ODFW Trout Stocking Heats Up

Keyaira Hansell shows off a catch from her favorite secret fishing hole.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery stocking continues through the spring and into the summer providing a great introduction to fishing for younger or inexperienced anglers. A general Oregon Angling License is all that’s required to fish for trout. Youth 14-17 years old need a juvenile angling license and kids under 14 fish for free. ODFW also offers Oregon residents and visitors a weekend to fish, crab and clam without a license the first full weekend in June. This is a great opportunity to introduce new anglers to the water.
Bright dough baits, single eggs and worms fished just off the bottom or under a bobber are popular presentations, but there a number of spinners, spoons and other baits made for casting and retrieving that also work well. Most trout in shallow still-water ponds will be suspended within a foot or two off the bottom, so when you're casting lures, it's a good rule of thumb to allow them to sink for a few seconds before retrieving them. Try different depths to find the fish. The ODFW website has a great beginners guide to trout fishing:

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/docs/ODFWOutdoorsTroutFishing.pdf

The stockings will periodically place different quantities of approximated sizes based on age. The three different size classifications for ODFW stocked rainbow trout are:
Legals that range from 8"-10"
Larger Trout 12"
Pounders 14"
Trophy Trout = 16"

For more on Free Fishing Weekend events in Benton County, contact Matt Frank at 541-487-7240

For more information on local stocking schedules near Corvallis call the ODFW South Willamette District Office in Corvallis: (541) 757-4186 or visit the ODFW website to check stocking schedules for nearby areas:

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/trout_stocking_schedules/

This piece was published in the 5/22/14 issue of the Corvallis Advocate:

http://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2014/randy-says-start-your-young-angler/

An updated version of this article was published on Wide Open Spaces
http://www.wideopenspaces.com/odfw-family-and-youth-trout-fishing-opportunities-in-oregon-for-2016/

Beneath the turf - Hunting White Truffles in the Willamette Valley

Range of the Oregon White Truffle

Curtis Broberg poses with
his bountiful harvest.

A highly sought after wild edible prize, truffles are known as the "Diamonds of the Kitchen." The phrase is fitting as these nuggets come from the earth and with a little polishing and skilled cutting, they reveal themselves as true culinary gems.

Truffles are the fruiting body of a subterranean fungus, one of the many species of the genus Tuber. They are usually found within close proximity of the roots of certain trees, such as adolescent evergreens like Douglas Fir. Because of this, tree farms are common hot spots for finding the species of white truffle that are specific to the Pacific Northwest in areas west of the Cascade Range. Plantings that range from 20-30 years of age produce the best environment for finding these treats due to the thick layers of debris produced by the trees.

Truffles are normally found subsurface to moss or leaf matter, slightly embedded in the soil. Their environment produces a lot of complicated and controversial cultivation methods. "Raking" is the practice of physically removing the layer of debris and moss with a rake to expose the truffles embedded in the soil. Because it is conducted with little respect for maintaining a sustainable harvest, this will likely make it difficult to continue finding truffles in the same area again. Additionally, removing the layer of debris at the base of those trees is harmful to the trees themselves, exposing their roots to be susceptible to a number of issues. Farmers are well aware of the destructive nature of this cultivation technique and that poachers are willing to endure the risks to trespass and destroy property in order to find this pricey commodity food. Don't do it.

Using other animals is a much more acceptable practice to locate truffles. A domestic female pig is one way to target specific areas where truffles are below the forest floor. This is due to a compound within the truffle similar to androstenol, the sex pheromone of boar saliva. Dogs can also be trained to use their keen sense of smell to locate truffles, and are much less likely to consume them before their owners can pluck them from the earth. If you do not have a female pig or a trained subterranean mushroom-sniffing dog, there are other ways to locate truffles through using tracking skills and observing the behavior of wild animals. Spore dispersal of truffles are carried out through fungivores, animals that eat fungi. The fungus is an important component of the diet of Northern flying squirrels, and comprises the majority of their diet at certain times of the year. These animals are good indicators that don't require the necessary attention of canines or swine. They will often burrow into the top layers of debris, leaving behind a divot similar to what you might find at a teeing ground on a golf course. If you run your fingers between the soil and the debris or moss in the area around the edges of the divot, you should be able to make contact with truffles left behind by the animal and harvest them without disturbing the habitat. In areas where moss is prevalent, you can peel it back like carpet and reveal the individual truffles poking out from the soil, carefully replacing the removed layer of moss and debris. It should be noted that this practice is still somewhat damaging and in some cases the habitat can take a few years to fully recover from harvest.

