12/18/2009

Schooner Creek Fish Trap:

TEAM CHINOOK, WENT TO THE TRAP WITHOUT OUR MAIN DRIVER, THE HOOK. LARRY STEPPED FORWARD AND
VOLUNTEERED TO USE HIS VEHICLE AS IT ALREADY HAD A GOOD CRUST ON IT FROM THE SILETZ TRAP RUN ON WEDNESDAY. LARRY AND I PICKED UP BUD AND THE TEAM WAS OFF. WE HAD A NICE DRIVE BUT DIDN'T SEE NARY A WILD CRITTERS GOING OR COMING HOME

UPON REACHING THE TRAP LARRY AND BUD WERE READY TO GO AS THEY HAD THEIR WADERS ON. I HAD HAULED MINE ALONG BUT DECIDED I WOULDN'T NEED THEM AS I WOULD FILL THE HOOK'S MAJOR SERVICE THIS TRIP AND TALLY THE FISH ??????

WHEN WE OPENED THE TRAP WE COULD SEE THAT THE WATER WAS HIGH AND RUNNING FREE OF DEBRIS. BUD GOT HIMSELF SITUATED IN THE STREAM, AND LARRY PLUNGED INTO THE TRAP AND EXCLAIMED THAT WE HAD MORE THAN ONE FISH . I HANDED DOWN THE NET AND HE CORNERED A BIG BEAUTIFUL MALE COHO THAT I HAULED OVER TO BUD. THAT FISH SCREAMED OUT OF THE NET AND DISAPPEARED INTO THE BIG HOLE NEXT TO THE TRAP. I RETURNED THE NET TO LARRY AND HE SCOOPED UP ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL BUCK AND WHEN BUD RELEASED IT THE FISH TOOK OFF UP STREAM LIKE A BULLET. THE NEXT FISH WAS ALSO A BIG BUCK BUT HE DECIDED THAT HE LIKED THE TRAP AND TURNED BACK TO IT. HE COULDN'T GET IN WITH THE OTHER FISH BECAUSE OF THE BARRIERS.

I NOTICED THAT THOSE FISH WERE GIVING BUD QUITE A TASSEL AND I WAS JUST ABOUT READY TO JUMP IN AND COME TO HIS AID, BUT HE DID FINE. BUD MADE IT BACK TO SHORE AND TOOK A MOMENT TO REGROUP WHILE LARRY SAID WE STILL HAD MORE FISH. WITH BUD RESTED UP, LARRY PROCEEDED TO NET ANOTHER ONE, ONLY THIS ONE TURNED OUT TO BE A MALE STEELHEAD THAT LOOKED AS THOUGH HE HAD BEEN THROUGH THE MILL. BUD FOUGHT HIS WAY OUT TO THE MAIN STREAM FLOW AND RELEASED HIM, BUT HE TURNED TAIL AND WENT RIGHT BACK TO THE TRAP.

I RETURNED THE NET TO LARRY AND HE CAME UP WITH YET ANOTHER COHO BUCK WHICH WAS PROMPTLY RELEASED AND WENT BACK TO THE TRAP. LARRY EXCLAIMED THAT THERE WERE STILL FISH IN THE TRAP SO I HANDED DOWN THE NET. LARRY CAME CAME UP WITH A VERY WELCOME SIGHT .. A HEN STEELHEAD. BUD DECIDED THAT HE NEEDED TO GO FURTHER OUT SO HE WADED WAY OUT IN THE CURRENT AND RELEASED HER, AND SHE DECIDED THAT SHE WANTED OUT OF THERE AND LEFT.

LARRY CALLED OUT FROM THE TRAP THAT WE STILL HAD FISH SO HE NETTED YET ANOTHER MALE COHO WHICH WAS RELEASED AND WENT RIGHT BACK TO THE TRAP. IN THE MEAN TIME, LARRY HAD CHECKED OUT THE TRAP AND SAID THAT WE HAD TAKEN ALL OF THE FISH SO HE CLEANED THE LITTLE DEBRIS THAT WAS THERE AND CLIMBED OUT AND SECURED THE TRAP. I GAVE BUD A HAND GETTING OUT OF THE STREAM, AND WE BUTTONED EVERY THING UP AND LEFT THAT BEAUTIFUL PLACE TILL NEXT TIME.


WHILE WE WERE DRIVING BACK WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE REASON THAT ALL THOSE BUCKS RETURNED TO THE TRAP WAS TO DRAW STRAWS TO SEE WHICH BUCK GOT TO GO CHASE THE GIRLS.

THE TALLY FOR THE TRIP WAS.

5 MALE COHO
1 MALE STEELHEAD
1 FEMALE STEELHEAD

FOR TEAM CHINOOK

ELECTRIC BILL