Finding Fun and Fish on the Rails along the Wallowa River
I hear that train a comin’
It’s coming round the bend
If I’m a little lucky
There’s a steelhead at the end…
Well, that’s not exactly how the Johnny Cash song goes, but as I rode the Fish Train through the Wallowa River Canyon on a chilly March morning, I couldn’t help but think what Mr. Cash would have made of this fusion of angling and engines…and would he have fished flies or bait?
The Fish Train is the brainchild of the late Chuck Fleser, the proprietor of the Minam Motel & Market, and is operated in conjunction with the Wallowa Union Railroad that runs the popular Eagle Cap Excursion Train in more clement months. The Fish Train gives anglers seeking steelhead (an ocean going form of rainbow trout that can reach sizes of up to 12 pounds in these parts) access to sections of the Wallowa River that would otherwise be out of reach for all but the hardiest hikers. It also gives anyone who enjoys the outdoors a great excuse to visit lovely Northeastern Oregon in what has traditionally been a quiet season.
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