"METOLIUS”

"METOLIUS”

IN INDIAN MEANS “WHITE ROTTING FISH”
PRETTY NAME FOR A NOT SO PRETTY IMAGE.

EARLY ON, THE RIVER HAD MIGRATORY FISH THAT SPAWNED THEN DIED ALONG ITS BANKS. INDIANS OCCUPIED THE AREA DURING THIS TIME TO GATHER THE BOUNTY.

A BUNCH OF GUYS DOWN RIVER AT THE PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY DECIDED IN A MEETING THAT NOBODY MUCH NEEDED OCEAN GOING FISH ABOVE THIS DAM THEY WANTED TO BUILD, AND SURELY NOBODY NEEDED ANYMORE GULLY WASHERS DOWN STREAM. BESIDES THE CITY FOLKS IN PORTLAND NEEDED "POWER".

NO ONE ACTUALLY ASKED THE INDIANS IF THEY COULD GET ALONG WITHOUT THE BIG OCEAN GOING CHINOOKS. THE INDIANS DID'NT EVEN LEARN ABOUT THE MEETING WHERE THE BIG DECISIONS WERE BEING MADE TILL SOMETIME LATER.

SHERMAN COUNTY FARMERS USED TO COME UP TO THE RIVER AND TRADE TINWARE AND KNIVES AND OTHER THINGS FOR SMOKED SALMON.
THEY WOULD THEN SELL OR TRADE THE INDIANS NATURE CANDY TO OTHERS THAT LIVED DOWN THE BACKSIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN FOR FARM TOOLS AND SUCH.

THE FARMERS UP THERE DID'NT HEAR ABOUT THE BIG MEETING EITHER CAUSE
THEY WERE BUSY EATING SMOKED SALMON AND FARMING, AND THEIR WATER CAME FROM A DIFFERENT RIVER ANYWAY.

“LAND LOCKED” SOCKEYE SALMON, INDIANS CALL “KOKANEE”, STILL COME UP AND DISCARD THEMSELVES ALONG THE BANKS OF THE RIVER ABOUT SEPTEMBER. SO LIFE GOES ON KINDA LIKE IT DID BACK THEN.


PINE TREES OF THE METOLIUS RIVER VALLEY SAVE ALL THE EVENTS, THOUGHTS, AND CONVERSATIONS THAT OCCUR THERE. THEY ARE THEN RELEASED THROUGH THE BREEZE TO THE CAREFUL LISTENER.


HERE'S ONE OF UM

WHITEY GETS HIS OWN
LIFE LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

I’VE FISHED WITH HIM MANY TIMES.
HE IS THE GRAND OLD MAN HERE. HE KNOWS THE RIVER WELL.

HIS GRANDFATHER BROUGHT HIM HERE TO FISH WHEN HE WAS
VERY YOUNG. HIS GRANDFATHER WAS A SHERMAN COUNTY FARMER WHO CONDUCTED COMMERCE WITH THE INDIANS IN EARLY FALL AFTER THE HARVEST. WHEN I LOOK AT WHITEYS HIGH CHEEKBONES AND WISE DEEP SET EYES I SOMETIMES WONDER ABOUT ALL THAT GRANDPA WAS ENGAGED IN.

THE FARMERS KEPT A BASE CAMP OVER AT THE LAKE. NO ROAD HAD BEEN LAID FOR WAGONS TO RUN ON YET, SO THEY WALKED IN TO THE RIVER LEAVING THEIR WAGONS BACK AT CAMP.
IT WAS EASILY WORTH THE TEN-MILE HIKE, JUST FOR SITES.

THERE WERE PLENTY OF OCEAN GOING FISH IN THE STREAMS IN THOSE DAYS.

IT WAS REAL EASY THEN TO TELL THAT LIFE HERE HAS MAGIC IN IT.
HERE YOU ARE ALLOWED A MOMENT TO REST AND GAIN AGAIN ALL THAT YOU NEED FOR BODY AND SOUL.

TIME IS THE RIVER. THEY LIVED IN A GREAT LANDSCAPE THAT STOOD PERFECTLY STILL.
TIME MOVED IN AND OUT AND ALL AROUND THEM TILL THE FUTURE FINALLY RAN THEM OVER.

WHITEY SAYS WHEN IT’S STORMING AT THE COAST THE SEAGULLS ARE DRIVEN INLAND BY THE WIND. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT--THEY ARE WONDERFUL FLIERS.

I AM QUITE CERTAIN IF THEY STAYED AND WORKED THE AREA WHERE THEY BELONG THEY WOULD DO JUST FINE.

THEY COME FOR THE EASY PICKINGS!

WHITEY AND I HAVE WATCHED IN HORROR WHILE THEY DIVE IN, SWOOP DOWN, ATTACK RAVAGE AND SCAVAGE THE FISH AS THEY LAY THEIR EGGS. “SEEMS LIKE JUST WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL, WHEN LIFE IS GOOD, AND PROSPERITY ABOUNDS SOME DARN FOOL GANG OF IDIOTS COME ALONG TO SPOIL IT”.

“FREE” IS'NT WHATS “FREE AND EASY”

SPOILERS UNITE, DIVY UP THE SCRAPS, AND CALL IT A GOOD DAY?

SO IT GOES!

I FOUND WHITEY FISHING DOWN AT THE LOWER END OF THE DOLLY HOLE ONE DAY WITH A WHOLE BALL OF BIRD FEATHERS TIED ON HIS HOOK. I LOOKED IN HIS TACKLE BOX AND HE HAD ABOUT TEN MORE BRIGHTLY COLORED GIANT FLIES IN THERE.
HE CLAIMED HE WAS CASTING “ARTIFICIAL BIRDS NOT FLIES”.
TO CATCH A BIG DOLLY VARDEN ONE NEEDS A MIGHTY BIG BAIT.

