The Long Run

It was last year at about this time when I ran 9 miles for a Special Olympics fundraiser.  I had run this event three times before to do my small part in helping those less fortunate.  The day after this run the realization that I had never reached my goal of running a marathon surfaced.  Sure, I had thought about it over the years and even took to running quite steadily during the time when the girls were in diapers and we lived in Oregon City.  Then, I ran along the evening street-lit neighborhoods.  I enjoyed running at night as there was less traffic, noise and a recurring feeling of "play" that I experienced as a child.

Soon after the Special Olympics event I set my goal to run, at age 42, the 2009 Portland Marathon.  I went a little crazy planning for my goal which included a spending spree for equipment.  I purchased a new Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS running/training watch. I went to REI and Nike stores and purchased running shoes (Two pair actually - Asics 2140 GT's) and all the apparel needed to assist me with my goal - when, in reality, all one really needs to run is an old pair of shorts, shoes, and t-shirt.  However, there is something to say about the motivation that is created by believing that these legitimate running items (and the cost commitment) were specifically made to help performance.

Garmin 305 Forerunner Video

Sandy River Chinook

I went to bed last night thinking there was no way I was going fishing in the morning.  Sandy flows were pushing well above 3000 and my last experience at that rate left me with no fish and telling myself I'll stick with the mid-2000 cfs.  Then I woke up and as the clock crept up on 9 a.m. and J taking the girls to a birthday party, I decided I might as well give it a shot...and I'm so glad I did.

I launched at Dodge Park and was ready to fish for both Chinook, with a bobber setup which included two-day old sand shrimp and week old eggs, and spey fly fish.  I had tied a few Metal Detector flies (orange/red) earlier in the week and was ready to fish a few steelhead runs if I had the time.  Really, the plan when I left the house was to just pass up the normal good runs and see if I could just get a good workout in, believing that the fishing would not be good due to the high flows.

I rigged up my old tripod with my Nikon D90 camera and strapped it in front of me, attaching to the foot rest in the cataraft.  It wasn't all that stable but did the job.  I video taped the Dodge to Pipeline run and it was as exciting as always.  At Pipeline, I normally try to hug the left rocks but this morning the flows were pushing hard so I ended up a bit more right which added to the thrill and pushed some water over the tubes.

My Video - Sandy River Dodge Park Ramp to Pipeline

Down stream through the next riffle is perhaps the most beautifully scenic location on the river, if not in the entire region.   The first time I floated this section in February it literally reminded me of Pandora in the movie Avatar.  There are 40 foot rock walls with trees hanging over the water from above.  There is one spot I always look forward to and that's where you can see the background riffle that is highlighted by a back eddy and rock wall that bends to the left.

I was amazed that nobody was at this location as it's one of the most fished sections along the entire run.  This morning's high flow rate probably kept folks at home.  I parked the cataraft and on my second cast (bobber egg/sand shrimp) the bobber pulled down slowly a couple of times.  Now, this was one of those experiences, that come around once in a while, when you're fishing alone and realize a special catch is upon you - causing you to search the banks for others to share in the experience, knowing that nobody is there. 

This was a strong, powerful fish.  It took me a good 15 minutes to land this 25 pound (maybe 30) native Chinook. 

Native Chinook Salmon

After taking the photo I released him back into the Sandy.  I was impressed how fast he recovered, basically resting for a few seconds and then swam off.  A few minutes later the caretaker of the private property that surrounds the area arrived to fish.  We had a good conversation about the river and he seemed interested in keeping it a quality place.

Could this be the real Pandora?

 

After fishing another hour I floated down to the first fly fishing run and stopped by a beautiful waterfall for a quick photo.  

Avatar's Pandora

The "fly run" (I'm sure there is an official name for this great stretch) was a bit disappointing because here is where I could really feel the high flow rate and it made great water only average water.  The wind also picked up so it was a brief stop before heading down the the Blue Hole.  On the way I saw a beautiful Bald Eagle.  I only fished the Blue Hole a few minutes after losing a rig and wanting to go down the the next hole which, again, I'm sure there is a name for but I just call it the hole by the big rock wall.

So, at this "big rock wall" hole I again tried my luck with the bobber and on the third cast, near the seam to the main flow, I hooked into another fish.  I thought at first that this was a steelhead as he felt substantially smaller than the day's previous fish.  It only took a few minutes to land and to my surprise it was another "springer" as indicated by it's dark lower jaw - and this time a fin-clipped fish.