Once you've managed to collect enough of them, preserving becomes necessary to keep truffles from carrying out their very short shelf life. There are several ways you can do this, but 4 in particular are the most common methods.:

1. Truffle Oil - Although it requires a little extra effort, this is perhaps the best way to preserve the flavor of truffles, and it takes only a small amount of truffles to infuse the flavor into the oil. First, wash your truffles individually to remove all the unwanted dirt. I recommend using a clean and sterile electric toothbrush to make this process more efficient. Once they are cleaned, slice the truffles paper thin, and place them in a mason jar. You can fill them near the top if you have a lot to go around, or put just a few in the jar to give flavor to the oil. Then pour olive oil over the sliced truffles until the jar is completely filled. The next step is perhaps the most important. As the truffles infuse the oil, they will emit a gas that needs to breathe. If you tighten the jars too much and leave them sitting too long, they will begin to bubble and boil over much like the head on a draft beer once you open the jar. This is extremely messy and you do not want this to happen because it could potentially spoil your harvest or blow out the metal lid to your jar and your kitchen cabinet will look like BP installed a deep-water Horizon drilling site in your pantry. To prevent this from happening, you can open the jars every day or so and let them breathe for a few minutes. You can also leave the lids loosened on the jars so the air can get out (you don't want air to get IN though). After about 45-90 days, the stiff sliced fungus will become floppy like a sauteed mushroom. Then you can enjoy them at their optimal flavor on bread, eggs, etc. After about 9 months the peak flavor of these delectable treats begin to decline and soon after they will spoil, so enjoy them while you have them.

2. Truffle Salt - This is one of the easiest and most versatile ways to preserve your truffles. After you've cleaned your harvest, dice the truffles with a rough chop that resembles the size of minced garlic. Then add 2 to 4 parts sea salt. It's ideal not to skimp on the salt you use for this as it cheapens the culinary value of your little diced dirt diamonds. Shake up the concoction so that the salt and diced truffles are evenly distributed. If you want to be conservative with the truffles, you can put them in a salt shaker that will allow the grains of salt to flow through the holes while keep the truffles intact. This way you can refill the salt and still have a delicious kitchen product, however the more times you do this, the less optimal the flavor will be, and eventually it will be completely lost. Keep your truffle salt in the refrigerator to prevent spoiling. You can also use a flip-top jar with a rubber gasket to hold in the wonderful odor and maximize the flavor. Truffle salt can be consumed more readily than truffle oil infusions, so if you are impatient and can't wait 2-3 months to eat your find, this may be the way to go for you.

3. Truffle butter - This is a good way to portion out your harvest for consumption. Clean and dice your harvest the same way you would for truffle salt. The amount of truffles you want to use is really up to your own discretion, but a little bit goes a long way. Most recipes recommend 2-4 ounces of chopped truffles for every pound of butter. You'll want to use unsalted butter to achieve the best flavor, and you can add sea salt during the mixing process to taste if necessary. Leave it out at room temperature overnight to soften the butter for the preservation process. Then, place the ingredients into a mixing bowl and blend evenly. Allow the butter to sit out at room temperature for another few hours so the flavors can mingle and infuse into the oils in your butter. You can portion out your truffle butter into ramekins or wax paper and freeze them to pull out for use as needed. Allow the portions to sit at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

4.Truffle Vodka - This process is a good way to efficiently and quickly preserve the flavor of your truffles without the use of oils, salt or butter that may be shunned by your strict dietary friends and family you may want to share your harvest with. Slice the cleaned truffles paper thin, and infuse roughly a quarter to half ounce of truffles to one liter of vodka in a sealed container. Don't skimp on the vodka, get the good stuff. Four Spirits Distillery makes a high grade vodka that endures a multiple filtration process. After a week or so, pour the infusion through a paper coffee filter to remove any impurities and you will have a martini grade truffle infused vodka. This can also be used in cooking risotto or other grains to add the flavor without the fattening additions of butter or oil.

