Crooked River – Page 8

March 12, 2023March 11, 2023

A Favored Spot

One of our regular stops, a BLM site on the river.

Again this week we found ourselves parked next to a picnic table on the east bank of the Crooked River. If we’re not at home this would be the next place to look.

Some days all that’s required is time on the river. This works best if you’ve established a regular destination. With each relocation, a new favorite had to be researched . . . it’s always been like that.

Ancient lava flows make up the canyon walls

Growing up my family went fishing nearly every Summer Sunday. Depending on which sibling you ask, those outings were either fishing trips or picnics. Regardless . . . you get lunch and often cake for dessert.

Upper Big Creek CG, which actually closed before I left in the 70’s, was a common destination. We parked in second growth Larch overlooking the North Fork of the Flathead River.

Crooked River fishing means navigating over lots of rocks

Rock Creek served us well during time spent doing television in Missoula. When we moved to Troutdale, the fishing trips thinned because the Lower Deschutes was a much longer drive.

There are more than a handful of fishable streams within an hour of the place we’re currently occupying. While we do visit all at least once a season, the Crooked River, upstream of Prineville, holds the record number of visits.

“Over there looks like a good place to start…”

There are fish in these waters but a healthy riparian as well. While I hunt Redband Trout, JQ seeks a different angle.

Lined by basalt cliffs the Crooked River canyon is forested with ancient juniper and offers nice birding . . . water fowl, song birds and raptors.

From here we mark seasonal changes with posts of current blossoms and stream levels.

November 13, 2022November 18, 2022

River Levels

We spend a lot of time on rivers and frequently keep an eye on water levels. An extremely dry summer strained all Central Oregon waterways and in September the BLM drew down the Crooked River . . . dramatically.

Rivers are measured at regularly intervals along their run. It’s all part of water management. The numbers you see are stream stage (gage height in feet), which are water level, but also a measure of flow volume stated as Cubic Feet per Second (CFS). These numbers project potential water available to downstream irrigators, but also allow users to see seasonal changes to a stream.

Late summer flows on the Crooked can drop to 50 CFS from an average of about 130 CFS. September’s BLM draw down was to 10 CFS. This put more water in the irrigation ditches, but caused concern for the fish population.

In fact, they closed the river to fishing for a couple of months. As a result, we began our John Day River excursions and subsequently discovered Small Mouth Bass fishing.

We haven’t been on the Crooked River since the closure, not just because you couldn’t fish, but we dreaded how dramatic the impact might be. This week we braced ourselves and drove to the Crooked to have a look.

Low water exposes the weed beds and sub-surface rocks.

The day we were there, the river was up a bit, at 23 CFS. As expected a lot of river bed was exposed. The Crooked River has never been easy to wade, but now I’ve got a better understanding of why. With so much bottom laid bare, white alkali deposits on rocks mark high water points, and from the remaining water flow to the bank was an exposed jumble of loose shoebox sized stones.

What water was still there snaked between boulders offering only a few deep pools in which fish could hold. A climate disaster observed up close.

This week the levels are coming back up (2.03 ft/48 CFS at this writing), so now we find out how much impact the reduced flow has had.

In a week or two we’ll be back on stream to wet a line and hope the winter snows are deep.

August 14, 2022August 13, 2022

Take a Seat

A mourning dove flutters from tree to tree

“Hurry-up” is programmed into our lives … but what’s the rush? At this point, we’re in a reset, rather than retirement.

No longer in a rush, it’s possible to see details once missed, overlooked, even forgotten … details that make a difference.

The flow of a stream stirs the surroundings. Walk up to the river and you’ll find an abundance of green growth at the base of a hill or canyon. Beautiful sights, but just a facade.

Take a seat on the edge of that river and a whole world will emerge. The river isn’t just motion, it’s a life force. Just a few quiet moments will reveal the extent of life being supported by this high desert waterway.

The fisherman will run a hand over tall grasses at river’s edge, or turn a submerged stone to coax insects out of hiding. Before stepping into the current, a scan will reveal where fish are holding and feeding. A few steps off the bank, and you’re engulfed in water sounds.

Camera in hand, a chair tucked behind a row of tall thistle, you’re in a perfect blind to watch as blossoms come alive with butterflies. The foliage also obscures you from the birds hopping about in the juniper branches or feeding from the water’s edge.

A Canada Goose acts as sentinel over this year’s goslings.

There are waterfowl as well, and today a flock of Canada Geese are spending their day foraging underwater plants.

An osprey plucks a fish from the water and alights at the top of a snag to enjoy her lunch.

When we first pull up to the river there is a burst of activity. Cooler and camp chairs are set out and fly rods strung.

However, the bulk of our time is spent quietly watching as the river unveils a wealth of life. You just need to take a seat and observe.

July 31, 2022August 6, 2022

Dog Days

Once past the summer equinox, days are getting shorter and in Central Oregon, progressively hotter. During these dog days, our schedule shifts toward sunrise and early morning departures. While it may be hitting triple digits by noon, the day usually starts off cool.

At this point in the summer, cool is a relative term. High desert spring mornings often include frost and the need to don a hoody.

However, by July we are withering under 105ºF afternoon heat. So it’s nice to start the day at a brisk 60º. This week we took advantage of a pleasant morning along the river.

You can shave a few degrees off the thermometer in the shaded riparian. There are a few choice spots on the river offering decent fishing and sufficient shade trees.

Wildlife activity seems to shift to morning hours as well. We’re still treated to birds and water fowl along the river. Stepping out from under the shade to cast a line, the breeze across the river and the water itself stave off the worst of the summer sun.

By the time the afternoon sun has penetrated under the juniper boughs, we are back in AC with iced drinks and eBooks. It looks like there might be a cooling trend this coming week, with daytime mercury only raising into the 80’s. We’ll continue to plan around early mornings for a few more weeks.

July 17, 2022July 16, 2022

A Day on the River

Summer in Central Oregon starts out full of sunny, warm days that transition to the dog days with sweltering afternoons. There is a shift in how long it takes for the morning chill to burn off.

By August we’ll seek AC spaces for midday retreats. This week we took advantage of one of those slowly warming summer days to sit along the river.

The Crooked River canyon has started to shift to the brown tones of summer. Along river’s edge there are still green grasses and a few remaining blossoms.

While the migratory birds have moved on, the juniper trees and willow bushes are still alive with activity. We even manage to catch glimpses of Osprey stalking the river and raptors hunting the canyon edges.

The day is balmy and we don’t even need to move camp chairs into patches of shade until the late afternoon sun really starts to beat down. Fishing is pretty good and our iPads are full of reading material. We fill cups from a thermos of ice tea and munch on crackers spread with Mettwurst (German spreadable smoked pork sausage) and cream cheese.

Dappled light casts shadows through juniper boughs

By late afternoon the wind picks up so we pack the car and head home. There will be lots more trips to the Crooked. In the weeks to come, we’ll be more dependent on shade trees and actually look forward to afternoon winds coming off the river.