The Kamchatka Project

I recently discovered The Kamchatka Project while surfing the web. If you are into salmon fishing or kayaking and haven't put Kamchatka on your list of dream expeditions, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

The Kamchatka Project website states; "In the summer of 2009 a group of expert expedition kayakers will attempt source to sea first descents of the Illmahaka and Kapaza rivers in an effort to help further a salmon stronghold in Kamchatka."

"Exploring by kayak will lead the team directly to the salmon, conservation issues and the cultures of Northern Siberia."

I look forward to some incredible photography and trip reports from these guys. Kamchatka is truly one of the last untouched wildernesses left on the planet.

Kayak Fishing Day Dream

Well, the rivers have receded back down to fishable levels, the weather is absolutely magnificent, with temperatures in the upper 50's, sparkling blue skies, and blessed sunshine. It is something to be treasured in the Pacific Northwest this time of year.

I can only day dream as I stare out the window at the beautiful sunshine. What wonderful memories are being made out on some forested river right now? I don't know, but I'm envious as I sit here, staring at the synthetic light of a computer monitor.

Responsibility can be a real downer sometimes. It's hard not to be a little bit resentful, when I'm stuck here writing papers for school. Classes seem to be a little intense this semester. I guess I should have expected as much from the "writing intensive" course descriptions.

I know, in the long run, applying myself fully to school now will benefit me more later, but that does not make me envy you lucky few out their chasing steelhead any less.

Although I don't have the time to get to the coast this weekend to chase steelies, I am going to do a scouting run of the spring salmon fishing grounds. I'm going to kayak from Chinook Landing to Jantzen beach on the Columbia River in preparation for kayak fishing for springers in March.

With the river flowing anywhere from 3 to 5 knots, it should only take two or three hours for the entire float. It isn't much for kayaking action, but hopefully it will fulfill my jones and help me get a better lay of the land for when the salmon do come back in March. At least I won't have to waste time learning the run then, I'll be able to get right into the fish, which will be crucial for pre-work fishing excursions. I'll post pics of the float when I return.

-Jason

UPDATE: Major Flooding in NW Oregon & SW Washington

Sometimes a guy just can't win. I had my doubts that the Nehalem would be fishable early next week, but I couldn't imagine the entire steelhead season being flooded away. There is no road or railway open between Portland and Seattle, and the coast is toast.

A fellow kayak guide and my good friend Jeff Wong told me at lunch today he saw a dead cow float down the river, and a salmon swam up highway 56 on the way to my normal launch on the Nehalem.

Here is a photo from our local Portland news channel, KATU. This normally docile stretch of the Nehalem river, 1.5 miles below the launch I use, has now covered the entire valley in 10 ft of water.



It remains pretty slow around here, and I am starting to get twitchy. I guess a little more time spent in the basement plotting, planning, organizing, and refurbishing gear never hurt anything.

Hopefully the rivers will recede back down to fishable levels in the next few weeks, and the devastation won't be as severe as they say. I'm keeping my finger crossed.

-Jason

STEELHEAD FEVER

Winter time in the Pacific Northwest can be a drag for some. When the temperature drops, the rain and snow begins, and the sun takes a vacation, not to return until mid-June, I get down right giddy.

It's not football, the holidays, or even skiing that I'm all excited about. It's the return of winter steelhead.

In my world their are few greater challenges for an angler than winter steelhead. Pound for pound they are the strongest fighting fish I have ever set my hook into. The acrobatics these fish display when hooked is incredible. On more than one occasion I have lost fish to tree limbs 5 ft above the river.

The conditions during the season add another layer to the challenge. Howling winds, frigid temps, high flows, and debris in the water make it a sheer battle of will.

You'd be hard pressed to find a more dedicated or enthusiastic fisherman than a steelheader. You have to be to enjoy fishing in these conditions!

I'm going to try my luck on the main stem Nehalem River, on the N Oregon coast, here in the next couple of weeks. There is a brief window of opportunity for me when the river levels drop and before school gets to intense, and I intend to get on the water.

