they didn't call it 'Catching the Rogue'

"Fishing the Rogue"

In our 6 weeks in Oregon we still hadn't been fishing. We made a point of getting our licenses at the local Bi-Mart (a Marden's equivalent).  I had run out to the car to get my wallet for photo ID so that I could partake as well, and imagine my surprise at the $80 bill.  I remarked, "WHOA! $40 each??" and Judd remarked, "No, $80 each!"  

YIKES-- we better get fishing!



Judd thought our first trip would be better from a boat. We left our boat in Maine. We researched it a bit and Judd rented a drift boat with a guide for half a day. When the guide asked 'salmon or steelhead,' we just said BIG, so we can send pics back to the Maine fishermen. We agreed to meet Charlie at the Gold Hill post office (20 min from our house.)  We set the alarm for 5am (earlier than our work alarms now) and it was pitch black out even at 6:15 at the appointed rendezvous site.  I was sure he must have meant 6:15pm rather than am.  How were we even going to see the fish in the dark?  But Charlie found us and found the river via headlamp, just as the sun was starting to crest over the hill. The boat came with a propane space heater, cushioned seats for 2 fisherpeople, drink holders, warm cinnamon rolls and an ice chest. The guide sat behind us and did all the work. 

Charlie and his partner Brady have matching drift boats. They had a little competition going on to see who posts the biggest fish on the website the next day.  The boats are shallow and  flat for going down the river even when it gets shallow/rocky. Of course the water gets choppy and white over some of the rocks and Charlie switches out from motoring to rowing/steering.  Charlie used to be a rafting guide and when I mentioned I don't do white water, he thought I'd had a bad rafting experience.  I assured him I had NO rafting experience and that's the way I liked it. He said we wouldn't be doing more than Class 1 rapids so I stopped stressing, until the next one. Then my class 1 white knuckles matched the class 1 white water. Judd thought it was hysterical (or histrionic.) 

We had a lovely boat ride. We practiced bobbing for salmon. Charlie baited huge hooks with a stinky linen-like sac of old tuna and red fireballs which hung 3 inches above another huge hook. His neoprene overalls were ablaze with the red stuff. He was also wearing an electric vest which was our first hint that the last day of September is cold on the river.  The space heater ran out of propane half way through the morning.  It was the last day of salmon season which means they're not really into eating (tuna, red balls or hooks)--they're interested in spawning.  So they totally ditched us.  We switched out rods to different massive hooks for steelhead.  No bobbing--just letting the current float the lures out.  I got something to wiggle my line but no one, except Brady's fisherguy in the other boat, caught a fish.  Oh, some dudes were sitting in a boat on the bank and fly fishing but snagging a fish on it's back is considered cheating or something.  Charlie did not have good names for those dudes. Charlie was very apologetic that he didn't get us to land anything and gave us a discount (a skunk sticker on his card) for "the next time we go out with him."  He goes to the coast for November so it might not be til next April, after we pay that slight fee for a 2018 fishing license! Great website and trip
 http://www.fishingtherogue.com/

We wanted to camp to try out our two new camping cots á la Krummel advice.  They just barely fit in the tent lengthwise (the tents, not the Krummels) but there was a nice aisle between them for our travel coffee table so we could play cribbage inside if we wanted to. The purchase of 12 tennis balls which Judd axed up before we left made cushions for the feet of the cots but seemed superfluous since the cots already had intentionally soft feet, knowing they'd be going in a tent. Wonder if there's an alternative use for 12 hacked tennis balls.

We thought camp would be close enough that we could walk to one or more of the 18 Applegate Wineries, but it wasn't.  In fact, by the time we drove all the way to California (part of Applegate Lake abuts the Golden State) we only had time for one winery. (Tasting rooms are generally open noon to 5pm.) Cricket Hill tasting is in a garage kind of space at the vineyard where the husband has quit his day job and is busy growing grapes and making the wine.  The wife 'mans' the tasting bar. She said she can't afford to quit her day job. The walls had the most beautiful art made of slats of barrel wood crimped with all manner of copper and metal. It was my favorite part of this winery. The art, oh,  and the wine.

Judd photographing Oregon's biggest cash crop:  "medicinal gems"

Big and Little Applegate are the rivers coming out of Applegate Lake and feeding into the Rogue. We were pretty stunned at how low the water level was in Applegate Lake. The campgrounds there were closed for the season. We went back north 20 min to the
Jackson campground and found a nice tent site right  on the banks of the Applegate River. A pretty uneventful night except for Judd politely telling some yahoo that no RVs in the tent sites meant he should turn around and go up to the parking lot where the RVs were. I was surprised to awake to the RV still right in the tent site.

We stopped at what looked like a tiny diner: Honeysuckle Cafe in Ruch for Sunday morning brunch. It was fabulous and every table was full by the time we left. Then it was just 20 min home to Jacksonville for mundane things like housework and homework and not posting fish pics.

Applegate Lake (must have had water in the spring)

That's California over them there hills