Nibbles & Bites

By Melvin Larsen
I have a collection of little tidbits to share with readers this month. Other than winter Steelhead or Sturgeon, February is a pretty uneventful month for the outdoors enthusiast in S.W. Washington.
Steelhead fishing in the Cowlitz has been moderate to fairly good at times, depending on where you are fishing. The best success seems to come from the upper river, between Toledo and the Barrier Dam. So far this winter water levels and clarity have both been pretty good, due mostly to the lack of rain during the early winter. I like to watch the weekly fish counts at the barrier dam on the Cowlitz. http://www.mytpu.org/tacomapower/parks-rec/fish-wildlife/cowlitz-fish-report.htm
The previous week’s results are posted every Monday. I have noticed that even as I write this in January, that there are a lot of Coho going through the separator at the barrier dam. The second week of January showed just over 350 winter Steelhead and 801 Coho for the previous week. I would like to know why we don’t seem to be able to catch these Coho. There are supposedly more than twice as many Coho as Steelhead. Why don’t people catch them?
Was anyone else as shocked as I was when you opened your first PUD bill of the 2012? I thought that there just had to be a mistake somewhere so I called PUD and shifted into high whine about my bill.
They kindly informed me that the amounts were correct blah blah blah but I also learned something that was new to me. I was told that 25% of my PUD bill was to fund Salmon recovery. Now I knew that we were paying for salmon recovery but I didn’t realize that it was that much. 25%.
That really seems like a lot to this poor ol’ ratepayer/fisherman. If I were to figure up the amount I pay to PUD over the course of one year and figure that ¼ of that goes to salmon recovery, that makes these Salmon pretty valuable fish!
I guess that another way of looking at it is that it’s pretty expensive seal/sea lion food. Just for kicks, do the math. How much do you pay for salmon recovery over the course of a year?
On a more positive note, the mild winter that we have experienced thus far is definitely good news for deer and elk in both Washington and Oregon. Hopefully fawn and calf survival rates will be high, leading to increased success in future seasons. Having written that, we will probably be in the midst of an epic winter storm when this issue comes out and you will be wondering what planet I live on…
WDFW is recommending that Sturgeon harvests be cut back by as much as 38% during 2012. There are just more and more people (and predators) fishing for less and less keeper-sized Sturgeon. I have a very bad feeling about the future of Sturgeon fishing in the Columbia River and its’ tributaries.
I encourage everyone to always take a camera with them whenever you venture out of doors. You never know what you might see or what photo might turn into a real keepsake some day.
If you are thinking of making changes or upgrades to your boat before Springer season, now is the time to address those issues. Don’t wait until March to do these things only to find that parts need to be back-ordered or that your boat mechanic is swamped with work. February is the time to go through those tackle boxes and replace hooks, swivels, etc. that need replacing. Tie up your mooching rigs for herring. Replace old line on reels, and make sure that your foul weather gear is in good condition.
Remember Valentines Day on February 14th. Do something nice for that special someone in your life to show them that you care about them all year. By this time next month the focus will be on the upcoming Spring Chinook season. I will include everything that I can find out about the commercial fishing seasons on the Columbia River in next months’ issue.
Melvin Larsen, also known as Mountain Mel, enjoys anything and everything to do with the great outdoors, and possesses a vast array of knowledge regarding all things hunting and fishing.
Comment online or to
editor@valleybugler.com

You shot it or caught it..now EAT it!

This month I would like to share some recipes with you readers out there. Now I realize that not everyone tagged an elk or deer this past season. I know I didn’t!
However, most of us are fortunate enough to know someone who was successful that would be happy to share some of their bounty. Most folks, myself included, are rather reluctant to share the choicest steaks or tenderloins. More likely than not, these prime cuts have already been eaten.
The most often shared meats are roasts, stew meat, and burger.  It is for this reason that I am going to share with you a couple of my favorite easy-to-fix recipes for Elk Roast and Chili, along with a very simple method of cooking up some of that salmon or steelhead that you might just have in the freezer.
If you are one of those fortunate few who manages to accumulate a freezer full of wild game, you might look at what you will actually consume before next season and consider sharing some of what will realistically be extra.
As a rule, fish and seafood should be consumed within 6 months of being harvested. (Sooner is better, where taste is concerned.) Red meat should be eaten within a year of the kill-date. Again, sooner is better where taste is concerned.
The goal is to consume or share what you have harvested and not need to clean out meat that has been freezer burned, and thereby spoiled (wasted).
The Golden Rule is Harvest What You Can Use, But Use What You Harvest.
So let’s get cookin’!

