NCKA on the Lower Klamath - 8/31/08 - VIDEO ADDED - ROAD TRIPPERS CHECKED IN

MMMMmmm, looks great! I haven't been up there for a couple years, but I always go further upstream. I've never done the mouth/estuary thing. I was thinking of trying it this year. As I understand the tribes are required to pull thier nets on Wed/Thurs to let SOME fish through... By the sounds of it. It's amazing any make it through when the nets are in. I also understand it's a zoo up there when the fish are coming through. Especially this year when it's the only salmon game in town... Sounds like you guys had fun up there. Were you nervous about leaving your rigs up there? You know with all the welcoming mats out like that? 

Were you nervous about leaving your rigs up there? You know with all the welcoming mats out like that? 

We stayed on the well-beaten path - you're right that it's taking a chance to go off the beaten path up there...   

To be fair, I realized that trolling up close to gill nets is pretty irresponsible because a fish you hook could run right into it.  I figured that I had no ground to stand on if I did that and the native fisherman came out, retrieved the fish, threw my hook aside and bitched me out for it.  There are many lessons to be learned in such a place - from river and local knowledge to cultural issues!  Good thing I'm an Anthropologist!   

I'd say that, all in all, if you know something of the area and stick to the accepted public areas you should be just fine and the population of campground hosts, tackle sellers and other people who can benefit from the visiting fishermen will make you feel welcome enough to have a blast like we did.   

On another vein...  When we were fishing up near Klamath Glen we paddled upstream against current for about a mile.  We got to a little swifter spot and it was going to take all my paddling power to get up it, an inch at a time.  It would've been easy to go to the side and haul it upstream a bit and continue the trip upstream.  Granted, there was a pretty stiff tail-wind on us, so the paddle upstream was aided, and the drift downstream was tempered by the wind in your face - pretty ideal for river travel up and down.  My plan for a future trip is to paddle upstream from Klamath Glen for a few miles, maybe camp up there, and fish my way down - hopefully in morning hours when you wouldn't be getting blown back upstream.  I really enjoy covering some miles going upstream and knowing what I'm facing to get back to my truck.

pic2~ this is the Hotel that you can stay at...if your from the RequaTribe!

Did they really c--kblock you like that?  how jacked up.  definitely scratching that place off the list.

Anyways, nice float down a magical stretch of paradise

pic2~ this is the Hotel that you can stay at...if your from the RequaTribe!

Did they really c--kblock you like that?  how jacked up.  definitely scratching that place off the list.

Anyways, nice float down a magical stretch of paradise

They did at the campground.....it's a like going back to the cowboys&indian days.
BUTswitchedROLESthisROUND  

...we got a spot here at the Cats Resort?  there is tent camping, if you want to live"DownByTheRiver" or lots of openess up on the above grounds.....RV hookups&piss smellin bathrooms for only $25.oo a nite...check out is"whenever". This spot was next to the little driveway that leads to a little launch ramp....nice&easy see.

pic1~ welcoming sign

pic2~ a view of camp from the blackberry bushes perspective

pic3~ the scene from the rivers edge, before sundown.

This is how 2men&aboy get away with 1 tent
....notTHETthere'sANYTHINGwrongWITHthat!

pic1&2~ my plush accomidations for the 4 nite trip...and UncleAllensOnBottom.....rollinINpureSTYLEtoo!

pic3~with dreams&visions of reeling in one of these we crashed for the night, after the scary stories around the campfire of coarse.

..that following morning, AkEric was ready to go before we were...imagine that?..We all got down to the launch and it was still dark&foggy.....No wind yet.

pic1~ the hunt for a salmon begins!

pic2~ the bridge(whats left of it) as it is today.

pic3~ the bridge as it was before a storm in the 60's(?) swept it to sea. (i think this is the same one)

...which reminds me of this lil'didy by Soundgarden back in the good ol'days...check it and don't get too fired up about [email protected] is the line im' refering to.

Ok, when is next trip!?  I wanna go up there before the water gets too crazy (I'm not good w/ river fishing)...
Awesome report!

Hitting every deep hole we could find along the way (I personally saw many archs in those holes) but no takers were fooled on the puffball-yarn dealeo by me.....so we kept positive and paddle on!


pic1~ O2B just getting started up the river.

pic2&3~ pit stop and a otter sightings...these guys did not like me in thier territory(IwonderWHEREtheyLEARNit?)

Cool old photos.   

pic1~ AbbieEric filming the otters  from the water. you can see it in the video clip he posted

pic2~ the new bridge up-river that replaced the old one......soon to be swollowed too.

pic3~ HolyPatrick in all his glory

pic1~ AkEric coming in for a shorebreak

pic2~ WTF? myWIFEsaidIhadTHEbiggestFEETever!

pic3~ theCRAZYcrewSHOT!

pic1~WaterWalkers of NCKA!.....who is your GOD now?!

pic2~ it was fun to fish&paddle a body of water wgere the vegetation touches the waterline.

pic3~ I did find a school of Steelies...but they were too small to hook.

I saw a native pulling in a salmon from his net and asked to get a shot of it, so he said I got 2 bigger ones, you want to buy them?
No..just want a picture to prove they are in here....he then told me an ancient tribal secret.....I promised I wouldn't tell and paddled away, after a trade, with some "secret row"......he must have been a decendent of a "MedicineMan"
......it was no secret&didn't work, but it sure was cool paddling around with it in the trough though.

pic1~ the MedicineMan who fishes.

pic2~ the troughed row....how cool is that?

pic3~ the bridge is now a nice looking, veg.covered shore piece.

Paddling back down to camp, we ate lunch and regrouped. Then loaded up the yaks to drive further up river to hunt again. I took a beer on this journey(it was after 4pm), drank it and had my 2nd official on-the-yak-nap!...damned beer!

pic1~ pulling down to the rivers edge

pic2~ nothing happening up here either, but Allen did get a pulldown&miss.

pic3~ everything back in its place