This article was published as a cover feature in the 2/20/14 issue of the Corvallis Advocate:

http://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2014/beneath-the-turf/

It was also published online by The Good Men Project:
http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/beneath-turf-hunting-white-truffles-pacific-northwest-wcz/

This article was also published on Wide Open Spaces:
http://www.wideopenspaces.com/truffle-hunting-pacific-northwest-plus-4-ways-preserve/

Fly Fishing Film Tour at Whiteside Theater

Since 2007, the Fly Fishing Film Tour has reached over 50,000 anglers nationwide, growing in size to the point that new cities have been added as well upgraded venues to accommodate viewing audiences. The Corvallis screening sponsored by Nectar Creek Honeywine and Ninkasi Brewing will be a charity event for the local Bluebacks Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Last year's film screenings raised over $250,000 for fishing and habitat-related conservation efforts. The collection of short films features fly-fishermen co-starring with everything from brook trout to tarpon. 

Trout Unlimited Bluebacks Volunteers
survey the South Fork Siletz for
Native Steelhead Redds

More importantly, the proceeds from the Whiteside Theater's  Fly Fishing Film Tour (dubbed F3T for short) screening will fund an ongoing survey on the South Fork of the Siletz River conducted by the Bluebacks. Rewind to 1984, when the Valsetz Dam which blocked access to spawning grounds of Native Steelhead and Salmon populations was removed. Fast forward to present day when Polk County is considering rebuilding the dam to pull drinking water for residents. The purpose of the survey is to prove that the area of the South Fork above the old dam site is actively being used as a spawning ground for native anadromous fish, as well as surrounding tributaries that would also be affected by the rebuilding of the dam.

Ted Taylor's recent article in the Eugene Weeky about the Soda Springs Dam on the North Umpqua "River Be Dammed" addressed several common problems with dams that create major obstacles for spawning fish. Water flows and temperatures are altered, impacting sensitive species in the food chain. Migratory fish passage, even with the addition of fish ladders, is reduced or even completely eliminated, affecting the entire ecosystem and its nutrient cycle. Insects birds and mammals are also affected by the kinks in the food chain dams create. Dams not only block access to higher spawning grounds, but affect the spawning grounds downstream by diminishing fresh gravel, woody debris and nutrients. The constriction of spawning habitat hurt recreational and commercial fishing, both in rivers and the ocean.

The survey is a less accurate but very low-budget version of fish counting methods, based on volunteers organized by the Bluebacks and trained by the Oregon Deparment of Fish and Wildlife. While some major river systems are monitored using electronic sonar to track fish passage, these ten volunteers will meet every other weekend until May, spotting spawning redds of South Fork Siletz fish. In addition, the program will monitor the future progress of woody debris habitat restoration conducted by ODFW and funded by the Bluebacks.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased on the F3T website www.flyfilmtour.com or from Cascadia Fly Shop at 900 NW Kings Blvd. Cash in your drink tickets for a frosty beverage from the event sponsors in a souvenir pint glass. Doors open at 7pm for pre-party socializing, gathering and friend-making. Film starts promptly at 8pm, please remember to turn off your electronic devices. Tight lines...

This blog was published in the 2/13/14 issue of the Corvallis Advocate:
http://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2014/fly-fishing-film-tour-casts-off-at-whiteside-theatre/

For more information on F3T please contact Kyle Smith at 509-432-9302 or kms2159@gmail.com

Dismal Alsea Winter Steelhead Season

For the first time in several decades not a single Winter Steelhead returned to the North Fork Alsea hatchery in December. As of January 29th, less than 300 have returned. The 20 year average for January returns is 936. Ty Wyatt, fishing guide and Director of the Alsea Sportsman's Association, responded to the early hatchery return data by predicting this year's run is "dismal at best" and possibly the "single worst return of Alsea Winter steelhead ever." The ebb and flow of return numbers is based on a lot of different factors. Weather patterns, water levels, number of smolts released, predation and harvest all play a factor in how many fish actually return to the hatchery.

Water levels peaked in mid-January and have been on a steady
decline for several weeks in spite of light rains.

The typical question of "How Many?" is becoming replaced with "Why so few?" Weather patterns have likely affected this year's returns as Oregon endured it's fourth driest year on record in 2013. With only one significant rainfall in January and a continuation of the dry weather trend, it is possible that many of the fish could be holding in lower parts of the river waiting for more rain to push upriver. Fish holding in deeper water could be attributed to a hatchery program designed to increase the success of anglers by planting smolts downstream rather than releasing them directly from the hatchery. The intention is for these fish to imprint on the lower river and linger in this area longer upon returning as adults. Last year marked the first returns from this program, but the overall return numbers were still below average.

