Loch Ness Monster in the Gorge?

[WMP]

Don't wanna scare anyone... but I saw something very large today while sailing in the Gorge...



Alright, it was probably not Nessie, HOWEVER this thing was just as mysterious. I've been seeing really weird patterns in the water from the top of Wind Mountain. Today while sailing, I saw one of these weird patterns up close. It was in the middle of the river, very glassy smooth water about 10 ft wide and 20-30 ft long... as if something very LARGE was under the water. When I was downwind of this thing, there was a very distinct smell of fish every time I passed this smooth water in the middle of the river. This went on for more than 15 minutes as this thing drifted very slowly westward. Understand, there was NO CHANGE in the wind, it was very strong wind shore to shore, no reason for this area to be perfectly smooth unless there was something very large just under the surface of the river.


Seriously... what could have caused this to happen?

[tetiaroaxx]

[windhawk]

Might be fallout from the 4th fireworks, burnt gunpowder. That would also explain the smell....

[schred]

There are some very nice jibatoriums on the river. One spot on the Northeast side of Miller Island that even if it is blowing 3.0 will be smooth as a babys hind end, and its big. (dont go on any wind other than SW, or you will find out why its called Hells canyon) There is a confluence and all the water jets to the surface and cuts out the waves. What you might have seen is an obstruction under water that is pushing water to the surface due to the rivers flow.
As for the smell... your not too far from Camas, and its the gorge

[jota]

I'm just hoping he means "fecal matter" . . .

[jota]

<delete duplicate>

[schred]

Just wait till you see your first large sturgeon, they pulled one out of Dougs a few years back that was all of 16ft. I saw one about 10ft on the surface, on a downwinder from Viento last year. It is definitely unnerving to see them on the river when all you expect is salmon.

They have photos of 20+ footers at The Dalles Dam.

Nessy has nothing on these babies.

[WMP]

This is a stretch of river I sail most frequently.... know everything about this place like the back of my hand.... I've never seen anything like this in 20+ years sailing the Gorge, honest. Right in the middle of the freaking river (shipping channel = very deep water) with absolutely no change in wind speed there was this calm swath that looked like glass and all around it was ripples, chop and swell... this thing moved very slowly westward while the river current was moving much faster around it. If I sailed in front of this 20'+ thing, there was no smell at all. However, every time I crossed behind it's path, I could smell a very strong fish smell downwind of just where the smooth water was.

I'm thinking it might have been a group of sturgion?

[jingebritsen]

When a bait ball is being systematically eaten by larger fishes in the ocean sometimes there is an oil slick. Dunno what would do that in the ditch, but just using Akum's Razor.....

[madspaniard]

The Japanese are back, pushing their submarines up the river, they like sushi, hence the fishy smell.