C6
OUTSIDE
East Oregonian
Saturday, May 25, 2019
CAUGHT OVGARD
Upper Klamath Lake: the place to be for Memorial Day fishing
By LUKE OVGARD
For the East Oregonian
KLAMATH FALLS — My advisor and
one of my favorite professors in college, Pat
Schaeffer, used to say “If you haven’t (enter
name here), you haven’t lived.”
Well, if you’ve haven’t fished Upper
Klamath Lake in late May, you haven’t lived.
Don’t let the opening of the more popular
Williamson River fool you — the most can’t-
miss fishing of the year in the Klamath Basin
is to be had from Memorial Day to the last
day of school in Upper Klamath Lake.
I’m on a boat
Perhaps the most tragic reality of my
existence is that I lived more than 25 shore-
bound years before I got a boat.
My first trip out on a boat on the main
lake took place in the spring of 2017 when I
was paired with Mark Doolittle for an Ore-
gon Department of Fish and Wildlife tag-
ging event.
We hooked into 19 fish and landed 17 of
them. Personally, I went 8-of-9, which out-
paced my best day from shore (7-of-8 at the
time) but did so with markedly less physical
exertion and in about two less hours.
That day I realized that a boat, and not
the love of a good woman, was what I’d been
longing for all my life.
Since I first fished from a boat that fate-
ful day in 2017, I kept track of my efforts.
Some trips were most of the day, others just
an hour or two after work, but trips averaged
four hours or so.
Brace for math.
That first year (2017), I averaged eight fish
from the boat every trip and 1.92 from shore.
In 2018, I averaged five from the boat and
0.94 from shore.
So far this year, I’m averaging six from
the boat and 2.42 from shore, per trip.
As I’ve started exploring, veering away
from what I know works, and taking more
people fishing, my catch rates have dropped,
but I’ve taken my game onto the water, and
those with a boat should consider doing the
same.
Photos contributed by Luke Ovgard
ABOVE: Doubles are a reality when trolling
Klamath Lake in May. My dad, Russ, and I
doubled up on gorgeous redband trout us-
ing the tips outlined in this column. LEFT:
The Stealth Products QR-1 Rod Holder is a
phenomenal product. It’s easy to use, easy
to install, reliable and affordable.
Release
and tui chub and lamprey. (2) Conditions
are everything. For the best days on the
water, you want cloud cover, a slight wind,
and recent rain or snow to have dropped
the water temperature just a little. The cold
water will inhibit algae growth, knock back
parasite activity and, if the particular storm
included high winds, push the baitfish closer
to shore. Too much precipitation will destroy
water clarity, though, so pray very specifi-
cally. Those “bluebird days,” while pleasant
to fish, are not ideal unless they precede a
significant storm.
Strategies
There are four main strategies to employ
in the lake during May from your boat. They
are, in order of effectiveness: trolling, casting
large lures to shore, flyfishing, bait fishing.
All four of these strategies work, but
the latter two strategies are notably less
effective.
repels the boredom that can creep into a day
of trolling, but this multi-tasking strategy
can end badly.
Traditional trolling with rods in hold-
ers is less active, but nearly as effective and
markedly less dangerous for your boat.
When I troll, I’m trolling two rods in the
best rod holders on the market: Stealth Prod-
ucts QR-1 or QR-2 quick release rod holders.
The simplicity and consistency of these rod
holders trumps anything you grew up fish-
ing with, yet they’re surprisingly affordable
at $40-60 depending on the mounts you pair
with them.
They work on canoes and kayaks as well
as boats, and there are few products I’m so
completely sold on as Stealth Products rod
holders (www.stealthrodholders.com).
In my rod holders are everyman’s spin-
ning rods with 20-pound braid minimum (I
prefer 30-pound) and I attach a fluorocar-
bon leader of comparable strength (I prefer
20-pound).
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again:
color doesn’t really matter to our redband
trout. To prove this point, I’ve used every
color pattern made by Rapala and used it to
catch a trophy fish.
