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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2019)
C6 OUTSIDE East Oregonian Saturday, June 1, 2019 CAUGHT OVGARD Chasing ‘common’ fish can be exercise in frustration By LUKE OVGARD For the East Oregonian PORTLAND — “Com- mon” is a rapper, the least valuable Pokémon card des- ignation and the most preva- lent stock you can buy. It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot, and it can be very frustrating for those who hear it — espe- cially for anglers who rou- tinely try to catch “common” fish and fail miserably. For those looking to catch something new for a change, those common fish present a great opportunity. They’ll usually take a worm, can be found all over and can stave away the skunk on an other- wise slow day. For a species hunter such as myself, someone who is constantly trying to catch new species in an eternal #SpeciesQuest, “common fish” are irresistible. In Oregon’s Columbia River Basin, two of the most common native fish are the peamouth chub, Mylocheilus caurinus, and the largescale sucker, Castostomus macro- cheilus. These fish are found all over the Pacific Northwest and well into the Rockies. Chubs and suckers aren’t terribly popular as gamefish or food fish and tend to be bycatch. Peamouth chubs live up to their name. They are small fish with small mouths that only grow to a maximum of around a pound. Largescale sucker, on the other hand, feed on the bottom and can grow quite large. In some circles, larges- cale suckers actually quite popular as food fish given their firm, white flesh. Neither is regularly tar- geted by anglers. Neither is supposed to be hard to catch. Both proved to be a strug- gle for me. Rare I’ve caught dozens of fish in Oregon supposedly rarer than these two. Within the Columbia system alone, I’ve caught chiselmouth, threespine stickleback, trout, sturgeon, salmon and half a dozen species of sculpin — all of which are native. To make matters worse, I’ve caught common carp, largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, green sunfish, pumpkinseed, black crappie, Photo provided by Luke Ovgard Largescale sucker are a widespread western species capable of reaching nearly 30 inches in length. They are allegedly a good food fish, though I had nowhere to cook mine, so I let both go. yellow perch, brown and yel- low bullhead and even banded killifish — all of which are invasive species and almost all of which are popular with anglers. But no peamouth and no largescales. It’s infuriating, really. Any time I was in Portland for work, I’d plunk worms with my free time. When the sturgeon weren’t biting, I was waiting on the shores of the Clackamas, Willamette or Columbia hoping for a dif- ferent bottom-feeder. I saw a dozen largescales and a hand- ful of peamouth caught by anglers fishing right next to me, but I never caught one myself. When my brother, Gabe, lived in Corvallis, I spent hours at the nearby Willa- mette hoping a sucker would take a worm. None did. Some people have a fish they just cannot catch, a “nemefish” of sorts. I had two. In fact, I’d caught all but three native fish found in the Lower Columbia Basin (sand roller, Paiute sculpin and mar- Photo provided by Luke Ovgard Peamouth chub are a common native fish throughout the Co- lumbia system. They’re often confused with native northern pikeminnow and chiselmouth but can be differentiated by the short, rounded head and jaw that ends well before the front of the eye. gined sculpin) before I finally caught these “common” species. Salt Throwing a pinch of salt over your shoulder is said to be lucky. I don’t know if that’s true, but I know Morton Salt’s slogan “When it rains, it pours” certainly is. On a rainy day in late March, I decided to yet again try for my nemefish. I was fishing far enough downstream that I knew I could luck into a starry floun- der (one of my saltwater nemefish that often ventures into the river), so I was con- fident. I was bound to catch a new fish. I connected a 1-ounce weight to the bottom of what I’ve most commonly heard called a “fishfinder rig” or a “crappie rig” with two hooks pointed in opposite direc- tions. For me, No. 8 hooks each baited with half of a nightcrawler were the ticket. I quickly caught a prickly sculpin. Then a juvenile salmon. Then a northern pikeminnow. All fish were released unharmed, but my patience was suffering. When it started pour- ing rain, I lamented leav- ing my rain gear in the car a distant walk away and set the timer on my phone to 15 minutes. Apparently, my ultima- tum worked because my rod bounced, and I landed my first largescale. Minutes later, I got another. Not only had I defeated a nemefish, but I’d caught two in under 15 minutes. Not bad. Rain “When it rains, it pours,” I mused to myself, running to the car minutes later com- pletely soaked but incredi- bly happy with my morning so far. I drove to the other side of the river and set up fishing the public docks. It was more of the same as prickly sculpin found my bait almost