The Tail End

of Summer in Oregon is a favorite time for anglers as Fall Chinook (Kings) arrive on Coastal Rivers and within the Willamette Valley/Gorge via the mighty Columbia River. This morning, we ventured forth in the dark to meet our guides (Richard & Susie)…Brother and Sis-in-law’s, on the Columbia River. It was a gloriously warm day and to cap off the wonderful views, companionship, conversations and boating…I harvested a beautiful Chinook Salmon. This beautiful fish will provide sustenance for the extended family during birthday celebrations this coming week.

Yesterday, over 40,000 Chinook Salmon were counted moving over (through) the Bonneville Dam viewing station. With such information, it was probable that hundreds of boats would be staged on the river today to attempt to catch one of these classic beauties of fishdom. And they were…a real zoo.

VIEW THE CHINOOK PASSING BENEATH THE DAM HERE…IT UPDATES EVERY FEW SECONDS (sometimes the cameras are down for awhile, but come back and wait for it to load…worth it)

The salmon, about 20+ pounds and 38″ long, put up a nice battle. Most often, I reward the fish with freedom and take the image and am satisfied. But, today’s adventure was the reality of salmon fishing…harvesting the fish for food.

There came a point this afternoon to where the temps rose high enough that this nearby fire boat would have been a refreshing if flooding relief from the heat……

A special thanks to Richard & Susie, who hosted my wife and I today. They put us over fish, kept us comfortable and ‘hydrated’ and kept us safe in heavy boat traffic.