Keizer couple hooked on fi shing
by G.I. Wilson
Typically, bring up the sub-
ject of fi shing, and a guy’s eyes
light up and an uncontrollable
facial twitch takes over. Not
so with most spouses. You can
get anything from, looks that
could slice bread to, “We really
need to get home dear.”
It’s little different at my
house. “Going fi shing? Good.
Maybe I can get the house
clean with you out of here.” Jo
adds, “Be sure you get all that
mud off before, you come in
this time.”
Different story with Louie
and Billi Priest of Keizer. They
have been an inseparable fi sh-
ing combo for 30 years.
Billi grew up in the Santiam
Canyon and has fi shed all her
life. Louie always enjoyed fi sh-
ing, but, when he met Billi it
was a fi shing team formed for
life.
When asked if this was
one of those guy/lady things
where the guy baits the lady’s
hook?
“Are you kidding? She does
a better job, and has better
luck,” Louie chuckles. “Back
when she was smoking, she
would hook up the herring
and hook more fi sh. I even
resorted to crushing her ciga-
rette butts in my hands for the
scent.”
“I’m sure the tobacco
masked the human odor on
our hand.” Billi adds, “I quit
smoking years ago. Now we
use something else to mask
the odor.”
Salmon fi shing is by far
their favorite species. Their
18-foot Willie Predator boat
could be spotted anywhere
from the Columbia River to
the Rogue when salmon are
moving into estuaries.
They fi sh for spring salmon
(affectionately called spring-
ers) in the Willamette and
Columbia. “Not very much
on the Columbia,” Louie adds.
“Too many boats ripping back
and forth. It gets as rough as
the ocean.”
When asked who is the best
salmon angler, they instantly
point at each other. “She has
caught three 40 pounders,”
Louie explains, with obvious
pride. “I haven’t been able to
break that barrier. Caught a 39,
but no 40s.”
Louie actually hooked his
fi rst salmon on a crabbing trip
at Waldport. “I was just play-
ing around casting some kind
of lure. I hooked something. I
thought it was the bottom.” he
adds. “It took off. I lost it, but
it motivated me to begin the
learning process.”
The Priests are more than
salmon anglers. They like to
fi sh for kokanee, which are
smaller land-locked sockeye
salmon. They are excellent
table fare. The Priests fi sh for
them in the high mountain
lakes like Odell and Wickiup.
They also fi sh Green Peter on
the North Fork of the South
Santiam.
“We like to jig for kokan-
ee,” Louie explains. “It’s just
your line, the lure and the fi sh.
None of that heavy trolling
gear.”
“We hit it perfect on Wick-
iup a couple of years ago,” Billi
explains. “The kokanee were
16-17 inches long and four
inches thick. They were abso-
lutely beautiful.”
Billi has a favorite recipe for
smoking kokanee. An old gen-
tleman gave it to her “many
years ago” and she has used it
since.
Louie has a couple of trips
planned coming up. “We will
fi sh a few days on the Rogue
River,” Louie explains. “It’s
our kick-back, plunking trip.
Sit back in an easy chair and
wait for an aggressive steelhead
to swim by.”
Louie and Billi belong to
Mid-Valley Anglers Fishing
Club, a very active club of
anglers of all skill levels. They
occasionally attend Northwest
Submitted
Billi and Louie Priest with recent catches in Waldport.
Steelheaders meetings at the
Keizer Community Center.
The Priests shared a couple
of the funniest things they
have witnessed while fi shing.
One was two anglers trying
to net a salmon with a plas-
tic laundry basket. Another,
when a boat had a salmon
hooked and two pit bulls on
board went ballistic. One dog
jumped in after the fi sh and
had to be rescued before land-
ing the fi sh.
This husband and wife are
WRESTLE,
continued from Page 12
shot again and took me down,
got a leg ride and turned me
in the fi rst minute.”
Robirts went on to win
the division by beating the
the third-ranked wrestler in
the nation at 195 pounds.
After a win in consolation
brackets, Venegas won third
place in a 5-2 decision over
Roseburg’s Will Reddekopp.
It was the second time Ven-
egas faced Reddekopp in two
weeks.
Senior Michael Phelps
took sixth at the tournament
after getting ousted from
championship competition.
Michael gutted his way back
to the fi fth place match with
four wins in the consolation
brackets. His largest margin of
truly a fi shing team. They re-
spect each other and relish the
experiences they share on the
water.
Billi’s favorite salmon reci-
pe:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place salmon fi llet skin-side
down in baking pan. Salt &
pepper to taste. Spread honey
mustard salad dressing over the
fi llet. Combine Panko bread
crumbs, small amount oil, and
dill weed. Spread on the fi llet.
