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#1022406 - 02/17/20 10:01 AM Fishing
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Anyone here still do it,or y'all just talk politics? How is the fishing in the PNW this year? Dismal? Northern Cali was off to a slow start but seems pretty good right now from what my friends are telling me. I am working for some free time starting this weekend. Weather down here is beautiful though,sunny,and 75 degrees.

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#1022416 - 02/17/20 03:45 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
eswan Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 01/19/14
Posts: 171
I dont contribute to the political threads so I'm not sure I count. It was the same story up here too. fishing was slow for the month of December. January was good when it was fishable. The first few weeks of feb was good too. Each day out in january and feb we had multiple fish days except yesterday which was dead. we fished both the wynoochee around white bridge and the satsop from w fork down to the chehalis. hooked and lost 1 on the satsop. Fished the the cesspool that is the skookumchuck on friday and quickly landed 2 keepers within an hour. saw approx. 20 steelhead roll during that time. other rivers have been fishing well also.


Edited by eswan (02/17/20 04:00 PM)

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#1022417 - 02/17/20 04:42 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Brent K Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 08/12/13
Posts: 108
Loc: Arlington, Washington
Arguing about the WDFW is all we have left. My favorite local fisheries were winter steelhead on the "S" rivers which is closed, Area 7 chinook in August and September which is closed, and summer steelhead in the fall on a river I won't mention because WDFW will probably close it. I forgot to mention the Stillaguamish summer steelhead and cutthroat fishery that is now closed.

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#1022431 - 02/17/20 09:38 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Streamer Offline
No Stars for You!

Registered: 11/08/06
Posts: 2271
Loc: T-Town
There really aren’t many opportunities left. If it wasn’t for the sea run cutts, rezzie silvers, and the limited Puget sound chinook opportunities, I would be fishing maybe a dozen times a year at best. Arguing with WDFW and bitchhhing in the internet really does seem to be one of the last things we have left.
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#1022432 - 02/17/20 10:23 PM Re: Fishing [Re: Streamer]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


That's terrible. There's always golf. I guess I should thank my lucky stars that I have fishing options.

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#1022439 - 02/18/20 08:22 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
We have fishing options just morons managing them.

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#1022445 - 02/18/20 10:21 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
If we no fish the pension tut suckers should no work.

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#1022453 - 02/18/20 01:18 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
5 * General Evo Offline
Lord of the Chums

Registered: 03/29/14
Posts: 6825
Originally Posted By: Myassisdragon
The Green is full of fish. If you wait a week, the broodstalkers and redd counting float boats may have a vacant seat available to help with thier fish counting so they can gin up a river’s closed pre season season forecast...


thank you for taking me the last year it was open... is an was one of the most memorable experiences ive ever had...
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#1022455 - 02/18/20 01:43 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
stonefish Online   content
King of the Beach

Registered: 12/11/02
Posts: 5205
Loc: Carkeek Park
I’ve replaced steelhead fishing with pursuing other species to keep me occupied during the winter and spring.
I still manage to get out on the water over 100+ days per year.
SF
_________________________
Go Dawgs!
Founding Member - 2023 Pink Plague Opposition Party
#coholivesmatter

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#1022469 - 02/18/20 06:47 PM Re: Fishing [Re: stonefish]
fish4brains Offline
Dah Rivah Stinkah Pink Mastah

Registered: 08/23/06
Posts: 6866
Loc: zipper
DFW promoted bass fishing on Facebook all last year.
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...
Propping up an obsolete fishing industry at the expense of sound fisheries management is irresponsible. -Sg



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#1022470 - 02/18/20 06:51 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
$10 says the cover of next year's fishing regs is a track-suited Borat looking dude holding up a trophy smelt.
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#1022472 - 02/18/20 07:36 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
eswan Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 01/19/14
Posts: 171
so... no one else here fishes for steelhead?

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#1022475 - 02/18/20 08:01 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
87Ford Offline
Fry

Registered: 07/12/09
Posts: 38
I used to. The north PS rivers are pretty much a thing of the past..

The NF Stilly, for example, returned a whopping 26 winter fish from a plant of 136,270

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#1022476 - 02/18/20 09:05 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
FishDoctor Offline
Spawner

Registered: 12/05/02
Posts: 527
Its the water pollution in the Salish Sea, more and more every stinking day. It all runs downhill and is full of toxins that kill steelhead every day. Nothing is getting better, and with decreased water quality laws we can kiss them goodbye. Sorry, I used to fish for steelhead, they are an amazing fish.
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#1022477 - 02/18/20 09:10 PM Re: Fishing [Re: eswan]
Brent K Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 08/12/13
Posts: 108
Loc: Arlington, Washington
Originally Posted By: eswan
so... no one else here fishes for steelhead?


I think most of us troll WDFW now.

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#1022480 - 02/18/20 10:32 PM Re: Fishing [Re: eswan]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: eswan
so... no one else here fishes for steelhead?
I fish for steelhead .

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#1022481 - 02/19/20 08:33 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Salmo g. Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 13521
I fish. I think I'm fishing for steelhead. At least that is my intention. I've fished 5 days this winter. In that time I've had what felt like one not quite solid grab. Hence, I think I'm fishing for steelhead. I used to catch steelhead when I fished for them, although not every single day. Just last week I chanced upon a picture of a younger me holding a really nice steelhead. So I'm sure they exist. Well, I'm sure they used to exist. Hanker suggests that they still do. Apparently I chose to fish the wrong river, even though it felt, and fished, so right. Except for the hookup part. They just aren't there.

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#1022491 - 02/19/20 11:12 AM Re: Fishing [Re: Salmo g.]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
I fish. I think I'm fishing for steelhead. At least that is my intention. I've fished 5 days this winter. In that time I've had what felt like one not quite solid grab. Hence, I think I'm fishing for steelhead. I used to catch steelhead when I fished for them, although not every single day. Just last week I chanced upon a picture of a younger me holding a really nice steelhead. So I'm sure they exist. Well, I'm sure they used to exist. Hanker suggests that they still do. Apparently I chose to fish the wrong river, even though it felt, and fished, so right. Except for the hookup part. They just aren't there.


I fish and always will as I am a fisherman. However, I haven't river fished for Steelhead lately and my total days on the water, both fresh and salt have gone down substantially over the past couple of years . That is not a decision I willingly made for myself. It's a decision that state has made for me.

It's 4 - 5 hours drive each way to the open rivers. I have work, obligations and limited funds on occasion. Things need to be planned, but how do you plan around blown out rivers and no fish? It's not so easy as to drop everything you are doing, drive 10 total hours to fish 8 hours when the rivers happen to be in shape and these "supposed" fish are "in". I specifically moved to where I live now a decade ago, so I could be 30 mins from my "home" rivers (Sky, Snoho, Snoqual, Pilchuck, Stilly et al.). There isn't much use for my professional skill set in Forks - otherwise I'd live out there.

I didn't close on the river. The river closed on me.
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#1022493 - 02/19/20 11:19 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
When I moved to Olympia I could go the the Nisqually, Deschutes, or Kennedy Creek to fish steelhead. All close, not much of a drive. Now, the drive is much longer for significantly fewer fish.

There is no reason why the Deschutes is not stocked to the hilt with steelhead as there is no native run to impact there and who gives a rip about the resident natives? There is the deep SS survival problem, but maybe if there was a at least the intent for a fishery that issue would be looked at.

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#1022496 - 02/19/20 11:44 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
It's easy to bring the fish back.

