As we motored down the Snake River in the twilight of a\n100-degree summer night, I looked at my companions, Caleb and Randal, and\nsmiled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cArchers!!\u201d I cried above the hum of the jet motor.\n\u201cLoose!!!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe it was the delicious burgers Captain Tim Parrish\nhad fed us pregame, or maybe it stemmed from my affinity for medieval TV shows,\nbut I was particularly fired up for this trip\u2014an archery adventure with Captain\nTim and bowfishing expert Matt Carlson of Hammett Valley Fishing\nAdventures<\/a>. I hadn\u2019t fired a bow since Boy Scouts, but I was ready to try this\nunique method of fishing for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Five miles upriver, Matt turned on the boat\u2019s platform\nlights. He gave us some safety tips and instructions on using our gear. The Vader\nBowfishing Carbon Saber bows were outfitted with large push-button-style reels\nspooled with 200-pound braided line. To shoot, you knock an arrow, push the\nreel button and wait for a target to present itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time we\u2019d been debriefed, the lights were warmed\nup. It was amazing how much they illuminated the river beneath us\u2014we could see\nto the bottom in up to eight feet of water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese are the same lights they use in big parking lots,\u201d\nMatt explained. \u201cExcept those are 150 watts, and these are 400.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt deployed a trolling motor and steered us downriver,\nkeeping the boat over shallow water where we\u2019d have the best opportunity to\nshoot at non-game\ncarp and suckers<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSturgeon, 11 o\u2019clock!\u201d Tim announced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s another one!\u201d called Matt. \u201cDon\u2019t shoot!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTwo more over here!\u201d yelled Caleb. \u201cBig ones, too!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In five minutes, we spotted a dozen sturgeon up to seven\nfeet long. Tim also guides\nfor sturgeon,<\/a> but on this night, seeing these underwater dinos was a just\nan awesome bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I peered into the gloom, a large, brown shape appeared\nahead of us. I drew my bow and took aim, but something didn\u2019t look right. As\nthe shape came into the light, I saw this \u201ccarp\u201d was actually an underwater\nbeaver. Too cool! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The beaver sighting was followed by dozens of muskrats.\nOur target fish, however, were proving difficult to spot. Multiple days of\ntriple-digit heat had pushed the carp under the weeds, making them an elusive quarry.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our tough start continued when Matt\u2019s trolling motor\ndied. Undaunted, he pulled out a river pole and began pushing us down the\nriver, gondola-style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, we came over a group of non-game fish. They were\nmostly suckers, but we didn\u2019t care. Soon, arrows were flying from all sides of\nthe platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you boys going to hit anything?\u201d Matt teased. \u201cShoot\nlower!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shooting low is crucial in bowfishing. Because of the\nrefraction of the water, the fish are further under the surface than they\nappear. Matt explained this, but it definitely takes some getting used to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the next stretch, one of my arrows grazed a fish. One\nof Caleb\u2019s came back with scales on it. Finally, Caleb connected on a big\nsucker. Cheers and high-fives ensued as we brought our first fish aboard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We continued our moonlight float. Caleb shot another sucker\nand we had plenty of near-misses, each accompanied by ribbing from the rest of\nthe crew. But then I spotted\na big carp<\/a> up shallow, with a rare broadside opportunity. As I drew and\ntook aim, Tim leaned over and muttered \u201cLower. Trust me.\u201d I nodded, pointed two\ninches lower and fired. BULLSEYE! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The carp fought like crazy, but I soon had it to the\nboat, and Tim hauled it aboard. Our celebratory whoops echoed through the\nnight\u2014most of the credit went to Tim and Matt, but it felt good to finally\nstick a carp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The hours passed quickly as Matt poled us downriver. We\nshot some more fish (including another big carp I hit right between the\nshoulders), missed countless others, and had lots of fun along the way. Just\nseeing the underwater aquarium of an illuminated Snake River was well worth the\ntrip. Having an opportunity to learn a new type of fishing\u2014and connect on a few\nlucky shots\u2014was the icing on the cake. Tight lines! <\/p>\n\n\n\n