Outdoor School Curriculum (fishing)

1. LEAVE NO TRACE -

That means not only picking up after yourself, but take a moment to pick up a few pieces of trash that you find this week. Accidents happen, and anglers lose tackle, so it's important to offset our impact on the places we fish by leaving those places better than we found them.

2. NO SWIMMING

Wading up to the knees is okay. Ideally, we don't want to scare the fish, so it's better to be stealthy. 

3. NO THROWING STICKS/ROCKS/ETC -

We don't want anyone to get hurt, break any rods, and again, we don't want to scare the fish.

4. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS -

Don't disturb other anglers. Look before you cast so you don't hook a tree limb or each other. Take in natural observations, what forage the fish might feed on and where fish might hide. Weather patterns, position of the sun and shadows being cast into the water. Enjoying the outdoors and learning about the local flora and fauna we're going to be discovering. Don't harass wildlife. Be aware of plants like blackberries, poison oak, or nettles that could ruin our day, or end the week early. 

5. KNOW YOUR FISH -

- Discuss different species in the area
- Catch and release laws vs. ethics

5. Overview of agenda for today:

- Nature walk
- Observe plants, birds, habitat, (hopefully) fish
- Turn over rocks/observe food sources for fish
- talk about what kind of bait you could find in nature
- how would you imitate that forage with artificial lures?

7. Tackle, Knots, & Rigging -

- Rods, Reels, and how they work, inside and out
- Overview of Line, Weights, Swivels, Hooks
- Fisherman's Knot
- Rigging demonstration(s)

8. Fish anatomy and processing

- Dispatch your catch (bleeding out to increase quality of meat and preservation)
- Outer anatomy (fins, scales, etc.)
- Inner anatomy (bone structure, organs, meat)
- Filleting 
- Scaling
- Gutting
- Proper disposal

9. Casting
- Lecture and demonstration

Willamette Valley Food Trail Application

A small group in our community is working on creating a new promotional brochure that will highlight culinary and agritourism businesses in and around Benton and Linn Counties. We are now taking applications to join the Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail and would love for you to apply or send this along to others who might be interested in this opportunity.

The Food Trail is a self-guided journey to culinary and agricultural experiences in and around Benton and Linn Counties that include the following:

· Printed brochures with a detailed map that lists your business for visitors seeking unique culinary and agricultural experiences. This brochure will be coming out in March 2020.

· Self-guided itineraries that visitors can use for trip planning. Itineraries will be featured in the printed brochure and online.

· Marketing campaign focused on telling the Mid-Willamette Valley's culinary and agricultural story through videos showcasing local stories via social media.

After applying and receiving confirmation, participants of this program will receive:

· Printed maps for distribution

· Listing on the website and possibly the printed brochure

· Part of promotional campaigns

· Access to culinary/agritourism support and resources

We would love for you to participate! Here is a link to where you can learn more about the trail and complete the application https://www.visitcorvallis.com/foodtrail.  We will be taking applications until November 15, 2019, and anticipate decisions by early January. If your application is accepted, you will be required to attend a business training in January or February 2020, before the official launch of the trail in March 2020, to learn more about the program, marketing, and agritourism best practices. After completing this training, you will receive a free Agritourism Limited Liability sign (required for farms, ranches, and wineries per ORS 30.671 to 30.677).

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Christina Rehklau and Rebecca Bond

--

Christina Rehklau

Executive Director

Visit Corvallis

420 NW 2nd Street
Corvallis, OR 97330

Ph: 541-757-1544

VisitCorvallis.com

Surf Perch Fishing

Photo by Sara Ichtertz

With many of our fishing harvest opportunities shrinking or completely vanishing, there's one in particular that has moved into the spotlight in recent history. Casting from the surf can be a fun alternative to chasing unicorn meat among a myriad of jetboats in the spring. Surf perch provide an abundance of harvest opportunity, with an aggregate limit of 15 fish in Oregon, which is home to 9 different viviparous species classified taxonomically in the family of Embiotocidae. For those who don't speak greek, the family name comes from embios, meaning "persistent," and tokos, meaning "birth," because they are one of the few fishes that give birth to their young. The embryo as well as the yolk are both nourished directly by the mother. They typically give birth during the fall, so spring is the perfect time to gather a few for the table. This is also the time of year when surf perch typically begin to form schools tight to the shoreline to begin spawning.

