Gnat Creek

Not quite a year since the last trip to Gnat creek, an Oregon, Columbia river tributary. When I first came upon Gnat Creek it was early May 2006. I was fishing and exploring alone. I prefer scouting new waters more than anything else. Invigorating, something that reminds me of the excitement of an 8 year old boy finding a dried up leg bone of a cow, thinking that he’s found a dinosaur fossil. There is something deeply soulful about the search for something undiscovered. It keeps me young.

A little early still for consistent and satisfying numbers of springers. Hohbomb and I did work it hard and found a hole with a small alder covering its depths which may have had 6 or more salmon hiding under its shadows. Had one fish on which was given a poor hookset, and was soon lost. Otherwise we covered about 1/3 of a mile of creek bottomor more, just above tidewater, without hardly a fish seen. At the least the Sun favored our travels more than the rain. And the afternoon was almost but not quite warm.

"Any day now", according the the hatchery manager Dave Sheldon. Any day the bulk of fish will start to show up. Evidently good numbers of fish are out in the slough near the mouth of Big Creek. Fish are being caught by anglers from shore tossing spinners. At some point I'll have to visit that place.

Gnat creek is strictly a bankfishing creek. Its tiny waters still hold surprisingly large fish. Don't think that its easy though. Those fish are magicians and can vanish in ankle deep waters. The fish are Willamette and Rogue river stock, and can reach into the high 20's. The entire fishable area is about 5 miles long and terminates in a barrier falls about 1/5 mile above the Gnat creek Hatchery. Small pools, and short riffles dominate.

Whether you bring home fish or not, it is a special place. As the light of May gets progressively longer the canopy of new leaves almost shades out the sharp light of mid day; the dappled light dances on riffles, and one feeling like they've wandered into that original garden. Makes me wonder why I ever leave.


Klaskanine

But we did leave. I really wanted to see more of the Klaskanine, from which I explored a couple of weeks ago. I promised myself that I'd follow it up to the hatchery. Or at the least find the hatchery and fish whatever parts might hold fish. It was the only way I could tear myself away on that last trip, to promise I'd return.

I don't know if everyone who wades the smaller creeks and rivers gets this feeling, but its usually a fading light that stops me from making that next bend. I always want to see what's around the corner, what heavenly little piece of water is waiting for me, what undisturbed giants might fin in those undiscovered waters. One more turn of the river, one more bend, one more cast while there still is daylight left. Just enough that if I hold my line up against the sky I can tie the last leader of the day. Thats why I needed to see more of this little creek.


Our next stop was the hatchery. The North Fk Hatchery is a couple miles South of Olney on Oregon state highway 202. Olney consists of a store and an intersection. It's not much of an intersection either, more where the road splits into a Y. I drove past the store on my way home, and watched a group of neighbors, old farmers, socializing in the parking lot. They leaned against their trucks, some new and some well worn. And they probably told the same jokes, and the same stories, and heard the same genuine laughter. They looked happy, and it was very good for me as well. Salmon or no salmon, I found a little piece of creation that for an instant in time there were happy people, and it made me happy as well.

Downstream from the NF Klaskanine Hatchery is a no fishing zone. The deadline is a few hundred feet downstream. The fishable area is about 120 feet long, before barbed wire prevents you from going farther. A landowner charges a fee to access the river. I usually don't have any problems with the concept, but this particular day I had a hippies soul and felt like no one should ever be able to keep me off any water. There is a ODFW access point about a quarter mile down from the hatchery that was left unexplored. There is also a handful of 6-9 foot deep holes in the mile of river below that access point. You'll need to do alot of walking, or be very nice to the landowners to gain access. If I was semi local I'd be doing both. This is #3 spinner water. It is tiny, and those waters must be approached quietly. Take your favorite spinning gear along, and maybe some smaller spoons if you go. I'd also think it is fine fishing water. You should definitely take polarized glasses.

We had limited time and still wanted to put the boat in and revisit the Tide Hole at the Youngs River/Klaskanine confluence.
There were 5 other boat trailers at the put in when we got there. We used the launch at the intersection of Olney Cutoff Road, and Youngs River Road. Its a free public launch. Unfortunatly the fishing was dead. Even the gillnetters the night before had a slow time of it. Where did all those fish go? We trolled for about an hour, but after talking with several people who hadn't touched a fish or heard of one being caught we decided to try elsewhere.

Our last stop was on an undisclosed hole somewhere upstream from the confluence with the South Fk. We pitched baits to shadows. I'm not convinced those weren't suckers. The idea that they might be suckers seemed to please Mr Hohbomb. Why not? If I could only be as excited to see dogfish eat my herring. Thats guaranteed happiness.

We finished the day pitching spinners to tailing suckers. It was kind of amusing, in a quiet funny way. I didn't mind that the salmon hadn't cooperated all that much this day. It was ending on almost clear skies, and a light chill breeze which the alders caught in their leaves. The fish in the tailout breaking free from their holding spots and leaving sharp vee's in their wake. In the greyness of near dark I could hear Jason laughing, and the subtle splash of a spinner being tossed at schooling suckers.

I hope no one else has grown much older reading this long report of a double skunk day. I edited it down alot. But it was a fun day and I enjoyed writing about it.


VHawk

Going around one more bend brought back some good memories of other times and places. You never know what might be there. One thing I did learn early on was that my Mom didn't appreciate me being late because the fish were biting or might be biting....being grounded takes on a different meaning when you are young and love to fish. Some of my best trips occured when I was grounded and couldn't take my catch home......

Thanks Bushbear. I appreciate any feedback. When I write long stuff like that it worries me that I'll bore everyone. I like to write about fishing, the work is in editing it down so its not a full chapter in a book.