Russell Wright with a late January Alsea Native Steelhead

Recent rains have brought more fish to the hatchery, but by comparison, the numbers are still very low. The historical data shows February returns as only slightly higher, roughly equal to and much lower than January's numbers. Returns of wild steelhead on the Alsea have been low for the past few years as well. Fish will continue to make their way back to the hatchery during March and possibly into April. However, at this rate, predictions for a record low year of hatchery steelhead are imminent. On a positive note, the lowest return numbers in the past 13 years were followed by the highest return numbers the following year. Also, during extreme low water years, steelhead may not even enter the river choosing instead to remain at sea until the next year when better conditions may favor their reproductive success. Better luck next year?

This piece was published in the February 6th issue of the Corvallis Advocate:
http://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2014/alsea-winter-steelhead-at-record-low/

Winter Chrome Dome Season is upon us

Winter Steelhead
Photo by Jorge Rubio

    As salmon season winds down to an end on the nearby Alsea river, the north fork opened December first to anglers patiently awaiting the return of winter steelhead. These large, robust sea-run rainbow trout are well known for their incredible speed as well as acrobatic leaps and jumps once they've been hooked. Last year's hatchery return numbers were lower than usual, but historically, the numbers tend to ebb and flow. On average, early fish show up in December following an increase in water levels from rainfall, but the highest numbers arrive in January and February. When waters are high and muddy or murky, bobber rigged leadhead marabou jigs or drifting pink worms will get down deeper and faster, and provide a more visible target. When water levels recede to low and clear, adjusting to a more realistic presentation can help fool fish into biting. Stick with bright but realistic colors. Much like salmon, steelhead tend to bite on an instinctive reaction to competitive breeding. Salmonids view foreign eggs floating along in the river as opposition to the survival of their own young. Color and scent are the two key factors to triggering bites, and while salmon react mostly to scent, steelhead react mostly to color and sight. There are many different presentations, but drifting corkie and yarn or a bead will give the illusion of a single egg that has wiggled free from a redd, floating downstream with the current. Adding some scent to the yarn can turn on the bite, or make your presentation more noticeable.

     Finding the right holes to fish takes some guesswork, but look for areas of slackwater that end just above falls. Fish moving through fast current will sit at the top of the falls and rest. The choppy current and deeper water at the bottom of the falls also provides cover for the fish from predators above the surface (with the exception of fishermen). As a good rule of thumb, when fishing bobber rigs, you want the bobber to drift upright at about the speed of a walking or fast-walking pace. When fishing drift rigs, you want to find the bottom and bounce along, rather than dragging and snagging.

     Only the adipose-fin-clipped hatchery steelhead can be retained, so if you notice that you've hooked a native fish, take extra precaution not to cause it any harm. Studies have shown that using a soft-thread net, or tailing the fish underwater are the best landing techniques to ensure survival of the released fish. In spite of the "chrome-dome" reputation, steelhead actually have very sensitive skull structure. Because they swim side-to-side, beaching a native steelhead puts the fish at risk of harming itself from banging it's head against the ground. If possible, keep native fish upright or in the water for their own safety. Don't lay them on the bank for a picture, or keep them out of water for very long. If you are retaining a adipose-fin-clipped hatchery fish, you can use this weakness to your advantage by using the force of a blunt object to the head to immobilize the fish so you can remove the hook safely. After your catch is secured, cut or rip the gills. This is not only the best way to ensure a humanely killed harvest, but it increases the quality of meat by removing the excess blood from the flesh, which can spoil much faster than the meat itself.

     Steelhead are known as "the fish of a thousand casts." They are a challenge for even the most experienced anglers. If you put in the time and effort to catch one, you'll soon find yourself counting, "998...999..."

Photo Credit: Colin Walsh

This piece was published in the December 12th issue of the Corvallis Advocate:
http://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2013/chrome-dome-season-is-here/

Festive Foraging - Deck the Halls with Parasites and Invasive Species.

The holiday season is upon us, and the winter solstice is near, which means that with less hours of sunlight and colder weather, we are spending more time sitting around the fire or on the couch watching television. Going out looking for the right tree might be one of the rare moments you take to get outdoors. However, you can find more outside your door to decorate your home than just a tree. Some of the local hikes like Bald Hill, Fitton Green, and Chip Ross all have holly and mistletoe, which are two other staples of holiday botany. Even better, they are invasive and parasitic species that pose a threat to native plant life, so by removing them, you are doing the forest a greater favor than removing trees.

