This is the Ptychocheilus oregonensis, commonly known as the Northern Pikeminnow, or Squawfish. I caught it on the Flathead River yesterday evening. It was twelve inches long, and we guestimate the weight to be about three or four pounds. They’re very predatory and have done so much damage to trout and salmon populations, that Washington and Oregon have a bounty [pdf] on them. They’re also a very bony fish and do not make for good eatin’, so we threw him back.
This isn’t really the first fish I’ve ever caught, it’s just the first one I’ve caught in Montana that wasn’t what I call a remedial fish. I often get frustrated when fishing; either my line gets tangled, or I just don’t catch anything, so Dan takes me to the well-stocked childrens’ pond. Y’know, the one that had the alligator in it, and then the body. There I can easily, usually, catch a little trout and feel better about fishing in general. Hence, remedial pond/fish. This year I did a little reading on river fishing, and applied the techniques I’d been reading about and caught a real, wild fish in a real, wild river. I was grinning all night long!
This summer, the famed, 114-year-old Old-Steel Bridgereplacement begins. It was a one lane bridge that had many structural problems. This was also a favourite hang-out spot in the summer. Most kids in Kalispell have fond memories of jumping off the bridge into the deep spot in the river, and carving their names into the wooden planks. The new bridge should be complete by summer of next year.
As a side note, last fall there was an auto accident on the main bridge over the Flathead. To get across the river we waited for 2.5 hours while, one-by-one, the backed up lines of cars from three directions crossed this bridge.
The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
One last edit: This smoke is probably from the Skyland Fire.
Yesterday: 08.02.07
You may be able to tell that today the smoke from area wildfires was not as ‘thick’ as it was yesterday. However, NW Montana still smells like a Pine-sol factory.
Today I picked up the premier edition of the Flathead Beacon, a free publication focusing on the Flathead Valley. It’s first page contains a ‘Welcome to the Beacon’ letter from founder Maury Povich, and promises coverage of local news with sports and arts and culture playing a prominent role. From the Beacon Staff:
We’re about the journalism, first and foremost. We aim to be accurate, fair and thought-provoking. But we’re also about a new approach to media in the digital age, and we power this weekly newspaper with our web site. [flatheadbeacon.com] It’s also a place to interact, contribute your thoughts, view slide shows and event calendars, and tell us what we do wrong and -sometimes - what we do right.
Already I can tell I’m going to like this paper, it has a little of everything, op-eds, events, spotlights on area business and recreation. It also has a neat feature that compares home prices in Kalispell, Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Bigfork, called Floor Space. It’s kind of like a print version of HGTV’s What You Get for the Money, but with a Flathead Valley bent.
For those of you here in the Flathead Valley, Flathead Beacon is distributed every Wednesday at locations around the valley. For everyone else? Um… there’s the website!
I thought I’d do a series of posts based on our recent trip to the Krause Basin Interpretive Trail. This will be a thirteen part series, and I will warn you in advance that the photos are less than stellar. I guess this will be an interactive interpretive trail!
Welcome to the Krause Basin Interpretive Trail, a quarter-mile loop through an old western hemlock forest and a regenerating clearcut. As you travel the trail, look for the twelve numbered sign posts near the trail.
In the 1960s, the hemlock forest in Krause Basin was logged for wood products and to establish a different kind of forest preferred for making lumber. This grove was set aside as an example of that earlier forest, prior to logging. Travel the trail and discover what makes a western hemlock forest unique. Contrast it with what you find in the younger forest. Learn why some of these trees and plants are important to people that live, work, and play in these forests.
The signposts begin on the right of Hemlock Highway, continue on Spruce Street and finish on the right of Yew Avenue.
My interest in blogging, blogs and the internet in general has been null and void lately. I call it a suspended state of blah. Or disgust. Or just plain pissy.
These are from an evening excursion to the Flathead River (which is a little high).