Remove all politics from fishing
Stop all non-selective fishing of all types
Restore habitat & watersheds to original condition
Stop pumping raw sewage into PS and along the coast
Eliminate WW plastic pollution and specifically micro plastics
Eliminate all 2 stroke engines
Specifically treat all water to remove all traced of pharmaceuticals
Manage pinniped populations
Tear down all damns and redesign the Hood canal floating bridge
Tax Alaska & Canada for stealing our fish
Stop selling wild caught fish in all US markets as was done with market hunting 100 years ago
Plant fish
Let fish return to spawning grounds

Did I miss anything?

See? Should be easy! We can probably have that done by end of day today and be fishing again over huge returns by this time next week.
_________________________
“If the military were fighting for our freedom, they would be storming Capitol Hill”. – FleaFlickr02

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#1022498 - 02/19/20 11:47 AM Re: Fishing [Re: NickD90]
Rivrguy Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 03/03/09
Posts: 4394
Loc: Somewhere on the planet,I hope
yup, your 4 million people and 150 years late.
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Dazed and confused.............the fog is closing in

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#1022499 - 02/19/20 11:48 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
The deep SS issue is simple.

It's called The Capital and the Evergreen State College.

Remember all the plunking shacks along the Deschutes by the old brewery???

Good times.

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#1022502 - 02/19/20 12:11 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
The Moderator Offline
The Chosen One

Registered: 02/09/00
Posts: 14486
Loc: Tuleville
Originally Posted By: AcidAngler
Anyone here still do it


Yes.

I fished last week with my son and Bob and we caught some nice fish on one of the local cricks near Forks. Got to watch my kid hook and land his very first steelheads. Great day on the water.

Floated an OP river yesterday with a couple of board members and the while the fish were not all that cooperative, the weather and company was awesome. Not too many fellow floaters, but think we heard of one fish hooked for a half dozen rafts.

I just don't see how the OP rivers can remain open with everything else being closed. That much pressure can't be good for the fish.
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#1022504 - 02/19/20 12:15 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Leaving the Vampire rivers open is racist.

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#1022518 - 02/19/20 03:37 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Lifter99 Offline
Returning Adult

Registered: 12/01/18
Posts: 386
Parker, the reason the Forks rivers are still open is because the tribe (s) is still netting. If the tribe there pulls there nets WDFW will close those rivers just like the Chehalis. Tribes call the shots.

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#1022522 - 02/19/20 06:27 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
riverdick Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 05/10/09
Posts: 137
Loc: around the next bend
You all depress me. 😟

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#1022527 - 02/19/20 07:02 PM Re: Fishing [Re: riverdick]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Don't you all hijack this fun positive thread with your DOOM AND GLOOM! And who says 4 to 5 hours is a long drive? I'd kill to be able to drive 4 hours to fish. I mean,we have the Russian river which is around 3 and a half to get to,but it sucks most years. Tomorrow morning,I will be awake at 4,driving at 4:30,and fishing by around 1 or 2 for the afternoon bite because I'm a psycho. I don't fish for any reason other than I have to,it's in my blood. 7 and a half hours north isnt't a big thing for myself and a few of my fishing pals because it's just what we need to do. Hell it's almost 9 hours to the Klamath and I do that at least twice a year.

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#1022528 - 02/19/20 07:02 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


fishy

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#1022539 - 02/19/20 09:31 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
4 to 5 hours drive is not that big of a deal. I still fish & hunt out on the coast and make that drive all the time. I made it over and back 8 times since last summer for hunting alone - probably 30+ days in the woods out there. I just don't fish much as a I used to, especially PS rivers (for the obvious reasons). So instead of fishing daily or weekly locally, I'm only fishing a couple of times per qtr. Hunting has replaced fishing to a certain extent because the fishing sucks locally and I need something to do. As well, I can better game plan around hunting than fishing (days off work etc.). The drive remains the same.

I'm pretty sure I'll be making a drive out there to fish pretty soon. It will be nice to hit the river, regardless if the fish catching is good or not. thumbs
_________________________
“If the military were fighting for our freedom, they would be storming Capitol Hill”. – FleaFlickr02

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#1022542 - 02/19/20 09:56 PM Re: Fishing [Re: NickD90]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


What about driving from Monterey CA to the Oly Pen,does that seem excessive? Because I'm doing that too!

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#1022549 - 02/19/20 10:23 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
deerlick Offline
Spawner

Registered: 12/30/08
Posts: 585
Loc: around
Better hurry before they close it down too

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#1022550 - 02/20/20 05:53 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Lifter99 Offline
Returning Adult

Registered: 12/01/18
Posts: 386
Acid, man you do have the "sickness".If I drive two hours away from home to go fishing, I think it is a long trip.

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#1022551 - 02/20/20 05:56 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Lifter99 Offline
Returning Adult

Registered: 12/01/18
Posts: 386
Deerlick is correct. When WDFW closes something, they don't give you much lead time and you had better be on their email list.

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#1022552 - 02/20/20 07:38 AM Re: Fishing [Re: Salmo g.]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
[quote=Salmo g.]I fish. I think I'm fishing for steelhead.


Edited by RUNnGUN (02/22/20 11:08 AM)
_________________________
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#1022555 - 02/20/20 08:00 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
Sorry


Edited by RUNnGUN (02/22/20 11:09 AM)
_________________________
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller.
Don't let the old man in!

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#1022563 - 02/20/20 08:37 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Wow.
Now we are are pecking the meat off each other's bones????

2MANY rats in the jar and they always begin eating each other.
AND The fishing goes to hell.

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#1022656 - 02/21/20 09:25 PM Re: Fishing [Re: RUNnGUN]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Dont hijack my thread!!!!

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#1022671 - 02/22/20 02:11 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Brent K Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 08/12/13
Posts: 108
Loc: Arlington, Washington
Originally Posted By: AcidAngler
What about driving from Monterey CA to the Oly Pen,does that seem excessive? Because I'm doing that too!


I think I would try the Oregon coast... or go farther north to BC. What's another days worth of driving for wild winter steelhead?

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#1022675 - 02/22/20 04:44 PM Re: Fishing [Re: The Moderator]
kalamageo Offline
Returning Adult

Registered: 02/27/07
Posts: 297
Loc: Oly
Originally Posted By: elparquito
Originally Posted By: AcidAngler
Anyone here still do it


Yes.

I fished last week with my son and Bob and we caught some nice fish on one of the local cricks near Forks. Got to watch my kid hook and land his very first steelheads. Great day on the water.

Floated an OP river yesterday with a couple of board members and the while the fish were not all that cooperative, the weather and company was awesome. Not too many fellow floaters, but think we heard of one fish hooked for a half dozen rafts.

I just don't see how the OP rivers can remain open with everything else being closed. That much pressure can't be good for the fish.




Agreed,

You might have seen us out there. Did the upper stretch of a crik and in 2 days went 12 for 18. This last thursday and friday, same crik, down lower 2 on thur and 4 on friday. Everyone else we talked to said skunksville. Well, one raft had ONE. We decided not to "brag" about our whopping 4. Tough times indeed. My trips are way down and the results usually are not worth the effort. The 2 good days were the result of not being able to work right now. The ability to run to the river as it's dropping is the only thing that got me the 18 fish in two days.

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#1022694 - 02/23/20 11:10 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Salmo g. Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 13521
Lower, clearer water yesterday and finally shook off the skunk. Yea and all that. Sure is nice to know there are still some wild steelhead around. Not like old times, but it's nice to shake off that steelhead depression slump.

