There's Real Progress for the Homeniaker
in fhe new conveniences and economics of complete
. By GEORGE ALOTRICO
Picture! by Dick Briggs
Oregon ... a sportsman's para-i
villse or dilemma? This is thei
question fellow reporter Dick
.Briggs and I asked ourselves as
we perused the fish and game reg
ulation syllabuses. Fishing andi
hunting at the same time of the
year? I couldn't believe it,
Both Briggs and I, newly ar-i
rived in the state, were trying toi
decide whether we would fish or
hunt on the last weekend in Oc-tober.
Scribes Combine Fishing And Hunting Jaunt
WASM6, DWliG and
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; .The trout season was nearly
over, so we couldn't let it end with
a whimper, but there were plenty
of ducks in the area and that was
too tempting to pass up.
It was a difficult decision to
make and we were wondering ifi
the opportunity the overlapping
seasons gave was worth the trou
ble.
Then the idea of a combination
trip dawned on me. We could pick
a trout stream that would be float
able and likely to have some ducks
on it to boot.
Carrying enough equipment for a
hunting and fishing trip would be
no problem. A couple of months
before I purchased a 15-foot canoe
for just that purpose.
Picking a river was easy too,
we found. The Wood, Sprague and
Williamson were all close to Klam
ath Falls. We settled on the sec
tion of the Williamson from the
junction of Spring Creek at Col
lier Park to the bridge at U.S.
97 after the Sprague joins the Wil
liamson. The trip would be about
12 water miles, easily traversed
in a day, we thought.
We learned from the fishing syl
labus that the Williamson could
not be fished from a boat above
the bridge at 97. We decided toi
beach the canoe at every pool
that looked lishable.
We loaded our equipment and
canoe at 7 a.m. and drove up to
Collier Park, about a half hour
drive early in the morning with
no traffic on the highway. We left
one car at Collier Park and the.
other at the bridge.
Some friends told us tlie
Spring, Williamson junction pool
was loaded with big rainbows. We
decided to spend an hour fishing
the pool before starling our down
river jaunt.
It was a bit brisk that morn
ing and after an hour of whip
ping a variety of flies we found
no sign of trout big or small. We
decided to give up and start down
stream UiinkinR we probably
weron t in paradise alter all.
It was about 9 a.m. now and it
started to warm up fast. We no
sooner got around the next river
bend and I spotted rising fish In
the long run that coursed through
a flat meadow being used by a
small herd of grazing livestock.
We noticed at this spot that al
though we were about a mile
from the junction the crystal clear
water of the Spring had not mixed
with the coffee colored William
son. We would find later that it
never mixed completely until it
joined the Sprague. Then at the
Sprague it was the same story
again. The Sprague and William
son refused to unite.
We learned later from govern
ment biologists that this was a
common characteristic of all
streams. The fish didn't seem to
mind, however, since we found
them feeding at either bank as
well as at mid stream.
We glided over to the bank and
started fishing the run at separate
' ends. We both started fishing dry
and went 15 minutes without a
rise. 1 changed flies several times
but stayed with a size H hook. I
was going nowhere so I went to1
a size 18 since we couldn t see any
flies on the water.
No luck with the 18 so we both
started fishing wet determining
that the fish must be taking
nymphs.
After about an hour, the fish
r
9 t:'SJft!VZrjif- jump .fcs.-. m ... . .- " v.
FIRST LAUNCHING Near the confluence of Spring
Creek and fhe Williamson River, Alotrlco launches fhe
canoe in which we were to spend much of our lime
during a 10-hour float trip down the river, through alter
nately still waters, swift currents, and rapids. Before em-
still rising, the creels still empty,
I decided Oregon fish were nuts.
With some reservation, 1 went!
into my fly box and tied on a
sure fire fish killer. I hated to do
this because it didn't give the fish
fighting chance. Few trout that
I know will resist a size 20 midge,
especially with no insects visible
on the water.
Results were immediate, but my
strike was too immediate and I
missed one fish after another. I
finally settled down giving
them time to get a good shot at
the small fly and soon netted two!
nice 12-inch rainbows.
Dick was not having the same
good fortune, however. The fish
at his end seemed to be a great
deal more selective.
The fish were still rising stead-1
ily when we got into the canoe
and continued our downstream
tourney. We couldn't spend too
much time in one spot or we'd
never make our destination.
Gliding past more meadow land.
we spotted the first ducks around
the next bend. The mallards saw
us first and swam out of range
long before we got a chance to
shoot. They stayed well ahead o(
us until we started to press them
too closely. Then they exploded
and downstream they went. When
the mallards got up. they spooked
small flock of bufflcheads that
hadn't seen us.
