I'm going to make the drive there tomorrow. Hope to park about 09:00. Never been, hope it's not windy or to hot. Who's going ? What do i meed to know ? I'll be doing the median in my Fat Cat.
I have fished Lenice since 1967 and have never seen a rattlesnake...go figure...you know they are there, my partners have seen a few...but not me. However, some lakes I see a lot of them. I've seen 6 this year but in one spot I'm pretty sure there were more in the rocks. There are a few spots that I use a pontoon instead of my tube to have an oar.
I don’t bother them, they don’t bother me. I’ve only killed one on the Deschutes because it was rather persistent about hanging around with us in camp.
We set up a camp on the D in a den during the salmon fly hatch...I couldn't count how many we saw, it was a mess getting the gear back to the boat.
I draw the line with climbing on my boat...oar meet snake...snake meet oar!
One time my dad took a swing at a rattlesnake with the oar and 5 gallons of water landed in my lap, I couldn't decide if he just splashed a rattlesnake in my lap...that was a bad 20 seconds!
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T
Tombraider
Guest
I do a lot of dog work in tick season and treat my clothes with this stuff and I've had great results. This stuff works.
Sawyer Permethrin Pump Spray - 24 oz. | REI Co-op
This insect-killing repellent for your clothing is effective against ticks, chiggers, mites and mosquitoes for up to 6 weeks.
T
Tombraider
Guest
One question, what depth am i looking at for leader. Been fishing 20ft of water. Long leader sux
Since you will be nervous and excited when you see a snake coming to your float tube I suggest this:
www.opticsplanet.com
Exact aiming not required, but do try to avoid the float bladder
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There’s plenty of 20’ water to fish. But whether you’ll need to do that is a guess. Maybe they’ll be eating damsels in the shallows.
T
Tombraider
Guest
I see 20' on a video. Loaded for all. Thnx folks
What troutpocket said...
And I wouldn't worry about snakes, just watch where you're walking.
I've fished Lenice, Merry & Nunnally since the mid 80s...never seen a rattlesnake. Never had a worry about ticks either. Also hunted just east for quail in early October when it was still 70 degrees on nice days. Now, I've rarely fished it past mid-May and rarely before late September, but there a lot of places in WA & OR with WAY more snakes than those lakes.
I saw 2 mentions of the Deschutes. Yep, that's on point. The Deschutes, the Klick, and some other south central WA/north central Oregon places are the worst I've seen. I grew up in Goldendale. We harvested (buddy was native and sold/traded the skins) 7 in just a couple hours on his property in a little creek draw that drains into Rock Creek. And the ticks were bad east of town as well.
Anybody fished Quail Lake? Talk about ticks...I went there one time with a guy that decided it would be a good idea to bring his springer with us. Poor mutt had over 15 ticks on him when we were done. His owner was so ticked out he got in the back on his truck bed, stripped naked and checked for ticks. All 3 of us had multiple ticks on us.
Have fun!
And I wouldn't worry about snakes, just watch where you're walking.
I've fished Lenice, Merry & Nunnally since the mid 80s...never seen a rattlesnake. Never had a worry about ticks either. Also hunted just east for quail in early October when it was still 70 degrees on nice days. Now, I've rarely fished it past mid-May and rarely before late September, but there a lot of places in WA & OR with WAY more snakes than those lakes.
I saw 2 mentions of the Deschutes. Yep, that's on point. The Deschutes, the Klick, and some other south central WA/north central Oregon places are the worst I've seen. I grew up in Goldendale. We harvested (buddy was native and sold/traded the skins) 7 in just a couple hours on his property in a little creek draw that drains into Rock Creek. And the ticks were bad east of town as well.
Anybody fished Quail Lake? Talk about ticks...I went there one time with a guy that decided it would be a good idea to bring his springer with us. Poor mutt had over 15 ticks on him when we were done. His owner was so ticked out he got in the back on his truck bed, stripped naked and checked for ticks. All 3 of us had multiple ticks on us.
Have fun!
Pink Nighty
Legend
Rock creek is lousy with snakes. It's where I had my first encounter, walked through some long grass and found a massive (4+ft and incomplete) shed near the water. About 5 minutes later, standing a couple feet away from the bank I heard the shredder rattle.What troutpocket said...
And I wouldn't worry about snakes, just watch where you're walking.
I've fished Lenice, Merry & Nunnally since the mid 80s...never seen a rattlesnake. Never had a worry about ticks either. Also hunted just east for quail in early October when it was still 70 degrees on nice days. Now, I've rarely fished it past mid-May and rarely before late September, but there a lot of places in WA & OR with WAY more snakes than those lakes.
I saw 2 mentions of the Deschutes. Yep, that's on point. The Deschutes, the Klick, and some other south central WA/north central Oregon places are the worst I've seen. I grew up in Goldendale. We harvested (buddy was native and sold/traded the skins) 7 in just a couple hours on his property in a little creek draw that drains into Rock Creek. And the ticks were bad east of town as well.
Anybody fished Quail Lake? Talk about ticks...I went there one time with a guy that decided it would be a good idea to bring his springer with us. Poor mutt had over 15 ticks on him when we were done. His owner was so ticked out he got in the back on his truck bed, stripped naked and checked for ticks. All 3 of us had multiple ticks on us.
Have fun!
Being a westsider I had never heard one before. All day when the grass would rustle I had been asking my walla walla girlfriend if that was a snake. She kept saying "when you hear it, you'll know." Truer words never spoken, she turned to me when it rattled and I immediately said "oh ok thats a snake."
I'm not sure a snake could strike swimming through water. Bunch of scaredy-cats
Find out for us please. We would be interested in learning what you determine via trial and error...
Yes it is! I miss that place though. We fished for trout (would see native steelhead and suckers spawning) in the upper creek, snagged carp (legal back then) with tiny fly-cast trebles in the lower slack part of the creek (fished for nice smallies down there too), harvested rattlesnakes and drove way too fast on the winding gravel roads.
Pink Nighty
Legend
I miss it too! May or may not have snagged carp with trebles, and never thought to see if it was legal lol
Porter2
Legend
Snakes on the Deschutes? I didn’t know how many roamed there, geez. Seeing how you have to fight thru brush for access, grab tree limbs and large bank rooted grass blades not to fall in when wading at times…..Think I’ll stick to cold weather Deschutes fishing. Why must there be nasty critters at the best fishing spots? If it ain’t ticks and snakes then it’s bears it seems.
I was wet wading the Little Duck river in Tenn and a cotton mouth slid off the bank a few feet in front of me. I took the tip of my rod and tried to push him away he went completely under water and hit the end of my rod just as the mud covered my legs and the snake. That was a long few minutes waiting for the water to clear so I could see the snake which I have no idea where he went. But I can tell you at least a cotton mouth can strike under water.I'm not sure a snake could strike swimming through water. Bunch of scaredy-cats
The Fly Fishing Shop in Welches once posted a cougar sighting with photos. Shop is for sale and blog no longer active so I can’t find it.