ELK ROAST
4 to 6 lb. elk roast
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 c. mushroom soup
1 env. onion soup mix
1/4 c. water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pinch rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. parsley
2 tbsp. flour
Trim excess fat from roast. Salt and pepper. Place meat on sheet of foil. Spread mushroom soup over meat. Sprinkle on onion soup, garlic, and rosemary. Add bay leaves. Cover roast with foil, leaving an inch or so space on top. Seal ends tightly. Bake 30 minutes per pound for shoulder roast or similar cuts. Remove foil. Sprinkle parsley over roast. Thicken for gravy using 2 tablespoon flour in 1/4 cup water.

GUNSMOKE CHILI
2 lbs. coarsely-ground lean beef or venison
2 large green bell peppers, chopped
2 fresh jalapeño chiles, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/3 cup chili powder
1 tbsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin
1 (14-1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. dried ground hot peppers of your choice: (cayenne, jalapeño, habanero, etc.)
2 bay leaves
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
6 cups water or beef broth
2 (15-1/2 oz.) cans kidney or pinto beans
Sauté meat, bell peppers, fresh Jalapeños, onions, celery, and garlic in a Dutch oven with a small amount of oil. Drain. Stir in all other ingredients except beans. Cover and simmer one hour, stirring occasionally. Add beans and simmer another 15 minutes. Makes about a gallon of the tastiest, most satisfying chili you ever ate.
For hotter chili, add more peppers.

BAKED SALMON
2 lbs. tail cut of salmon fillet, in pieces
1 c. potato chips (YES!)
1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
Place salmon in a baking, serving dish. Mix sour cream and mayonnaise together. Cover top of salmon with mayonnaise and sour cream. Top with crushed potato chips. Bake in oven 350 degrees about 20 minutes.
You can do an entire fillet of Salmon/Steelhead using this recipe. Simply increase the amounts of ingredients and season to taste. I have grown quite fond of Lemon Pepper as well as Tony Cacheries Cajun Spice. Rub spices gently into the flesh side of the fish before application of other ingredients.
Melvin Larsen, also known as Mountain Mel, enjoys anything and everything to do with the great outdoors, and possesses a vast array of knowledge regarding all things hunting and fishing. Comment online or to: editor@valleybugler.com