Spring Chinook Hatchery Fish

The rest of the day was wet and the flows increased a bunch.  I somehow managed to break the salmon rod I caught these fish on (not paying attention when I was crawling over the cataraft's front bench).  That really didn't damper my spirits after a terrific day that I wasn't planning on.  I'll cook up the "springer" for tomorrow night's supper. 

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

Yuck.  After a long week at work I was looking forward to riding the class II and III Sandy waves this morning - but not at 3400 cfs.  I've drifted the Dodge-Oxbow run now about a dozen times and feel relatively comfortable maneuvering this section which has claimed many a boat (and oarsmen) over the years.  There are two sections that are considered (I consider) class III - The "Pipeline" section which is just below the boat ramp at Dodge Park, and the "Blue Hole" which is about a third of the way through this 7 mile drift.


One of the main reasons I purchased the cataraft was to drift this section because for several years I've read how many terrific fly water runs it had.  I learned a walk-in route to one stretch of this section a few years ago that produced a couple of fish and now I can get there without having to go "off the beaten path".

Sandy River Water Gauge Below Bull Run

It's coming up on late May and there are less and less opportunities to hit the river due to quickly changing weather and a busy work schedule.  It rained hard the past couple of days which made the flows jump dramatically but the Sandy River is known to recover quickly so I'm holding out hope for tomorrow but only if the flows drop into the high 2000's.

Here are a couple of Metal Detector flies I recently tied.    

Daughters and Horses

When we moved to the country the excitement of owning some acreage and a large barn prompted a promise to my two daughters that I would one day buy them each any animal they wanted. They each wanted a horse. That was seven years ago and, wanting to wait until they were ready to be caretakers of a horse, we've managed quite a collection of animals to include three rabbits, multiple chickens, three cats and one Golden Retriever named Joe.

Around January of this year the horse discussion crept up with a growing resume of "responsibility tests" the girls reminded me they were passing. They were taking care of their chores which included taking care of Joe and the other critters on a daily basis.

We decided that they were ready for a horse. We found an old horse named "Molly" from a friend and were able to try the animal for a month before making a decision. Now, I say "old" as if I know what I'm talking about when it comes to horses. Everything I write here that sounds like true knowledge, is only me reiterating that which I have learned recently from the girls. I've learned that a good first horse is an older horse because of, in horse talk, age means a mellow horse. I've learned that Quarter and Paint horses are ideal breeds for children.

 Molly

What made me uncomfortable with Molly was that the owners didn't really know what her age was, predicting for us that she was in her early 20's. When the girls first rode Molly with a trainer, I noticed her hind legs appeared quite stiff, were crossing a bit when she walked and her gait was awkward. No question, Molly was a beautiful animal with a temperament similar to Joe - Calm, mellow, carefree - just the way I would like a first horse for my girls to be. The problem that ultimately led to Molly returning home however was that the more I watched the girls ride her, the more I became concerned that her age and agility were fading to the point that she might be more of a pasture pet within a year or so. Basically, this was a gut feeling decision, but Molly's days on the farm ended at the end of the month.

Horses are incredibly beautiful animals and I can certainly see how the girls have fallen for them. The books and movies like "Black Beauty", "Barbie Horse Adventure", and "Spirit - Stallion of the Cimmarron" (all of which this daddy has watched with his girls on numerous occasions) contributed some to their fondness I'm sure. But I've come to believe that there is just a natural connection between horses and little girls. There is a trust, a fondness that makes me both cringe at the thought of the girls placing too much trust into a thousand pound animal and a sincerity that looks forward to seeing that relationship develop one day.

For now, we hope to find the best possible horses for the pasture this summer.

Sunday Afternoon Run

www.steverunner.com

I worked hard yesterday around the homestead, mowing every inch of the 6 acres and edged the lawn to boot.  We had my youngest daughter's birthday party so I promised to make the yard look nice for her so the games, flowered pot-painting-planting contest and mud-pie cake was perfect.  Afterward, J's parents came over for a dual birthday/Mother's Day which included barbecue "30" burgers with all the backyard barbecue trimmings - to include J's famous E'Claire cake.  We finished the night with two hours of "Farkel" which I managed to win two of three games that were filled with laughter and finger-pointing that suggested I had the game fixed somehow.

