After a lot of unpacking of boxes we took a week off from moving and headed to the Grande Ronde River. We thought we were timing it just right, the flow was set to drop below 1500 CFS and the fishing really picks up as the river drops. Little did we know the water would be a murky brown from intense rain. The fishing was the worst I’ve ever seen it, but getting on the river still can’t be beat.
We took our time and spent five days on the river. We only had two camps as the river was crowded and it wasn’t worth competing for camps each day. One of the camps even had a mountain goat loafing around in it.
It was our first time on the river since the 2021 Elbow Creek fire, and several of the lower camps on the river have been impacted, while others came through just fine.
We started the game of counting boats that came by camp each day. Our last day in camp we counted 62, which is a ton of boats. I’d guess it’s only a matter of time before a permit system is implemented. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that everyone sells their boat and takes up pickleball, by I won’t hold my breath.