It’s about shape, motion and size.
Anything from 2 to 6 inches in length
that looks and moves like a blue chub is
prime.
I typically troll 4-inch Rapalas or simi-
lar minnowbaits. I prefer the floating vari-
ety because if I have to stop the boat, I don’t
want my lure sinking down and snagging a
rock or log as I try to land a fish.
Regardless of your methodology, the key
to successfully fishing the lake is knowing
two things: (1) Trout are primarily feeding
on schools of baitfish this time of year — not
winged insects, not leeches. Baitfish. Pri-
marily blue chub, but as the water warms,
you’ll see trout crush more fathead minnow
Troll
These days, I find myself trolling a lot.
If you’re really proficient at steering
and possess a two-rod angling license, you
can cast one rod to shore while driving the
boat and trolling another rod behind you. It
As always, I advocate catch and release.
If you think redband trout taste good, you
haven’t lived.
Instead, let me turn you on to salmon,
halibut, sturgeon, thresher shark or striped
bass. All of these species have meat with the
dense texture of a trout but aren’t soft, wet
and laced with off-putting flavors.
That said, should you decide to keep a
fish, the limit is one fish at least 15 inches
long. Also, keeping a fish means your fish-
ing day is over. It is illegal to continue fish-
ing after you’ve retained a fish — yet another
reason to catch and release.
Get out and fish, so you can know what
it’s like to truly live.
———
Read more at caughtovgard.com; Follow
on Instagram and Fishbrain @lukeovgard;
Contact luke.ovgard@gmail.com.
Raptors take flight at Bend museum
East Oregonian
Photo contributed by Bruce Barnes
Columbia Cutleaf, Hymenopappus filifolius.
Columbia Cutleaf part
of sunflower family
By BRUCE BARNES
For the East Oregonian
Name:
Columbia
Cutleaf
Scientific
Name:
Hymenopappus filifolius
There are eight spe-
cies of the Hymenopap-
pus genus in the west-
ern U.S., and this plant is
the only one in northeast-
ern Oregon. It grows in
Alberta and Saskatchewan
to Washington, and from
California to Texas. I have
seen it only at the north
end of the Baker City val-
ley, and it is reported to
prefer dry places at lower
elevations in the moun-
tains. The plant was col-
lected by David Douglas
along the Columbia River
in the 1820s.
The
genus
name
Hymenopappus
comes
from the Greek word
hymen for membrane,
and pappos for tiny scales
on the top of the seeds.
The species name filifo-
lius comes from filiformis
for threadlike, and folius,
which refers to the leaves,
as in foliage. There are
three varieties of this plant;
the only variety we have in
the Blues is filifolius.
The Columbia Cutleaf
is in the sunflower family,
so it has flowering heads
with a central disk clus-
ter of tiny yellow flowers.
However, it does not have
the large ray petals often
seen around the rims of the
heads of sunflowers. The
plant stands 1-3 feet high
when blooming, with a few
flowering heads in a loose
irregular arrangement at
the top.
The leaves are unusual,
and look a little like a bot-
tle brush that has been
somewhat flattened from
two sides. They are com-
pound leaves, each leaf
cleft all the way to the mid-
rib so that the only parts of
the leaf blade left are more
like twigs or needles.
Some Indians in the
southwest U.S. use the root
for a poultice for swellings,
and prepare medicine from
it for an emetic. They also
use the root for chewing
gum.
Where to find: The
bright yellow heads and the
unusual leaves at the base
make this plant easy to
spot, but it is not very com-
mon around here. Look for
it in open dry areas at low
to middle elevations.
The
High
Desert
Museum in Bend is soaring
again as its signature out-
door avian flight program
resumes through Labor Day.
“Raptors of the Desert
Sky” features hawks, owls,
falcons and turkey vultures,
who soar from perches
directly over the crowd. Vis-
itors will get close to nature
as they are seated in a nat-
ural amphitheater nestled
in the museum’s pine for-
est. A museum expert pro-
vides narration and shares
about the hunting strategies
and natural behaviors of the
spectacular birds of prey.
