THE TROUT LINE
Tualatin Valley Chapter News
June/July 2007
Chapter Meetings are held at the LUCKY
LABRADOR on the second Wednesday of
each month at 6:30 PM with a social get-together and
the formal meeting at 7:00 PM unless otherwise noted
in the newsletter or website. Lucky Labrador, Multnomah
Village, 7675 SW Capitol Hwy. Portland, (503) 244-2537.
Food and Beverages available.
Board of Directors Meetings held on the fourth
Wednesday of the month at a Directors home at 7pm.
Wednesday, June 13 Michael T.
Williams presents an introduction to
Hosmer Lake. Originally called Mud Lake, crystal
clear Hosmer Lake has become somewhat famous for its
scenic beauty, acrobatic landlocked Atlantic salmon and
legendary lunker brook trout that can often be seen
ignoring every presentation along its narrow lily-pad-
choked channel. It’s a gem. Michael T. Williams has
spent several decades observing and enjoying its bounty
and chronicling its changes. One of Oregon’s first fly
fishing only waters, Hosmer remains a very popular
destination offering memorable and challenging fishing
amid some of the most beautiful scenery to be found in
the Cascades. Michael is an outstanding angler, fly tyer,
outdoor adventurer and photographer, with a unique
perspective of Hosmer. He will share his discoveries with
us.
Wednesday July 11 6-9 PM
Annual Summer Picnic at Cook Park
As has become customary, instead of our regular monthly
meeting at the Lucky Lab, we will meet at Picnic Shelter #3
at Cook Park along the slow waters of the Tualatin River
in Tigard for a potluck barbecue. The chapter will provide
burgers, dogs, buns and fixings, plus non-alcoholic
beverages; you bring sides, salads and/or desserts to feed
six. You are free to bring your own adult beverages.
Families are welcome. We won’t be doing any significant
club business, nor will there be a guest speaker program,
but we will have some kind of activity to go along with the
festivities. Be there….. bring friends and family….
Editor: David Illig
President’s Column
Hank Hosfield
. Way back in February when Ed
Engle spoke at our chapter he
described the evolution of a fly
fisher. He said the first thing
people new to fly fishing want to
do is learn how to cast and simply catch a fish; next they
want to catch lots of fish; then big fish; finally, they seek
to catch the most challenging fish that tests the full
measure of their skill. And for many, the next great thrill
is teaching others how to fish.
I mentioned recently how our chapter has acquired a bit
of a reputation as a fly fishing club. Certainly part of that
is a result of the many well-known fly fishing experts that
regularly speak at our club meetings, but mostly it is
derived from the angling reputations of many of our long-
time members. Even I’ve probably contributed to this
collective fame, but the truth is, I learned a lot from
various members of our Tualatin Valley Chapter over the
years. In fact, I recall from the very first meeting when
guys like Alex Barkume welcomed me, that I was among
folks who loved fishing—and especially fly fishing—every
bit as much as I did. And I found them to be very
generous with their hard-won knowledge. I was
immediately invited along for the fun, just like I’ve seen
our group welcome many other new members to our club
over the years.
I know the reason many new members come to our club is
to learn more about fishing and to meet new people to go
fishing with. I also know that many people who are brand
new to fly fishing can feel reluctant to ask for help. They
think they’ll slow down the serious old pros, or seem
inept. I bring this up, because I believe many of our long-
time members feel their primary purpose for continued
involvement in the chapter is sharing their knowledge and
enthusiasm of the sport with new members. We have a
substantial group of fine anglers who also seem to be at
that last stage in their evolution where their greatest thrill
is teaching someone else how to catch fish. Our
membership should not be shy about availing themselves
of this valuable resource.
One of the best ways to hook up with other anglers in our
chapter is at the fishing outings. Aside from the fine
camaraderie and all the fishing talk in camp, these offer
great opportunity to spend time on the water with guys
who can show you how it’s done. The popular Timothy
Lake outing coming in June is your next chance, and is a
good choice for anyone seeking an introduction to float
tubing.