Vhawk

Each of the posts should be a chapter in your book. They don't have to be long, just on subject and give folks something to think about. I'm enjoying them.

As usual, your writing is a pleasure to read. Wish I could write with half your apparent speed.

Would the Klaskanie be floatable, from the hatchery, in a canoe?

Thanks Pisco. In response to your question, if you could float the Quilcene in a canoe you could float the Klaskanine. My guess is that it would be real tough.
I'd think the better float would be from the confluence of the South Fork Klaskanine, down to the boat ramp at the Olney Cutoff Rd. The fishing is probably better as well.

Excellent post VHawk. I love to just go past the next bend to see whats next, wether it is a river, a trail or an old logging road. It is like wandering with a purpose.
By the way, a couple days away from the Merg and its like your back on your meds.
Love your writing as usual, keep it up.

You do my heart good, Vince. I find myself re-exploring rivers past in your writing. Thanks.

sounds like a blast. too bad we don't have anywhere like that around here any more, and if we did, it would be infested by snaggers.

i'm going to get really motivated this fall to do some more exploring and hopefully finding a couple more sanctuaries away from the knuckle draggers.

We do have places like that right here. In fact you've probably driven right over them and never noticed because you saw no one else fishing. I could mention just about any little creek on the Hood Canal, or the West side of the OP, and someone would send me a PM begging me not to report it. No need to beg. But the point is you don't need to drive 90 miles to find your own private waters. What it takes is the willingness to give up a dependable but very crowded river like the Kalama for a few weekends, with no guarantees that you'll find anyplace to fish, let alone actually catch something. The payoff is a piece of water that gives up a limit of fish, in a gorgeous canyon, on a perfect day. A river to call your own, because you spent the time to find it.

The internet cannot replace the necessity of leaving the house and actually looking for yourself. Thats part of the fun. Even though I don't always catch as many fish as some people, I'm having as great a time as anyone else.

Great post/report Vhawk. I always enjoy reading your posts, I either get a good laugh or the highly detailed descriptiveness brings me to the river while sitting here at my desk. I know what you mean about walking around the next bend. I am also a sucker for exploring new water, I could spend days exploring new water without a fish to hand.

Thanks Vince, that sure brought back memories of exploring the creeks that drained into the Cowlitz before the dams went in and flooded everything. The best part then was that you never saw any other fishermen after about 1/2 mile. I did take the boat up on Riffe Lake a while back to walk up 2 of those streams. Should never have gone. Did not even see a fish in any holes,don't know if they were river fish that used to venture into the creeks or ?. I am still glad for the memories but would have liked to show the grandkids what I have told them about stream fishing for something besides planted trout.

Vince, sounds like fun. I'm fishing a lot now that finals are done. I'll report later, but yesterday I covered a long stretch of trout stream and did very well. I love streams that are small enough you can wade across. I like just wading in my shorts and tennis shoes, and being able to go and unsnag your lure. Most people just fish by the access points, even though it is better if you move around. I saw some flyfisherman with the full outfit, vest, and everything else get skunked, and I got five or six trout out of the same hole with my spinning gear because I had bothered to wade across and fish the slot more effectively. By the way, why do people wear the funny outfits? Do they feel more "authentic"? I would just feel like a nerd

Thanks Vince, nice post. I've been working on that "giving up a dependable river" thing for a while. Sometimes it's hard to break old habits.

It's hard to give up a good BBQ as well. When a scouting trip pays out, it usually pays out very well, but most of the time I'm lucky to scratch out a fish. I second, third and fourth guess myself everytime Jake puts up pics of another limit.

However looking back I've always enjoyed my own trips. And when I can I drag along other victims. Anyone recognize this backside?



And who wouldn't gawk at the outrageous color on this little rainbow.



As soon as my hardware problem is fixed on my comp, I'll put up some new pics. Including ones that were bonked.

hahahah quite a difference in the attitude of your writing though. your style changed from hardcore, get on the water , fish till you drop, get out of the boat and run kinda fisherman to ....stoic, middleaged man who appriciates the the natural forces of nature, calm cool and slow, soaking in the sheer beauty of whats going on around him.

hmmmmm still digesting it.......it is good

I enjoyed the good read,keep it up.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

We still fished till we were ready to drop. Any idea what time I had to leave Oly to be at the Gnat Creek hatchery before 7 am? And we fished until legal quitting time. It took 2 cans of liquid crack to keep me safely awake on the drive home.

Staring at Modrow bridge for 8 hours doesn't provide a whole lot of material for writing.

What does provide alot of material are the guys that get attracted to a river after reading internet reports. I was float and egg fishing and got hung up on something. I set my hook and heard a gawd dang bell?! jingle. Looking to my right I see that the guy next to me is plunking. Check out the broken rod tip, and bell set up.




I said "Dude, I can't even make up stuff this good. Your unique style is well suited to mockery. You do realize this is going on the internet."

He gave me his approval with a simple, friendly wave of his hand.




Actually he was just really frustrated. I stopped being a dick for a few minutes and lent him and his friend my rods. I can remember being a newbie and feeling just as overwhelmed. Since not even the high grade, custom wrapped rod, G Loomis geared anglers were getting bit, it wasn't a waste of my time to help teach someone to fish. Actually it's never a waste of time.

I'm just dissappointed I forgot the kids name.


The friends I meet along the water seem to last longer than any fish I bring home.


VHawk

Nice writing Vince, keep it up I look forward to your posts....

Wow, that's pretty impressive getting a guy to go from giving you the finger to posing with a big smile.