I'll be fishing for steelhead from a kayak, so my inclination is to run a plug downstream off the bow, and either back paddle or anchor up. Either way is semi- chaotic once you hook up in fast water, because you are basically at the mercy of the flow of the river. The only advice I can give for that frenzied moment is to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the tree branches that you will inevitably be crashing into! Trust me, you won't see them, or care when you have a big slab of chrome ripping line off your reel.

The anchor system I use in these high flows has a carribeaner for quick release, and a float attached to the end so I can retrieve it after release. A quick release mechanism and a float are crucial when the water is flowing fast. Logs and debris floating down river, or under water and catching your anchor line, are a real issue this time of year.

Not only is the quick release important for safety, but also, you have to be able to release when you hook a large fish. High flows and strong fighting steelhead will likely snap your line if you attempt to fight them while anchored.

A good how to description of a quick release anchor system can be found at northwestkayakanglers.com

As details come together for my kayak fishing trip for winter steelhead on the Nehalem, I'll post them. And as allways I'll give a detailed trip report with photos as soon as I return.

Until next week,

Jason

Winter Breather

Ahhhh.....

Finals are finished, and I have a few weeks without school to relax. I'm going to lay low in December and recoup from an action packed year.

It has been freakishly cold and snowy in Portland, and in the entire Pacific Northwest for that matter. The frigid temps and dangerous driving conditions are providing little to no motivation for me to get out on the water and chase early winter steelhead.

On the other hand, there is only so much hibernation I can take before I start to get a little stir crazy and bust out no mater what the weather is.

I haven't been wasting all my time though. I've been busy researching and planning for kayak fishing for spring salmon on the Columbia. Spring king salmon are the fattest little pigs of the lot, and just about the only fish I don't release (except maybe a chrome-bright fall chinook).

With the Columbia river at my doorstep, I should be able to get out before work on a regular basis. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to fishing hard in March.

I do plan on kayak fishing for steelhead as much as possible this winter, but the crazy weather might limit my opportunities to get out. We'll just have to see.

SURFING SEA KAYAKS

A few of my friends (Dave White, Paul Kuthe, Richard Davis, & Nick Jacobs) went to Ocean Side on the Oregon Coast a couple of weeks ago to surf sea kayaks, and managed to snap some really great photographs.

Paul recently bought a digital SLR camera which is awesome, but his talent as an action photographer, the beautiful boats & scenery, and some skilled boating really make it all work. Here is one shot of Dave White ripping it up, taken by Paul Kuthe, as seen on Paul's blog: Boat with Paul http://www.paulkuthe.blogspot.com



Check out Paul's blog for a complete trip report, and some incredible sea kayak surf shots.

Until next time,

Jason

The Deeper Side of Kayaking: Overcoming Fear

I have not been able to get on the water this week, due to the fact that I'm waist deep calculus, zoology, and technical writing. The bright side to all this is that, somehow, I convinced my technical writing professor to let me write my term paper on "How to Fish for Salmon from a Kayak". Notice I said "fish" instead of "catch". I had to leave myself an out you know.

I am planning on getting out on the Multnomah Channel early this coming Sunday with some of the guys from Northwest Kayak Anglers to fish for sturgeon from a kayak. I look forward to meeting these guys, and learning a thing or two about sturgeon fishing from a kayak. I will give a complete trip report with pics shortly there after.

THE DEEPER SIDE OF KAYAKING: Overcoming Fear

While having lunch with some of my kayaking friends a few days ago, we somehow got off on the topic of fear. Fear is an emotion we all have to deal with at some point. Through out my development as a kayaker, I've certainly had times where I was afraid.

Looking back at my BCU 3 Star Sea evaluation, I was suffering from sever test anxiety. The ocean conditions were bigger than the remit for the evaluation, and bigger than I had ever been in before. I had shown mastery in mild to moderate conditions, but would I be able to perform at the same level in rough seas?

I really did not know what to expect. My mind raced that sleepless night before the evaluation, and I thoroughly freaked myself out.