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#1022710 - 02/23/20 03:26 PM Re: Fishing [Re: Salmo g.]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
Lower, clearer water yesterday and finally shook off the skunk. Yea and all that. Sure is nice to know there are still some wild steelhead around. Not like old times, but it's nice to shake off that steelhead depression slump.
Fly fishermen only catch fish when it's low and clear.

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#1022711 - 02/23/20 03:30 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
Originally Posted By: AcidAngler
Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
Lower, clearer water yesterday and finally shook off the skunk. Yea and all that. Sure is nice to know there are still some wild steelhead around. Not like old times, but it's nice to shake off that steelhead depression slump.
Fly fishermen only catch fish when it's low and clear.


Errrr. Wrong.

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#1022724 - 02/23/20 04:20 PM Re: Fishing [Re: SpoonFed]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: Spoonfedhead
Originally Posted By: AcidAngler
Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
Lower, clearer water yesterday and finally shook off the skunk. Yea and all that. Sure is nice to know there are still some wild steelhead around. Not like old times, but it's nice to shake off that steelhead depression slump.
Fly fishermen only catch fish when it's low and clear.


Errrr. Wrong.
Gee,really? Gosh,bet you're fun at parties.

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#1022732 - 02/23/20 04:52 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
Have to say it does help the confidence to know they can see the offering from a little distance. Is one of the best feelings to feel the tug, no bottom bumps, no bobber watchn. Just my opinion. Beyond the fly, IMO there's nothing better than low water sight, light spin fishn. w/ whatever. I like watching the bait roll next to one laying and moving after it! They have it before you ever feel anything and to set the hook because the offering disappears is so cool! It's been a while.
_________________________
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller.
Don't let the old man in!

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#1022735 - 02/23/20 05:16 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
I figured you were serious avid. rofl

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#1022749 - 02/23/20 09:12 PM Re: Fishing [Re: SpoonFed]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


I used to love sight fishing for summer steelhead. Nothing better IMO

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#1022750 - 02/23/20 09:12 PM Re: Fishing [Re: SpoonFed]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: Spoonfedhead
I figured you were serious avid. rofl


I'm always serious YBD

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#1022754 - 02/24/20 08:48 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Salmo g. Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 13521
It's true, some clarity in the water does increase my confidence. But I'm amazed at how well fish see in turbid water. I've caught them with only 10" visibility at times. I figured out a few years ago that the main reason I prefer 3 or 4' of clarity is because it's so much easier wading when I can see where I'm putting my feet. Doing the Braille shuffle over and between the stones makes for a laborious day of stream wading. All that said, the best fish of the day came downriver where the water lost a foot or more of visibility than where we began. If I ever figure out this steelhead game, I'll be sure to write a book.

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#1022759 - 02/24/20 10:08 AM Re: Fishing [Re: Salmo g.]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
It's true, some clarity in the water does increase my confidence. But I'm amazed at how well fish see in turbid water. I've caught them with only 10" visibility at times. I figured out a few years ago that the main reason I prefer 3 or 4' of clarity is because it's so much easier wading when I can see where I'm putting my feet. Doing the Braille shuffle over and between the stones makes for a laborious day of stream wading. All that said, the best fish of the day came downriver where the water lost a foot or more of visibility than where we began. If I ever figure out this steelhead game, I'll be sure to write a book.


Another thing I learned when I fished lots more. In winter conditions, high turbid water, was to "short line". I fished w/ a fly rod and reel w/ mono, eggs or shrimp for bait. With only 4-8" water visibility, would work a gravel bar top to bottom, w/ only 10-15' line out of the reel, fixed. Didn't need a strip basket w/ such little line to work with. Cast, 2 steps, cast, 2 steps, etc. caught lots of fish when everyone else thought the river was out, sometimes in a foot of water. Fish would be laying in close. Transitioned that philosophy to the swing with little success so far. Wish I was swinging a fly back then, with lots more fish around. I would like to read your book.
_________________________
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller.
Don't let the old man in!

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#1022760 - 02/24/20 10:23 AM Re: Fishing [Re: RUNnGUN]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


I caught a fish on a nightmare jig in 6" vis blown out conditions. They see fine.

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#1022761 - 02/24/20 10:27 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
stonefish Online   content
King of the Beach

Registered: 12/11/02
Posts: 5205
Loc: Carkeek Park
I'd rather fish water with some color rather then gin clear.
There are some PNW species that dirty water actually helps increase the bite.
SF
_________________________
Go Dawgs!
Founding Member - 2023 Pink Plague Opposition Party
#coholivesmatter

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#1022766 - 02/24/20 11:20 AM Re: Fishing [Re: stonefish]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


I like fishing all conditions. Makes you a better angler IMO. See how much more fun talking fishing is?

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#1022767 - 02/24/20 11:24 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


I fish a particular stream where the fish tend to move rather quickly through it's lower stretches after a high water event. Basically it's good to pick a spot that feels good to you and fish the travel lanes. Plunking would be a good option but I never see anyone try it. Hmm.

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#1022768 - 02/24/20 11:24 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
Originally Posted By: AcidAngler
I like fishing all conditions. Makes you a better angler IMO. See how much more fun talking fishing is?


I've caught fish on Funyuns and cigarette butts.

GOAT.

Lol

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#1022769 - 02/24/20 11:31 AM Re: Fishing [Re: SpoonFed]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


I started fishing pink worms down here in California over 15 years ago. None of my friends were willing to try it. The first fish I caught was on a pink 6 inch Berkeley worm with a metallic cerise wobble glo ahead of it. It was in gin clear water late in the season. I got a downer buck that day and a chrome bright hen,near tidewater. I began to try and use them more frequently. People down here are all hung up on the soft beads. They are effective. I love when the latest craze comes out. Gives me another weapon. But I more like going against the grain,or fishing old school. Steelhead everywhere will strike a corkie and yarn,a well presented spoon,yarnies.

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#1022775 - 02/24/20 11:50 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
stonefish Online   content
King of the Beach

Registered: 12/11/02
Posts: 5205
Loc: Carkeek Park
I caught my steelhead on a Sammy Special.
Silver with red yard if I recall correctly.

What did everyone else use to catch their first steelhead?
SF
_________________________
Go Dawgs!
Founding Member - 2023 Pink Plague Opposition Party
#coholivesmatter

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#1022777 - 02/24/20 11:59 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
double hook, egg cheater and coon shrimp.


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#1022779 - 02/24/20 12:25 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
5 * General Evo Offline
Lord of the Chums

Registered: 03/29/14
Posts: 6825
orange corkie with some egg snot, was fishing the Dosewallips in a big deep hole off the side of the road, a bunch of silvers and chum were staged right in front of the chute, was casting behind them and the reel backlashed, pulled the line out and the fish was already hooked...

7 pound nate, my dad used to release wild fish even before they closed it down, so i did as well....

will never forget that...
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#1022780 - 02/24/20 12:29 PM Re: Fishing [Re: 5 * General Evo]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


1st steelhead I caught and landed in a river was on a brass #3 blue fox spinner. But when I was a kid I landed one on a green 5/8 ounce krocodile spoon in the salt.


Edited by AcidAngler (02/24/20 12:30 PM)

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#1022784 - 02/24/20 01:00 PM Re: Fishing [Re: stonefish]
The Moderator Offline
The Chosen One

Registered: 02/09/00
Posts: 14486
Loc: Tuleville
Originally Posted By: stonefish
What did everyone else use to catch their first steelhead?


