A special place to fish
In pursuit of the elusive Sockeye salmon
Andrew Christiansen
Reporter
A look up and down the river from Cliff’s Park, just below the John Day Dam, tells you why the middle stretch of the Columbia River, along the border between Washington and Oregon, is heaven to a fisherman. Perhaps a dozen people are fishing or just lazing for a mile or more along the river. It’s what brings Bernie Hedden to the area on a regular basis. The location is unknown to many and too remote for most.
Hedden, who lives in Harrah, about 10 miles west of Toppenish, could make it to the Columbia River at Tri-Cities much quicker and for less cost, but he says there are too many people there. He makes the 90 mile drive to the John Day Dam in his pick-up with trailer in tow, several times a year. The trailer is stocked with kitchen, bathroom, and bed, allowing Hedden to stay a few days. He fishes with his friends from Goldendale at the same spot, each year.
Hedden owned and operated a machine shop in Harrah until he was diagnosed with cancer in 1992. He fought that for awhile and continued to work in the shop and manage a trailer park, which he also owns in Harrah. Six years into treatment, he says he was told that the usual longevity with prostate cancer was 10 years. He thought, “I might as well do something I enjoy.” So he passed the machine shop on to his son and went fishing.
He has been “retired” for 10 years now, but he still manages his trailer court. He is also free of cancer.
Hedden pulled into his usual spot around 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning, this week. He began by driving a steel tube into the ground to hold his pole while he lounges in the shade of a nearby tree. He also tied a cord from his pole to a smaller tree. “That’s in case I hook a sturgeon,” said Hedden. “They will take the pole and everything.”
It isn’t sturgeon that Hedden is fishing for, neither is it the Northern pikeminnow, which he reeled in within five minutes of dropping his line into the river. Hedden is fishing for Sockeye salmon.
That isn’t exactly true, however, because Hedden said he has never caught a Sockeye and neither have his fishing buddies. They read about different ways to attract the fish which is prized for its taste, but they haven’t yet found anything that attracts a Sockeye salmon. It’s not that they are not here, tribal fishermen net them just a few hundred yards upstream. You just can’t hook them. The regulations also say you have to release them if you do catch one.
After half a day of fishing, Hedden’s catch was indicative of another reason the Columbia River is a great place to fish. It has incredible variety and people actually catch fish. Hedden reeled in two more Northern pikeminnows, a bass, and two steelhead trout, one a 10 pound keeper, with adipose fin removed at the hatchery, and the other a wild one, which he released.
In addition to the Chinook, Coho, Sockeye and Chum salmon, the river is also home to walleye, channel catfish and other assorted game fish, including shad. A big run of shad hits the river in June-July. Last week, locals claimed you could “walk across the river on the backs of shad.”
The other appeal of the location is that there is no park fee. It’s a luxury that can be taken for granted in this area, but visitors are often amazed about the easy access to the river.
For Hedden, this is the only place that he cares to fish. He is set up to go anywhere, but he always comes here. He fished the ocean, from Antarctica to the Arctic while serving his stint in the Coast Guard, mostly out of Seattle and Astoria. He said he doesn’t really care for fish all that much. But, that isn’t a problem if your goal is to catch a Sockeye salmon. For Hedden and many other fishermen, it’s all in the pursuit, since they can’t catch them anyway.
Lifeguard training announced
Do you want to be a lifeguard? There will be at least two lifeguard certification classes this summer. The first session is July 14 through July 19, (Monday through Friday 5:15 p.m. and Saturday starting at 8 a.m.). The second session is scheduled for the week of Aug. 11. Those who successfully complete the course, will receive American Red Cross Lifeguard, Basic First Aid, and CPR and AED for the professional rescuer certifications.
The tuition is $50 and scholarships are available. American Red Cross guidelines require all students be 15 years old or older by July 21. Course requirements include swimming 300 yards non-stop (200 yards front crawl stroke and 100 yards breaststroke) and swimming 25 yards with a 10 pound brick at or above the surface of the water.
Successful completion of the American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification course makes one eligible for employment at the Central Klickitat County Park and Recreation District Swimming Pool in 2009.
An option also exists for those younger swimmers, ages 11-14, who would like to become a lifeguard when they turn 15. A week-long course will begin Aug. 4 at a cost of $35.
The course is also offered under American Red Cross guidelines. Requirements include swimming 25 yards, front crawl stroke, treading water for one minute, and swimming under water for 10 yards.
For more information about these courses and scholarships, contact Lori Anderson at 773-0506.
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