Fishing for fall Chinook on the Columbia River near buoy 10

Originally Published April 8, 2016

I'll readily admit that I'm not much of a fisherman. On this particular occasion I was part of a group fishing in a buoy 10 tournament on the Columbia. In an inauspicious beginning to my adventure, I almost missed the boat after oversleeping my early-morning alarm; helped by some late night fun and "light" drinking with my fishing companions. After racing to the slip where the boat was waiting and profuse apologies to our host and captain, we set out under a gray sky and heavy waves. The bites were few and far between which gave me a lot of time to concentrate on how sick I was feeling. All of that disappeared when I hooked this fish! Adrenaline took over and, following the instructions of my fishing buddies, managed to get it past the sea lions in our area and alongside the boat.

Catching this fish made everything better! My seasickness disappeared, the sun came out, and the water calmed. A day that had started poorly was finishing magnificently. I highly recommend fishing for what ails you! If you have a chance to get a line in the water, take it! Everything will turn out okay…

Follow this new series with recommendations for outdoor activities in Oregon from Oregon Wildlife Staff, Board Members, and Friends! Check back April 22 for our next post!