I started my steelhead career as a kid fishing with the crew of folks who routinely plunked along the bulkhead at the Ballard Locks. Since I lived literally 7 houses up the road, that was my "go to" fishing spot on weekends during the season for years. I spent countless hours plunking there.

I had heard all the wonders about the infamous "Green River" steelhead runs and finally fished on a river 2 years after my first steelhead.

Caught my first steelhead, plunking an L9 Flatfish at the Ballard Locks. I'm guessing 1978-ish. Second one came the next weekend.



And here's a photo of the last steelhead I have landed:

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#1022787 - 02/24/20 01:27 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
stonefish Online   content
King of the Beach

Registered: 12/11/02
Posts: 5205
Loc: Carkeek Park
I used to enjoy going down there and watching the plunking show.
I saw some nice steelhead climb the steps to a wood shampoo......
SF
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#1022788 - 02/24/20 01:53 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
OceanSun Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 07/01/04
Posts: 1303
Loc: North Creek
First steelhead was a 12 lb buck on the Pilchuck - also around '78ish, 12 yrs old, first day ever steelheading. Last cast of the day at dusk. Had just re-tied after a snag and was going to hang it up so didn't add any yarn or eggs to my pearl/pink corkie. Got tired of waiting for my buddy so "practiced my casting" and tossed it back out - fish on! That was the first of many great days/years on the Pilchuck.

Sight fishing steelhead in clear water is a blast - but most of my success with that has been on the fly.
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#1022791 - 02/24/20 02:07 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
What a bunch of pups.

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#1022792 - 02/24/20 02:11 PM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
What a bunch of pups.


WDFW caught his first steelhead back in 1929 on the upper stilly on some greased gut line and a hand tied orange heron. Later he would go on to pioneer the ray bobber ,when he was a young 32 years old back in 1966

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#1022793 - 02/24/20 02:26 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Krijack Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 06/03/06
Posts: 1531
Loc: Tacoma
Not even sure when I caught my first steelhead, probably on a Quinault trip with my dad. But I will never forget the first one I broke off. I fished a small creek that got a lot of hatchery brood stock released into it. I would routinely catch trout up to around 24 inches. In between I caught some other nice native cutthroat. My best was about around 20 inches that was probably close to 4 pounds, even had a seal bit in it. I gave it to a neighbor who freaked out about how big it was. But...one day I was free-drifting a worm through the deep hatchery hole when the line tightened and an approximately 40" brute tore through the hole and snapped me off in a second. It could have been a huge brood stock too, but I never saw anything in the creek, even among the kings and silvers, that came remotely close to being that long. That was around 38 years ago and I have only caught one steel head that big since.

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#1022798 - 02/24/20 04:36 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
I caught my very 1st Steelhead, opening day stream trout fishing on the Mashel R. (Nisqually trib), totally accidental. Dark downstreamer Memorial Day weekend, or was it earlier? when streams used to open early, on a light spin rod n reel w/ a worm for bait. My Dad took the rod from me and landed/released it cause he couldn't believe it. I don't count that.
The counted 1st was Plunking the lower Puyallup w/ my Grandpa who showed me the ropes. I learned on a Winona Reel, and eventually graduated to drift fishing w/ the same reel...."What a bunch of pups".... Hows that, WDFW? The Winona really helped transitioning to level winds.... backlashes. Moved to flyrod & reel w/ mono strip fishing for years before I realized how a deficient method it was. Still fun fighting fish but levelwinds and spinning setups were the [Bleeeeep!], and move to them. Like talking fishing, and miss those days.


Edited by RUNnGUN (02/24/20 04:38 PM)
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#1022802 - 02/24/20 04:55 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
Anybody remember when they used to plant skate and the Tilton with trout?

I sure do miss runnin a crawler or a single ball-o-fire (green label) under the smallest float I had in my arsenal.

That's what all started it for me right there.

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#1022803 - 02/24/20 05:15 PM Re: Fishing [Re: RUNnGUN]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: RUNnGUN
My Dad took the rod from me and landed/released it cause he couldn't believe it. I don't count that.
Your Dad shoulda let you land that fish.

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#1022816 - 02/24/20 07:28 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Jason Beezuz Offline
My Waders are Moist

Registered: 11/20/08
Posts: 3440
Loc: PNW
My first steelhead was at the mouth of Barnaby Slough on the Skagit in 1996. I was 15. I was on a friend of a friend’s sled casting a spoon. It was awesome! It was a 12lbs hen that cartwheeled all over. I remember thinking how I’d never seen a coho do that. I was hooked real bad after that.
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#1022818 - 02/24/20 07:38 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Bent Metal Offline
Carcass

Registered: 01/09/14
Posts: 2312
Loc: Sky River(WA) Clearwater(Id)
Sky River, late March, mid 90's. Driftfishing. The next week, landed a mid teen buck first week April. Great memories
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#1022820 - 02/24/20 07:53 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
Originally Posted By: AcidAngler
Originally Posted By: RUNnGUN
My Dad took the rod from me and landed/released it cause he couldn't believe it. I don't count that.
Your Dad shoulda let you land that fish.


Ya. I vaguely remember the details, but I think I asked for help because it was a log to pull in. But when your about 7 and older bro of 13 is there, either he would have stole it from me, or just let Dad handle it. I probably would of lost it, got harassed,and learned nothing anyway.
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#1022821 - 02/24/20 07:54 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Lifter99 Offline
Returning Adult

Registered: 12/01/18
Posts: 386
My first steelhead (2 fish limit ) was on the Duckabush way back in the med 60's. 5 lb. and 8 lb. on eggs and a piece of red yarn. I really miss those days when so many streams were planted with steelhead. I used to fish the Skokomish, Hamma Hamma and Duckabush on Hood Canal. Now only memories.

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#1022822 - 02/24/20 09:50 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Streamer Offline
No Stars for You!

Registered: 11/08/06
Posts: 2271
Loc: T-Town
Spoonfedhead,


I grew up as a kid fishing Skate creek and sometimes the Tilton river for the stocked rainbows. Many good memories there as a kid with friends and family. Driftin’ a single egg with a split shot or free driftin’ a small crawler caught a lot of fish. Caught some of my first trout on flies there also.

I showed up in late fall to the Tilton with a buddy early in high school hoping that we could find some holdover sized trout... little did we know that they stocked the river with salmon. We were able to hook and land a few with the trout gear. Boy was that a hoot.

My first steelhead was caught on the Green River when I was 5 years old on a corky and yarn. Got my first cutthroat out of chambers creek up near the mouth of flett creek when I was a little older. Caught several that day. I loved fishing that little creek as a kid.
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#1022826 - 02/24/20 10:45 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
I wish I could go back to those days.

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#1022832 - 02/25/20 07:12 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
First steelhead was on the Lyre in the late 70s. The week before I had, temporarily, hooked a male. He stuck his head out of the water and spit the hook back at me. The one I got was in a pool below a big logjam. Took the cookie and yarn and ran a round the pool a bunch. That river (used) to put out lots of fish and was very accessible. Coworker lost 10 on the last day of the season (Feb 28) before finally bringing one to the beach.

