of rocks.  Each summer Frank would gather streamside rocks and create these piles.  The rock piles would place the caster higher off the water, making it a little easier to make the longer casts needed to cover the water.

Each winter, high water would come along and wipe out Frank's little pyramids making this chore necessary at the beginning of each new summer season.  

Also, note the douglas fir tree stump up the hill and behind the casting platform.  A very energetic angler deemed the trees placement a hindrance to his backcast so the tree had to go!  And to think I feel a little guilty every time I snip a branch or two to clear a casting lane!  Times have changed. 

Frank said that when this photo was taken, there obviously was no highway running along the river.  To reach the pool (and many others then) you had to hike down the ridge from the old road (where Frank's home now sits) and walk a trail through the woods in the area where the Bogus Creek Camp ground is located today.  Times have changed indeed!