It was a cold March

APRIL’S NEWSLETTER

Trout:
The water has been cold at Hagg Lake. The lake temperature has not gotten out of the 40 degree range. Trout like 55 degrees. When the water is colder, the smaller fish are much less active. The larger fish have more body mass, so they can handle the colder temps better, but they are slow movers. I wish I could report a great time of catching last month, but it was hard fishing. I postponed a number of trips due to the cold water. We should see the lake hit the 50 degree mark soon and then we will be back catching limits.

The lake will be stocked again this week. That will cause the catch rate to increase also.

This month the Lake Stop Grocery has weighed in some nice fish. The largest weighing 13 pounds. Many anglers only caught one or two fish.

Bass:
The bass will not start actively feeding until the lake hit 55-58 degrees. It could take until May or early June for the bass to move into the flats for their annual spawn.

Sturgeon:
My friend Charlie Foster of Northwest Sturgeon Adventures has been doing well with Sturgeon in the Willamette River.

My Boat:
I have just finished remodeling the boat to accept wheelchair passengers. To my knowledge, no other guide in the Portland area provides this service. I have also replaced the seats and added a BBQ so we can enjoy a lunch of the catch of the day!

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

Salmon Fever?

I just drove by Chinook Landing, a local boat launch area for the Columbia River. The parking lot is completely full! Almost 200 trucks with trailers are in the lot. But where is the Salmon? Well, they aren’t quite here yet. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife monitors the catch rate on the rivers. Last Saturday there were 3248 boats on the river. Only 209 salmon were caught. Bonneville Damn fish ladder has counted less then 700 salmon this month. It’s just too early to be salmon fishing! Monitor the fish counts at Bonneville. When the daily counts reach the 500 mark, it’s time to go.

So why are so many people Salmon fishing? Most are afraid they will miss the season. Last year the river was shut down mid-run, because the catch rate was so high. I believe that many are fearful of something similar happening this year.

That’s why I don’t guide for Salmon. I want my clients to have the best opportunity to catch fish.

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

Is Fly Fishing Covered By Insurance?

We have all seen the photos of someone standing knee deep in a stream while fly-fishing. It looks so peaceful, out in nature, enjoying God’s creation and pulling in huge trout. Well it seldom starts out that way! Fly-fishing is an art form. It takes practice and patience. For some, it’s almost a Zen thing. “You must be one with the elements”. Well for me, I also needed a credit card with a low balance. Gone are the days of digging up some worms, fishing with a tree limb and a line thicker then a shoelace. Fish are much smarter these days. We live in the times of Hi-Tech fishing. Millions of dollars are spent in researching and understanding fish habitat, and then developing new products to catch these smart fish. The tree branch rods have been replaced with co-polymer, laminated, graphite, wiz-bang rods with titanium guides, which come in various weights, lengths and colors. Reels that cost more then them my laptop, and lines, which sink, float, fast or slow taper, tipper, leader and knots, which use a nail! I just want to catch a fish!!!

Now we come to the flies. I never knew there were so many different types of bugs. Some of these flies are tied on a hook so small, I would need two pairs of reading glasses to even see them, while others are the size of a small bird. I am told I need a wide variety because I need to “match the hatch”, which is code for find the fly that looks like that bug, which just bit you. Don’t worry about that red welt which is growing to the size of your eyeball. You are doing this to relax and have fun.

I soon learned it’s not ok to wade in the stream with cut-offs and sneakers. NOOOOOOO! You need breathable lightweight waders with wading boots and a fishing vest. I guess I should have checked the dress code. Ok, there is another $350. Again, I just want to catch some fish.

I should have been suspicious when my wife didn’t complain about me spending all of this money on fly-fishing. I just thought she was being supportive and rewarding me for working all of those long hard hours at work. I think I discovered her evil plot on one of my first trips.

I am now set. I have my $600 fly rod with my $400 reel. My $350 waders and boots, $50 hat, $150 prescription polarized sunglasses and $300 worth of flies and assorted tackle. As I start to enter the river I thought, “there better be some damn fish in here”! I carefully waded out to what I thought was a good spot. After just a few casts, I decided it would be better to stand on a nearby rock. It was a pretty rock. It had a lovely green color to it. As soon as my foot touched that rock, I understood my college physics class. When a 300-pound body is in motion, and steps on a slimy green rock, the laws of thermal dynamics will prevent my foot from stopping. It appears that the green ooze on the rock, is much like spraying silicone on the break pads of your car. I was not aware that my legs could spread that far! I guess it helped that my other foot became lodged between two other rocks. It would have helped if my knee had not struck that green rock, as I fell into the water. If my waders were breathable, they should have spit out all of the water that was rushing inside. I must have looked like a float in the Macy’s day parade. I now know what a Turtle experiences, when we place then on their backs. With my $50 hat and $150 prescription sunglasses gone, I struggled to get to my feet. Since my waders were now full of water I must have weighed somewhere around the 500 pound mark. All this time, I am thinking, “It’s fine, I am just a little wet. The worst is over”.  At least I had my fly rod and all of the gear. That is until I again slipped and fell on the rod snapping it like a tooth pick.