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#1022833 - 02/25/20 08:22 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
snit Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 1844
Loc: Wenatchee, WA
I had reeled-in a bunch when I was a young kid with the old man (from 3yo on), as he always had me with him wherever he went. Plugging out of his Whaler in the Columbia or in the drift boat on the West Side rivers. If he went drift fishing off a gravel bar I was always chasing birds with my BB gun, but he'd take a break and say "let's have a sandwich"..I'd amble over, and sometimes he'd hand me his rod to hold while he'd eat his sandwich, all the while he'd have a fish hooked, waiting for me to get over to him. Then I'd lose my chit when the rod would JERK as we'd talking, was so cool how he'd set me up like that!! I've done it with my son too.

1st winter run I drift fished up myself was in January 1984. It was actually a kelt summer run right below Snoqualmie Falls above the "Big Rock" on the restaurant side. 3rd cast with a #10 50/50 lettuce/tomato spin-n-glo. Snakey little spawned hen that I let go. We went to the OP on Presidents Day weekend after that and I caught several fish on the HOH and Sol Duc drift fishing if I remember correctly, plus several more trips that winter.

1st summer run I drift fished up myself was June 3 or 4 of 1984. It was a high water year. LOTS of fish in early that year. We were on the Reiter side of the Sky, and had driven in from the horse rental place. Several of you guys know as there are no secret spots up there. I'd been losing fish in the fastwater, but finally landed a dime bright 6-7# fish on #14 orange scale spin-n-glo.
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#1022835 - 02/25/20 09:16 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
I caught my first Steelhead back in 2005...on my very first cast fishing for Steelhead. A very dark summer run caught in December. Float & jig. My buddy who was showing me the river hadn't even tied up yet and had his back turned to me on the bank. I told him I was hooked up and I hear a "yeah, right". Told him to turn around and look at me. He did and just shook his head in disbelief. grin
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#1022836 - 02/25/20 09:21 AM Re: Fishing [Re: snit]
stonefish Online   content
King of the Beach

Registered: 12/11/02
Posts: 5205
Loc: Carkeek Park
Originally Posted By: snit
I had reeled-in a bunch when I was a young kid with the old man (from 3yo on), as he always had me with him wherever he went. Plugging out of his Whaler in the Columbia or in the drift boat on the West Side rivers. If he went drift fishing off a gravel bar I was always chasing birds with my BB gun, but he'd take a break and say "let's have a sandwich"..I'd amble over, and sometimes he'd hand me his rod to hold while he'd eat his sandwich, all the while he'd have a fish hooked, waiting for me to get over to him. Then I'd lose my chit when the rod would JERK as we'd talking, was so cool how he'd set me up like that!! I've done it with my son too.

1st winter run I drift fished up myself was in January 1984. It was actually a kelt summer run right below Snoqualmie Falls above the "Big Rock" on the restaurant side. 3rd cast with a #10 50/50 lettuce/tomato spin-n-glo. Snakey little spawned hen that I let go. We went to the OP on Presidents Day weekend after that and I caught several fish on the HOH and Sol Duc drift fishing if I remember correctly, plus several more trips that winter.

1st summer run I drift fished up myself was June 3 or 4 of 1984. It was a high water year. LOTS of fish in early that year. We were on the Reiter side of the Sky, and had driven in from the horse rental place. Several of you guys know as there are no secret spots up there. I'd been losing fish in the fastwater, but finally landed a dime bright 6-7# fish on #14 orange scale spin-n-glo.


Great story about your pops. That is what it is (was) all about.
SF
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#1022840 - 02/25/20 11:49 AM Re: Fishing [Re: NickD90]
thaxor Offline
Returning Adult

Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 425
Loc: Olympia, WA
Originally Posted By: NickD90
I caught my first Steelhead back in 2005...on my very first cast fishing for Steelhead.


The chosen one...

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#1022842 - 02/25/20 11:59 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Todd Offline
Dick Nipples

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 28170
Loc: Seattle, Washington USA
We moved into the Puget Sound area in the summer of 1977, and that winter my old man and I took up steelhead fishing. He had done it several times in the Klamath River.

The technique of choice there was casting #30 HotShots and retrieving them, so that was his plan around here.

My first day was mid-March, 1978. I was 7 years old. We went out to the Skykomish, and since he wasn't sure if I was going to be up for casting all day, he set me up with a pyramid sinker and a spin-n-glo.

I casted it out about 20 feet, and he turned and walked away to start casting himself...and by the time he got ten feet away I was hooked up. I drug the middlin' size fish right up on the bank in about ten seconds, and while he wrestled with it the line broke and it flopped back in the water. That was my first cast steelhead fishing.

It was also the only fish we hooked that day.

The next day we took our rowboat down what became my #1 steelhead stream for several years...the Sammamish River. We put in at Marymoor Park, and floated down to what used be "60 Acres"...all the soccer fields. We would float along and cast #30 HotShots.

On that, my second day, I hooked another fish casting that HotShot with a 6'6" AbuGarcia spinning rod combo...trout rod and Mitchell 300, with 6# line.

After a remarkably long fight with a hundred lucky turns, the fish was in the net...my first steelhead on my second day of steelhead fishing.

I'll dig up a pic of it some day. It was 40# long and a two tone snow belly.

I was 17 before I caught another one that big, and there were a LOT of steelhead caught in those ten years...and a LOT of them came from the Sammamish River, pre-Herschel days.

When that run ended...man, it just ended.

Was lucky enough to catch fish in the Green, Puyallup, Nisqually, Stilly, Snoqualmie, Sky, all the rest of the Snohomish Tribs, the Sauk and Skagit, even in the Wenatchee (including Nason Creek smile )...before I ever even ventured out to the OP...there wasn't much need for it, Puget Sound was loaded in the 70s and was even better in the 80s.

Fish on...

Todd
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#1022845 - 02/25/20 12:21 PM Re: Fishing [Re: Todd]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Great stories gents keep em coming. I didnt become obsessed with steelhead,truly obsessed ,until the late 1990s. Being located a long ways from any numbers of fish,my compadres had to travel a lot to catch them. I used to fish the American river every opener. Usually for a limit. That was fun ,with about 300 of your closest new friends!

I began covering a lot of ground,moving to the PNW after a divorce in the mid 2000s,I became familiar with the oregon and sw Washington streams.


My last steelhead I hooked was Saturday. I was on a small stream where the run is all wild,fishing a lower run just above tidewater ,no people around,tide was approaching low after a big high tide,so I figured a few might be moving despite the lower water.

I swung a 1/3 oz copper red cleo through a long sweeper run and hooked a dime bright fish of around 11 pounds or so.2 Violent jumps and ran at me so I didnt get a good set on him. Threw the hook. Not a soul around,pretty weather,just me and that fish. I live for those days. I don't need double digits anymore. Just an opportunity for some peace and quiet surrounded by natural beauty and some good water,maybe hook a couple. That's where its at!

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#1022858 - 02/25/20 01:25 PM Re: Fishing [Re: SpoonFed]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Originally Posted By: Spoonfedhead
Anybody remember when they used to plant skate and the Tilton with trout?

I sure do miss runnin a crawler or a single ball-o-fire (green label) under the smallest float I had in my arsenal.

That's what all started it for me right there.


Remember when they trucked the Tilton full of steehead??

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#1022859 - 02/25/20 01:26 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
If there's one thing we can all agree on, is that we share a passion for fishing.

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#1022862 - 02/25/20 01:40 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549

Most here truly are a bunch of flatbrimmers.

Without pictures all the talk is just that.......................Stories.




Probably lucky for you all I didn't drowned back in the day.
What PFD??????????

