By JEN STEVENSON
Photography by DAVID L. REAMER
Come October, when autumn crisps the air, and the maple and aspen leaves are stained crimson and amber, there?s quite possibly no more beautiful, serene locale in the Pacific Northwest than central Oregon?s majestic Metolius River.
This bewitchingly curvy, watery goddess wends nearly 30 miles from the headwaters at Metolius Springs to Lake Billy Chinook. Along the way the river creeps through idyllic Camp Sherman (population: 376), a mishmash of old-fashioned cabins, friendly folk and fir trees as far as the eye can see. It?s the ideal wilderness getaway for a group of kitchen-weary chefs and farmers seeking respite from double-digit workdays behind hot stoves, smokers and sausage grinders. Armed with fly rods, waders and plenty of tippet ? as well as enough food, wine and whiskey to feed and souse an army ? they?ve traveled three hours from Portland via gently undulating back roads for fresh air, the challenge of cunning prey and, ultimately, an incomparable meal. As this brisk, beautiful October morning blooms, the Camp Sherman general store is Sunday-sleepy, patronized exclusively by a few locals sipping black coffee and an affable Labrador named Jim. With its vintage coolers stacked with cold beer, a well-stocked fishing section and pay phone that?s not just for nostalgia?s sake (cell service is nonexistent here), this quaint market is the hub of Metolius River society, and the ideal (read: only) spot to stock up on last-minute fishing trip essentials.
I?m supposed to meet Victory Bar and Free House chef/owner Eric Moore, Olympic Provisions salumist Elias Cairo and co-owner Tyler Gaston, and Baird Family Farms owner/farmer Trevor Baird here at 9 a.m. Knowing them like I do, I take a hike and come back around 10 a.m. to find ? nobody. An investigation of the store?s fishing aisle turns up Trevor, who, in true intrepid fisherman style, left at 5 a.m. to make the drive from his orchards in Dayton. But the Portland crew doesn?t appear for another hour, finally rolling into the parking lot at 11 a.m. in a battered white van bearing a ?My Name Is Remington? sticker and a decal of a skull with crossed fishing poles instead of bones. Excuses fly ? they had to stop for breakfast, calls of nature and to forage chanterelles for dinner. But eventually the real reason for their tardiness emerges.
?We forgot the wine,? Tyler explains sheepishly. ?We were 30 minutes out, but we had to go back.?
?You forgot your wife?? Trevor queries. ?I thought we weren?t supposed to bring them.?
?The wine,? someone clarifies. ?Way worse.?
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Weaving their way past now-awake tourists buying fresh maple bars and lattes, the gang queues up for an intense consultation with the market?s resident fishing adviser, poring over the hand-crafted flies and fluidly exchanging insider banter about leader and split shot while they wait their turn. After picking up a few necessities and tips, they head back to Remington and begin the involved process of suiting up for the river.
Sweatshirts come off, revealing a sea of tattoos that draw a few double takes from passers-by, and intense negotiations begin. As it turns out, men preparing to fly fish are very much like teenage girls at a slumber party. The guys exchange thermals and flannels, borrow fishing hats from each other, brag about the deals they got on new waders (?30 percent off and I had a $20 off coupon!? someone crows), and deeply debate a very serious decision ? jeans or tights.
?Jeans are going to be so uncomfortable,? Eli agonizes.
?Just wear tights,? Eric suggests. Eli narrows his eyes at him. ?Since when have I ever made fun of you?? Eric asks innocently.
?Does anyone remember where the hole in my waders is?? asks Trevor.
?Somewhere near the ankle,? Eli reminds him.
Tyler peers with obvious concern at the hard-won box of wine sitting in the car. ?Should I put the wine in my waders to cool it?? he asks.
Vests are donned, jackets are zipped and pockets are stuffed with liquid ?provisions.?
?Pass the flask,? someone hollers. ?And let?s do this!?
It?s generally known that unwinding isn?t usually a tranquil endeavor when it comes to cooks, but that?s hardly the case for this group as they confront the river. Upon reaching the bank, everyone instantly adopts laser focus and B-2 Spirit-like stealth, wordlessly fanning out over the picturesque river, each staking their claim to a swath of the pristine waters. After slowly wading into the current, they silently, methodically cast, re-cast, cast again and wait, then repeat.
As the sun drops behind the shimmering aspen dotting the riverbank and the sky blushes a bright streaky pink, the Metolius? steady purr is punctuated by the heavy plops of fat native trout leaping in pursuit of their dinner. They live up to their elusive reputation, and after hours of standing knee-deep in the chilly waters, the boys have landed just a few small specimens, all thrown back. Trevor catches the day?s prize ? a 9-inch trout ? which is praised, photographed and returned to its home. Reluctantly retiring for the day, the guys trudge back to the car, passing the market?s fishing expert en route. Even he has landed only one fish.
