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.

March 29, 1973

Closed out my ice fishing Tuesday, March 19. Spent Monday and Tuesday on Dawson Lake. I was underguned Monday — hooked and lost two big bass! Don’t know how big as they took all my “riggin” with them. This doesn’t happen very often.

Caught a lot of perch Monday and a nice mess of perch Tuesday along with some nice crappie. I have really had a good winter fishing! Caught a lot of nice fish and went quite often.

I was on the Moyie Friday — a cold, wet blustery day! Did right good! Got 22 whitefish. They were still hitting when I left. I should have stayed because I went back the next day and fished about two hours and caught one. Such is fishing — just when I think I have all the answers I get skunked.

Saw a rainbow that came out of the mouth of Deep Creek. It was 26 inches long and weighed over six pounds dressed, a beautiful fish.

I was at our Outdoorsmen meeting Friday. The game count was almost a flop because there is not enough snow to bunch up the game. They did see four goats. Stan Sweet and Ray Rogers did the surveying from a helicopter. This Outdoorsmen is the representative club from Bonners Ferry and Boundary county and regardless what you think of it, it is the organization that makes the recommendations to the State Fish and Game Department and it deserves your support. Friday there was nobody there but some farmers that were interested in hunting and fishing and doing the best they can to keep the organization going. The report on pheasants was encouraging. Some poaching still going on as can be expected by people that don’t really care about wildlife.

I see by the paper there will be no commercial fishing for kokanee after the first of April. The limit will be 35 a day and a 70 fish limit.

At the meetings the two biggest problems really seemed to be the engineers’ drawing down the lake and Washington Water Power drying up the Clarkfork river at night. Washington Water Power may help in the future by the engineers just don’t care. I was at some of the meetings before that dam went in and the engineers said they would not lower the lake that much.

Brush Lake has bass and trout in it and I fish it in that order. I have caught bass there five and a half pounds. I saw two come out of there with full-grown blackbirds in them and the tail feathers still sticking out of their mouths when we caught them. This is one story that I wouldn’t tell if I didn’t have witnesses.

Once again I have my best luck with plastic worms and nightcrawlers. The plastic worms seem to take the biggest fish. I use the Carey Special fly almost exclusively for trout and it works real good in most of our lakes. I also use salmon eggs and still fish for the trout after I get through bass fishing.

Moyie River closes Saturday March 31 for whitefish.