January 23
Bonnie Lure Recreation
Clackamas River
Oregon
Well, fellow cheap campers, part of outdoor recreation on a budget is taking risks and exploring opportunities. This weekend brought Phil and I just such an endeavor, as we ventured out to Estacada. The goal for our trip was to break in my new fishing pole Phil gave me for Christmas. A quick internet search yielded recommendations for the Bonnie Lure State Recreation area on the Clackamas River. So we headed out there on this rainy Saturday afternoon. It's about an hour from our Beaverton abode.
Numerous cars filled the parking lot when we rolled in, which is encouraging. As we took a peek around we saw that most of the people were lone fly fishermen, complete with those silly, waist high gaitors, and all we talked to reported no luck. Nonetheless we dropped a line along a slower corner of the rushing river, after hiking about a half mile through the young forest. No luck. Several snags. Several other spots down the river also yielded nothing.
So we gave up and headed to a nearby lake we had passed on the way out to Detroit. Luckily, a local boater stopped us after we parked but before we settled in. He told us fishing is not allowed here until the season starts, not that it matters anyway because the lake isn't even stocked till March. He said it would be a shame for us to get a fine when there aren't even fish. Then he gave us a 2010 Hunting & Fishing Licensing Guide. Then he pointed us in the directed of Faraday Lake, which he said is open to the public year round. What a guy! We didn't end up going to Faraday Lake since it was late in the day and we were pretty hungry, but it's on our list now.
I am looking forward to longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures for our cheap camping adventures.
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