Fortunately, coming up fishless has no impact on supper. Since the Metolius is a federally protected catch-and-release river, its slippery inhabitants are legally spared a sizzling end in a cast iron skillet. With this in mind, the guys have designed a menu honoring both the sanctity of the river and the season: cauliflower soup with cured salmon roe; roasted root vegetable salad with chanterelles; wild salmon over lentils with fresh horseradish cream; a hearty choucroute garni; and a golden-crusted, mile-high apple pie baked by Olympic Provisions pastry chef Amelia Lane, plated a la mode with her homemade maple ice cream.
When they arrive at the quaint riverfront cabin, unloading the car proves no easy feat. Remington is weighted down with what is, predictably, no ordinary ?weekend at the cabin? feast: coolers filled with cured and fresh meats, glistening produce from Saturday?s Portland Farmers Market, and perhaps most important ? a large crate clinking with bottles of beautiful French and Oregon wines. Each is matched to a course by Olympic Provisions/Clyde Common wine director Star Black, who, clearly knowing her clientele, sent it off with a sagely realistic blessing: ?Have fun, catch a fish and don?t get too (messed) up ... or do.?
Finally, four bottles of whiskey materialize ? one per fisherman, presumably.
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In the kitchen, Tyler pours tumblers of fresh-pressed cider from Trevor?s heirloom cider apple orchards and spikes them with House Spirits Distillery?s Slab Town whiskey. He then opens a bottle of Domaine Tempier Bandol Ros? and Teutonic Wine Company?s Pinot Noir Ros? for good measure, while Eli slices up an Olympic Provisions Salchichon salami and sets out a bowl of pistachios. The guys relish the simple snack as they swap stories about the one that got away, which are soon eclipsed by the tale of an angry beaver that chased Eli out of the river. Eventually, the volley of jokes evoked by the beaver attack wanes, and talk turns to the most crucial of subjects ? dinner.
Eli swings a heavy sack of oysters into the sink. ?Those oysters aren?t going to shuck themselves,? he informs the group.
After making sure a bottle of Marie-Noelle Ledru Ros? Champagne is chilling properly (in ice, not his waders), Tyler shucks dozens of Kusshi, Tillamook and Yaquina Bay oysters from Newman?s Fish Market. Trevor mixes another round of whiskey ciders, and Eli and Eric take to the stove, easily falling into the effortless kitchen tandem the childhood best friends developed while working a three-year apprenticeship together in Switzerland.
Eric peels and slices crisp white turnips for the roast vegetable salad, tosses them with olive oil, fresh thyme, chile flakes, salt and pepper, and then throws them in a cast iron skillet and into the oven. Next he seeds and slices the Delicata squash sitting next to a platter of freshly foraged chanterelles. Beside him, Eli tackles the choucroute garnie, deftly breaking down a chunk of bacon into lardons and browning them in a Dutch oven. He then turns his attention to the oysters, quickly chopping a handful of shallot and chives and dousing them with a robust pour of champagne to create an impromptu mignonette.
Just before everyone breaks for bivalves, the cabin?s smoke alarm goes off.
?Already?? asks Trevor.
?Just wait ?til I burn the s**t out of the salmon,? Eli says cheerfully.
?And we haven?t even forgotten the pie yet,? Tyler adds.
Everyone freezes for a moment, squinting at the ceiling, and the alarm stops.
Eli takes advantage of the quiet kitchen to attempt grunt work delegation. ?If anyone wants a job, the cream needs to be whipped.?
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After the oysters are reduced to empty shells, and the champagne and accompanying toasts are but a memory, Eric sets out wooden bowls and ladles a silky cauliflower soup into each one. He gently spoons bright orange cured coho roe in the center and accessorizes with a few carefully placed drops of olive oil and strands of chive, then lays a homemade black pepper cracker across each bowl. The result is a work of art, and the kitchen is quiet as everyone digs in, eschewing formalities like a table and chairs, content just to congregate around the kitchen island.
It?s not long until the bowls are scraped clean, and stove duties resume. Eric tosses the still-warm roasted vegetables and chanterelles in a simple dressing of sweet onion relish, cider vinegar, Dijon and olive oil, as Eli stirs a pan of tiny green lentils du puy cooked with a mirepoix and finished with sherry vinegar and butter. He sears slabs of wild Columbia River king salmon in a hot pan, managing not to set off the smoke alarm a second time, and when they?ve cooked to tender, flaky perfection, he plates the lentils, douses them with fresh horseradish-infused cream, and gently lays the fish on top. He then plates the impressive choucroute garnie ? a hearty, terrifically fragrant embarrassment of meat riches nestled in hot, briny homemade sauerkraut.
