Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-05-17

49, NN~-~s 80 -
fles, bur those eamouflaged hooks lock
ed about as attractive to them as gun
powder.
Gilbert Hooked big one"
i Mr.. Gilbert had better luck. He hook
ed the biggest fish in the Mckenzie
he told Us s0-but it was that wise old
twO-fOoter that had been the near vie
tim Of thousand anglers before US, the
"0ne that got away II repeated.
| Fishing, however, is not vet good as
far up the Mckenzie as Blue River.
The snow is still hanging deep in the
mountains and the streams are high
and cold. A few good catches have
been made, but only when the warm
sun brought out "bug hatch on
the water. The first day we were there
it rained all during the daylight hours
and Monday morning there was snow
on the mountain tops all around US.
The fish are there, thousands of them,
and true in size TO the tales Of big
ones that have been caught. They are
TO be seen in every hole and Sunday
morning we could see them jumping
everywhere. On the lower river, in the
neighborhOod of Hayden's bridge the
fishing is good now and good catches
are the rule.
Guides Tell Secrets
While Mr.. Gilbert and Charlie were
fishing and Mr.. Hazard was wander
ing over the trails through the woods
| was getting the "dope,' from Lew
Tate and Carrie Thompson, guides and
boatmen, and "Dadu Merrill, prospect
or and miner by profession, but just
now storekeeper and postmaster at
Blue River. They are not fishing now.
Occasionally they take a rod and try
the river. Late this month and during
the first weeks Of June the fishing in
the immediate vicinity Of Blue River
will be at its height, they say, and
baskets filled with l6 to 20-inehers will
be the reward of the anglers. Then
they will Timber up their boats and
renew their acquaintance Of from p
to 80 years with the safe and danger
GUS parts Of the rushing river. The
best fishing in the Mckenzie is from
the boats, for it cannot be waded, al
though there are some "well paying
holes that can be whipped from the
banks.
When the season really opens, one
Of the favorite haunts will be the fast
waters near the mouth Of the South
Fork, about three miles above Blue
River. Another stream that will be
heavily hit is Blue River itself, from
the mouth three or four miles upstream
As the season advances and the trails
open further into the mountains the
fishing and hunting parties will be
found working their way further and
further upstream along the river and
all of the small tributaries. Then, too
will the flow Of visitors grow steadily
larger. especially after the road over
Mckenzie Pass opens the way too and
from eastern Oregon, Some Of the old
residents predict the Pass will be free
of snow by June |, but the more con
servative say june Is, and add that
that is unusually early.
Pack Trains Many
Late in june the pack trains and
guides will begin to start out from
Blue River, Mckenzie Inn, four miles
below, and Mckenzie Bridge, l miles
upstream, for the more inaccessible re.
giOns. Deep into the wilderness of the
upper reaches of the South Fork they
will 90, up Blue River to Tit Bits, the
three peaks, 5000 hundred feet up, that
mark the common source of the Gala.
p0u, Santiam and Blue Rivers. These
trips will be the more popular when
the hunting season opens, for, as Dad
Merrill put il. "those are some OF the
spots where the deer appear never to
have learned to fear a man.
Already the read is open to light
travel into Lost Lake, 2S miles above
Blue River, but seven or eight miles
of the road will yet stand lot of i'm
provcment before the thousands of
eastern brook trout in the lake are
brought within practical reach of the
autoist.
But, don't get the idea that the
Mckenzie country is only for the
sportsman. Its vacation possibilities
are almost unlimited. The scenery is
beautiful beyond description, the
roads, with few exceptions, good, de-
llghttul camping places are abundant
and the hotel accommodations for Wis
itors who want to rusticateN that
way, excellent. At Blue River, and the !
other hotels are up to the same stand /
ard, we got meals like mother used to
serve with all of the fixin 5 from
cream that poured Ike syrup to buckle,
berry pie
Mountain of Huekleberries
And, speaking of huckleberry pic, (
remihds me Of the attraction which I
Gold Hill, at the headwaters of Glue
River, has fer the "huckleberry fan. " /
On Gold Hin is said TO be the larg .
est hucklcberry patch along the Pacif {
ie coast Each year hundreds Of pee 4
pie journey there from all parts Of the
willamette and Mckenzie valleys TO
pick the berries, Upwards to 5000 gal.
Ions are picked there every year, the
pickers going in over the wagon road \
up Blue River and past the Lucky
Boy, Bohemia and other mines in the
Quartz Creek III, riet.
The medicinal sprinqs Foley Springs.
II miles from Blue River, and Bel
knnp Springs a mile further away are
another drawing card for this section.
The principal charm Of the MeKcn-
Die country Go the motorist Is It's casy
accessibility. It's vacation ground
for the man who wants to spend n
a