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#1022864 - 02/25/20 02:46 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
fishbadger Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 03/06/01
Posts: 1194
Loc: Gig Harbor, WA
Ah, great post, I'll play.

Late 80's St. Joe River in Berrien Springs, Michigan, orange and white spin and glow and a spawn bag I tied up, my buddy Tony showed me how. A nice 9 lber give or take. Graduated to the rivers of northern Michigan, became a Jim Bedford disciple pitching metal, tried to memorize Jed Davis's book. Fished every damn river up in northern Michigan, before moving to Western WA a decade later, because the steelhead fishing is so great out here, right?

Ha! There's still some bright spots, but god you gotta weed through the chafe to find em sometimes,

fb
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#1022865 - 02/25/20 02:55 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
5 * General Evo Offline
Lord of the Chums

Registered: 03/29/14
Posts: 6825
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#1022867 - 02/25/20 04:06 PM Re: Fishing [Re: 5 * General Evo]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: Evo


That's a great photo Nate.

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#1022868 - 02/25/20 04:12 PM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0

Most here truly are a bunch of flatbrimmers.

Without pictures all the talk is just that.......................Stories.




Probably lucky for you all I didn't drowned back in the day.
What PFD??????????

That's sweet. I don't have a picture of my first one. Or my last one for that matter.

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#1022879 - 02/25/20 05:22 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
bushbear Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 08/26/02
Posts: 4709
Loc: Sequim
Winter of 1969. Decided to cut class at UW Fisheries. Drove up to the Sultan drift and joined the picket line. Used a balsa cherry bobber with silver blade. Two fish in less than an hour. Both about 6 lbs. Was back home in time to drop off the fish and make my late morning class.

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#1022881 - 02/25/20 05:44 PM Re: Fishing [Re: bushbear]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
Originally Posted By: bushbear
Winter of 1969. Decided to cut class at UW Fisheries. Drove up to the Sultan drift and joined the picket line. Used a balsa cherry bobber with silver blade. Two fish in less than an hour. Both about 6 lbs. Was back home in time to drop off the fish and make my late morning class.


I'm kinda jelly of all the old timers on this thread that got to experience the good ol' days. By kinda jelly….I mean totally.

That being said, I wouldn't trade my fishing resume for all of the money in the world. I've been very fortunate and blessed. I need to spend the time and scan all my old photo's. Born in 75 and started fishing right away. My dad made a custom backpack from an old Alaskan pack frame which he used to carry baby me in when he flyfished. Started tying flies and casting the bug rod around the time I started to read and write, if not before. It's been gravy ever since.

But yeah....I would have loved to have been up here in the good old days. Luckily, I've had many days on the river in the not too distant past which made it seem like it actually was the good old days. They don't happen all that often anymore, so when it does.....savor that chit.
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#1022882 - 02/25/20 05:55 PM Re: Fishing [Re: NickD90]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Fishing encompasses so much to me. Hell I love chasing white bass every spring down here at a reservoir not far from me. I caught 60 in 2 hours one day. I felt like when I was just a kid and outfished my grandpa who was the greatest fisherman that I knew,caught a mess of crappie. I was in the fraternity after that,been an angler ever since. Many days on Monterey bay fishing seabass,halibut,salmon and rock cod,the time I caught a 38 pound ling as a kid,catching mackerel and perch around the piers here,lots of memories.

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#1022885 - 02/25/20 06:22 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
eswan Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 01/19/14
Posts: 171
born in '90 I suppose I'm one of those flat billers(still count without a flat bill?). my first steelhead was a native on the hoh plunking with mom while we waited on dad to come down the crick. oh about 7 years old or so. we would toss out the usual pyramid with spin n glow and eggs. I still remember the fight of this thing. ya know looking back I couldn't tell you the size of it as it didnt matter. the wild fish was quickly drug on the rocks and bonked on the head. when dad finally came around the gravel bar we hoisted our catch and it was all smiles.


Edited by eswan (02/25/20 06:24 PM)

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#1022887 - 02/25/20 06:26 PM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
eswan Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 01/19/14
Posts: 171
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0

Most here truly are a bunch of flatbrimmers.

Without pictures all the talk is just that.......................Stories.




Probably lucky for you all I didn't drowned back in the day.
What PFD??????????



well why the hell would you drown?

wasn't that back in the day where the fish were made of steel and the boys were made of wood.... err...wait.

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#1022891 - 02/25/20 07:29 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
Ok. I have never posted pics on this site before. Now I have to! Someone still have the instructions to do so? Especially old prints like above. Look like some Cowlitz fish? You look familiar?


Edited by RUNnGUN (02/25/20 07:42 PM)
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#1022892 - 02/25/20 08:15 PM Re: Fishing [Re: RUNnGUN]
fish4brains Offline
Dah Rivah Stinkah Pink Mastah

Registered: 08/23/06
Posts: 6866
Loc: zipper
I caught my first steelhead in 1976 on the west fork of the Humptulips fishing with my grandpa. He rigged me up with a large spin glo/pyramid sinker on an old spinning outfit. The fish was a big buck that we released. I would stay overnight at my grandparents house before we went fishing and we would tie leaders after dinner.


Edited by fish4brains (02/25/20 08:21 PM)
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#1022898 - 02/25/20 09:26 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
snit Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 1844
Loc: Wenatchee, WA
Thanks, Stonefish-he was a dandy for sure! BTW, I'm looking at (2) cards of Sammy's on my curio shelf! One full and one-half full, same color as you described.

Some great posts and pictures shared, thanks much! If you have pics from your childhood as some have shared, consider yourself fortunate! All but a couple of my family pics went in the shiatter (apparently) when my folks divorced when I was at the UW. Too bad as the old man and I had some neat memories saved on the kodak/polaroid paper. phuggin biatch...

Nick/Todd you guys are lucky mofo's!! Straight up killers!
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#1022902 - 02/25/20 09:44 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Larry B Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 10/22/09
Posts: 3020
Loc: University Place and Whidbey I...
Great stories all. My first two steelhead were caught in late 1963 on the North Fork of the Stillaguamish at the upper end of what was Steelhead Haven while fishing with three high school friends who were old enough to drive. One of them, Ron Wilson, went on to guide for a number of years. Choice was spinning gear including a Mitchell 300 and hammered brass spoons (Ace as I recall). I can still recall the looks on their faces when they turned around and saw a fish in each of my hands - only fish of the day for the group. That spot is now covered by the landslide but the memory is still fresh after a bunch of years.

Edit: Another member of that foursome was Phil Lund who seems to still be actively guiding with emphasis on the fly guys on the Methow.


Edited by Larry B (02/27/20 12:29 PM)
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#1022905 - 02/25/20 09:50 PM Re: Fishing [Re: Todd]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
I bet you got some neat stories Todd.
I'd love to see that picture.

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#1022908 - 02/25/20 10:09 PM Re: Fishing [Re: 5 * General Evo]
Jason Beezuz Offline
My Waders are Moist

Registered: 11/20/08
Posts: 3440
Loc: PNW
Originally Posted By: Evo


Good pic but we are talking steelhead and that isn’t one.
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#1022909 - 02/25/20 10:14 PM Re: Fishing [Re: Larry B]
Jason Beezuz Offline
My Waders are Moist

Registered: 11/20/08
Posts: 3440
Loc: PNW
Originally Posted By: Larry B
Great stories all. My first two steelhead were caught in late 1963 on the North Fork of the Stillaguamish at the upper end of what was Steelhead Haven while fishing with three high school friends who were old enough to drive. One of them, Ron Wilson, went on to guide for a number of years. Choice was spinning gear including a Mitchell 300 and hammered brass spoons (Ace as I recall). I can still recall the looks on their faces when they turned around and saw a fish in each of my hands - only fish of the day for the group. That spot is now covered by the landslide but the memory is still fresh after a bunch of years.