Beyond the outings, I’ve benefited greatly from the many
occasions that other members invited me to go fishing
with them. My impression is that chapter members used
to fish together more in non-chapter events than they do
now. Maybe all of us just used to fish a lot more—I know
that’s true for me. At any rate, I’m proposing that we all
make an effort to invite another member (preferably,
someone who is somewhat new to our club) to go fishing
this summer. I’m also toying with the idea of establishing
some kind of club mentorship program, wherein certain
veteran anglers in our chapter would make themselves
available to take new people fishing on a monthly basis.
Maybe we’ll be able to put together a list of folks who are
willing to take other chapter members along with them for
a day of fishing.
But even if this doesn’t happen, I want to reiterate my
main point that our chapter is full of experienced anglers
who are very generous with their time and advice to teach
new people how and even where to fish. Most are just
waiting to be asked. Perhaps it would be better if we all
just reached out a little more. In that spirit, I’m making
this invitation for all of us.
Tight Lines, Hank.
Fly of the Month:. Michael Gentry
The Schwartzenegger Chironomid
A number of years ago, as I was starting to fish the lakes,
I read an article about a supersized breed of chironomid
that could be found in the lakes east of the Cascades.
According to the article, for reasons not clear to the
author, this strain of midge was hardly a midget, at least
in the pupae stage. The body was distinctive, much more
“spiky” than the standard midge patterns I had seen. As
I was just getting ready to head to Grindstone Lakes for
the first time, and since I am a sucker for a new pattern, I
tied five or six and threw them in the fly box. Am I (and
countless fishing buddies since) glad I did! Since then
they have been a staple in my box; I tie them in sizes 10
and 12 on a 2x long hook.
Hook: TMC 5263BL
Tail: White Antron
Body: Deep red or scarlet hackle,
trimmed
Rib: Fine copper wire
Thorax: Peacock herl
Gills: White Antron
1. Preparing the hackle. This is the most laborious
part of this pattern. Take a number of long
saddle hackles, and holding each one by the tip
with one hand, gently “straighten” the hackle
spines by using two fingers of the other hand
gripping the hackle feather lightly and moving
them toward the hackle base. The idea is to get
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
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the spines to stick out perpendicular to the hackle
shaft. Once that is done, trim each side of the hackle
so that the spines are about 1/16 inch. An easier way
for some is to trim them to about 1/4 inch and then
to trim the body down to about a 1/8 inch width once
on the hook. Once they are trimmed, soak them in a
glass of water to get them nice and supple.
2. Mount the hook in the vise and tie in an antron
tail at the bend of the hook. Trim the tail to ¼
inch (I usually leave it a bit longer when tying and
trim at the end).
3. Tie in the copper ribbing where the tail is tied to
the hook.
4. Tie in the hackle by the tail, at the point where the
antron tail is tied to the hook, and tightly
(meaning not spaced out) wrap the hackle to
about 1/4 inch from the hook eye and tie off.
5. Counter-wrap the copper ribbing forward to the
same tie off point and tie off. Some of the hackle
spines will be trapped by the wire but that is ok;
enough will stick out.
6. Tie in a peacock herl at the tie off point of the
body.
7. About 1/8 inch from the eye, just forward of the
herl, tie in the gills so that they are sticking out
on either side perpendicular to the hook. Use the
standard “figure 8” wrap with two or three turns
of thread. I find it easiest to take about a 1 or 2
inch piece, tie it in, and trim the excess after the
fly is finished.
8. For the thorax, wrap the herl fore and aft of the
gills, also “figure 8-ing” it once over the top and
bottom of the spot where the gills are tied to the
hook. The herl can either be wrapped as is, or I
find it holds up better after a few fish if I make a
“yarn’ of the herl by tying in the herl to the hook,
letting the thread bobbin hang below the hook
with about 1 ½ or 2 inches of thread, and winding
the herl strand around the thread toward the
bobbin, then holding the herl/thread yarn with
two fingers while I wrap the thorax. Either way,
build the thorax and tie off right behind the eye.
9. Finish the head with a thread wrap as usual and
put a little head cement on the head.
10. Trim the gills so that they stick out about 1/16
inch wider than the body on each side.

