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| Hendrix the Fishing Dog |
Fishermen love their dogs, and despite our passion for our fishing dogs, it’s not always the best idea to take them on the river with us. The Deschutes River seems like a perfect place for a fisherman to take his/her dog fishing for a day or two of summer Steelheading. The trail is easy to hike or bike, the river is generally not too fast or turbulent if your dog wants to take a little swim, but there are plenty of dangers that could make an unpleasant experience for you and your little buddy.
In early August, I had the perfect opportunity to get an unexpected half day of fishing on the Deschutes.
I grabbed my bike, my Winston TH 6126, and my
dog Hendrix and drove on out to the mouth of the river. It wasn't all that hot in Hood River, and
didn't seem that bad out at the Deschutes when I got there. Hendrix is not the word’s fastest or fittest
dog, so it was not the quickest bike ride up the trail. By the time we reached Ferry Springs, he was
panting pretty heavily. The temperatures
were probably pushing 100 degrees at that point. A quick soak in the springs and we moved
on. By mile 2, he was definitely
struggling, so we moved down the river for a swim. After a nice swim and a bite to eat, I
thought that he would be ready to go another mile or two to the water I really
wanted to fish.
After returning to the trail, I quickly realized that
Hendrix was not functioning at 100%. He
was panting and seemed to be having a little trouble walking. I was oblivious to the heat and the effects
it had on the pads of his feet. I knew
that asphalt could cause pad burns, but I did not realize how hot that basaltic
gravel could be. Well my dog revolted,
pulled back against the leash, removing his collar and started slowly crawling down
a big boulder field next to the trail despite my best effort to deter him.
I was unable to follow him down the rock slide because it
was steep and I did not want to cause a slide and crush him, so I rode back
downstream, ditched my bike and ran down to the water. I then ran back upstream to where he was
coming down the boulder field, but he wasn't there. I couldn't find him anywhere. He wasn't in the boulders, he wasn't in the
water, and he wasn't moving fast enough to have run off anywhere. After an hour of looking, I was sure that he
had either been bitten by a rattlesnake or had died of heat exhaustion in that
boulder field. I reluctantly spent the
next several hours looking for his body.
That was about 1:30 pm. By 8:00, I was absolutely sure he was gone.
I had looked everywhere in the vicinity
several times over. I had managed to get
a few text messages out in desperation seeking solace and help. John was coincidentally on his way to camp at
the state park with his wife and volunteered to ride up and help me look. He made it up to meet me just as darkness was
setting in.
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| Friends Helping Friends |
To be anti-climactic, John found my dog lying in some reeds
within ten minutes of reaching the area where I was looking. He had to have crawled out near the trail
when it got dark because I had looked in that spot several times earlier as I
thought it was the most direct path from the boulders to the water.
When he saw us, he couldn't even stand up. His pads were burnt so bad that they were
already peeling off. I felt
terrible. I had no idea that the trail
would be so hot. John and I took turns
carrying him until we got the idea to put him in my backpack. It certainly made the journey out easier, and
Hendrix was as happy as he could be in his condition.
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| One bad move almost cost me my best friend |
Fishing with Hendrix has been one of the great joys of my life.
He is an amazing fishing
partner. He never low-holes me or shows
up late. He patiently waits on shore for
me to finish the run and is always happy to check out the fish I catch. The best part of fishing with him is that he
never complains. The down side of a dog
never complaining is that his pads can be burning up and he would never let me
know. Hendrix is such a good dog that he literally walked with me until he
physically could not take another step.
He never whined and showed little to no sign of anything being seriously
wrong until it was too late.
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| Hendrix Loves Adventure |
I hope my experience on the river helps others be more aware
of the needs of their dog out on the river.
I admit that I had Steelhead fever, a condition that affects many people
in this area and it can certainly lead to bad decision-making. I know that I am generally a good dog
owner. Hendrix never lacks love,
exercise, food, water or adventure, but one bad move almost cost me my best
friend and fishing partner. Please be aware
of your dog’s well-being when taking him/her out on the river with you.
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