Levels of high water…

The Sandy River, near Troutdale, Oregon (just East of Portland)

 

High water mark…

Once the waters recede, that peaceful, easy feeling returns….

High water & life…

“Come hell or high water you will never take me back to the place I was before. I have been through too much to let life whoop me again. My faith is stronger than it’s ever been, my mind is more tenacious than it’s ever been, my soul is more absolute.”  T.D. Jakes

high water along the shoreline…

~~~

~~~

Signs of High Water…

If you look at the shoreline shrubs, you will notice at the top of each plant clusters of debris that attached themselves when the river rose up into the vegetation. The shrubs acted like filters gathering needles, leaves and smaller twigs. Often these debris pods can be seen higher up in trees and shrubs giving a good indication of how high the river had risen during a past freshet, or release from a dam above. In this instance, all runoff upstream in the mountains (Oregon Coast Range).

 

Sad to say……….

this is as close as I have been to wading and fly fishing of late. Went in for a few beverages with my friend Joe Berentsen and missed the downpour. Definitely time to wet a line.

Warning Signs: High Water

“Come hell or high water you will never take me back to the place I was before. I have been through too much to let life whoop me again. My faith is stronger than it’s ever been, my mind is more tenacious than it’s ever been, my soul is more absolute.” TD Jakes

Outdoors: High Water Warning

Watching the news, we are aware of flooding, sometimes with catastrophic consequences. Oregon usually has the rivers over some banks in November or December and then in the Spring. On my recent excursion up the Deschutes River Rd. (BLM Access Road), I noticed a, new to me, paved portion of the bumpy gravel road. The look was unique to Oregon roads and apparently with good cause. I have seen these markers and warnings in Arizona and Texas, but never Oregon. Yes, as the stereotypical image suggests, it rains a lot in parts of Oregon. In other parts less so, but apparently when it does….look out.

Photography: High & Dry

This photo from a few weeks back of a shoreline drying up and cracking sharply contrasts with the relentless downpour over the last few days in the Pacific NW. As I listen to the drip, drip, drip of water from my leaf clogged gutters upon the  patio cover, I imagine these cracked surfaces are slowly adjusting, shifting from the deluges. Soon snow will cover the shoreline and then, later, the snow melts and runoff miles away will once again raise the water level well above this dry spot and repeat the cycle.

River Gages (Time to Study, Observe & Record)

There are urban flood advisories in Portland today. Typical of mid- November it seems. I imagine the coastal streams are rapidly rising. So, if you fish rivers that have gages, monitoring the stream levels, now is a good time to judge the high water periods and note how quickly a river drops back into fishable shape.

Develop a feel for those low, clear, cold days and the river flows. Keep notes in a journal or somewhere prominent. You will know the optimum slot for fishing from the bank &/0r a boat. This data will be invaluable on whether you should drive two hours to the coast or not bother there and head to a more stable flow, say an open tailwater fishery, if you are so blessed. Track the weather fronts and then look at the flows. The same, of course, is done in the Spring/Early Summer when the snows start to melt.  

To the seasoned angler, this is automatic. For the beginner, who infrequently fishes, it requires some effort to not waste the high’s and low’s of river/stream levels so you can figure out the optimum slot of height/water clarity for preferred fishing (safe, fishable, worth your precious time). Yes, I know, I shouldn’t be taking pics in torrential downpours.