As these fisheries grow in popularity, internet groups and forums specifically categorized for westcoast surfcasting or Oregon surf perch fishing are more relaxed on offering reports and information to improve your success, so by all means, utilize them. These small communities are often very welcoming to new members, and great ambassadors to the sport of fishing in general. While the catch may be plentiful, much about the Central Oregon Coast population of surf perch is still a mystery, so ODFW encourages keeping a few for the dinner table and releasing the rest. Redtail surf perch take 3 to 4 years to reach sexual maturity and the quantity of young they bear is relative to their size. Starry flounder, petrale and sand soles are sometimes a by catch, and also offer a very generous harvest limit of 25 fish.

The two most common species of surf perch are redtail and striped perch. Smaller species like the Walleye and Shiner perch are also quite common, but snack sized at best. The best part is all species of surf perch live within fifty feet of the shoreline, so you don't need a boat to target them. Having a surf rod that can handle slinging heavy weight long distances is definitely an advantage, but something sensitive enough to detect strikes in the churning waves is also helpful. Sandshrimp, sidewinder crabs, clams or mussels are good bait options, but their diet mostly consists of Pacific mole crab or "sand flea" or "sand crab." If you can find a sandy area with these critters, they make great bait, and there's probably surf perch around.

If you're fishing bait, a crappie rig and snell rigged baitholder hooks work just fine but a sliding weight can give you an advantage at detecting strikes in heavy surf and allows your presentation to move around a little more freely without being washed away. As far as hook size is concerned, consider if you'd like to catch more or bigger fish, and choose an appropriate size. Clawfoot or medallion weights are vital at keeping your presentation from being tossed around in the surf. Harry's Bait & Tackle in Newport is my favorite pitstop for all of the above, and don't be afraid to ask for a few suggestions on where others are having success. Horsefall Beach and Sparrow Park Rd are good starting points on the south coast. Vehicle and recreational ATV access offers some opportunity to be a little more mobile up and down the coastline in those areas. Ona Beach and Fishing Rock are good places to look along the central coast, while Seaside and Gerhart. are starting points for the North Coast.

Try to avoid large concentrations of people, as many of the popular parks and recreational areas will be full of looky-loos asking what you're doing every five minutes. If you can find access to a beach near residential areas, you'll have a little more space to work with, and you won't have to keep such a close eye on whatever you have back on the shore. Always check the local regulations for where you're planning on fishing just to make sure you're not entering a marine reserve. 

If you're targeting redtails over the sand, look for areas with a depression in the waves, or flat water just beyond the breakers. That sweet spot is where you find schooling redtails. They are more likely to move up and down the shoreline than in and out, so if you find a school and lose it, move to your left or right instead of just trying to cast out further. Wearing waders is a good way to get a little closer, but respect the element of danger to being out there and don't turn your back on the ocean. Having a stringer you can carry and keep with you will also help keep your catch from washing away, or becoming a seagull snack on shore while you're focused and casting into the waves. Once you learn to read the water, you'll be able to spot "holes" in the surf, which could be as simple as an area where waves seem to meet from two different angles and just sort of die on the water's surface. Anywhere a creek or estuary dumps into the ocean is another safe bet, as there's a steady flow of food sources pouring into the surf.