?Good thing I brought three sausages for each person,? Eli says, surveying the monumental spread. ?Franks, kielbasa, brats ? hope everyone?s ready.?
?I?m not really hungry,? Trevor says. ?I ate a lot of pistachios.?
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By the time Lane?s mountain of an apple pie is warmed through in the oven and served in thick wedges alongside generous scoops of maple ice cream, the collective energy is waning.
?I?m just washing this one pot, I?m not actually going to do the dishes,? Tyler clarifies loudly from the sink, as limbs begin to sag and eyes droop.
When I finally leave around midnight to pedal back through the forest to my cabin, the scene surrounding the flickering fire in the living room is somewhat comical, considering the hard partying characters involved. Eric is curled up on one end of the sofa sleeping soundly, and Eli?s slumped over on the other end, cradling a pillow and snoring, while a still relatively chipper Tyler and Trevor survey the scene with something akin to disdain.
?Anybody want to play Monopoly?? Tyler calls out. ?Scrabble? Go Fish??
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Where to stayMetolius River Lodge Cabins
These rustic river-hugging cabins are a throwback to childhood summer camp, but with more refined amenities, like private decks and Jacuzzi tubs. If you want to re-create the guys? fishing trip experience, book the Royal Wulff ? a two bedroom, two-bath charmer with river views from every room and plenty of space in the kitchen for all of your whiskey.
metoliusriverlodges.com, 800-595-6290 ?
Lake Creek Lodge
Just a couple of miles from the Camp Sherman store, this homey, family-friendly resort maintains a small stable of comfortably quaint cabins overlooking lovely Lake Creek, a fully loaded rec room and a stocked trout pond for pint-sized fisherpeople-in-training. I stayed in Cabin 7, a cozy cubby complete with fireplace and scenic deck.
lakecreeklodge.com, 541-516-3030
Black Butte Ranch
Once summer throngs retreat and the aspen groves work their magic, Black Butte is the height of autumn beauty and serenity. Sit on the porch of your townhouse with a glass of wine and stunning views of all three Sisters peaks, then take a leisurely bike ride around the working ranch. I highly recommend reserving Country House 71 ? views and wildlife-watching are unparalleled, and the cozy pub is but a five-minute walk.
blackbutteranch.com, 541-595-1252
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View Camp Sherman, Oregon in a larger map
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Baird?s Cider
From the early-evening charcuterie and fish tales to the post-apple pie midnight slump, this feast?s tagline became ?top me up,? as the group bolstered Trevor Baird?s rich, deeply flavored, fresh-pressed apple cider with hearty splashes of House Spirits Distillery?s Slab Town Whiskey.
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Baird cultivates a 500-tree Dayton apple orchard comprising vintage English and French cider varietals grafted with imported scion wood from Newberg?s now-shuttered White Oak Cider, as well as a few American heirloom cider apple varietals like Roxbury Russet and Hudson?s Golden Gem. It takes 12 pounds of apples, a hand-cranked Correll cider press and a lot of elbow grease to produce each gallon of fresh cider, which he sells at his farmers market booths through autumn ($7/half gallon). In late October, Baird totes the press right to the market, makes cider on the spot and sells it hot to grateful chilly fingered shoppers.
Having developed an interest in European-style hard ciders on a trip to England, Baird plans to bottle and sell hard cider this fall, under the label Farmhouse Cider. It will be available at the Baird farmers market booths and select local restaurants such
as Olympic Provisions in Portland and Red Hills Market in Dundee.
What they drank (with pairings):
The fish weren?t the only creatures submerged in the drink on this trip, thanks to Star Black ? wine director for Olympic Provisions, Clyde Common and the new Pepe le Moko ? who curated serious fine wine and spirits pairings to complement each course.
Charcuterie
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Oysters?
Cauliflower Soup With Wild Salmon Roe- Marie-Noelle Ledru Ros? Grand Cru Champagne NV ?
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Roasted Autumn Vegetable Salad With Chanterelles- 2005 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault ?Les Tillets? ?
Lentils du Puy With Wild Salmon and Fresh Horseradish Cream- 2008 Fran?ois Chidaine Montlouis Sur Loire ?Clos du Breuil?
- 2008 Julien Labet Cotes du Jura Chardonnay ?Les Varrons?
- 2008 Jean Foillard Fleurie ?
Choucroute GarnieApple Pie With Maple Ice CreamSource: http://www.oregonlive.com/mix/index.ssf/friday_night_dinner_party/portland_chefs_on_a_fly_fishing_weekend_recipes_fo.html
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