My buddy and I got one at that spot in 1998. That was either steelhead number 2 or 3 for me. Even then that slide was creepy. I floated the river through there summer before it broke loose and that slide was creepier than ever. Just downstream was the Mermaid Hole. I saw some ti*ties there a few times. smile
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#1022912 - 02/26/20 07:55 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
FleaFlickr02 Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 10/28/09
Posts: 3314
All these memories are cool, and the old pics are awesome.

I grew up in Colorado and Texas, so I never fished for steelhead as a youngster, but I recall being fascinated every time I saw a picture of one in one of the old editions of Salmon/Trout/Steelheader the guy at our local "fly shop" (it was the sporting goods section at the local grocery store) gave me one day while I was chewing the fat with him.

In 1999, at age 25, single, and ready for something new, I decided to move to Olympia and get back into fly fishing, with the primary goal being catching my first steelhead. It took me over a year, but I finally scored on a HOT Kalama (hatchery) summer run of about 10 lbs. on a marabou spider. Since then, I've caught a bunch more, on all different types of gear, but they are getting fewer and farther between these days, partly because I don't fish as hard as I used to most days, but also because they're getting rare. That said, I thought I should break the mold a bit and remind everyone that, while we don't always get 'em these days, when we do, it's just as cool as ever. Keep fishin', people!


Edited by FleaFlickr02 (02/26/20 07:56 AM)

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#1022916 - 02/26/20 08:28 AM Re: Fishing [Re: snit]
stonefish Online   content
King of the Beach

Registered: 12/11/02
Posts: 5205
Loc: Carkeek Park
Originally Posted By: snit
Thanks, Stonefish-he was a dandy for sure! BTW, I'm looking at (2) cards of Sammy's on my curio shelf! One full and one-half full, same color as you described.


That is cool you have some cards of Sammy Specials. I like looking back at all the old gear that worked and still would work.

A bit about my first steelhead I mentioned earlier.
My dad never fished rivers. he was a saltwater guy. I told him I wanted to catch a steelhead, so he read a few things and off we went to the Puyallup on cold December day. I was 8 at the time, so 1968.
We were fishing just upstream of Anton's.
My dad told me to let my pencil lead tap along the bottom and if it stopped to set the hook.
About half way through the day, my line stopped and I set the hook. A nice size steelhead came flying out of the water. I told my brother who was fishing just upstream of me that I had a steelhead on, but he jokingly laughed and said i was snagged on the bottom. The fish jumped again and that convinced him to run upstream and get my dad who had a net with him.
My dad never did use the net as I just kept reeling and backing up until I drug it up on the back. By the time the fish was on the shore, I was nearly in the woods.
I got some back slaps and congrats from some of the old timers fishing there. I was pretty proud of the fish which was about 8 lbs. I think I petted the scales off of it by the end of the day, lol.

On the way home we stopped by my uncles little grocery store, which was across from Sparks field. He was an avid steelhead fisherman and took some pictures of me and the fish. They are somewhere at my house but I haven't seen them in years.
SF
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#1022917 - 02/26/20 09:51 AM Re: Fishing [Re: FleaFlickr02]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Originally Posted By: FleaFlickr02
All these memories are cool, and the old pics are awesome.

I grew up in Colorado and Texas, so I never fished for steelhead as a youngster, but I recall being fascinated every time I saw a picture of one in one of the old editions of Salmon/Trout/Steelheader the guy at our local "fly shop" (it was the sporting goods section at the local grocery store) gave me one day while I was chewing the fat with him.

In 1999, at age 25, single, and ready for something new, I decided to move to Olympia and get back into fly fishing, with the primary goal being catching my first steelhead. It took me over a year, but I finally scored on a HOT Kalama (hatchery) summer run of about 10 lbs. on a marabou spider. Since then, I've caught a bunch more, on all different types of gear, but they are getting fewer and farther between these days, partly because I don't fish as hard as I used to most days, but also because they're getting rare. That said, I thought I should break the mold a bit and remind everyone that, while we don't always get 'em these days, when we do, it's just as cool as ever. Keep fishin', people!



The Kalama fly water above the hatchery was amazing back in the day during the whole Teeny Nymph years.

My friend and I ended up meeting the daughter and heading down to their place to visit.

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#1022919 - 02/26/20 09:58 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Originally Posted By: AcidAngler
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0

Most here truly are a bunch of flatbrimmers.

Without pictures all the talk is just that.......................Stories.




Probably lucky for you all I didn't drowned back in the day.
What PFD??????????

That's sweet. I don't have a picture of my first one. Or my last one for that matter.


No picture of my first either.
It came in around the winter of 1974.
8 years old on the Toutle.
I remember the yellow Eagle claw rod and Mitchel 300.
I remember very low vis on the river that day, being cold, trying coffee with lots of cream/sugar, my single corkie between 2 #1 hooks, and my drift going over tight to the bank, behind the boat, in about a foot of water, because I was bored.
I remember the tug.
Been chasing it every since.

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#1022930 - 02/26/20 12:06 PM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0

I remember the tug.
Been chasing it every since.


The tug is the drug. Nice story.

Growing up flyfishing Colorado, I remember my first truly big, big fish. CO has plenty of tiny to 5-6 pound trout, but seldom larger. When I was 10 or 11, we took a 2 week trip to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota to canoe and fish the backcountry for whatever would bite. Many portages between very remote lakes and all that. After a long portage, we came to a big lake and my dad suggested I tie up some big water gear. On my own, I tied up a 6 oz. banana sinker to about 5' of mono with a trolling spoon off the back. As I had never really "trolled" before, so I had no idea what I was doing.

Anyway, we get into the canoes and start to make our crossing. I let out a bunch of line and held the rod between my legs. After a few miles of paddling we were coming to the end of the lake and that rod doubled over. I pulled back and it felt like I snagged the bottom. Gave the rod to my dad and he immediately could tell it was a massive fish. He begged for me to take the rod back to fight it, but I wasn't having any of that. I knew I wasn't ready for it and made him fight the fish. 20 mins later, up comes a 25 pound Laker. We flop it on board and headed to shore. My Uncle and Cousins were in another canoe and videoed the whole fight on one of those huge old school VHS recorders. I have that old VHS tape around here somewhere.

Anyway, we get to shore with this Laker and it was as big as most of us kids. Lots of pics taken. We ran into some other backcountry canoers and showed them the fish. The look on their faces was priceless. As it was the end of our trip, we had run out of most of our food, so that beast fed us extremely well for the last 2 days.

Once we got back to the lodge | civilization, we told the lodge owner about the fish. He asked how big and I pointed to the big laker mounted behind him and said it was at least twice as big as that fish. His jaw hit the ground. Said no way. So we showed him the video and he about cried. Turns out he'd lived there his whole life and never saw a Laker bigger than about 15 pounds. Then we told him we ate it all down to the bone and tears really started to flow. The end.
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#1022933 - 02/26/20 12:26 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Salmo g. Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 13521
Things do seem to be looking up. The tug really is the drug, and I got one good grab yesterday. Couldn't get it to come back though. That's what things have come to, we're counting the grabs as well as fish hooked and lost. My friend hooked and lost one yesterday morning, so we know there are a few around. Few being the operative word. Still an improvement over fishing 5 different days without so much as the proverbial nibble.