Timing is everything. If you're not fishing on the incoming tide, the odds are stacked against you. All the little critters along the shoreline that are washed into the surf when the tide comes back in create a feeding frenzy. It may take a while for that frenzy to start or find a feeding school, so if you're not getting bit in a few minutes, bounce around a little bit and try some different presentations. Using a dual presentation can give you an advantage of trying a couple different baits at once to find out what they want they're on a finicky bite. Swells are almost necessary to churn up food for redtails. Anything beyond 5-6 feet swells aren't worth it to risk it for the biscuit. Not just because it's dangerous, but big swells will also churn up lots of salty vegetables that make it frustrating to impossible to fish.

Don't rule out soft plastics or scent either. A small mister twister curly tail grub with a motor oil color is a classic sand crab imitation. Berkeley gulp sandshrimp or sandworms are an excellent bait for redtails. You really only need about a 2" sized bait, so you can split them up and be a little more conservative with them. UV can sometimes make a difference as well.  Rob Brown also sells a soft plastic creature bait that resembles a hellgrammite on his Custom Tackle Works website or on the shelves at Oregon Rod Reel & Tackle. ORRT also carries a wide selection of thirsty beads, which rigged above your presentation can aid in holding scent.

While all of these work great on the sand for redtails, striped perch tend to favor live bait over soft plastics, and hold tighter to outcropping rocks or pilings. When the surf or the wind picks up, you can still find areas tucked away behind geographical wind and current breaks where you'll find striped perch. Read the water like you would for salmon or steelhead. If there's something there to break the currents of the incoming (or outgoing) tides, fish the breaks in those currents or just beyond them. Small fingers or pilings off the jetties in estuaries are prime territory. They are opportunistic feeders that will often hold in that soft water waiting for food to wash over the structure. While redtails tend to hover along the bottom, striped surf perch will often be suspended, so a crappie rig with the weight on the bottom is more ideal than a sliding weight setup. Cast, reel the line tight, and raise the rod tip up so the two baits are suspended off the bottom. If you're crawling out on the rocks, make sure you can get back when the tide begins to rise.

If you're interested in a little friendly competition, YouTube user Pk Yi (who has a following of 41k subscribers) puts on annual surf perch derbies. His event last year brought in 90 participants, and he's planning another for July 27th at Ona Beach State Park. If you're in Washington, check out SurfPerchDerby.com for an annual event on May 19th in Long Beach. If you've got a busy schedule and can't make it to those events, you can also enter the month long derby in May held by Tony's Crab Shack in Bandon. All species of surf perch are accepted from Humbug Mountain, Port Orford to Horsefall Beach in Coos Bay at this event. Good luck!

This article was published in the March 2019 issue of Northwest Sportsman Magazine

Fishing Camp Curriculum for Coyle Outside Day One

Day One Rules and Basics:

1. LEAVE NO TRACE -

That means not only picking up after yourself, but take a moment to pick up a few pieces of trash that you find this week. Accidents happen, and we might lose some tackle, but let's offset our impact on this place by leaving this place better than we found it.

2. NO SWIMMING -

Wading up to the knees is okay. Ideally, we don't want to scare the fish, so it's better to be stealthy

3. NO THROWING STICKS/ROCKS/ETC -

We don't want anyone to get hurt, break any rods, and again, we don't want to scare the fish.

4. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS -

Don't disturb other anglers. Look before you cast so you don't hook a tree limb or each other. Take in natural observations, what forage the fish might feed on and where fish might hide. Enjoy the outdoors and learning about the local flora and fauna we're going to be discovering. Don't harass wildlife. Be aware of plants like blackberries, poison oak, or nettles that could ruin our day.

5. KNOW YOUR FISH -

- Discuss different species in the area
- Catch and release laws vs. ethics

4. Overview of agenda for the week: TBD

5. Overview of agenda for today:

- Nature walk
- Observe plants, birds, habitat, (hopefully) fish
- Turn over rocks/observe food sources for fish
- talk about what kind of bait you could find in nature
- how would you imitate that forage with artificial lures?

