ad ers
either rain, sleet, snow,
or gloom of day keep
he river bank if the run
ok Miller, a 15-year
of steelheading ex-
, “No matter the
(if the fish are in, you
ih...if you’re serious,
led in all sorts of
most always wet and
miserable. Half dry
i is a precious thing,
imes I’ve been soaked
bone and no fish, but
i way it is, you’re on
y then do these people
Ihey themselves often
¡uestidfi, “Why am I a
jer?” They seem to
“Once you get your first steelhead,
you’re hooked...”-Joe Endicott
have little trouble finding the
answer.
_ “Once you get your first
steelhead you’re hooked,”
confides Endicott. “It gives you
a thrill, a taste that makes you
want to come back. It’s a real
challenge, you work hard for
your payoff.”
Steve Fagan elaborates,
“One steelhead is worth the
license, although it doesn’t
always seem like
it.
Sometimes, like cold miserable
days like today, you really
question why you’re out here,
cold and wet, and your wives
are probably made at you for
being here. Then someone
near you gets a fish arid you
know why; the heart starts
pumping.”.
, “I had some friends tell me
about it so I decided to try it,”
he said. “I scraped some gear
together and here I arh. It was
really exciting catching the fish
and I guess really lucky too.
Maybe I’ll appreciate it more
later on when I don’t get so
lucky, when I have to wait. But
I’m willing, I got a taste, I’ll be
b&ck.”
On this day, a new friend
joined the club. Ron Brown
drove out from Forest Grove to
try his hand at steelheading.
His first time out he caught an
eight pound buck (male)
steelhead,
now
he
understands.
If that isn’t enough, there
is the competition among
fisherman for the good fishing
space along the river and in
boats. When the run is on, it.is
not uncommon to see 70 or 80
people lined up along a stretch
of riverbank about 15 feet
apart, sometimes less.
This line-up begins about
5 a.m.
- Gene Usitalo, often a
member of the early morning
gathering related, “There’s on
ly so- much room to fish and
even fewer hot spots along the
bank, but getting a good spot
often means the difference bet
ween getting fish and not get
ting fish.”
Even with a good spot, the
name of the game is often pa
tience, and choosing the Tight
gear.
According to Steve Fagan,
“It takes about 24 hours of
fishing per fish caught,
sometimes more, and suirig the
right gear is vital. We all try to
help each other out, find out
what bait is working ori what
riggings and help each other rig
up.”
Still the element of com
petition remains. When so
meone catches a fish, everyone
aroung that person is happy for
him, but everyone curses
under their breath because it
was him instead of therti.
WET FEET. Mike Coffman, Doug Rine and boaters take to the water after steelhead
THE PRIZE. Gene Uisitalo shows off 14 pound steelhead.
A friend commented, “He does that all the time.”
Story and photos by Duffy Coffman
GAME. John Romack.Ron Brown, Steve Fagan and Joe
’ huddle up by fire on cold Willamette riverbank.
Wednesday, March 3, 1982
page 5