"'Watch Those Lines' Steelheading on the Kalama River" - Limited Edition of 12 Photograph

Western Washington's famed steelhead river, the Kalama, flows from nearby mountains to drain into the mighty Columbia River north of Portland Oregon near Longview, WA. The Kalama, here, is a highly pried river for steelhead fishing. These anglers are near the junction of the Kalama River with the great Columbia.River. The Kalama is one of several western Washington rivers famed for their steelhead fishery. Sports fishery there is solely by motor less drift boats. Guides and experience fishers launch these ore-driven, double-prowed boats from trailers upriver then drift and fish down river. Experienced guides who know the proclivities of steelhead behavior under various climate and illumination may be helpful in determining places where steelhead are likely to congregate. Steelhead tend to hide at or near objects at times that guides may know; during times of turbulent water, their eating habits may change greatly, and when it's hot they may seek hidden pools of deep water to keep cool. These factors often are known by experienced guides and some expert anglers and can greatly affect the catch. Because the boats are motorless and motor boats are banned, there is little noise other than the dipping of oars used both for propulsion and as rudders for steering. Fumes from combustion engines also are not encountered. The result is that a drift from launch to the junction with the Columbia becomes a return to nature. The mostly slow-moving river is surrounded by pretty natural vegetation, wild trees and various bushes which provide hiding places for native species. Deer may tentatively walk to the river to drink. Other mammals. reptiles, and amphibians may shown; birds may sing in abundance. The entire journey is a pleasurable return to nature for anglers. Because it is inland and on fresh water, there are far fewer dangers seeking steelhead here than seeking salmon or steelhead in the salt waters of the ocean. Salmon don't typically eat during their spawning migration, so salmon fishing of the upriver spawning run is far less desirable than steelheading. Migrating salmon tend to change their body shape as they shed weight and mass. The fish like mouth of many salmon becomes more hook shaped. The body may take on more of a hump to its back the longer the journey and longer in fresh water as the fish consumes its fat and flesh for energy. As migrating salmon's appearance changes so does the flavor of the flesh which becomes less attractive as its energy is consumed. Steelhead continue to eat, so do not undergo the same changes during fresh water spawning runs. They continue eating aftrer spawning, so downriver they retain their size, shape and taste. The silver salmon (Coho) King Salmon (Chinook) and Steelhead are all considered very desirable game fish. The steelhead is the Washington state ish. One can fish for salmon in salt water in Washington state in the largely protected Puget Sound, but not so in Oregon. If an angler wishes to fish for game fish such as salmon and sea-gong trout as the steehead, the fisher can do so in maximum comparative safety from an inland river such as he Kalama, here. Among the salmon and ocean-going trout, the trout is most likely to retain is form and good taste as it migrates upriver to spawn or afterwards when ocean bound which makes the steelhead a highly desirable. Salmon fishers who endure sometimes gut-wrenching voyages into Pacific swells and chop may have a very 'exciting' time, with thrills and a great chance of danger. For the angler hoping to sit back, enjoy nature and pop a cold one, the slow-moving Kalama and its drift fishing may be more desirable. The angler can commune with nature, but have the excitement of a lifetime if he/she hooks a big one.. The double-prowed, oar-driven and steered, characteristic drift boats used here are launched in morning upriver after the boat is trailered to the launch area. Then with anglers, a guide, and a load of comestibles, the slow, idyllic downward journey begins. On a windless day, with no combustion driven boats allowed, the trip down is virtually noiseless. No engines also means no smell of fuel or combustion fusion fumes, so the journey allows some communing with nature with far greater safety than any Pacific Northwest ocean fishing. And at any time a 'big one' may bite and give the angler a huge thrill. That 'big one' is likely to be a steelhead but also might be a species of salmon such as a silver or Chinook. While silver weigh at 3 year maturity from 5 to 12 pounds - with 25 pounds being extraordinary -- steelhead often are the same poundage through their third year but as they return up to 11 times to spawn, their weight continues to increase and may reach toward 50 pounds. Each Pacific salmon species dies after spawning, not so the steelhead. The angler seeking a 5 to 12 pound steelhead may hook into a 11-season spawner at huge wieght. If using light tackle and thin line, a long, serious strruggle is bound to ensue. History shows that in such circumstances, a last mighty run by the huge fish on thin line and light pole actually may cause both the pole and line to break. The story may seem sad. However the fight with the 'big one that got away' essentially is the story of life, a parable of life's progression and struggles. It's the story of 'The One That Got Away'. Since monster the fish that breaks the pole never was landed, its size in retelling may also be as elastic as needed to keep listeners' attention. Whether the story is great fish that escaped, great jobs that slipped through one's fingers, or the wonderful potential spouse who got away, the story is the universal tale of unhappy consequences - a universal human experience. So the huge lost fish that broke the light tackle pole and got away, may provide the angler with a great, listenable story to retell for his/her lifetime. (c) 2020, John Crosley, all rights reserved. No reproduction or other use of image and/or text without express prior written permission.

Photography:Photo on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:12

Size:40 W x 28.7 H x 0.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.