Problem in the making

By Melvin Larsen
Friends, we have problems in the making and we will not even know about it until it’s too late and the damage has been done. The state of Washington (W.D.F.W.) is currently formulating a plan to allow wolves to re-establish populations in this state. There are already established packs of wolves from the Idaho border to the Cascade summit in the northern part of our state. These wolves came in from Canada to the north and Idaho to the east.
The state of Washington proposes to re-locate members of these already established wolf packs to other areas of the state, including Southwest Washington and the area around Mt. St Helens. All of the meetings where public input is allowed have been and will continue to be held in the Seattle, Spokane, and Walla Walla areas. There will be no meetings for public input in Southwest Washington.
In the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s Idaho was a premier “go to” state for hunters seeking trophy elk and mule deer. With the re-introduction of free-ranging wolves in the 80’s the deer and elk herds in central and northern Idaho were decimated within the decade. This was not only detrimental to the hunters but also to the people who for generations have depended on hunters’ dollars for their livelihood. Guides, storeowners, restaurants and hotels and others all benefit from hunters’ dollars.
While researching for this column I spoke to a number of people who work for the state of Washington and have regular access to the backcountry around Mt St. Helens. They firmly believe that they have already seen wolves in this area even without the supplemental relocations of up to 70 wolves into SW Washington.
While I lived in Alaska I witnessed firsthand a pack of wolves completely decimate a flock of wild Dall sheep. The wolves ran down and killed every animal in the flock. Some of the sheep were partially consumed and others were torn apart like rags in a macabre game of tug-of-war. The remainder was left to other scavengers.
I wish there were something I could say that we could do as a group (hunters) to stop this before it happens but the fact is that by holding these public input meetings in heavily populated areas most of the input will be from animal rights activists.  These are people who are pleading (successfully, I might add) for the re-introduction of wolves into our public wilderness areas. This will be tragic not only to the populations of big game but also to our ability to use these public lands with our children and pets as wolves do not differentiate between – say – small people or dogs and any other living thing which they consider to be food.
Only by attending these meetings or by contacting our local representatives can we make our voices heard. Unfortunately, all one has to do is look at the way the seal/sea lion problem has been handled or the continued archaic methods of fishing used by the commercial fishing industry, and it is hard to have much confidence in our Department of Fish & Wildlife to do the right thing as opposed to cowering to the wishes of special interest groups.
On a somewhat similar note, it seems that both deer and elk harvests were below average this year in SW Washington. The exception being those fortunate few that drew limited entry tags for elk in the Toutle, Coweeman, and Margaret areas.
I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in the upcoming 2012 seasons. Winter Steelhead numbers should be increasing as you read this so get out of the house, away from all the food & sweets, and wet a line!
Melvin Larsen, also known as Mountain Mel, enjoys anything and everything to do with the great outdoors, and possesses a vast array of knowledge regarding all things hunting and fishing. Comment online or to: editor@valleybugler.com

The one that got away

By Melvin Larsen
Since the beginning of time fishermen have been known for their outlandish tales about “The One That Got Away”. This month I would like to share with you a couple of stories about ones that didn’t get away but that – amazingly enough – were brought to net and logged on the catch record.
The largest salmon that I have ever caught in the Pacific Northwest was a gorgeous 40-pound chrome bright hen Chinook. I was not only fortunate enough to catch this fish but also to have witnesses to the event. A friend and I were back trolling plugs (Wiggle Worts) in a productive stretch of water below Castle Rock.
There was quite a bit of leaves and debris in the water and every few minutes a sharp jerk was needed on the rod to clear the line of leaves and grass. After a time it can be quite frustrating having to continuously clear your line so that the plugs would work properly. I was reaching that point of frustration when giving a sharp jerk the rod bent over double and it was fish-on!
The fish made a couple of powerful runs and then settled into the bottom of the deepest part of the river where it lay like a log, refusing to move. This is a sure sign of a large fall Chinook. We maneuvered the boat into slack water and the waiting game was on. If the fish remained hooked, sooner or later it would move one direction or the other and by expending its energy be worn out. It is at times like this that you are thankful that your knots are well tied and that you have been checking your leader continuously to be sure that there are no nicks in it!
After what seemed like hours but was only probably 20 minutes, the fish began to move out of the deep hole and struggle mightily against the gear onto which it was hooked. The first time it came close enough to the boat that we could see it I knew it was bigger than any I had caught around here previously. When it saw the boat it made another run back into deep water and the previously mentioned scenario was repeated. The second time we got it to the boat we missed with the netting attempt and the fish headed for the depths once again. The third time was the charm and the fish was netted and brought aboard. After an ample application of “Wood Shampoo”, along with high-fives and whoops & hollers we noticed something unusual about the way the fish was hooked.
Although originally hooked in the mouth, at sometime during the fight, the hook pulled free of the mouth but because the leader had become wrapped around the fish’s head the hook re-embedded itself in the gill plate of the fish. During the remainder of the fight the gill plate tore and the hook was nearly torn free when we finally got that fish into the net.
My next story is one that happened this fall to a friend of mine. (If the right person reads this, I hope they contact the Valley Bugler to verify this story as true!)
This guy and his son were fishing on the lower Cowlitz when they hooked a nice fish. The battle was long and arduous but the fish was finally brought to net and once aboard the boat the fishermen made an amazing discovery. Some one else had already caught this fish and put it on a stringer and it was that stringer that my friends’ hooks had become entangled in!!! I have no idea why the first person to catch this fish didn’t dispatch the fish first but for whatever reason they failed to do so and the fish was in perfect health. The stringer that was attached to this fish was a homemade unit consisting of blue nylon cord and an unusual method of attaching the cord to the fish. If someone knows of this “One That Got Away” they should contact The Valley Bugler and complete the story by describing how the fish was attached to the blue nylon cord.
Everyone please be careful during elk season and late buck season… dispose of your garbage properly and please pick up any discarded fish line that you see.
Good Luck Hunting & Fishing and above all, Be Safe.
Melvin Larsen, also known as Mountain Mel, enjoys anything and everything to do with the great outdoors, and possesses a vast array of knowledge regarding all things hunting and fishing. Comment online or to: editor@valleybugler.com