6. Traps -

- Creating your own traps from natural materials
- Creating your own traps from discarded plastic bottles
- Placement & strategy
- Bait and set pre-constructed crawfish traps

7. Tackle, Knots, & Rigging -

- Rods, Reels, and how they work, inside and out
- Overview of Line, Weights, Swivels, Hooks
- Fisherman's Knot
- Rigging demonstration(s)

8. Check Traps -

- Observe and identify different species
- Discuss why certain traps did or did not work

RE: Diane Peterson's "Kids and Guns" Letter (reduced word count version for EW)

Children will encounter scenarios legislation can't prevent. Your suggestion to "hold gun owners accountable for responsibly storing their guns" as an alternative solution is focused on legislating the aftermath of horrific events, rather than preventing them.

Derek LeBlanc has worked diligently with representatives on both sides of the aisle presenting  prevention based legislation. I've attended his course, witnessed his dedication to inform children about a real-life scenarios if they encounter a firearm that is not "responsibly stored."

I sympathize with concerns about "firearm safety for first graders," but have you read the bill? The classes are nonpolitical. Must neither encourage or discourage gun ownership. At no time may any real firearm or live ammunition be used or possessed during the class. They're a half hour each year during recess. Parents are given notice so they may opt and children can go to recess rather than participating.

While taboo for parents who don't own guns, I recommend considering Derek's program, whether or not the bill passes. Treating this subject with fear-mongering ignorance isn't going to prevent accidents. Regardless of your ideologies about gun ownership, this bill is focused on giving children necessary information that could save lives. It is deeply disappointing anyone would oppose this bill, saying it's "wrong to put the burden of firearm safety on children." You are accepting the burden of your children not being prepared for these real life scenarios, and the responsibility for accidents it could prevent.

RE: "Kids and Guns" (Eugene Weekly Letter to the Editor)

In response to Diane Peterson's letter last week, I'd like to shed some light on the value of the bill related to youth firearm safety course for 1st graders, or SB801. It is wrong to oppose a bill that could potentially save the lives of children through education. While there IS a great responsibility on adult gun owners to store their weapons safely, children will find themselves in many situations during their lives where they encounter scenarios presented to them by irresponsible adults. Criminals who can't legally possess a gun can still acquire and discard a firearm where a child may come in contact with it. You can't prevent those types of scenarios through legislation. As a firm supporter of harm reduction philosophies, I believe we must meet these problems where they are, and do what it takes to prevent more accidents from happening. This involves educating children on what to do when they encounter a firearm. Your opposition to this bill and suggestion to instead "hold gun owners accountable for responsibly storing their guns" as an alternative solution is too focused on legislating the aftermath of horrific events, rather than preventing them from happening in the first place.

Derek LeBlanc, who originally presented a draft of this bill to legislators has worked diligently with politicians on both sides of the aisle to present a bill that is marketable and agreeable for everyone in an effort to do something to prevent accidental gun deaths involving children. I've personally attended his youth firearm safety course and seen first hand his dedication to informing children on what to do in a real-life scenarios if they encounter a firearm that is not "responsibly stored," as well as a curriculum focused on the subjects of video games vs. real life violence, the dangers of confusing firearms with toy guns, and with relation to things like airsoft guns, the promotion of aiming at targets rather than each other.

I can sympathize with the concern of parents who become apprehensive when they see headlines about "firearm safety for first graders," but have you actually read the text of this bill? It is nonpolitical and must neither encourage or discourage gun ownership. At no time At no time may any real firearm or live ammunition be used or possessed during the class. The class is a half hour each year and held during recess. Parents are given prior notice about the class so they may opt and their children can go to recess rather than participating.

Catering to the curiosity of children about guns may be a taboo for parents who do not own guns, but I would highly recommend that they consider introducing their children to Derek's program, whether or not the bill passes. Treating the subject with fear-mongering ignorance is not going to prevent accidents from happening. Most accidents don't happen in the homes of "dangerous people" that laws passed by legislators would prevent from being gun owners in the first place. Regardless of your ideologies about gun ownership, this bill is focused on giving children necessary information that could very well save their lives. It is deeply disappointing and downright disturbing that anyone would oppose this bill, and say it's "wrong to put the burden of firearm safety on children." By opposing this legislation, you are accepting the burden of your children not being prepared for these real life scenarios, and accepting the responsibility for the accidents it could prevent.

