Crowds and Raccoons On First Section Below Fontenelle

The first section below the dam closes to fishing the end of September to protect the spawning kokanee.  We were able to see the bright red Kokanee swimming upstream, similar to the salmon in Alaska.  

During the month of September this stretch seems to be the most popular section to fish, not only because of the good fishing but there are fewer weeds in the river to contend with.  Floating this stretch of river we found people in every fishable spot.  

One spot in particular not only had fisherman lining the shore but also an audience.  Up on the ledge above the river were several trucks lined up with spectators in front watching the fishing.  Some of these fellows Ron and I spoke with the day before.  

They highly recommended this spot, with details regarding the large fish they’ve caught from this spot and the particular methods that were successful.  The most successful being large split shot with a night crawler.

That evening while getting ready to go to bed (sleeping bag really) I sat my toothbrush down on the picnic table seat and while I turned around to rinse my mouth out a raccoon grabbed my toothbrush and spilled over my glass of water.  

Its mate was under the picnic bench and both of them looked at me with their beady eyes as if to say, we’re raccoons, this is what we do.

Later on that night after it turned completely dark I shined my flashlight at a large hoot owl in a nearby tree.  It swooped down right above my head.  I could feel the swoosh of the wind.  If I would have been wearing a hat, it would be gone.