Henry Miller: What Nick Kristof and Oregon politicians can learn from fishing

Let’s talk fishing and politics, both potentially rancorous and toxic topics.

If you turn to Page 16 in your fishing bible, the “2022 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations,” the yellow highlighted section denoting updates and changes from previous versions, under qualifications for a resident license and tags is someone who “physically resided in Oregon for not less than six consecutive months.”

Doesn’t matter if you own property here or pay property taxes on it.

I once worked with an editor in Northern California who did the two-state fishing-license two-step thanks to an Oregon “residence”: a shack — no, make that a glorified storage shed — where an Oregon fishing buddy picked up his mail.

He’d probably still be pulling that finagle if he wasn’t taking an eternal dirt nap, and if the residency requirements hadn’t been cinched up.

Which brings us to politics in general and Nick Kristof, a retired New York Times columnist, in particular.

I’ve read him and admired him for years, especially when he writes about his natal and formative years in Oregon and his lifelong love for Yamhill, where he has kept a home his whole life.

The problem is that he wants to run for governor in the May primary.

That’s governor of Oregon.

Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, and Kristof did the same in Yamhill, but he voted in New York.

And Oregon has a constitutional requirement that the governor be a resident for three years before the election.

Don’t get me wrong. Kristof’s no carpetbagger. From what I know from years of reading him and reading about him, he’s a decent guy. And may even be a good fit for governor. He's appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court, asking it to allow him to run.

My take on the whole kerfuffle is about fairness and following the rules, whether it’s Bill, the late, two-state editor, or the Oregon-loving former New York Times columnist.

Which brings me back to fishing.

I got my first senior combo license recently. It has both an age and a five-year Oregon residency requirement.

I’m not going to live long enough to qualify for a golden ticket, the Oregon pioneer combo fishing/hunting license.

You have to be a 50-year resident.

My advice to Kristof is to pay your dues and be patient.

You’ve got plenty of time.

HIGHLIGHTS

A different “school” of fish: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will be holding a daylong class and fishing trip titled “Trout Fishing 101” on Jan. 29 in Albany.

Classroom session is 9 to 11 a.m. at Sportsman’s Warehouse, 1351 Waverly Drive SE, followed by an on-water fishing clinic with volunteer instructors and loaner fishing gear provided by the department’s Angler Education Program at nearby Waverly Lake.

Cost is $20. Registration deadline is Jan. 28.

Contact: Brandon Harper at (503) 947-6053 or email him at Brandon.d.harper@odfw.oregon.gov. For complete information and a link to online registration, go to Learn to Fish - Trout Fishing 101 - Albany | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (myodfw.com).

Trout-stocking schedule: This week: Walling Pond in Salem and Junction City Pond off Highway 99W south of Junction City. Week of Jan. 12, Alton Baker Canoe Canal in Eugene (500 rainbows running about 1 pound). Next week: Timber Linn Lake in Albany.

High times ahead: Currently at winter lows and dependent on the weather, water levels at Detroit Lake east of Salem on Highway 22 traditionally begin creeping up beginning in February.

To follow the progress online of water levels at Detroit, as well as other Willamette Basin flood-control reservoirs, go to USACE Portland District Water Management Reservoir Regulation and Water Quality Section (army.mil).

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: Stories told by older anglers lean toward the truth, mostly because we can’t remember our previous fibs.

Contact Henry via email at HenryMillerSJ@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: What Nick Kristof can learn from fishing