At this point, the thought of catching a fish has left my mind. I just wanted to get out of these water logged waders and clothes. My knee was swelling and my ankle was starting to throb. Since I was in a rather secluded portion of the river with no one was around, I decided to strip naked and wring out my clothes. All I could think of is “how am I going to keep these wet clothes off my leather car seats?” I CERTAINLY did not want to stain those lovely seats. I just bought the car a few months ago.

As luck has it, it was a warm summer day. I laid my clothes on the near by bushes to dry.  As I lay down to rest for a while, I must have fallen asleep. I was having such a wonderful dream of catching fish with my new fly rod, when I felt something poking me. When I opened my eyes, I discovered that a small crowd had assembled. It seems a family was floating down the river and reported a dead body on the beach. They said, “He must be dead because his stomach is bloated.” Well, I wasn’t dead, but I was a little sunburned. It’s interesting that the portions of our bodies, which seldom see the sun, burn sooner then, let’s say our arms. Oh yah! I was on a rocky beach, buck naked with a swollen knee, throbbing ankle, and burned gonads! I didn’t need to worry about staining my lovely leather car seats, because that nice police officer with the nightstick, gave me a ride to the jail. My clothes were dry once my wife came down and bailed me out. The police were so nice to tow my car for safe keeping while I was staying in their care and it only cost me $500 to get it back. I am no longer interested in learning how to fly fish. I now hire a guide, so if anything breaks, or I get arrested, I will have someone to sue!

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

A Lingcod Trip

In today’s information age, new ideas and developments are constantly emerging in all industries. Fishing is no exception. Companies continue to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on research and development of new products. I am constantly testing new techniques for catching more fish.

This past weekend I was able to treat myself to a fishing trip on the Oregon coast. I went out with Captain’s Reel Deep Sea Fishing, out of Newport, Oregon. We were bottom fishing. I have been bottom fishing in Southern California previously, but this was different. I am used to locating the fish, anchoring and jigging for the fish. The skipper of the boat located the fish, stopped the boat and then drifted over the fish. We made a number of drifts over various schools of fish. Some of the fish must have been taking an exam, because they simply were not hungry. We did not do the fast jerking I was use to, but rather we were instructed to reel slowly to the surface. If you did not catch a fish, drop it back down and do it again.

I was a little skeptical of the new method, so I decided to try my old method first. I jerked it off the bottom and bounced it on the rocks below, to no avail. After about five minuets I tried the new technique. I started to reel slowly towards the surface. It didn’t take long for a hungry Lingcod to attack my jig. It was great to see the rod bend in half as the Ling started to strip off some line. The deck hand came over and told me not to pump the fish up. Apparently Lingcod have soft mouths. If I fought it like a bass, the hook could tear through the mouth of the Ling. I just needed to keep constant pressure on the fish, while continuing to reel slowly.

It didn’t take long to see the ugly sea monster, but this one was too small. It needed to measure 28” or more. We sent this one back to grow up. I ended up keeping one Lingcod and four Sea Bass.

It was a wonderful trip. It was nice to not need to run the boat, or net the fish. I could have taken my boat out, but I don’t know the holes, or productive lures. It was much better to go on a charter with seasoned professionals. It’s always good to fish with a knowledgeable pro!

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

Oh My God, It’s A Sea Monster!

I have caught a wide variety of fish. I have caught literally thousands of various Trout and Bass. I have also landed Tuna, Mackerel, Barracuda, Salmon, Steelhead, Halibut, Sturgeon and a number of sharks. But the ugliest fish I have caught is a Lingcod.

I will never forget the first time I encountered one. I was fishing on a “party boat” out of San Diego, California. We had caught some very tasty Sand and Calico Bass on the trip. A friend and I decided to drop out baits down to the bottom to see what we could pull up. It didn’t take long until he had a nice fish on. His rod had a deep bend in it, so we knew it was a sizeable fish. I looked on with anticipation, but I was horrified when I first saw the Lingcod. “Oh my God! What is that?” I almost cut his line. I knew it must be some sort of Sea Monster! It was ugly with a set of chompers that could really put the hurt on a fellow. I am sure my eyes were the size of coffee mugs. My friend was also bewildered as to what he should do with the creature.

We yelled for the deckhand, “Gaff, Gaff”. I am sure I said, “And bring a gun!” By this time others were gathering around to see what my friend had caught. You see, it’s seldom, that someone asks for a gun on a fishing trip.