Alsea Wild Broodstock Call to Action

Last year, the Linn Benton Chapter of Coastal Conservation Association held it's annual banquet and fundraiser, drawing record attendance. With the formation of the Siletz Anglers Association, there is a great deal of momentum to improve our local fisheries, and the spotlight has been shining on potential improvements for the Siletz River.

Meanwhile, a shadow has been forming on the other side of the mountain. Carrying some of that momentum into a collaborative effort would greatly benefit recreational anglers who fish the Alsea, and in turn reduce pressure on central coast fisheries. Over the past several years, the Alsea fishery has been in a perpetual state of disrepair, and wild broodstock collection has been an arduous point of contention for guides and recreational anglers alike. Mortality issues affecting both the Alsea and Siletz have been a catalyst for long overdue equipment upgrades, but not without tarnishing the program's relationship with the community, and forming somewhat of a divide in cooperation and lack of transparency on multiple levels.

The hatchery has been extremely cautious to improve it's rapport, but hesitant to disclose information to the public that could help the productivity of the wild broodstock program on the Alsea. A good basis for comparison is the Cedar Creek and Alsea Hatchery facilities.

The timing seems optimal to capitalize on some of this momentum. I'm offering a list of talking points that I'd like our regional fishing community to consider moving forward between today and the week of March 25th.

• The Siletz Wild Broodstock program has a quota to capture 35 pairs of wild broodstock fish for spawning. 

• The quota on the Alsea is 40 pairs (or 10 more fish of equal sex).

• Historically, the Siletz Wild Broodstock program consistently reaches that annual quota.

• The Alsea Wild Broodstock program has never met this quota in it's history.

• On March 14th, Asst. Fish Biologist Paul Olmsted requested that Siletz Wild Broodstock Collection participants put the brakes on contributing fish until March 25th, citing: "You guys are too good!" and "This is a good problem to have."

• As of today March 18th, the Alsea Wild Broodstock program has collected 18 bucks and 21 hens from anglers, 15 pairs of which have been spawned and another 9 fish that are being held until they are "ripe."

• As of March 14th, the Siletz Wild Broodstock program has collected 33 pairs of wild broodstock.
• There are an additional 4 bucks and 7 hens of Wild Broodstock that have been captured by the trap at the Alsea facility.
• If the quota of 40 pairs of wild broodstock fish (the maximum allowed is 45) is not collected,  hatchery stock will be used in the spawning matrix. If hatchery fish are used in the wild broodstock program, at least 30 percent of the broodstock will be of wild fish origin. (See page 6 of the Alsea Hatchery Program Management Plan)

PVC tubes have been used by anglers to collect wild broodstock fish on the Alsea River. As effective as they are at keeping the fish calm while they're stationary, boaters are often hesitant to use them. The hatchery also cites lack of manpower to retrieve them on a regular basis from pick up points at the boat ramps. Guides have reported leaving them at the ramp overnight and seeing them still in the same place when they finish their float the next day. There have also been instances of poaching, wildlife harassment, and liberation of the collection broodstock fish (likely by parties that oppose the program as a result of these issues). However, I'd like to offer some possible solutions.

Alsea Hatchery Angler Fish Drop Off

A self-service angler drop off area for Alsea wild broodstock is a new addition to the Alsea facility this year. There are only a small handful of people who have been consistently using it. It seems that this new addition has been for the most part ignored by the majority of the guides in our region who already have wild broodstock collection tanks on board their vessels or they are simply unaware of that it even exists. I'm hoping for this open letter to change both.