One for the wall

Here it is, deer and elk season, and a lucky few of us are going to bag a trophy that we will want to preserve forever by having it mounted and hanging it on the wall. For some it will be our son/daughter/or wifes’ first big game animal. For others it will be that “once-in-a-lifetime” 4×4 Blacktail deer or trophy bull elk.
Whichever the case, the quality of your mount begins with your actions as soon as that trophy is bagged. The #1 mistake that people make is cutting the throat of the animal!  If you have any intention of having your trophy mounted, do not cut its throat!
Instead, make a cut completely around the body ½ way between the front shoulders and the hind quarters. Then cut up the back of the spine to a point where you can sever the head from the neck at the base of the skull. On the front legs, cut a complete circle around what would be the front elbows and peel this part off the animal as you would a pair of socks.
At this point, if you are doing it right, the only cut you have made from the mid-section forward is the cut up the top of the back to the base of the skull. Unless you are extremely qualified to skin the head out, just sever the head at the base of the skull and let your taxidermist of choice skin out the head.
Believe me when I tell you, your taxidermist will appreciate the extra hide that you will have included by skinning out your trophy in this manner. A taxidermist can always trim some hide off  but if he/she doesn’t have it to work with in the first place, then it will show in the finished product. Always give your taxidermist plenty to work with….when in doubt, let them finish the skinning job!
As for the fishing in our local rivers, the Chinook run never did materialize as strong as the early season predictions, but anyone who follows these predictions knows that the runs of fish never seem to be as great as they are predicted. October is the best month to catch those “B-run” Silver salmon on the Cowlitz and fishermen (and fisherwomen) in the know will be after them all during October with their favorite wiggler, spinner, or bait.
As for myself, the motors on my boat have about given up after 10 years of hard use/abuse. I will be found fishing in front of my house as opposed to running up and down the Cowlitz this season.  However, this gives me a good, justifiable reason to attend this winter’s upcoming boat show in Portland to make my best deal on new motors for my boat!
So…Everyone….Please hunt safe and treat every gun as if it were loaded!
Bring all your garbage out of the woods and off of the stream. Please pick up any discarded fishing line that you see, and always have youngsters wear life jackets whenever they are around water.
Good Luck Hunting & Fishing and above all, Be Safe.
Melvin Larsen, also known as Mountain Mel, enjoys anything and everything to do with the great outdoors, and possesses a vast array of knowledge regarding all things hunting and fishing. Comment online or to: editor@valleybugler.com

