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Saturday, June 9, 2012


Northwest Fishing



Oregonians such as myself have grown up in a part of the world full of life and nature. With thick forest, beautiful beaches, and hundreds of rivers a streams, it's almost impossible to see all what Oregon has to offer in its own backyard. We are very much spoiled with the amount of things we can do outdoors. One pass time that puts Oregon on the map is it's Fishing. I grew up fishing alongside my father, fishing for just about anything and just about anywhere. When I was young I mostly fished for smaller breeds such as bass and bluegill. But these days I've become very fond of fishing for larger species such as Salmon and Steelhead (A steelhead is a trout that has gone out into the ocean and gotten much bigger). It takes a lot of preparation, patience and skill, but if you have all three than you might just be able to land a fish.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains strict rules and regulations regarding almost all fish species in Oregon, along with the waters they live in. More prized fish like Salmon and Steelhead, trout, sturgeon and habit, carry more rules and regulations  compared to smaller breeds such as bass, bluegill, croppy, and catfish. In order to catch and keep these more sought after fish, a fisherman must first buy a yearlong fishing license, along with a harvest tag. This puts you back about 70 dollars (8 more bucks will get you a shellfish license if you enjoy clamming). Once you have your tags you are ready to go. But before you go, you must know the rules and regulations for both the fish you are fishing for and the water you are fishing in. For example, there are times when you cannot fish for salmon. And some lakes don't allow you to use live bait for trout. Other common rules range from hook size to the size of fish you can keep.
Great strides have been made to preserve fish populations while allowing fishermen to keep doing what they love. Fisherman CANNOT keep a salmon or steelhead that has grown up in the wild. They can only keep salmon and steelhead that were raised in a hatchery. Oregon has many hatchery plants that grow salmon, steelhead, as well as trout. Fish are grown in these hatchery's and Before the salmon and steelhead are let into the wild their adipose fin is clipped off. Located between the dorsal and tail fin, it is small and offers nothing for the fish. When a salmon or steelhead is caught it's easy to tell if it's a hatchery fish, because it will be missing said fin. This fin clipping system, along with daily/yearly catching limits, is what keep salmon and steelhead populations level. Trout are also grown in these hatchery's and hundreds of thousands are released into lakes and rivers each year.
Of course there are many things that disrupt and hurt salmon and steelhead. The most threatening is dams. When they first started putting in damns into Oregon they did not think much about how they would affect the fish, people just wanted more power. Majors advances have been made to save fish, but dams still remain a threat to salmon and steelhead, along with other species. A 2nd threat is sea lions. Animal lovers might love them but if you're a salmon it's your worst nightmare. Sea lion populations have been on the rise for many years. They are towards the top of the food chain (besides sharks) and because of the little to no natural predators the sea lions have started to impact salmon and steelhead population levels. Shooting sea lions has been an option but it has encountered much resistance. Illegal fishing is another small problem. Heavy fines are set in place for those who do but it can be hard for rangers to monitor all bodies of water. As a fisherman myself, I respect the rules that are set in place. Anyone who puts the effort into going out and trying to catch a salmon illegally faces the same challenge legal fisherman do. Many times you might not catch anything. And when you do catch  a salmon it's not uncommon for it to take 3 to 4 hours. It really depends on how you are fishing and where but not matter what, it is always as challenge to catch salmon and steelhead. To be honest, it's cheaper to go buy one as the store, but that's no challenge at all.  

to conclude, fishing is fun, and I encourage everyone to try it. Start small and go find a pond and catch some bass, but once you are ready I suggest you buy the right tags and licensees and go catch a salmon or steelhead. Many dedicated people are in place to keep fish populations level and productive, so your legal fishing trip won't even make a dent. You'll find Fishermen to be some of the most active wildlife preservation experts in Oregon, and I urge you to learn more about the many advances and setbacks actively occurring in Oregon's waters. 

-Richard Jossy 

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