English holly

English holly is commonly found and sold in local nurseries. Once they have been planted into the urban landscape, they take root and reproduce by fruiting berries that birds like to eat. Unfortunately, the seeds do not fully digest, and as the birds migrate, so does the holly. Once you take to the trails, it will be easy to find, because holly is an evergreen, giving it an advantage over trees that lose leaves in the winter. The ones you find in the woods will not be as neatly shaped as the ones in your neighbor’s yard because they do not get pruned in the wild—unless you volunteer to cut them back during the holidays. Because they are shade-tolerant, and their waxy, prickly leaves are unappetizing to potential predators, they thrive in our forests, choking out light and nutrients to other native plants.

Mistletoe clusters in a hardwood tree

Mistletoe reproduces much in the same way that English holly does. This parasitic plant produces a sticky berry, appetizing to birds, which fly from tree to tree, spreading those undigested berries from branch to branch. Although the plant itself does process light and carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, it also uses a structure known as haustorium that grows beneath the bark, absorbing water and nutrients from the host tree.

It’s important to harvests these pests in a proper manner in order to tread lightly with your planetary impact. When removing English holly, bring a small shovel and a pair of work gloves. The idea is to uproot the entire plant, killing it at the root, before you start to prune your trimmings. Be careful not to mistake the Oregon native plant salal, or Oregon grape, for English holly. If you are caught removing native plants from public land, you can be fined or end up in court defending your poor plant identification skills. When removing mistletoe, bring a pair of nippers. You want to carefully prune the entire infected branch completely, not just the mistletoe itself, in order to keep it from spreading.

Gathering these materials yourself is so much more rewarding than fighting holiday shopping crowds for wreaths made of Styrofoam, plastic, and wire. The mistletoe might even give you as much of an edge towards the end of your next holiday party as the eggnog.

Featured in the Corvallis Advocate Alt. Weekly December 5th, 2013

http://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2013/festive-foraging/

A revised version of this article was published on the Wide Open Spaces website. To see the revised version, please visit the website:
http://www.wideopenspaces.com/festive-foraging-deck-halls-parasites-invasive-species/

Fall Salmon/Late Summer Steelhead Run

Fall Run Chinook Salmon

As rainwater from early fall storms flows through the valley and into surrounding rivers, some late summer run steelhead along with fall salmon runs of chinook and coho will make their way back home to spawn. With high numbers of salmon being caught commercially offshore in recent months, the predictions for surrounding rivers look to be bountiful for recreational sport fisheries as well, and lots of anglers have been successful early in the season.

Regardless of where you choose to fish, preparation is key to having an enjoyable experience on the water. Check local weather patterns, and seek out days of clearer weather after long periods of heavy rain. As the rivers rise, they fill with debris creating undesirable conditions for both anglers and fish. When the debris in the river washes out into the bay and the water levels stabilize, that’s when you can expect to find the largest surges of fish moving upstream. When the weather is dry, with enough experience on the water you can begin to time the surges of fish that push upriver during high tides.

Late Summer Run Steelhead

Avoid harvesting fish with dark coloration or open sores, and don’t harass fish that have already made their way through the river to excavate spawning areas, known as redds. Once they reach this stage of their life cycle, they take on a dark bronze to greenish or reddish brown color, with males sometimes showing vivid spawning color patterns. They begin to deteriorate at this point and the meat becomes less palatable or completely inedible. Bright, chrome scales, with attached sea lice or small scars from sea lice are signs of a desirable fish with quality meat. High quality meat will be firm, and have more of a pink-reddish color, while lesser quality meat will take on a lighter shade of peach or white and have a puffy texture that doesn’t hold together well when cooked fresh. Questionable meat is often more palatable when prepared in a slow-smoke process.

This is what "chrome" looks like.
Note the sea lice just above the cadual fin.

Respect the awesome power of Mother Nature by approaching your fishing holes with caution, and be aware that rising water levels also mean dangerously strong currents. Don’t enter private land without consent, make use of public access areas, and know the local laws. Each river has different regulations regarding individual species, geographic deadlines, seasons, use of bait, tagging systems for both native and hatchery fish, and more.

For details, call the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife headquarters at 503-947-6000 or visithttp://www.dfw.state.or.us/.

Featured in the Corvallis Advocate Alt. Weekly October 31st, 2013http://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2013/the-late-summer-run/