Open Season: Enjoy this weather

By Melvin Larsen
I think that most people in the Pacific Northwest would agree with me when I say that this is our nicest time of the year. The weather has been fantastic for all of August and September should bring more of the same.
The fall Chinook are in the local tributaries, most notably the Cowlitz, and chrome bright Silver salmon are soon to begin showing. There continues to be a strong run of summer Steelhead as well and these hard fighting fish are in their best color right now. Harvest trout are out there, waiting for a lure, bait, or fly.
September also signals the start of archery season for both deer and elk. On recent scouting trips I have seen good populations of healthy Blacktail deer — none of which showed any signs of hair loss — so I am keeping my fingers crossed that this malady has run it’s course and is gone from our local deer populations.
This is also the time of year when yellow jackets are most active and aggressive. Dogs and people alike seem to be on the receiving end of the painful sting of yellow jackets. It seems that when these nasty little creatures sting you they leave a scent that attracts more yellow jackets which will gladly sting you again. I have found that if you remove the item of clothing where you have been stung and throw it down on the ground (by now you are already running) that the rest of the yellow jackets will be attracted to that item and leave you alone (but it is always a good idea to keep running, just in case!).
I realize that this is a pretty short column this month but I am going to get back out on the river. Be sure to send in some pics of you, your S/O, or your kids with fish and game to be published in upcoming editions of The Valley Bugler. Always have personal floatation devices on those you love when on or near water. Be careful, be courteous, and pick up any discarded fishing line that you might come across.
Melvin Larsen, also known as Mountain Mel, enjoys anything and everything to do with the great outdoors, and possesses a vast array of knowledge regarding all things hunting and fishing. Comments? Questions?
Contact us.

September Trophy Wall

Jordan Miller of Kelso, age 11, proudly displays his huge 30 pound Fall Chinook, caught on the Cowlitz River. Photograph by dad, Jeff Miller.  Send in your fishing and hunting “Trophy Wall” pictures to be displayed here!

Open Season – Try Something Different

Aaaaahhhhgust is finally here! This is almost the start of that all-glorious season collectively known as autumn. The salmon will be entering all our local tributaries this month, as will the hungry and hard fighting fish that locals call Harvest Trout. These are Cutthroat Trout that were born in fresh water, spend time in the Pacific Ocean, then return to their river of origin to complete their life cycle. Their cousin the Steelhead — which have been in our rivers all summer – are now taking on their most vibrant rainbow colored markings.
Those who are fortunate enough to spend time on the river in pursuit of Chinook, Coho, and Steelhead usually have a favorite method of fishing for them and tend to use that same method throughout the year. Whether the method is throwing spinners (Blue Fox with silver blade), back-bouncing or slow-trolling Wigglers (Blue Pirate, Bubble Gum Pink, and Green/Silver are favorites), plunking with a Spin-N-Glo and bait, or fishing a gob of eggs on a long leader, most fishermen tend to use the same method day in and day out.
I would like to encourage people to try something different.
If you usually pull Wigglers then try casting spinners or fishing eggs. Try those plugs or spinners that have spent most if not all of their life in your tackle box and not at the end of a line. In the rivers of the Olympic Peninsula the most common plug for fishing fall Chinook is the Kwikfish.
How often do you see people on our local streams using Kwikfish for fall Kings? Hardly ever. In Alaska – especially on the Kenai River – 90% of the people fishing those monster Kings are using wrapped Kwikfish.
It is true that the only human who welcomes change is a baby with a full diaper, but for the fisherman (or fisherwoman) willingness to try something new could mean the difference between just having a nice day on the water or taking home a prized Pacific Northwest salmon for the barbecue.
If you choose to go after those elusive sea-run Cutthroat trout, you will have good luck from either spinners or bait. If you choose to use bait, remember that the best bait known for harvest trout is the meat from a fresh crawdad tail. Peel the outer shell off the tail and use just the meat portion.
I like to fish this on a bait holder hook that has 10-12 very small red beads above it, topped with a small silver Colorado blade. Use just enough weight to get this unit down to the bottom, much the same as if you were bouncing eggs for salmon or steelhead. Fish the tops of riffles as the fish will swim up the swift water and then rest directly upstream of where the riffles begin.
We are now just a few short weeks from the opening of early archery season for both deer and elk. By now your equipment should be all dialed in and you should be practicing regularly. Be sure to confirm that all your clothing and hunting accessories are in good condition and working properly. Maybe pick up a couple extra game bags and a roll of parachute cord. New bottles of odor masking spray are a good idea.
With the increasing numbers of fish in our local rivers there will be increasing numbers of people fishing. Please be courteous to others even if they are less than courteous to you. Keep pets and children under control and have children wear some type of flotation device and footwear when they are anywhere near open water. Pick up any garbage you may find, especially discarded fishing line.
Until next month, good luck and good fishing!