When I got to Grindstone that year, I showed the flies to
Bill Beardsley who had been running the lake for a number
of years. He confessed that he’d never seen that pattern
and hadn’t ever heard of any chironomids on steroids in
any of his lakes, but since dinner wasn’t for several hours,
I should go out and give ‘em hell. Williams Lake is right
next to the farmhouse, and is about a mile in
circumference by my estimate. I worked my way on shore
around the lake, casting out about 30 feet, and came to
dinner 23 fish later! Bill was amazed, and I was in heaven.
I was hooked on lake fishing and on this fly.
Like any chironomid pattern, I find a slow retrieve of 4
inches or so to be the most productive. The fly is not very
heavy; I fish it either as a trailing fly on a beadhead
(Prince Nymph or Pheasant Tail) or on my nymphing rig of
a dry fly line that has not had the first fifteen feet treated
with line cleaner or floatant for decades so that is an
improvised “slow sink tip”. It has consistently been
productive the length of the east side.
For those who get discouraged with the hackle preparing
process, which resembles a trip to the dentist, a
reasonable substitute is dyed pheasant tail fibers – but
they are not nearly as “spiky” in appearance. Either way,
“Mikey tried it” and so should you. Michael…
Lost Lake is full of fish (and
fishermen)
Half a dozen (five from TVTU and one from CRTU) braved
threatening April skies to get an early start on fishing
season at our first outing of the year at Lost Lake on top
of Spruce Run. Our reward? Mostly pleasant fishing
conditions with surprisingly little rain or wind; the quiet
solitude of a line on water; and enough eager hatchery
fish to keep us from falling asleep in our float tubes. We
all caught our share of 9-12 inch rainbows. In fact, once
the bite turned on in the early afternoon, it was almost a
fish every cast for about an hour. The hoped-for surplus
hatchery steelhead were nowhere to be seen, but a couple
of us hooked and lost fish that were pushing 15 inches.
Interestingly enough, the lake was scheduled for stocking
with 2000 more fish the week after we were there. On our
way home, several of us took a short detour to follow the
Nehalem River down to the Salmonberry. About the time
we turned for home the thunderheads finally let loose.
South Twin Lakes Report
Andy Andrews
The South Twin Lakes trip had enough diversity during
the weekend to keep most of us on our toes. I drove over
on Friday evening and Willamette Pass was wearing its
winter coat, with active snow flurries and freezing
temperatures. Well, at least my car was showing an
outside temperature of 31 – degrees but the roads
remained free of ice or even packed snow. By the time I
had reached the town of Crescent, the snow along the
road was gone but the cold air remained. I pulled into the
campground in time to put up my tent before it was
‘completely’ dark, a new experience for me.
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I awoke Saturday morning to clear blue skies but the
morning air temperature was low enough to discourage
me from launching my float tube. Before driving to the
Fall River with Jeff from the Clackamas Chapter, I started
working on a fly feel at the picnic table when movement
beyond my tent caught my eye. My first short glance saw
a dog from someone’s camp just nosing around and my
eyes went back to the reel. Just as quick as my glance, my
old brain registered that what I had seen was not a ‘camp
dog’. I see dozens of coyotes a year on my way to and
from work and walking the streets around the
neighborhood, and this was not a coyote. The coat on this
animal was not mangy, but gorgeous and did not appear
too have seen a winter. I would describe his tail as a
‘bottle brush’, maybe 6 - 8 inches in diameter and his
color was black on his back and gray on his sides. This
dog was muscular and about the size of a German
Sheppard. I eye – marked him on a tree he passed and I’d
guess the top of this back to be 30 – inches off the ground
and he was about 100 - feet from me when I first saw him.
I tried to get a picture of him as he glided through the
Lodge pole Pine but he stayed to heavy cover.
I was not the only witness to this event and the witness
response was, “what the hell was that?” Later a
‘government official’ said that at most it was (maybe) a
hybrid wolf that had been raised in captivity, escaped or
was released into the wilderness. They had no other
reports of sightings of this animal. The other most logical
answer was a Ki – dog. This is where a domestic dog has
mated with coyote. I’m still not sure what I saw, but the
sighting made the trip worthwhile to me.
Those who fished South Twin caught some fish in the 16 –
20” range but had to work hard for them. They had many,
many short strikes with no results for the net. Jeff and I
did fish the Fall River and saw very few fish and landed ‘0’
fish.
Saturday night was social time with eight - attending the
BBQ of steak, pork and chicken, potato salad and other
delights. It was a clear, starry night around the campfire
with numerous discussions on how to resolve some world
issues.
Sunday morning was clear and warmer than Saturday had
been. A group of us fished the Deschutes arm of Wickiup
Reservoir and results were varied. Between Jeff and I, we