The next morning I woke early, exhausted from an anxiety filled night. My stomach was in knots and I felt physically ill. This only added to my worries of being able to safely handle the conditions.

We met our assessor at the parking lot at the beach. After a brief introduction, we walked North of the North jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River to assess conditions. We were going to be crossing the Columbia River bar. There have been so many shipwrecks there, the place has earned the moniker "Graveyard of the Pacific".


View Larger Map


Needless to say, with that thought rattling around in my head, I looked out at the pounding surf, and puked three times right there on the beach.

I had a serious battle raging in my head; "Am I crazy? Is this stupid? Do I have the skills and the capacity to handle this?"

Self doubt filled my mind. I tried to take a step back and rationally evaluate my fear. I thought; "Am I afraid because this is stupid and dangerous, or am I afraid because I don't know what to expect?"

I analyzed the situation; There were two 5 star paddlers there doing the assessment, who had thousands of hours kayaking in much bigger conditions than these, one of which is a close friend and co-worker. I also knew the abilities of two others in my group well. On top of all that, I reminded myself that I was physically strong, reasonably intelligent, and a fairly skilled kayaker.

I realized at that moment that it was not danger that was causing my fear and anxiety, but rather, the fear of the unknown.

I decided that not challenging myself because I did not know what to expect was not a worthy excuse. I boated hard that day and had a blast out in the big water around the Columbia River bar, and easily passed the BCU 3 star sea certification.

Granted, my eyes were as big as grapefruits, and my adrenaline was pumping, but I had overcome my fear and anxiety. The next day when I looked in the mirror, I noticed I had several white hairs in my beard, and it took two days for the adrenaline buzz to wear off.

Earlier on the day of our evaluation, another kayaker in our group was overcome by his fear upon seeing the waves exploding at the end of the jetty. He quit and had to be escorted back to the launch. I myself had entertained those same thoughts, but I had decided that if my friends could do it, so could I. For some reason, at that moment "The only thing we have to fear, is fear it's self." made sense. I had heard that a million times, but it never really sank in until that moment. It became my silent mantra for the day.

I felt awful for this guy. I thought about how every day this guy is going to think about the time he decided to challenge himself, was overcome with fear, and gave up. I thought about how that experience would trickle through the other aspects of his life, and the negative consequences it would have.

It made me very sad for him, but some how, it made me more determined to face the challenge. I refused to let myself be that guy and walk away with feelings of self doubt and disappointment.

When we hauled out on the beach at the end of the day, I was filled with exuberance. I felt that I could handle any situation. Not just kayaking, but in life.

For me, that is the reason I challenge myself. I feel that having new experience and constantly learning are the keys to a fulfilling life, and sometimes, new things are scary.

Overcoming fear builds self confidence, and translates into every other aspect of your life. But it's important to clearly evaluate the difference between confidence and stupidity.

If you take a step back and assess a situation, usually it's easy to tell when you are hesitant because you are afraid of the unknown, or you are hesitant because entering the situation, or attempting an action is stupid.

I had trained extensively for the conditions present at the mouth of the Columbia, and spent years developing my technical skill in a kayak. I felt that the amount of danger present had been effectively managed. I never felt it was "dangerous" or "stupid".

Had that been my first time in a kayak on the ocean, it would have qualified as stupid and dangerous.

For me, the key to overcoming fear is having confidence in yourself. I'm not talking about being cocky, because that qualifies as stupid. But, knowing yourself, and having past experiences to look back on where you have over come a challenge, is the self confidence I am referring to.

It's kind of a catch 22, because you need to overcome a challenge to gain self confidence, and you need self confidence to overcome a challenge. My advice is to start small, and gradually increase the level of the challenge. By the time you get to the big stuff, you have a plethora of experiences to draw upon and overcome your fear.

I try and remember that fear and worry are not based on reality. They are based on memories of the past, that have been shaped in our heads over time to the point that they represent emotions more than history, and projections of future events, based on our memories. Neither of which represent the only thing that is real; The present moment.

In essence, fear and worry are emotions created by our imagination, and are not real.

So chew on that until next week,

-Jason