To explain my Saturday events is necessary to to understand why I felt so awful during this afternoon's run.  I typically run between 10 and 15 miles a week.  This, after spending last summer training for the Portland Marathon.  The marathon experience was everything I had hoped and included 3 goals:  I ran a 3:54:25 (goal was to break 4 hours), I ran every step, and I survived.  Throughout last fall, this past winter and now spring, I've managed to maintain some routine of running but the miles seem to come harder and the excuses for not running easier.

Today was different.  I was motivated by my daughter H.  We went for our first real run last Friday afternoon.  She wanted to run with her daddy and this time I said sure....we run around our place a lot, play a lot of basketball, laser tag and games, but I've been a bit careful knowing that our neck of the woods has many drivers who are, well, idiots (last fall, a gal in her early 20's refused to give me an inch of road causing me to dart left as her 50 mph car zipped by).

So, I ran my routine 5.5 mile loop and then H joined me for another two mile run toward the river and back.  We ran the first mile, walked about 1/4 mile then ran the rest of the way home.  I really enjoy spending the time with H and that she's excited about running and spending time with me as much as I am with her.

I only felt "awful" because of the terrible Saturday evening buffet of burgers, chips, cake, mud-pie.... 

Attached is a website by a podcaster I've been listening to the past year.  His name is Steve "Runner" and he's a 48 year old guy from Oxford, Massachusetts who has a goal of breaking 4 hours in a marathon (he just had a bad experience running the Boston Marathon in about 6 hours).  He's entertaining and I've learned a lot from his weekly "Phidipidations" website.

I'll end with his normal podcast closing statement - "Run long, and taper..."

Back to the River

Here goes....my first blog.

Yesterday I returned to the Deschutes River. It had been several years since placing my favorite hand-tied Prince/Pheasant Tail dropper setup in this most unique fishery. I've fly fished since I was a kid, and became quite addicted to the sport in the 90's - but the commitment of work and family redirected my calendar, and focus, away from this activity that helps balance my life. I spent many days on this river in the early 90's as a bachelor with time, a few bucks in my pocket and an old Cortland fly rod. I have returned to some sense of "play" in my life this past year - Running and spey fishing for Sandy River winter steelhead.

 Sunrise on the Sandy River

The day began at 4:30 a.m. after a late night of packing and getting the cataraft ready. This trip was a last minute decision and I was definitely influenced by a fishing report I had read the previous afternoon from a trout shop in Maupin. This report indicated that all systems were go for the Salmon Fly hatch - that the bugs were out in force a couple of weeks early. Well, in hindsight, I should have considered that Maupin must be a good 50 miles north of Warm Springs, and what bugs hatch in Maupin hatch in Warm Springs - only it takes more time for hatches to begin as you move south. I remember a special day (June 7) many years ago on the Warm Springs to Trout Creek float - landing many large Redside Trout on dry Salmon Flies.

I purchased the Sotar ST cataraft in February (drove to Merlin with the girls and stopped at Wildlife Safari) and after a half-dozen trips on the Sandy I was ready and eager for a maiden Big D trip. I was on the water in Warm Springs at 7:15, thankful that I live close enough to be on the water in two hours from my driveway. With a warm (70) morning sun, I hit the river and made my first stop at the island by Mecca campground. Within 20 minutes I caught and released a few nice rainbows. I saw an unexpected steelhead jump a few times in front of me...some guys on the bank saw the same thing and we both shrugged as if saying what in the world are these fish doing in here so early (must be a hold over or returning fish?).

This stretch of river is all Deschutes - Big river runs, tough wading, and prolific wildlife. I captured a video of the largest Blue Heron I've ever seen. I have a new interest for this bird since moving to Boring as they have a migration route that passes above my place (I recently read that some of these migrate thousands of miles, others stay in one region year-round). There were plenty of Salmon Flies flying around but the fish had not yet keyed on this diet.

W

Whitetail Buck Along the Deschutes River

There's something to be said about being prepared for fly fishing and I think the day would have been better had I a diverse inventory of bugs in the box, a good breakfast to start the day, and a good nights rest. With a busy work schedule this next month, I doubt I'll have a chance to return to the Big D. I'll be better prepared if I do.