TR: Touchet/Tuncannon

Had a great evangelical experience. Took Sis and bro-in-law out to
river. Put orange stimi on a rod in BIL's hands, stationed at a little
riffle, going into a little deep run, half under a root wad.
zzzzzzzzzzzzit splat splat splat goes the October caddis down the
riffle into the pool, "DO IT LIKE THAT."
Zip, pow. Instanto converto. All thru the amazing power of a chubby
little 10" Rainbow. Ha.

Friend Jeri and wife had 3 consistently good days. Lots of smaller
cutts, a few good, occasional rainbows, biggest 15+inches. No
steelhead, Browns, Dollies, etc. I did about the same.

Put some time in planting willow branches in likely places. Also
planted about 30 cottonwood leaders in horizontal furrows. Got some
good advise on my place from a river-activist who has done allot of
habitat work up the Walla Walla river. Fertilized a little grove of
repro ponderosa. Marked a boundary line and started to rework fencing.
Talked to the farmer putting in the wheat on our land. First shot with
the seed drill stopped because the ground too hard and we had gone
light on the herbicide. Then a good rain fell and they will give it
another shot, preferably no-till. First they have to seed up on the
Palouse because you can see it's already snowing in the Blue Mountains
to the SE. Looking like it might be a good water year.

Cold enough on last nite so had to double-bag it. All the stock is off
the land now. Just a few hooves and some coyote food left. These
little piggies done went to market.

Went over to the Tucannon River to look at another farm. Met a fellow
who guides on the Yakima. Him, doing a bus-man's holiday on this
beautiful wading river, a get away from the paying customers.
Rainbows, no steelheads. The place for sale is almost 80 acres, much
of it tillable, house (homely), good metal barn etcs, pump, water
rights, wheel lines, 3/4ths mile river about (bothsides I think),
current livestock setup. $350K asking. Trout, steelhead, some salmon,
close to Snake R. Any interest and I will post the MLS info.

Dave