One of the top contributors to the program this year (by way of the self-service angler drop off) is a 19 year old Fisheries & Wildlife student at Oregon State University by the name of Logan Ellis. He is leading by example, and deserves some positive attention for the ambitious effort he has put into this program. If a teenage recreational angler can build his own livewell broodstock tank and become one of the most prolific contributors to the Alsea Wild Broodstock program, then large groups of well-organized, influential and well known professional guides should be taking notice just how far removed they are from it.

This is a call to action. I have a set of goals I'd personally like to see accomplished, but meeting the wild broodstock collection quota for the Alsea program is at the top of the list. The Siletz only needs 2 pair of wild broodstock contributions the week of March 25th, which should be easy to achieve. It seems like mission impossible to contribute nearly double the number of angler caught wild fish for the entire season on the Alsea in a matter of two weeks, but I'm asking anyone who can fit the time and effort into their busy schedules between now and the end of the month to simply step up and lead by example the way 19 year old Logan Ellis has. Let's end this season on a high note, and go into the next one prepared.

As for my other personal goals for the Alsea Wild Broodstock program, they are as follows:

1. Improve the current self-service drop off station

The current self-service drop off station did not have a net at the beginning of this season. I was told by hatchery personnel that the reason for this was "Most boaters already have a net." However, after seeing footage online of people grabbing fish out of their wild broodstock tanks and dropping them into the raceway, my concerns were confirmed. The concrete wall is a couple feet high, and so is the fence around it, meaning there's a 4+ foot drop into roughly 18" of water. The fish are doing a cannonball into the shallow end of the pool. I would like to see squared, fine mesh nets that are constructed to fit into the corners of the livewell tanks and be easier on the transition of the fish from box-to-box. After issuing an initial request for a net, being told everyone already has one, and showing them that people aren't using their nets, the hatchery provided a landing net at the station. This is a step in the right direction, but a net designed for this function needs to be acquired, and a landing net is likely more subject to theft.

Another possible solution is some sort of slide or chute, similar to a smaller scale version of the "Salmon cannon" designed by Whooshh Innovations so the fish aren't being just dumped in shallow water with a concrete bottom. This kind of project would likely require some thought going into the design and possibly additional funding, but would set a positive example for the Cedar Creek facility drop off area, which also has a bit of a drop over a fence and concrete wall before the fish hit the water when they are released.

2. Construct Livewell Broodstock Tanks for Public Use

There are far less tanks available on this side of the mountain than guides who consistently fish the Alsea and support our wild broodstock program. Even if we can't provide tanks to everyone, those who tube their fish and leave them at the boat ramp can collaborate with allies within the program who do have tanks to expedite the transfer of wild broodstock to the self-service drop off station. We can't depend on the hatchery personnel to perform this task of picking up the fish we collect, but we can volunteer efforts to do this ourselves.

If you are a guide or angler participating in the Siletz wild broodstock program, loaning out your tanks to those who are more focused on the Alsea fishery for the next week or two (until wild broodstock collection resumes on the Siletz) is one way you can help the Alsea program without having to leave the Siletz.

3. Transparency and self-regulation
The Cedar Creek facility has a drop off station with a weatherproof kiosk that has a clipboard which lists contributions by angler/guide, date, sex, and quantity. A similar kiosk existed for a very brief period at the Alsea facility, but was "destroyed by the weather." I was told that the complete list of contributors was now being kept confidential for privacy reasons, but that I could still acquire that information by filing a public records request with the ODFW office in Salem. I think it's valuable information for the contributions to be transparent for the accountability of both the participants and the hatchery.

4. Funding these projects independently through regional angler advocacy groups

Our Linn-Benton CCA chapter has a regional project fund it has never used since it was founded 5 years ago. The Alsea Sportsman's Association also has project funding that has not been earmarked.

Thank you for your consideration in these matters. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the short time frame these opportunities have presented themselves, and moving forward into being better prepared for next winter steelhead season.

Randall Bonner

Member Linn Benton CCA
Alsea Sportsman's Association