The deckhand said, “It’s a Lingcod”. As he grabbed a gaff, I thought, “He isn’t going to bring that thing on board is he?” The deckhand gaffed the monster and it lied on the deck flopping around. I am sure I heard it say, “Come here big guy. I am going to eat you!” It took all of the self-control that I could muster to not jump overboard. I didn’t want to be any where near that vampire fish.

I was glad to see the deckhand take a club and bash it’s head in. I asked him to hit it a couple more times, because I was sure it could come back to life with a chainsaw in it’s fin!

We were later informed that Lingcod is very good to eat. But wasn’t convinced. I was also freaked out when I saw, that the meat has a greenish tint to it. I was sure that this fish was nothing, in which a great and wise God had created.

“I know. It’s an Alien from another planet!”

I have since learned that these are a real treat to eat and they can be found around rock piles and jetties. I am planning to take a trip to get some of these monsters soon. I will be fishing with, Captains Reel Deep Sea Fishing out of Newport, Oregon. Here is the link to the website: http://captainsreel.com/. Contact me if you are interested in coming along.

By: Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

It’s Ponds for the Winter

Here in the Pacific Northwest, winter means cold, wet weather. Many choose to stay inside. The boats are covered as most hibernate until Spring or Summer.

There are still some very good fishing opportunities in local ponds. Many of the ponds are home to warm water species like Bass, Bluegill and Crappie in the summertime. But they are stocked with trout during the winter. These ponds are also host locations for state sponsored youth fishing events. When Fish & Wildlife stocks the ponds for the fishing events, they have been known to put in some nice fish! I have caught some very large trout (5-10 Lbs) in some of these ponds.

One of the nice things is that you don’t need to get up in the middle of the night to catch these monsters. Many times fishing is quite slow until afternoon. That’s when the water has warmed one or two degrees. You see, slight temperature changes can make big differences in the bite.

The coastal lakes are also heavily stocked during the winter. Steelhead are often placed in these lakes after they have spawned at the hatchery. Keep a close eye on the stocking schedule at your state Fish & Wildlife’s website. Here are some links:

Oregon http://www.dfw.state.or.us/RR/willamette/

Washington wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports_plants.html

What’s important is to keep enjoying fishing. I for one get too grouchy when I haven’t been fishing for a while.

PS: Don’t for get those electric socks! They work great!

By: Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

I Love To Hear A Fishing Reel Scream

There are few things that make a fisherman’s heart jump like a screaming reel. It happened twice on Saturday! This is a common sound if you are fishing for large fish like tuna, but when you are in a lake, fishing for trout, it’s a special time.

Many have had the frustration of hooking the bottom of the lake or river. Line is pealing off your reel, but the pulsating of a large fish is absent. You’re just hopping you can get your lure back before the line breaks.

That wasn’t the case on Saturday! Henry Hagg Lake is known for it’s huge trout (a 19 Lb trout was caught this spring) and state record smallmouth bass. It is well stocked with trout through out the year. It also has a vibrant number of natives, which are born each year from the many “hold over” trout. The water is clean, but not as clear as some lakes in the region.

On Saturday, the surface water temperature was 54.5 degrees. Perfect for trout. But the weather was far from perfect. We had driving rain and fifteen mile per hour winds. The top on my boat was of little help. We would have been drenched without rain gear. We had caught four or five trout when one of my clients asked, “What’s happening”? His reel was singing and line was racing off. I had warned my clients, that this lake has some large fish in it. If we hook one of these monsters, it will start taking line. I gave the command for everyone to reel up their lines. I was turning the boat so we could follow, what I thought was a large fish! As the boat turned, he started reeling up line. With the wind and rain, it wasn’t easy to see the green fishing line. I didn’t want the line to go slack, because the fish could spit the hook. A few moments later, just that happened. The bend in the rod reduced and the tip stopped pulsating. The fish was gone and I was truly sad.

With coming about quickly, I had made a mess of some of the other lines. As I was untangling the lines, the fisherman who had hooked the big fish, re-baited and let his line out. The wind was causing us to drift at a slow pace. I couldn’t believe it when his reel started singing again. Another big fish, or was it the bottom? No, it’s a fish alright. He fought that one for a while, but the results were the same. He lost the fish. I was frustrated, by loosing two large fish on this trip.

We ended up catching our limits within five hours. One of trout weighed close to two pounds. But, it would have been nice to catch one of the monsters. I will return with other clients and we will continue to catch our limits. And yes, some will be monsters!

By: Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

Fishing During Autumn

Autumn begins the time when the “fair weather fishermen” stay at home, but that is a real mistake! The cooler weather brings life back to those lazy trout, which were hanging in deep water during the summer. They were lethargic in the warmer water because it had a lower oxygen level. But they are back with a vengeance! I am finding hungry fish at Hagg and Detroit lakes. They are up by the surface and fattening up for winter.

