Aaron Mercer Reservoir, 11/1/09

[Da Bank Maggot]

Too many men
Too many people
Making too many problems
And there's not much love to go round
Can't you see
This is the land of confusion?

Genesis

Well, nobody was causing any problems, but otherwise.....

Aaron Mercer Reservoir is about 8 miles west of the city of Dallas. It's up a private road, and usually about a 7 mile walk ( or bike ride ) to the water....except in the month of November, when the gate is open to permit hunting access. ( And there were a lot of hunters. )

Yes, it was the first of November, but this being a Sunday, I wasn't sure if the gate would be open or not....and none of the folks I called seemed to know either. Finally I just took a chance and went for it.

Success! The gate WAS open....but after that, welcome to the Land of Confusion.

First, there was a locked steel cable stretched across the boat ramp, together with a sign showing a motorboat with a red slash through it. No problem for me, with my inflatable, but did that sign mean no motors, no gas motors or no boats at all? None of the other folks there with boats and or canoes, seemed to know either...and no one wanted to take a chance on finding out the hard way. ( According to a local I talked to, that cable -- and the sign-- had not been there the previous year. )

Eventually, I met up with a Sheriff's deputy who told me that the sign only applied to motors....but by then it was too late to launch, so I didn't bother trying.

And even HE didn't know whether that ban applied to electric motors; he suggested I call the city of Dallas on Monday.

The Oregon Fishing guide lists Aaron Mercer as 60 acres in size...but it's bigger than that by my estimation. I'd say AMR is about the same length as Lacamas Lake, but only half as wide.

With no boat fishing, I decided to try the dam....only to be met with a No Trespassing sign at the entrance ( Also new, so I was told ) Later, I saw some other folks fishing there. The sheriff's deputy I mentioned earlier did not cite them or make them leave.

Finding another spot wasn't easy; Mercer has steep brushy sides that do not lend themselves to bank fishing. Finally, I found a nice place across from the dam, and put my line in.



Slow going at first, I only got one fish in three hours of fishing ( Tho' I lost one more )

But then, about 1:00, the bite began to pick up.

What happened next more than made up for all the confusion. I didn't get any of those 20" plus fish...only trout that THOUGHT they were that big. I'm not kidding, these were probably the hardest fighting trout I nailed all year. Long fast runs, and for taking to the air, a Crane Prairie Bow has nothing on an Aaron Mercer Cutt. These were smart fish too. I lost several that made straight for a snag as soon as they were hooked.

Towards the end of the day a school of dink largemouth moved in and began taking my bait. Finally, just as dusk was gathering, I made my limit. Hard-fleshed fish, all of them.



I will be coming back here before the month is out, which you BETTER believe.

[trollin4trout]

Hey DBM- thanks for the great report and pictures. That's the first, first hand report I've ever seen on that lake. Might have to give that a try this year.

Jim

[Da Bank Maggot]

Originally Posted by trollin4trout

Hey DBM- thanks for the great report and pictures. That's the first, first hand report I've ever seen on that lake. Might have to give that a try this year.

Jim

Latest word is that no boats of any kind are allowed on Aaron Mercer; it's not just no motors.

( This is from someone who heard it from a State Police officer. )

[honker1]

Thanks for the report Maggot. But until they figure it out, I'll stay out. Can affort to pay a fine for my $10.00 garage sale rubber raft. Who is the final word on the floating device?

[fishandbowcoop]

You can take non motorized vehicles. Last year I saw two or three people on little floats.