Opening Day comes and goes with success

Editor’s note: For 27 years, beginning Feb. 8, 1973, Ralph Anglen of Bonners Ferry wrote an outdoor column for the local paper that was widely read and used as a source of fishing and hunting information. It was called “Anglin’ with Anglen,” and was the real deal, the genuine item, written by someone whose socks were wet, whose toes were cold and who pulled no punches. We will continue as space allows to reprint Anglen’s column solely for its pleasure and historical significance. Any typos, we leave as is. Readers are reminded that this column was written almost 50 years ago and conditions, including state fish and game regulations, have changed.

May 3, 1973

Opening day has come and gone and for me it was a success! Three of us had our limits by 9:00 a.m. My grandson and I hit the road at four in the morning and was on Sinclair by five. To my surprise we were late as other fishermen were there ahead of us.

First thing I did was poke a small hole in the boat. Nothing serious — just aggravating! We started with Carey Specials and caught 11 before the fish quit hitting them. Then we salmon-egged them.

I use nothing but Pautzkes balls of Fire eggs. I first saw them used in Bonner lake a good many years ago and they were taking fish when nothing else would, so that is all I use now. There may be eggs just as good but I have never seen them. Twenty of the fish weighed just 12 pounds and we had some carry-overs that went just a pound apiece.

I was on Sinclair last Wednesday and got my limit on Carey Specials in about 45 minutes. They are sure fun to catch on a trolled fly. I was on Smith lake Friday. Got three on flies, and went through my whole tackle box but just could not get them to hit a thing so I salmon egged seven of them. One again they sure are nice fish!

I was asked, “What in the world I do with all the fish I catch”? Well, I give them away. I know lots of people that don’t fish that like to eat them so I get rid of a lot of them that way. Of course we eat a lot fish at our house.

We had tracking snow up past Dawson lake Saturday. It was cold and windy on the lake so was glad to get off of it.

I flubbed-up a chance to go on a goose nest counting trip at McArthur last Thursday. Just plain forgot it until too late. They checked 22 nests that had an average of five plus eggs. Some of the eggs were already hatched out and the geese were off the nests. Some of the nests they couldn’t get to so they weren’t counted. Talked to Roy Grove and he said the geese were nesting up the river again. Several cow and calf elk are being reported seen. No more word about our turkeys, still some poaching of pheasants in the valley.

Scuttlebutt: Brush lake was slow fishing, good fishing at Robinson of you had a boat — in fact a boat is almost a must in all these lakes. Some good cutthroat coming off of Bonner and Bass. Perkings poor and it always has been for me early! In about three weeks it should pick up. Bond lake good for rainbow. I have never fished this lake and it is quite a surprise to me it gets the fishing pressure it does. The State has done an outstanding job this year planting these lakes I believe they are the biggest I have seen. I know the ones I caught have hit harder and jumped higher than in the past.