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THE MINER IS PUBLISHING STORIES BY PEND OREILLE VALLEY RESIDENTS ABOUT THE PEND OREILLE VALLEY.
THEY CAN BE TALES, MEMORIES, OVERHEARD MORSELS OF CONVERSATION AND/OR ECCENTRIC ENCOUNTERS BUT THEY MUST BE TRUE, AND THEY MUST BE SET IN PEND OREILLE OR BONNER COUNTY. THEY MUST BE NO LONGER THAN 300 WORDS AND CAN BE EMAILED TO [email protected] OR MAILED TO 421 S. SPOKANE ST. NEWPORT, WA. 99156 BY 5:30 P.M. ON FRIDAYS.
I consider this one of my most memorable moments of recent times in my life. The early fall of 2020’ I was fishing from the bank with my best Buddy, my dog Mario along the Pend Oreille River just north of the bridge that’s between Oldtown, ID and Newport, WA.
Mario was getting his snif on and I was casting out a bronze fishing lure. Into my 25th or 30th cast I hooked into a fish, the fishing reel went screaming, I started screaming, my excitement was noticed by Mario and he went barking. I reeled in a nice 18inch Rainbow Trout.
As I got the beautiful trout up on shore, I realized I did not bring a stringer. I looked around and found a stick on shore and used that as a stringer. I put the trout on the stick and used a rock nearby to hold the stick and the trout in the river. I went back to my fishing pole which I left about 15 feet up on the bank and when I reached down to grab my fishing rod, I noticed out of my left eye an object in the air. I turned around and saw a Bald Eagle, I was like why is he flying so low and getting so close to Mario and I. Then I realized oh no he’s going for Mario and I’s dinner! As the eagle extended his legs it went slow motion for me. I saw him open his talons and grab the fish and stick and fly off effortlessly. Mario now is barking again, and I am smiling thinking that was Awesome! Mario and I did not catch another trout that day, but we think it is one of our best fishing days ever!!!
-Michael P Anderson