managed to boat one – old, German Brown of 21 – inches
which had a slight disability. He was old because he was
21” and he was disabled because of one - cloudy eye. He
was released back to his home, uninjured, after pictures
were taken. After Jeff headed for home, I returned to the
Fall River with the same results as I’d had the day before.
I spent as much time sitting on a hill watching the river
go by as I spent fishing. I watched two – Osprey do some
aerobatics overheard as one of them held a fish that the
other wanted.
I stayed Sunday night with one other member to avoid the
traffic going home that evening. We enjoyed another
great campfire, dinner and a star filled night.
How do I rate the weekend? I’d give it an 8 or 9 out of 10.
Let’s see; good food, good companionship, a campfire
under the stars and everyone had a safe, trouble free trip.
What would have made it a perfect 10? Well, cheaper gas
prices would have raised the bar a bit, and a great photo
of the four – legged creature I saw could have brought the
weekend trip to near perfect.
Well, that’s my take on the South Twin trip! Andy
Global Warming and the Northwest
Rivers By: Robert Bernard
Recently, I represented our chapter and TU at an
informational meeting hosted by the National Wildlife
Federation, Save our Wild Salmon, Trout Unlimited and
North West Steelheaders. This meeting served as a forum
for us to learn more about future impacts of global
warming on our local environment. Moreover, what are
options to minimize global warming?
A reason I am involved in organizations such as Trout
Unlimited is my concern for and willingness to help in
conservation matters. Keeping that broad based goal in
mind, I publish this article as a means to provide some
information and individual actions we may use to help
keep our environment. It is far from being inclusive. I
expect you are aware of the three global warming reports
prepare by 250 scientists representing countries from
throughout the world.
Global warming, no matter its cause, threatens to change
entire ecosystems throughout the state. A rise in
temperature of 5 degrees by 2100 will lead to hotter and
dryers summers, droughts will get worse and when it rains
–will come in more severe. Scientists project that a 3-
degree rise in average August temperatures, which is
plausible by 2040, could mean that up to 20 % of the
streams in the Columbia-Snake River Basin and coastal
watersheds of Oregon may become too warm for salmon,
steelhead and trout species. Washington and Oregon may
become too warm for these fish. If streams in the region
continue to be degraded by other factors, the impact will
likely be even greater.
Reduced flows make fish migration harder while less
oxygen in the water results in slower growth rates along
with greater susceptibility to poisons, parasites and
disease.
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What can we do?
1. Study-up on the issue. By far, it is the biggest
issue affecting our lives
2. Advocate for emissions controls to get
emissions under control
3. Prepare for population growth
4. Improve the energy efficiency of our homes
5. Use cleaner, more efficient modes of
transportation
6. Help restore degrades streams
7. Eliminate unnecessary dams, e.g., the four
lower snake river dams
8. Contacting Congressional representatives to
encourage the government to enact policies
that reduce global warming pollution
9. (bring back concerns about population growth
and encourage more sex and more birth
control. Editor’s suggestion)
What are other ways to look at what we will see in
Portland and Oregon? Go 500 miles south and look at the
population and its impact. Drive further east and south,
see those eco cycles. Those will be ours. Our rivers and
ocean are to become rapidly changing with more carbon
monoxide resulting in a narrow spectrum of sea living fish
and plants. Many plants and wildlife will experience
localized extinction.
By, 2050, the Rocky Mountain Range will lose 50% of its
coldwater fisheries. Snow pack will be 30% less and melt
20-30 days earlier. Our local population increases by 50%.
The Great Lakes will become a warm water fishery.
Robert
Chapter Needs Conservation
Projects Leader By Robert Bernard
Our chapter highly values conservation efforts. We know
individually, and as a Trout Unlimited chapter, we must
strive to improve our streams and lakes. Improvement
means helping to make them clean, pollution free,
accessible and beautiful.
Our efforts correspond with TU’s mission
statement…”conserve, protect and restore North
America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.”

