Love Me, I’m a Lamprey
Even so, Ray sounds hopeful as he talks about watching Barack Obama on television this morning, getting sworn in as President.
“Forty-three presidents and finally something’s changed,” Ray says. “I used to joke around about the ‘white man’s world’. Well now we have an African-American president.”
Ray says at least one of his kids is interested in carrying on the eeling tradition. “I got my eye on my youngest, who’s 5, to do all my fishing for me when I’m older,” he says, smiling. “He’s more like me. He’s just that kind of kid — more outgoing, traditionally. He loves snakes, frogs and lizards. He’s just the outdoorsman, I guess.”
The boy has been down to the spit a few times already to watch the older folks eeling. But he’ll have to wait a few years before it’s safe for him to brave the dangerous surf.
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
Choo-choo Fantasies
Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
seven-o-heaven
Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Recent on the cover
May 17
Ring of Fire
Sun and moon will perform a rare pas de deux in Humboldt skies on Sunday
May 10
District Soup
Racing for the top county seat in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd districts
May 3
A Place in the Woods
As park closure deadline nears, a scramble to save what we can
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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SIX Comments
Comment / By Carolyn S. / Feb. 17, 2009, 6:06 p.m.
Lampreys are NOT eels by the way. I’m really annoyed that you said they were. Go take Principles of Zoology at HSU and learn something.
Comment / By Hank Sims / Feb. 17, 2009, 8:24 p.m.
I’m annoyed that you’re annoyed. If you would have made it as far as the fifth paragraph before exploding, you would have read:
“Each man holds a carved wood stick in one hand, attached to a long, hooked wire for snagging lamprey — which the Yurok and other local tribes call an ‘eel’ because of its looks: long, tubular, sleek. But eels have jaws, unlike this creature. In Yurok, it is ‘kah-ween.’”
Which might have helped keep the black bile from rising into your mouth. Unless you like it there, in which case I can’t help you.
Comment / By Matt Root / May 13, 2009, 6:16 p.m.
Actually it said right in the article that non-jawed, they are not actually Eels.
Comment / By claudette m. parazoo / Aug. 18, 2009, 5:46 p.m.
I am 75 years old. As a child growing up in Chiloquin, Oregon I saw lampreys in huge round balls hanging onto the side of the Sprague River Dam…We would see them about the same time as the suckers (Tschwam and Gupto) were migrating upstream from Klamath Lake. The Klamath Lake contains the water which passes through several dams in California and forms the Klamath River running south and west to the Pacific Ocean. I have seen a map of Klamath Lake which indicated no outlet!…Does anyone ever source out rivers that run into the Pacific Ocean? They all come from the north, I believe…none flow into any water other than the Pacific Ocean. The mighty Columbia River begins in Canada and flows south through the northwestern United States to the Pacific Ocean. There is an annual lamprey catch at Willamette Falls near Oregon City, Oregon. The man is right…the lampreys suck their way up a barrier to reach their spawning grounds. So that is how the Hyas Tamonowis Tyee (Great Spirit Chief) made them… Thank you.
Comment / By james rhodes / March 2, 2010, 12:32 p.m.
this is a realy good report on eeling and i like seeing our traditions on the enternet to show people how we’ve lived.And being a eeler on the klamath my self, and cliffs cousin i think i willl out eel cliff any day ha ha
Comment / By Edwin / Nov. 29, 2010, 6:29 p.m.
“Actually it said right in the article that non-jawed, they are not actually Eels.” I agree on this