Bake 15-20 minutes.
victory was two points.
“Over winter break, I lost
two matches by one point and
ever since then I told myself
I wasn’t losing by one point
again,” Michael said.
Michael lost to Century
High School’s Brennan Bac-
cay in the technical fall in the
fi fth place match.
Venegas said he’d hoped
for better turnout from the
team on the second day of the
event, something which had
been strong in past years but
faltered this time around.
“Two years ago, we were
at Reser and we had people
who fell out the fi rst day
show up the second day. I got
beat up the fi rst day and I still
came the next day because we
were a family,” Venegas said.
“Without pushing each other,
we can’t be the team we want
to be or anything like state
JANUARY 30, 2015, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE 15
bowling scores
Mixed Nuts Men’s high
games: Rodney Dunn, 267.
Men’s high series: Rodney
Dunn, 609. Women’s high
game: Krystal Hall, 199.
Women’s high series: Krystal
Hall, 509.
Ladies’ Doubles Wom-
en’s high game: Nancy Sharp,
189. Women’s high series:
Nancy Sharp, 522.
Queen Pins Women’s
high game: Joyce Rustad,
214. Women’s high series:
Karen Putnam, 547.
Tuesday Seniors Men’s
high game: Bill Griffi th,
258. Men’s high series: Bill
Griffi th, 696. Women’s high
game: Marsha Clark, 191.
Women’s high series: Marsha
Clark, 519.
Men’s
Continental
Men’s high game: Josh Gar-
cia, 267. Men’s high series:
Steven Sullivan, 654.
Twilighters Men’s high
game: Michael Mott, 266.
Men’s high series: Jon Curiel,
661. Women’s high game:
Catrina Simons, 213. Wom-
en’s high series: Lids LaMar,
561.
Statehouse Men’s high
game: Alex Vanover, 279.
Men’s high series: Alex
Vanover, 721. Women high
game: Nancy Sharp, 220.
Women’s high series: Nancy
Sharp, 613.
Seniors in Action Men’s
high game: Doug Clark,
268. Men’s high series:Doug
Clark, 686. Women’s high
game: Virginia Wasson, 220.
Women’s high series: Virginia
Wasson, 589.
Thursday
Seniors
Men’s high game: Al Light-
ner, 245. Men’s high series:
Al Lightner, 681. Women’s
high game: Ruth Tisler, 197.
Women’s high series: Marsha
Clark, 501.
Sportsbar
Challenge
Men’s high game: Steve
LeWright, 235. Men’s high
series: Steve LeWright, 659.
Women’s high game: Loretta
Davis, 181. Women’s high se-
ries: JoAnne Heilinger, 484.
Jr. Majors Boy’s high
game: Nick Blythe, 247. Boys
high series: Nick Blythe, 716.
Girl’s high game: Hanna
Russell, 224. Girl’s high se-
ries: Hanna Russell, 605.
Bantam Preps
Boy’s
high game: Auron Davidson,
124. Boy’s high series: Auron
Davidson, 296. Girl’s high
game: Rinoa Davidson, 124.
Girl’s high series: Rinoa Da-
vidson, 362.
champions.”
If the Celts win their next
two dual meets and pull out
a victory over Sprague High
School February 12, the mat
men will be co-Greater Val-
ley Conference champs with
McMinnville and Sprague.
Ebbs said that training in the
coming weeks will look a bit
different than it has to this
point in the season.
“It’s not just wrestling any-
more, it’s strategy and game
plans. If we get them to be
good, each match is brains in-
stead of brawn,” Ebbs said.
have years of experience in
EXPERIENCE We
design, carpentry, and engineering.
won’t stop until the job is
PROFESSIONALISM We
fi nished and you are content.
long list of satisfi ed
TRUSTWORTHINESS Our
clients attest to our ability
to get the job done right.
503.393.2875
remodelkeizer.com
CCB#155626
crossword
2015 Mid-Willamette Valley
Come Join Us This Weekend
Fri 4pm – 9pm • Sat 10am – 5pm
Salem Convention Center
200 Commercial St. SE Salem
Hosting: Domestic Violence Support Groups
First 100 Attendees
Receive Special Gift
HEALTH
BEAUTY
FITNESS
FASHION
LIFESTYLE
$5 Single Admission Per Day
Exhibitors
Fashion Shows
Appetizer Sampling
Refreshments
Complimentary Parking
(Strollers Not Advised )
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER
SPONSORS
Vintage Boutique
Find Us on Facebook “Mid-Willamette Valley Women’s Show”
or go to www.OregonBrickProductions.com