Examples of chapter efforts scheduled throughout 2007
are tree plantings, fish ladder reinstallation, landscaping,
plus natural preserve restoration.
Your Board of Director asks a chapter member step
forward to become a conservation projects coordinator.
Your contact is Robert Bernard @ 503.239.8507 or at our
monthly meeting.
Trees planted, fish saved! Hank
On April 28, an eager crew of three from TVTU, plus Tom
Horning from the Estacada Ranger Station joined forces to
plant trees and tackle some other stream enhancement
work in the Upper Clackamas watershed.
Here’s Tom Horning’s report of what we accomplished:
“Wow Hank, for only three people you guys sure got a lot
done in only part
of a day. Here's the tally:
Planted 150 Douglas fir and 90 western red cedar at two
sites: the Road 4620, Sandstone Creek crossing and also
at the large dispersed recreation site adjacent to Hwy. 224
at the top of Foreman Hill.
Picked up the abandoned (and soaking wet) loveseat and
table along the 4620 Road.
Performed the experimental hand digging-up of a
moderate size Japanese Knotweed (very invasive,
obnoxious, noxious weed) site near the top of Foreman
Hill and adjacent to Hwy. 224. (To be monitored and
followed up in coming years.)
Removed the four amateur constructed mini-dams on
the1988 fish-rearing side channel that were blocking and
dewatering the side channel and saving from certain death
about 300 juvenile coho salmon that were trapped in
shrinking pools of water. Great job!”
The most fun task was removing those rock and gravel
dams and opening up the stream flow to rescue the
juvenile coho. Who knows why folks would want to dam
up a side channel like that, but this is not uncommon.
Tom said they’ve found some very ambitious and illegal
dam projects done by mischievous recreationists. Trying
to undo the damage of man’s handiwork is a 24/7 job. It
was great to see the side channel quickly fill up with a
healthy flow of water. Those fish would have been high
and dry very shortly. Hank
(So why didn’t more members show up? They too would
have had a very enjoyable time. What to do? How do we
get more participation? Editor’s note)
Low water fishing Erle Norman
Due to a small snow pack, this summer’s fishing season is
likely to see very low water levels in many streams in
eastern Oregon. Catch and release fishing for redband
trout with warm water temperatures could result in high
mortality. According to the Oregon Dept.of fish and
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5
wildlife anglers should not fish when in-stream
temperatures are over 74 degrees, and that fish mortality
increases drastically at temps above 74 degrees. Most of
the years of this decade have seen low stream flows in
many areas of Oregon. Redband trout are legendary for
their ability to survive flood, drought, and high water
temps. However, I can tell you they are not bulletproof. A
few years ago, after noticing a nearly total lack of fish in
the most accessible part of a redband stream, I asked the
ODFW biologist in Hines, Oregon for ideas. His theory was
that the fish had died off after the stress of being caught
and released. He said that there was no spring runoff that
year and the fish had been too easily caught in the low
and warmer water. Some states, such as Montana, require
anglers to stop fishing at noon during hot summers.
Personally, I would like to see complete closures of the
streams in the warm months. I believe that 99% of anglers
would approve, if told the reasons. Until ODFW requires
defined closure of streams, please use your stream
thermometer to check water temperature and protect fish.
Below is the full text of a news release from July, 2004:
With summer heating up, the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife (ODFW) asks anglers to voluntarily stop
fishing when in-stream temperatures reach a critical limit.
Fish mortality levels increase drastically when water
temperatures are higher than 74 degrees. As a result,
Oregon Trout, Native Fish Society, Trout Unlimited and
ODFW suggest voluntarily limiting angling during these
times to protect trout populations and future fishing
opportunities. Those who choose to angle are advised to
fish in the morning, when water temperatures are cooler,
or to fish at a different location if water conditions are
unfavorable at their usual site.
Anglers also can help by using barbless hooks, keeping
fish in the water as much as possible and limiting the
amount of handling time. Anglers should wet their hands
before removing hooks, and avoid touching the fish’s
gills. Page 31 of the 2004 Oregon Sport Fishing
Regulations has more information on handling fish for
release.
Stream flows throughout Oregon are well below average
this year. Reduced summer stream flows and increased
water temperatures have decreased available fish habitat,
disease resistance, spawning success and available food
and oxygen, according to biologists from ODFW. Increased
competition and predation also have resulted.
In this stressed environment, fish gather in groups where
water conditions are most favorable, making them more
vulnerable to anglers and predators. These threats can