THINK ABOUT IT NOW:

THERE IS ALWAYS A TIME BEFORE SOMETHING IS, AND A TIME AFTER IT WAS.
BETWEEN THESE TIMES LIES A SIGNIFICANT EVENT.

SO HERE WHITEY WAS IN ONE OF THOSE TIMES.

THE POWER BOYS, FROM DOWN RIVER, STRETCHED AN ELECTRICAL LINE FROM THE ROAD ACROSS THE RIVER AND OVER TO A PUMP AT THE NEWLY BUILT WIZARD FALLS FISH HATCHERY. WHITEY HAD SPOOKED A FLOCK OF COOTS INTO FLIGHT AND ONE OF THEM HIT THE WIRE AND WAS STUNNED AND FELL TO THE WATER. NOTHING IN THAT TIME WAS ACCUSTOMED TO THE OBSTACLE YET.

THE POOR LITTLE COOT NEVER GOT ANOTHER SWIM BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE BIG DOLLYS JUMPED CLEAN OUT OF THE WATER AFTER HIM AND TOOK HIM UNDER LEAVING JUST FOR A MOMENT A LITTLE RIPPLE AND SOME FEATHERS ON THE SURFACE OF THE RIVERS WATER.

FISH, “FEEDING ON BIRDS”.

MORTAL ENEMIES: FISH AND BIRDS.

TURN ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY. SO THE SAGES WOULD SAY.

POWER, OVER EVERYTHING ELSE, TEMPTING TIME TO TAKE THE ADVANTAGE.

WHITEY TOLD ME EACH YEAR FOR THE LAST FIFTY HE HAD “TRIED” TO CATCH A FISH ON ONE OF THESE MONSTER HAND MADE BIRDS.

I ASKED HIM HOW MANY FISH HE HAD BEEN FOOLED WITH THE MOCK UP.
TO MY SURPRISE HE CLAIMED NONE. NO FISH!
NOT A BITE------------------EVER-------------------FOR FIFTY YEARS!

A TESTAMENT TO THE WISDOM AND TENACITY OF THE FISHERMAN.

WHITEY WAS A PRACTICING CATCH AND RELEASE MAN WAY BEFORE ANYONE ELSE EVER THOUGHT OF IT.

HE THOUGHT THE FUN OF FISHING IS TO OUTSMART THE VERY DUMBEST OF THE DUMB FISH, AND THEN LET THEM OFF EASY.

“FREE AND EASY”.

NOPE; HE NEVER EVEN GOT A CHANCE RISE TO THE BIG FEATHERED FOOLERY!
IT'S THE ULTIMATE IN “EARLY RELEASE”.
"SOMETIMES THEY WAG THEIR TAIL TO YOU AS THEY SWIM AWAY".

“WHEN YOU RELEASE A FISH ----- THE JOY OF LIFE RETURNS TO YOU”

AS FOR ME, I SIT BY THE TIMELESS RIVER TRYING DESPERATELY TO SEE IT MOVE.

I KNOW IT IS, I AM DEVOTED TO SEEING IT.

OCCASIONALLY, I’LL PUT A FISH AWAY IF I DON’T THINK IT WILL LIVE, OR IF THERE ARE FOOLS BACK AT CAMP WHO THINK I’M NOT REALLY FISHING IF I DON’T EVER BRING ONE OF THE DUMB THINGS HOME.

THE DUMBEST FISH GET EATEN FIRST!

EACH YEAR IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER TO FIND A DUMB FISH TO CATCH.
IT IS AN ASCENSION OF FISH CIVILIZATION.

FISH ARE FOR EATING, FOR GOD’S SAKE.

FISH ARE GOOD, AND HERE FOR A PURPOSE. WE CAREFULLY DISTINGUISH OURSELVES IN THIS PROCESS AS DESERVING WHEN WE CHOOSE TO CATCH AND KEEP ONE OF THESE FISH.
IN THE WHOLE OF IT ALL WE PRAY THAT WE NEVER TAKE WHAT WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE GIVEN FOR THE BETTER.

MORE THAN THE HORDE, THE WORK OF THE SINGLE FISHER REMAINS THE KEY TO MOVE MANKIND.

GIVE A MAN A FISH AND HE WILL THE EAT FOR A DAY.
TEACH A MAN TO FISH AND HE WILL FEED HIMSELF AND THOSE HE LOVES TO THE END OF HIS DAYS.

THINGS I'VE HEARD OUT THERE ALONE----- WHILE FISHING

I BELIEVE CIVILIZATION IS A VOYAGE NOT A HARBOR.

I BELIEVE IN THE VALUE OF “SELF RELIANCE” AND THE JOY OF SIMPLE TOIL.

I BELIEVE USEFUL SERVICE IS THE COMMON DUTY OF MAN TO THE WORLD, THE RIVER, AND TO HIMSELF.

I BELIEVE THAT EVERY ONE AND EVERY LIVING THING IS OBLIGED BY NATURAL LAW TO BE HAPPY.

I BELIEVE NOTHING IS MORE SERIOUS THAN A SENSE OF HUMOR


AND FINALLY, I BELIEVE THIS,

MEN ARE IDIOTS AND ARE PROGRESSIVELY MORE SO THE FURTHER THEY ARE FOUND FROM THE VALLEY OF THE
METOLIUS RIVER.