immediately. After almost two hours of moving along the shore- line, battling intermit- tent rain and more consis- tent hunger, my rod dipped again. Imagine my surprise when I reeled in my other nemefish: a peamouth chub. Here I’d spent years chas- ing these fish only to get them both in the same morning. Amazing. They just might be com- mon, after all. ——— Read more at caughtov- gard.com; Follow on Ins- tagram and Fishbrain @ lukeovgard; Contact luke. ovgard@gmail.com. Northern Gentian a hidden Blue Mountain gem By BRUCE BARNES For the East Oregonian Courtesy photo Zoos and aquariums with outdoor exhibits make for wonderful, family-friendly weekend getaways. Kid-friendly weekend getaways in the outdoors Metro Creative Services Weekend getaways in the great outdoors can be a great way for families to break from the norm and spend some quality time together while getting some fresh air. Such trips are popular, as the U.S. Travel Association notes that nearly three out of four domestic trips are taken for leisure purposes. Families looking to get away from home on week- ends often look for activi- ties or locales that appeal to kids and parents alike while getting everyone out of the house. The following are a handful of outdoor getaway ideas the whole family can enjoy. Hiking: By 2015, the United States was home to nearly 240,000 miles of hik- ing trails on federal and state lands. Hiking opportunities also are abundant in Can- ada, where the 2016 Gen- eral Social Survey found that 44% of Canadians go hik- ing in a given year, making it the country’s most pop- ular outdoor activity. Hik- ing is a rewarding, healthy hobby that also happens to be free, which can be especially appealing to budget-con- scious parents. When explor- ing potential hiking destina- tions, parents should look for parks with kid-friendly trails. Many parks have paved trails on flat surfaces, which are ideal for families with small children. Rivers/lakes: Escaping to a nearby river or lake for a day on the water can make for a memorable, family-friendly getaway. Look for activi- ties like fishing and bring your own rods or rent from nearby bait and tackle shops. If cruising is more your fam- ily’s style, look for boat tours that offer a chance to explore local history while giving the whole family a chance to relax on a boat and soak up some sun. Zoo/aquarium: Accord- ing to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, there are more than 220 accredited zoos and aquariums in the United States and Canada. That makes it easy for families that live just about anywhere to plan day trips to local zoos, where they can spend the day soaking up some sun and marveling at exotic wildlife. Zoos and aquariums with outdoor exhibits make for wonderful, family-friendly weekend getaways. Theme parks: Theme parks make for a great week- end getaways for families. Many theme parks even offer rides and attractions for young children, but parents should call ahead to confirm this before planning their trips. Weekend getaways are great ways for families to spend time in the great out- doors and take advantage of local attractions. With some simple investigation, families might find there are lots of local attractions within driv- ing distance of their homes. Name: Northern Gentian Scientific Name: Gen- tianella amarella This is a small plant about a foot high that I found and photographed in 2005, but I haven’t seen this plant anywhere since. It was along the north- west border of Emigrant Springs State Park in fairly dense woods. It is known to grow across Alaska and Canada, and in the western half of the U.S. to Mex- ico, and is native to that area. Northern Gentian is one of 13 species of plants from the Gentian family that are found in the Blue Mountains. The Gentian plant family, and three genera in the family, Gentian, Gentianopsis, and Gen- tianella, were named for King Gentius of Illyria. He was credited with dis- covering medicinal uses for the plants. Illyria refers to European tribes of antiquity in the west- ern portion of the Balkan Peninsula. The “ella” at the end of Gentianella is Latin for small, likely referring to the small flowers of this plant. Amarella is Latin for bitter. So the name of this plant translates as a small, bitter gentian. The leaves are some- what egg-shaped, are attached directly to the Photo provided by Bruce Barnes Northern Gentian, tianella amarella. Gen- main stems, and have acutely pointed tips. The stems branch freely to cre- ate a somewhat bushy over- all shape for the plant. The flowers are about an inch long or less, and are pink to blue or purple in color. The flowers are somewhat funnel-shaped, with four lobes, which is consistent with other species in the same family. In spite of the efforts of King Gentius, I am unable to find any information indicating medical treat- ments or other uses for this plant. Where to find: Though I’ve only found this plant once, it should be more common than my luck would indicate and should be in moist soil in mead- ows or in dense woods.