adversely affect adult trout numbers in future years by
reducing the numbers of spawning adults.
This is the fourth year of low stream flows in many areas
of the state. Under normal water years, affected trout
populations will quickly rebound and again provide for
some quality angling experiences.
ODFW encourages anglers to try some of the areas where
water temperatures are cooler such as the High Cascade
mountain lakes and mountain streams. ODFW’s high lakes
stocking program provides for some excellent trout
angling in the summer and fall. These lakes generally are
stocked every other year with fingerling fish that grow to
catchable size. Many mountain steams have abundant
brook trout populations, which provide good
opportunities for young anglers. Erle
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From Portland, take Highway 26 past Government Camp
and stay on 26 passing the junction of Highway 35.
Fifteen miles from the junction, you will see a sign for
Skyline Road, Forest Road 42. Turn right onto Skyline
Road and drive for eight miles to Forest Road #57. Turn
right on 57 and drive for four – more miles to Pine Point
campground.
For more information, call Andy at 503 – 969 – 2246 (Cell)
or 503 – 646 – 2375 (Hm).

TU Fishing Outings 2007

June 29, 30, July 1 Timothy Lake, Pine Point
Campground, Camp #25
July 20, 21, 22 Upper Klamath Lake Area,
Campground TBA
August 5 Laurence Lake, Mt. Hood Area
August 24, 25, 26 East Lake, Central Oregon,
Cinder Hill Campground
September 20--26 Fall River, Central Oregon,
Fall River Campground
October 5, 6, 7 State Project, Location TBA
October 14 Round Lake,
Upper Clackamas Watershed
October 26, 27, 28 Crooked River, Central Oregon Klamath Lake July 20, 21 and 22 Friday
Campground TBA through Sunday
Contact Andy Glen.Andrews@valero.com
503 969 2246 This month we are going to travel to the land of big trout.
We will fish the waters of Upper Klamath Lake where
fishing is on the rebound after some rehabilitation to wet
lands was completed. The largest Red Band Rainbow
Timothy Lake Outing taken recently was 22 – pounds, so leave the 4 – weight
June 29th, 30th and July 1st Friday – Monday rod at home. More common fish in the lake are 4 – 6
pounds. From Klamath Lake, you are also able to fish any
Last year our trip to Timothy Lake seemed to be popular number of famous rivers in the area.
with both fisherman and their families. Our only issue
was finding room so that our entire group could be We will be setting up camp in the Odessa Campground area (4100
relatively close together. So this year we have reserved a foot elev.). There are five or six areas with tables, fire pits and
vault toilets. You cannot reserve sites at Odessa, there’s no
group site suitable for 12 – people at Pine Point
drinking water and there’s no fee for camping. Basically
Campground, site # 25, for three – nights. Because of the
you put down your tent wherever you can find room.
reserved site fee, we will be charging $15 for the weekend,
Odessa has a boat ramp and you will want a boat to fish
for anyone in the group site. You will also have to pay the
Klamath, if you have access to one. If for some reason
campground $5 - $8 a night to park your car. If you
Odessa is full, in the Fremont – Winema National Forest,
would like to go and want your own site, you’d better
camping is allowed in any area that will hold your group
make reservations very soon and expect to pay around
as long as there are no ‘No Camping’ signs. If we can’t
$20 a night, plus a $9 reservation fee.
find room at Odessa, we will leave instructions for as to
where to find us for late arrivals. There will be a BBQ
There will be a BBQ on Saturday night with meat provided.
Saturday night (meat provided) so bring chips and dip,
We ask those attending to bring a side dish, chips and dip
salad, beans, or something for the group.
or whatever they can contribute to add to the meal.
Odessa is located on Odessa Creek (North West corner of
Timothy Lake is close enough that you won’t have to
Klamath Lake) on forest service road #3639. This area can
refinance your home to buy gas to get to the lake, and it
be approached from three directions so break out the
offers swimming and hiking as family activities. However,
maps and stop and ask directions when needed.
there are many photos and whispered tales of large
brookies and rainbows that are known to cruise the lake.
You might want to check out a web site
Timothy has a channel that’s over 100 – foot deep and
www.rockypointoregon.com as they have lots of
many quite coves that can protect large fish.
information on prices for renting boats, gear and