They spotted us in time, how
ever, and banked out of range just
before I could get a good shot. Af
ter flying downstream a few hun
dred yards they turned and start
ed up again as ducks sometimes
do on a river. It seemed that they
were going to fly right over us,
hut at the last minute veered off.
But It was too late this time and
the last one fell as I touched off
a load of number 4's.
Two trout and a duck, not a big
bag, but I was elated. It was
mixed and mat's what we'd com
for.
Dick and 1 stopped for lunch
at about 1 o'clock at the head of
another pool full of rising trout.
Naturally It was a hurried repast.
I lipped a couple of rising fish,
but they apparently weren't take-
ing hard. I soon landed another
fat rainbow and tried to beach
still another, but he flopped off;
as soon we he touched a sandy
bar.
The sun was sweltering by now
U 1 'i.-w.
barking downstream we tempted trout with dry flies
and on the sepia-colored portion of the river and its
transparent taction flowing from Spring Creek. Trout
lurking in the darker waters rose more readily to the lure.
and we both shed our heavy wool
shirts and sat down to rest by
the pool and enjoy some of the
bonus wildlife sceneiy that's af
forded on all quiet float trips.
We watched muskrats bask
ing in the sun, woodpeckers
busily at work in trees overhead
and later toward evening we drew
close to a herd of deer feeding
(Continued on 3-E)
PAGE 2 E
HERALD AND NEWS, Klamath Falls, Ore.
Sunday, February 24, 1963
UNDERWOOD'S
NOW AT 719 MAIN
n , lMtMllllk
Ifi i-.
l J '-3 l
- f ti 1
! i
n
i mm m m
O f f
TO SERVE YOU BETTER . . . ,
moved into more convenient quarters where we con have everything you
wont to see right ot hand We've streamlined our developing service to
give you the fastest possible service on both black & white and color
print service. Everything possible hos been done to bring vou the most
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An i n s i d e view showing the
many lines of cameras, films,
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supplies on hand. We also
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tope recorders and tape sup
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manned by Hoi Millenkopf,
photographer. This new studio
u designed to handle any type
of pcrtiait photography, from
one to family group pictures.
Visit
f
fT t
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first. Attendants are available to help you with any technicality. Merit's Coin-O-Matics
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i EST : ,
A
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24 World Famous Maytag Washers
' Full' 30-minute wash 20c
Hammond Reverse Action Cycle Dry Cleaners
Handles up to 10 lbs. in just 30 minutes . .
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Cook Reverse Action Cycle Triple Load Washer
Handles up to 25 lbs per load 50c
Dryars ore Efficient Tumblctts by Cook Han
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8 Famous Philco-Bendix Washers
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20e
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Double Lood 30-minute wash 30c
8 Dryers Ready for You
Handles up to 50 lbs 5 minutes for 5e
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Handles up to 10 lbs. in just 30 minutes . . .
per lood $2.00
Press For Finol Flawless Finish
Full 15 minutes only 25e
Attendant to help you 9:00 - 9:00 weekdays,
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J ifiriiisnrSifSf
K m il if .,.;! 1 I; 1 I 11 III T 6 J B 1 it
v'i W-'THi i 'ill I I il Wl
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TRIES DIFFERENT RIO Molt fishermen change luret
when thoir efforts aren't producing, but Alotrico went
one itep further. Ha twitched from a fly rod to a ipinning
outfit and began casting luret into waters where mo
ments before he had been flicking dry fliei. Alotrico'i
anticipatory imile quickly dissipated when his efforts
continued to be unrewarded. Later, he switched rods
again and caught sovaral rainbow with a nymph dry fly
mountid on a No. V) hook.
I In
' 1 " '" i - j photographer. This new studio
J" ',' "f ! is designed to handle any type
' . ; J. of pcrtiait photography, from
.J ' ' V. one to family group pictures.
3i ' -""V V'S'' SWn'
I 719 Main and Town & Country
MERIT'S COIN-O-MATIC at 4801 South Sixth St.
14 Moytag ond Philco-Bendix Washers
Full 30-minute wosh 20c
12 Double Lood Philco-Bendix Washers
Double Lood 30-minute vash 30c
8 Dryers Readv for You
Handles up to 50 lbs 5 minutes for Se
Triple Load Capacity Wether
Handles up to 25 lbs
per load 50c
If you haven't yourself experienced the satisfaction of using Merit's Coin-O-Matics . . .
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