2010 » April » 28

A dam removal project is underway and all fishermen access along the normal 4 mile section of fishable water has been closed through November.

There’s been a lot of ambiguity with regards to regulations and access of a popular river featured here on Allaroundangler.com over the years. Although most of you are aware of local access points closing….many of us have accessed the river via another popular access trail that seemed to be uninhibited through the early stages of this project.

Due to so many crazy steelhead anglers willing to walk four miles through thick brush to fish…..river use is no longer being tolerated through November. Alas, the spring chinook season that so many of us were looking forward to will be nil. Perhaps angling at the mouth would be an option if the debris generated from the removal doesn’t affect flow and clarity too terribly.

For those faithful readers out there who know of the river I speak of……just bag your plans. It just is what it is.


“Initial work will begin in April with the dismantling of a 200-foot high water tank tower at the powerhouse immediately upriver from downtown. The work will close two recreation areas for periods of time between April and November when all work is expected to be complete. To ensure the safety of all, PacifiCorp is cautioning the public that it will need to stay out of these areas. PacifiCorp will provide public updates about these closures and other details as the work progresses.”

Pacificorp Public Relations







Many good times have been had along this section of river for Team Salmon since 2004/2005 when H20, Magicsoul, Ghost Face and Pigsticker aka CDC clued most of us in on this gem of a river. Hell, Big Bear Hunting wouldn’t have graced my website and your eyes with his ‘natural’ ability without faithful trips to this crick. A meeting of the minds that never would have happened.

Great pieces of water often have that affect on anglers who visit them regularly…uphoria through the whole experience and ultimately nostalgia once the experimental phase has expired or faces a permanent change.

Will this be positive? All the guys from the project area will tell you it will. They all say more chinook will thrive because of it. I don’t claim to know anything other than what I see with my own eyes.

Our hopes of great results are high although for a time our sites must be set somewhere else. Would this be true of all ‘dammed’ rivers we anlge on? Certainly this isn’t the view of the majority. After all, who doesn’t like to catch a chrome bright hatchery steelhead? Hmmmm. Is the movement of the wild fish protection the end of angling for them?

This would be a cool thread to share some of the fun times had here by all. Cheers and tips up….but you’ll probably need them down too.

H3llcat, Allaroundangler.com site founder