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accommodations if camping doesn’t appeal to you (don’t
miss the photo gallery …whoa!).
For more information, call Andy
Laurence Lake Sunday, August 5 th
(Day
Trip)
Laurence Lake is one of the little gems that exist on the
north (east) flank of Mt. Hood, not far from Lost Lake.
Here’s the hook; currently the road to Laurence is washed
out and access may not be available at the time of the
trip. We may have to relocate to another lake somewhere
nearby. By July I should know what were will do for an
outing if the road has not been repaired. If you are
interested in a day trip on August 5th , please call and
make sure of the location of the trip.
We will meet at The River City Fly Shop located at 11429
SW Scholls Ferry Road (near Big Reds Restaurant) for car
pooling. We cannot use this lot for leaving vehicles, so we
will relocate to a business park nearby. Andy
The Willamette River: Fish in Peril?
Emily Bartha and Chet Zimmer
Mention the Willamette River to most Oregonians and you
will probably hear a joke about 3-eyed smallmouth bass
and glow-in-the-dark sturgeon. Apparently, it’s no secret
that the Willamette is indeed a very dirty river. It has
made news across the nation and was named the third
most endangered river in America last year due to
industrial and municipal pollution. While storm water
discharges and other types of non-point source pollution
foul our infamous river, and we deal with the clean up of
pollution from long ago in Portland Harbor Superfund
site, industry continues to contribute a large share of the
dangerous toxic chemicals like mercury, arsenic and lead
in areas called Toxic Mixing Zones.
You may be surprised to find out where and how these
toxins are released into the river. Actually, the “where”
part is hard to answer as much of this pollution is piped
into the river in Toxic Mixing Zones by industry and
municipalities. These mixing zones remain mysteriously
un-marked, so people may be water-skiing, fishing or
swimming in the middle of these areas without evening
knowing it. A loophole in state law allows this to occur by
permitting industries and municipalities to discharge
toxic chemicals that far exceed the water quality
standards considered safe to human and aquatic life. Yet
remarkably, despite the dangers, there is not a water
quality monitoring program in place to measure toxic
pollution in Oregon waterways, save for voluntary testing
done by polluters.
How does this affect our fish? Many people are aware
that these contaminants can bio-accumulate and make
their way up the food chain to fish and birds in increasing
“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
7
concentrations. I mainly fish for trout, steelhead, and
salmon, so I’ve never worried much because I thought the
effects were limited to bass and sturgeon who live (and
feed) in the river most of their lives. Unfortunately, there
are signs that these toxins may affect anadromous fish
populations, too. As an example, copper has been
detected in the river near the Morrison Street Bridge at
such high concentrations that it may hamper their sensory
perception, impeding their ability to find spawning
grounds and avoid predators. Toxic Mixing Zones on the
Willamette and other rivers only add to the high amount
of toxic chemicals that anadromous fish are exposed to
throughout their different life stages.
The public has a right to know what is in our rivers and
what effects those toxins might have on us, and fish and
wildlife. Trout Unlimited obviously does a lot of work
across the country to make our waters safe for fish. I
wanted to write this article so that we are aware of
another campaign in Oregon that is underway with similar
goals. The Portland Sierra Club is making a concerted
effort to reach out to the angling community to help stop
toxic pollution on the Willamette River. They have begun
distributing information to anglers at Sportsmen’s shows,
holding casting clinics, and coordinating restoration
projects to inform anglers about their stake in the
problem and to encourage them to become part of the
solution.
A major part of the initiative is having anglers and
citizens sign postcards addressed to Governor Kulongoski
demanding that state regulators strengthen protections
for our rivers and streams, and increase their monitoring
of water quality. Furthermore, information about Toxic
Mixing Zones needs to be available on-site and online so
that the public can make informed choices about the risks
they take. The eventual goal of the campaign is to get
industry to move toward more efficient waste disposal
technologies and the eventual phase-out of Toxic Mixing
Zones on Oregon waters.
You may contact Emily Bartha at
emily.bartha@sierraclub.org or Chet Zimmer at
chetzimmer@yahoo.com to learn more about the
campaign or visit: www.livingdownstream.org.
 8
TVTU Members Can Help Men
Fighting Cancer
“Fishing can heal the mind. Talking and sharing can ease
the pain”…………...”Thank you for including me in Reel
Recovery. It was one of the most rewarding and emotional
experiences of my life.”

