Medford, Oregon - It is early fall here in Southern
Oregon. The trees are full of color, and so are the rivers and
streams. If you have ever wanted to witness firsthand the
majesty, power and persistence of Salmon and Steelhead, then you
owe it to yourself to jump in your car, hop the next train or
bus, or take to the air on the the next plane to Medford Oregon.
And don't forget your hiking boots.
The Rogue river is home to one of
the last great runs of native Salmon and Steelhead in the lower
forty-eight, and the wild and scenic section of the Rogue is
home to Rainie Falls.To get to Rainie Falls you will have to
drive to the town of Merlin on past the hamlet of Galice, and
park at the trailhead on the south side of the river just before
the Graves creek bridge, which is the start of the wild and
scenic section of the Rogue River. Rainie Falls, which at this
time of year takes a ten foot plunge over boulders and rocks,
and works itself into a solid class five river rating, looks
pretty much impossible to navigate from either direction.Most
floaters portage around the falls or take and line their boats
and rafts down the "fish ladder" on the north side of the river.
However, if you are willing to take the two mile hike to this
small but natural wonder, you will be rewarded with one of the
finest spectacles on this here earth.
The leaping of Salmon and
Steelhead as they try and climb the thundering falls is a sight
to see.
For most folks, the closest
they will get to witnessing this incredible display of
fortitude, will be when they pick up the remote and flip over to
the National Geographic channel just in time to see a slow -mo,
one dimensional group of pixels hurl itself into the air. Tail
flapping, body contorted and trying to stretch itself over a
natural barrier--which didn't seem like such a big deal on the
way downstream.
All this so they can pro-create
and DIE.
Of course the Steelhead just do
this to pro-create, so they might be a little higher up on the
fish IQ chain.
Now, if I were a Salmon and I
reach the falls - I think to myself- 'Why do I want to exhaust
myself dodging sea lions, boat motors, fishing lines, ten foot
falls, water borne fungus which can destroy my gills and
prematurely end my "fishy sex" run,and even more fishing
lines,-- just to bury some eggs in the rocks and wait for Mr.
Right to come by and spray his fish manhood on my little
darlings.'
If it were me, I take a couple
of half hearted jumps at the falls, call it good and head back
to sea for another three years of gorging myself on fish and
ocean adventure.
But thats's just me.
The fish of the Rogue River
have different intentions and God bless them for the effort they
make to keep the species in tact.
On this early fall day the fish
are extremely active and it almost seems like some sort of
pescatorial Olympics is taking place here at the falls. At
times, four to six fish can be found at one time in the air.
These are big fish too, some going as big as fifty pounds.
It seems like each fish has his
own method of attacking the ten foot height, some go into a high
arching rainbow leap, some fire themselves into the falls like a
bullet, and some flip in the air in a "Fosbury " style flop. (Incidently,
the legendary Dick Fosbury grew up in Medford--I wonder if he
got his jumping style from watching the Salmon??)
Over and over, the fish
relentlessly try and maneuver over the falls.
Some hit the rocks on the side,
some Steelhead seem to have there own spot where they
continuously try and hit a "crease" in the rushing water, and
others mis- time their jumps and fall feebily short of the
falls. On occasion, you see a mighty fish muster the power to
reach the magical spot where they can propel their fins one more
time up and over the brink to the upper level.
Amazing.
Think about it, these small- in
comparison to ourselves- creatures have the strength to leap
over a basketball rim. If you or I could do that we could quit
our day jobs, sign healthy Nike contracts, and go fishing all
day!! In fact,I think Nike should consider the "Slammin' Salmon"
basketball shoe, complete with a smiling Rainie Falls
Salmon--because I know I saw more "hang time" at the falls then
Michael Jordan has ever exhibited on the court. They could even
take the twenty million dollars they would pay an athlete, and
put it towards Salmon and Steelhead habitat restoration!!
We must have sat for a half
hour, watching the great acrobatics and trying to see if we
could recognize the same fish who were taking multiple jumps at
the falls. It is hard to believe there is such a great success
rate, but judging by the number of fish that make it into the
upper river to spawn--most do.
But, not before exhausting
themselves at the falls.
There is no fishing at the
falls, and if you intend to fish you must go at least three
hundred feet downstream.
If you are still in the mood
for some more strenuous hiking, you can continue downstream, but
the trail is not nearly as worn, there are boulders, creeks and
blackberrys to navigate through, and there is plenty of bear
sign along the way. We hiked down to Whiskey Creek, and
flyfished for a little while for some of the legendary half
pounders of the Rogue River canyon.
The days are shorter this time
of year so be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to make the
round trip-with our late start we only had about an hour and a
half of fishing time, and made it out right at dark.
For the most part, fishing was
just an afterthought this afternoon...
...The real treat this day, was
for Salmon and Steelhead appreciation, and once you witness
these great fish in their quest for a return to their
birthgrounds, I defy you to not come away with a healthy respect
for the Salmon and Steelhead--and perhaps for the great spirit
and determination of species survival in general.
A.j. Klott is a writer of
fishing humor and the people and characters that surround the
fishing world. He also is peddlar of "Fly Tacks". Visit his
website at
http://www.twoguyswithflys.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A.J._Klott |