Getting ready: Deer Season

By Melvin Larsen
Here it is July already. We sure didn’t have much of a Spring weather-wise but now we are in for nicer weather, long days, and ample opportunities to spend some time outside.
With early archery season less than 2 months away, now is a good time to make any changes to your archery gear that you will use this year. You might want to try a new sight, a new arrow rest, or a new release. You might want to try increasing the draw weight of your bow and going to a different arrow weight. By making these major changes now you will have time to get used to the differences and make the necessary adjustments so that you are comfortable and confident with your equipment when you take to the field.
It is also a good idea to try on your camo gear and make sure that everything still fits comfortably and hasn’t “shrunk” over the past year. If you find that some of your favorite togs have shrunk, then you might want to think about taking some pre-season scouting hikes to get those legs back in shape and also to see what kind of critters you can find that are sporting some velvet.
One huge advantage that early season bow hunters have over the later season Nimrods is that during the first part of September, most of the deer are still following their summer routine. This means that those deer that you can locate on mid-summer hikes will most likely still be feeding and bedding in the same areas come early archery season. By late September and early October, deer change their patterns, habits and movement and usually will not be where you may have seen them at times during the summer. They will still be in the same general area, as deer do not have a large home range like elk. The fuzzy horned bucks that were fairly easy to locate in July and August are going to be as hard to find as an honest lawyer by the time October rolls around.
On the fishing scene, July is mostly about Summer Steelhead and Sturgeon where the river fishing is concerned. All our local lakes have been stocked with trout since early spring and in places like Silver Lake, Kress Lake, and Lake Sacajawea there are panfish and bass to be had.
Albacore Tuna should be coming within range by the end of July and into August. August will also bring the first of the fall salmon runs into the lower Columbia River system so
July is an excellent time to be sure that your boat, motors, trailer, and gear are all in good working order. Be sure that your boat meets all the requirements to be legally operated on the river.
That’s about it for this month, friends. Remember to be safe and courteous to others when you are out and about in our great outdoors. Please pick up garbage that you find when possible, especially any discarded fishing line…
Comments? Visit us online!
valleybugler.com  or facebook:
facebook.com/valleybuglernewspaper

Be a Hero – Take a kid fishing

By Melvin Larsen
When I was a youngster my dad was a farmer and that kept him pretty busy 24/7. He was the best dad in the world but he didn’t have a lot of spare time and as a result he was not able to take me fishing. I did, however, have a neighbor who included me on a couple of the fishing trips that he regularly took his sons on. I will never forget those trips. We went to the “High Lakes” – Elk, Hanaford, Forrest, and Fawn Lakes which are located just north of Mt. St. Helens.
With just a few hours of your time, you too can give a youngster memories that will last a lifetime. It doesn’t require a lot of time or money and you will come away from it knowing that you have done one of the best things you can possibly do for a fellow human.
Kids don’t require a fancy boat (or any boat at all, for that matter) fancy rods, reels, or other gear. Kids don’t need to catch a big Chinook or a huge Sturgeon. Kids are just as happy to fish at one of our many local stocked lakes with a little “cheapy” outfit using a hook, bobber, and a couple of small split shot. The thrill for a kid is in seeing that bobber being pulled down once, twice, three times, and then go under the water!
All our local waters are regularly stocked with catchable size trout throughout the summer. Silver Lake, Kress Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Lake Sacajawea and the Ponds on the south end of Toledo are all great places to take kids fishing from the bank. You can use worms for bait or Powerbait, which is a less messy alternative that works well.
With today’s lifestyles being what they are, I’m sure that we all know at least one single mom out there who has a kid that would LOVE to go fishing. I have found that it is good to take 2 kids fishing at the same time.
They keep each other company and will be able to share the memory. Also, if you take more than 2 and don’t have help, it can be exasperating to try to keep hooks baited and lines un-tangled. Better yet, take a friend along with you to keep YOU company.
Comment and share your own fishing memories online@ valleybugler.com

Next Page »