The bank fishermen are picking up fish at a rate of one every hour or so. Those in a boat are doing much better. I picked up 25 in about 6 hours.

They are attacking small lures like Roostertails and Meps. Flashers and a worm tipped Wedding Ring have also done well. But my favorite is trolling flies! Just give them a jerk every once in a while, and the Trout and Kokenee will swallow them up. Since there is little drag when trolling a fly, you can use your ultra light rods. And then hold on for the fight! Many times you will pick up larger, “hold over” fish. These guys have been feeding on insects all summer. They will strike hard and fast.

If you start loosing fish while bring them to the boat, place a snubber on your line. Hook it up to your main line before you leader and fly. It will act like a shock absorber and prevent the hook from tearing the soft tissue on the sides of the mouth.

Make sure you bring you camera, because Fall is also a magnificent time to get out and enjoy the vibrant leaf colors.

Don’t forget your rain gear. It is excellent for blocking the wind on a blustery day. It will also keep you healthy and dry in the rain. Remember, if you get sick and miss work, your wife might object the next time you want to go out fishing.

So, enjoy the fall, and catch lots of fish!

By:    Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC

Surviving Tough Times

It’s hard to miss that there will be some difficult economic times ahead. I have been through tough times before and my fishing skills helped put food on the table.

I was living in Northern California when I was injured on the job. Because I was the main breadwinner in the family, the loss of two thirds of my income really hurt! There were lots of changes, that were made unwillingly, but this was survival time!

We sold the boat and one of our cars to reduce expenses, but I still needed maintain my sanity. I went from working 40-50 hours per week, to going to the doctor’s office and physical therapy three times each week. I had too much free time on my hands.

I had been fishing for Trout and Bass for a number of years, so I decided we were going to eat a lot of Trout and Bass for the next year. I realized I could buy a dozen night crawlers for $1.50 and about $2.00 in gas and convert it into dinner for one and a half nights.

This accomplished much more then just putting food on the table. It also provided me with a sense of accomplishment. I was being proactive. I wasn’t just sitting around feeling defeated and depressed. Don’t get me wrong, I had plenty of those feeling, but I would not allow them to capture my life.

You see, fishing is was more then a way to provide food. It provided peace. I could get away and spend time on mountain lakes. I saw Bald Eagles snatching fish from the water and carrying it off to their family. I observed the silly squires scampering as they played and hunted for food. Fishing is a type of therapy for my. It allows that rubber band to unwind a little so it doesn’t break and hurt someone else.

So it you are stressed out over life, thing about going fishing. Get away and relax. Contact your local sporting goods store for good fishing locations. Remember times will get better! They always have and will again.

By: Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

I love bobber fishing!

I love bobber fishing! It is so exciting to see your float move or start to go under the water. Too often people miss the fish because the pull on the line when the fish has let go.

Let me tell you the story of Bill and Rita. They are a very active retired couple. They lived all over the country while working as a teacher and postal inspector. Rita told me at one point, they moved three times in five months. Since retired, they have become world travelers.

I met them just after they returned from an Alaska trip. They tried fishing in Alaska, but weren’t very successful. One of my clients told them to book a trip with me. They were told, “Bear will get you fish!” I target Trout and Bass not Salmon or Halibut. I fish with ultra light gear rather then broom sticks (heavy rods).

We met at one of my favorite lakes and headed out to find the fish. They seemed to enjoy the luxury of my 22’ pontoon boat. They snuggled up on the sofa as I searched for the fish.

Well, it didn’t take long to spot a nice size school of trout. I stopped the boat and dropped the anchor. I set up the rods with a nice fat night crawler and bobber. I showed them how to cast and offered my assistance if desired.

As the bobbers sat on the water we started to get to know each other better. As we were talking it started. Rita’s bobber started to bounce in the water. First a bump, then it went under, but came up soon. Rita asked what happened? I told her that trout seldom just swallow the entire worm like a Bass will. Trout like to pick at it first. Her bobber started to dance again. Boop, Boop and then it went down and stayed down. I told her to reel in her fish. Rita was so excited to see the trout on the end of the line. She actually caught 3 fish before Bill got one. Bill would see the bobber start to move and try to set the hook. I told him to be a little more patient. He complied and started to haul in yummy trout.

They caught about 45 trout that day. They were actually close to their limit after only an hour and a half of fishing. We spent most of the day doing catch and release and enjoying the bounty! I have two live wells on board the boat, so we can keep the fish alive and fresh. Sometimes the challenge is catching a smaller fish to set free so we can keep a larger trout.

Bill Rita and I had a wonderful time on the boat that day. Rita told me that she has never caught that many fish in her entire lifetime. Rita said they would do it again. Bill said he wanted to book three trips next year.

And just think, it all started with a bobber and worm.

Ken Bear Cole