The seasonal program
opens Saturday, May 25,
and continues with daily
shows through Monday,
Sept. 2. “Raptors of the Des-
ert Sky” is presented daily
at 11:30 a.m., except for July
4. Weather conditions may
result in a time change or
cancellation.
“The outdoor flight pro-
gram is a highlight of the
High Desert Museum expe-
rience in the summertime,”
said executive director Dana
Whitelaw. “It’s an event we
take great pride in shar-
ing with visitors, learning
about the raptors, their ecol-
ogy and flight dynamics, is
nothing short of a thrilling
experience.”
General museum admis-
Contributed photo by Lee Schaefer
Visitors can get up-close and personal with birds of prey during ”Raptors of the Desert Sky”
at the High Desert Museum in Bend. The special program opens May 25 and is available daily
at 11:30 a.m. through Sept. 2.
sion is $17, $14 for seniors
and college students, and
$10 for ages 3-12. Tickets for
“Raptors of the Desert Sky,”
which must be purchased
by 11 a.m., are $5 or $3 for
seniors and youths.
It’s a 15-minute walk
from the museum admis-
sions area to the trail
entrance. The trail to the
flight area may be diffi-
cult for strollers and wheel-
chairs. To protect the birds,
there is no late entry and the
gate closes at 11:25 a.m.
The
High
Desert
MORE DETAILS
For more information,
visit www.highdesertmu-
seum.org/raptors-of-the-
desert-sky. For questions,
contact Heidi Hagemeier
at 541-382-4754 or
hhagemeier@highdesert-
museum.org.
Museum, which opened in
1982, highlights regional
wildlife, culture, art and
natural resources. Its mis-
sion is to promote an under-
standing of the natural and
cultural heritage of North
America’s High Desert
country. Featuring both
indoor and outdoor exhibit
space, the museum show-
cases wildlife in natural
habitats and offers living
history demonstrations to
help people discover and
appreciate the High Desert
environment. High Desert
Museum was a 2018 final-
ist for the National Medal
for Museum and Library
Service.
Campfire safety tips for summer camping trips
East Oregonian
Memorial Day is nearly
here, and for many Orego-
nians, the holiday weekend
is the start of the camping
season in Oregon’s natural
places. However, dry con-
ditions are already pres-
ent in many areas and Ore-
gon Parks and Recreation
Department reminds visi-
tors to enjoy their campfires
responsibly.
“Regularly
reviewing
campfire safety practices,
even if you’re a seasoned
camper, is a good habit to
get into,” said Chris Havel,
OPRD associate director.
“It’s especially important if
you’re camping with chil-
dren or folks that are learn-
ing about responsible out-
door recreation.”
Follow these tips for a
safe and enjoyable campfire:
• Know before you go:
research conditions for
the area surrounding
your campground. Fire
restrictions may be in
place at the park, county
or state level.
• Maintain
campfire
flames at knee height,
or roughly 2-feet high.
This helps prevent ash
or embers from becom-
ing airborne, especially
during the dry summer
months. If you see wind
stirring up embers from
your fire, play it safe and
extinguish it.
• Only build campfires
in the existing fire ring in
your campsite. Fire ring
locations are carefully
picked and park rangers
clear vegetation around
rings to create a safe buf-
fer zone.
• Always keep plenty
of water nearby to extin-
guish your campfire. To
put out your fire, drown
the flames with water
and stir the embers to
make sure everything is
wet. The stirring step is
important: ash and wood
debris often maintain
heat and embers unless
they are drowned out.
• For propane fire rings,
follow the same safety
precautions you would
with a log-based camp-
fire. Propane fire rings
should be placed in, on or
directly next to installed
park fire rings.
To reserve a spot at an
Oregon state park, head to
oregonstateparks.org.