Anglin with Anglen - 1974

March 14, 1974

Bill I quit. I know when I am outnumbered; when the sportsmen club voted against the raise in license fees (although all the meetings I was able to be at the concenous of opinion was the raise was needed as most of the members knew about it he details); the county commissioners are against it; the whole Democratic party in Boundary County is against it. What chance has the only republican in the county have against them.

I’ll bet you I catch a lot of fish just the same and the Department will plant those no good trout just the same; probably won’t be as big though and the world will go on just the same.

But there is one cotton picking thing about it. If we think this predator problem will just go away we had better take another good long look at it. If the state doesn’t do a lot of research on it and come up with some figures you are going to see the federal boys step in and just maybe ban hunting of any kind of government land.

This is in the cards right now as the hunters are outnumbered about 10 to 1 right now. There is a picture scheduled for television telling all about how harmless the coyote is and when that hits the screen we are going to be in trouble.

If you don’t think it can happen just ask the boys that run into OSHA. I see by the last Idaho Farmer that University of Colorado has done the first research ever done on coyotes, I’m going to get it if I can. We have spent millions to destroy him but nothing to find out something about him.

I had a good week this past week; didn’t catch to many fish but it was jus good to get out. Was on McArthur Tuesday morning along with two carloads of fishermen from Priest River. I caught two no no’s and very reluctantly turned them loose as there were four guys looking right down at me.

They caught one twice as big as mine and I had the satisfaction of seeing them tun theirs loose too. No perch though; cold and windy but it seemed awfully nice after being shut up as long as I was. A lot of geese out there.

Headed for the mouth of Myrtle creek on Wednesday but didn’t get there. Stopped on the dyke and got to watching the geese and swans in the refuge and spent the afternoon with Del Pierce hunting and fishing from the pickup. It is a nice drive down thru the refuge — lots of swan and geese and about 1400 ducks when I was there.

I believe the dyke road down past the office building is open to the publis but you had better get clearance from the office just to be on the safe side. The fish weren’t biting at Deep Creek that day but it was a nice day to be out.

We went to Dawson lake Friday, was really skeptical about getting on it, but we had three inches of snow, one inch of ice under that; dug a lot of holes but two of us did finally manage to catch fifty fish. They were a little bigger than my goldfish but not much; did get enough big ones to eat though.

It was windy and cold Friday but I was back up there on Saturday and it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and no wind, and no fish. Guess I needed my press clippings along as I only caught five and they were small. Would like to go up there again but will be real careful of the ice as it might be pretty soft if we get some warm weather.

I never get tired of watching our waterfowl but I don’t see how anybody can set in a blind or pit and wait until these big old geese get within range of a shotgun. I would have buck fever so bad

I wouldn’t even be safe to be around. I have shot a lot of them out at 100 yards with my fishing pole, and they looked like airplanes that far out. Must be quite a thrill maybe someday I’ll try it.

McArthur closes for fishing the fifteenth and then will open up when the streams do. We have till the end of the month to fish for whitefish in the Moyie. Crocus and snowdrops blooming at our house and the rhubarb is sticking its buds up through the mulch.

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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.