What do an ancient fish, a trash panda, and a family of hopeful anglers have in common?
Besides enjoying a summer evening along the Columbia River shoreline in Trail, that is?
This true-tale-not-tall-tale began earlier this week when Jessica Pressacco headed down to the river for some family fishing time with her daughters, dad, and brother.
“It turned into quite the adventure,” Jessica shares.
Not far from the rocky shore, the family hooked a big one.
But they weren’t the only ones with dinner on their minds.
As they tried to reel their catch in, an unexpected rivalry played out between one of the river’s most ancient residents and one of the forest’s craftiest.
“A sturgeon was chasing the fish on our lines, a raccoon was swiping them before we could net them, and then I caught this wild moment … the raccoon going after the sturgeon,” Jessica recalls, referring to her photos shared with the Trail Times.
“Never a dull moment out there!”
For those unfamiliar with these river giants, white sturgeon are prehistoric bottom-feeders that use sensitive barbels, whisker-like organs, to detect prey, which they vacuum up with their suction-like mouths.
In the Upper Columbia near Trail, their diet evolves with age: juveniles feed on aquatic insects, zooplankton, and small fish, while adults become more opportunistic, consuming everything from suckers and sculpins and freshwater mollusks, where available.
Behind the drama of the night is a larger story about the river’s ecology.
Notably, changes to the river’s flow and habitat from hydroelectric dams have affected prey availability, prompting ongoing studies to monitor how these shifts influence sturgeon feeding and survival.
Raccoons, meanwhile, aren’t nearly so selective.
These adaptable omnivores will eat just about anything – by hook or by crook.
From frogs and eggs to berries, fish, and garbage, they’ve mastered the art of scavenging and stealing, especially when humans, and their bait buckets, are involved.
For Jessica and her family, it was a Columbia River evening to remember, part nature show, part comedy, and 100 per cent unforgettable.