The Big K Guest Ranch will again be the location for the
Oregon Reel Recovery Retreat in 2007. Dates are August
22-24, 2007. I encourage everyone to learn more about
Reel Recovery by going to www.reelrecovery.org, talking to
me at an upcoming meeting or phoning me at phone
number or E-mail address shown below

We are accepting applications for cancer survivor

participants and volunteer Fishing Buddies, as well as
donations of money and supplies. Such applications are
available at www.reelrecovery.org or I am happy to get
those to you. Robert L. Bernard 503.239.8507
bearbernard@yahoo.com

Check out BREAKING NEWS at

WWW.TVTROUTUNLIMITED.com

Steens Wilderness Project with BLM

August 24-27. We are working on setting up a
Steens Wilderness project with BLM. We have tentative
dates for arrival on Friday 24 August and Departure on Newsletter Materials: Please submit
Monday 27 August with work in between. We’d more than
likely pull fence within the wilderness area and fix trails. to David Illig at dillig1@aol.com, 503
Angling would be a part of this. Those few of you with
Pronghorn tags might have more important things to do!
296 9050.
Articles, pictures, poems, book
If interested, let me know via email or feel free to give me
a shout in the TU office. We’d need at least 6 volunteers. reviews, equipment comments,
fishing reports, conservation issues,
Mike Beagle Pacific NW Field Coordinator
Trout Unlimited Medford, O 541-772-7720 fishing issues, etc.
F 541-772-7725 www.sportsmenforcoppersalmon.org

"We - you and I, and our government - must

avoid...plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the
precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the
material assets of our grandchildren..." Dwight D.
Eisenhower 1961 Presidential Farewell Address

“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
 9
f

One or more of the

When: Wed, July 11th, 6pm – 9pm Activities:
Where: Cook Park • fly fishing film fest
Head South on Hall Blvd out of • Member slide show
Tigard. Turn Rt onto SW
• Casting on Tualatin
Durham Rd then left, South, on
92nd Ave (next to Tigard HS) –
follow 92nd to end of park. Plus! Great food and
Picnic Shelter #3 on the banks of great company –
the Tualatin River first timer? - come on
out and meet some
likable folks!
Families and friends
Why: why not? welcome!

Picnic is potluck – please bring a side-

dish or dessert and/or beverages

Chapter will provide the ‘dogs’ and

‘burgers’ and fixins’

Please contact Robert Bernard and give

him your name, potluck item and contact
info if you would. He can help with what
might be needed.

503-239-8507
bearbernard@yahoo.com
It’s free, it’s
fun, see you
there!

“To Conserve, Protect, And Restore North America’s Cold Water Fisheries And Their Watersheds”
 Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited
June/July 2007 Hosmer Lake Presentation…..July Picnic Outing Info
Officers and Board
President: Hank Hosfield
228-6553 hankh@imagina.com
Vice President Robert L. Bernard 503-239-8507
bearbernard@yahoo.com
Treasurer Erle Norman 293-6006
caddis2000@hotmail.com
Membership Chair
Board of Directors:
Eric Thompson 297-0718
anglingeric@msn.com
Dick Rohrbaugh
rbaugh@lclark.edu 636-3877
David Illig Newsletter editor
296 9050 dillig1@aol.com
Alex Barkume - 642-7024
alexbarkume@comcast.net
Andy Andrews Outings
Andy.Andrews@nustarenergy.com 969 2246
Jerry Heppell
gheppell5@verizon.net 639-9408

Communications Paige Wallace

503-803-9466 flyfishgirl@hotmail.com