First steelhead? Totally unglamorous and drama free. Orange Okie drifter and eggs at the Barrier Dam on the Cowlitz, 1970, about 2 years after steelhead began returning to the "new" Cowlitz River hatcheries.

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#1022940 - 02/26/20 01:14 PM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
FleaFlickr02 Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 10/28/09
Posts: 3314
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
Originally Posted By: FleaFlickr02
All these memories are cool, and the old pics are awesome.

I grew up in Colorado and Texas, so I never fished for steelhead as a youngster, but I recall being fascinated every time I saw a picture of one in one of the old editions of Salmon/Trout/Steelheader the guy at our local "fly shop" (it was the sporting goods section at the local grocery store) gave me one day while I was chewing the fat with him.

In 1999, at age 25, single, and ready for something new, I decided to move to Olympia and get back into fly fishing, with the primary goal being catching my first steelhead. It took me over a year, but I finally scored on a HOT Kalama (hatchery) summer run of about 10 lbs. on a marabou spider. Since then, I've caught a bunch more, on all different types of gear, but they are getting fewer and farther between these days, partly because I don't fish as hard as I used to most days, but also because they're getting rare. That said, I thought I should break the mold a bit and remind everyone that, while we don't always get 'em these days, when we do, it's just as cool as ever. Keep fishin', people!



The Kalama fly water above the hatchery was amazing back in the day during the whole Teeny Nymph years.

My friend and I ended up meeting the daughter and heading down to their place to visit.


Cool!

I only wish I'd been fishing the fly-only water, which still looks great, but seems to be missing the key ingredient of fish since about 1990. I was fishing the tailout of the Beginner's Hole. Not as glamorous as a backdrop, but the fish was still a badass!

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#1022944 - 02/26/20 01:35 PM Re: Fishing [Re: RUNnGUN]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Originally Posted By: RUNnGUN
Ok. I have never posted pics on this site before. Now I have to! Someone still have the instructions to do so? Especially old prints like above. Look like some Cowlitz fish? You look familiar?



Dad?

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#1022945 - 02/26/20 01:43 PM Re: Fishing [Re: FleaFlickr02]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Originally Posted By: FleaFlickr02
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
Originally Posted By: FleaFlickr02
All these memories are cool, and the old pics are awesome.

I grew up in Colorado and Texas, so I never fished for steelhead as a youngster, but I recall being fascinated every time I saw a picture of one in one of the old editions of Salmon/Trout/Steelheader the guy at our local "fly shop" (it was the sporting goods section at the local grocery store) gave me one day while I was chewing the fat with him.

In 1999, at age 25, single, and ready for something new, I decided to move to Olympia and get back into fly fishing, with the primary goal being catching my first steelhead. It took me over a year, but I finally scored on a HOT Kalama (hatchery) summer run of about 10 lbs. on a marabou spider. Since then, I've caught a bunch more, on all different types of gear, but they are getting fewer and farther between these days, partly because I don't fish as hard as I used to most days, but also because they're getting rare. That said, I thought I should break the mold a bit and remind everyone that, while we don't always get 'em these days, when we do, it's just as cool as ever. Keep fishin', people!



The Kalama fly water above the hatchery was amazing back in the day during the whole Teeny Nymph years.

My friend and I ended up meeting the daughter and heading down to their place to visit.


Cool!

I only wish I'd been fishing the fly-only water, which still looks great, but seems to be missing the key ingredient of fish since about 1990. I was fishing the tailout of the Beginner's Hole. Not as glamorous as a backdrop, but the fish was still a badass!



Even more memories.
Sight fishing schools of summer-runs.
I fished the light line tournament every year on the Kalama below the beginners.
My first noodle was a spiral wrapped Loomis Composite.
I believe the guy's name was Robert Reedy that ran the upper hatchery back then and he built it for me.
Caught hundreds of fish on that rod.

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#1022946 - 02/26/20 01:48 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
steelhead59 Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 01/09/07
Posts: 155
Loc: Olympia, WA
My first steelhead came from the Elochoman river 1975. I was up here from for Christmas vacation from Kansas. we camped on the main Toultle river a Harry Morgan Park and drove to the Elochoman river to fish. I was standing next to my Uncle and he said you got a bite, and I said no it's just the damn rocks, he grabbed my pole and set the hook. I fought the 9 pound buck steelhead like a champ and put him on the bank. The next day I woke up early and put my hip waders on and grabbed my pole walked down to the Cable Hole on the main Toutle, made a few casts and felt the same nibble I had the previous day and set the hook, 10 pound chromer hen, Walked back up to my spot 10 casts later a 17 pound buck blazed me around the corner and a the chase was on. The fish was fighter but I finally landed him. I walked back to our camp site at the park and woke up my Uncle, he said where did you get those fish, I caught them, he said did feel the bite, just like the day before! He told me from now on you will never have any problem catching Steelhead now that I knew what the bite felt like. He was right!!!!!

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#1022948 - 02/26/20 02:49 PM Re: Fishing [Re: Salmo g.]
Jason Beezuz Offline
My Waders are Moist

Registered: 11/20/08
Posts: 3440
Loc: PNW
Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
Things do seem to be looking up. The tug really is the drug, and I got one good grab yesterday. Couldn't get it to come back though. That's what things have come to, we're counting the grabs as well as fish hooked and lost. My friend hooked and lost one yesterday morning, so we know there are a few around. Few being the operative word. Still an improvement over fishing 5 different days without so much as the proverbial nibble.


So true. The last few years I went from hooked fish near daily to hooking a couple a season on my home waters that close early. It is really starting to grind my gears how many people I talk to that went 1 for 5. Or hooked and lost one. Or landed a twenty pounder. I’ve been fishing these waters for 20+ years, and apparently I forgot how to fish because it seems like everyone is out fishing me. I really think 90% of steelhead are BS right now. Nobody wants to admit how bad it is, they would rather brag about made up fish to stoke their ego.
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#1022949 - 02/26/20 02:51 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Bent Metal Offline
Carcass

Registered: 01/09/14
Posts: 2312
Loc: Sky River(WA) Clearwater(Id)
beer

I love the first steelhead stories! I remember fishing around Jims Rock on the Sky when I was early/ mid teens, dad would drive me to river and fish with me, as I wasn't old enough to drive. We put alot of time in around Cracker Bar because that is where we were told that was a good spot, well, we had seen alot of fisherman come and go from the gravel bars and nobody ever carrying anything out. We went out around Xmas break when I didn't have school and fished several days, water was low, clear, and cold. I decided to go away from our clown spin n glo and yarn and run straight store bought borax eggs on a #4 hook. We went to the same drift that never panned out, and after a couple hours of cast, step, cast, step, my drift rig tapped differently and I set the hook as a 7-9lb chromer shoots out of the water and spits the hook.... I was devastated, and for the next several months that fish haunted me, now 25 years later and hundreds of steelhead under my belt, I wish I could go back in time and land that fish...lol It wasn't my first fish, but for some stupid reason it left an impression on me. Possibly because I had never caught and took home a hatchery fish
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#1022950 - 02/26/20 03:50 PM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
Originally Posted By: RUNnGUN
Ok. I have never posted pics on this site before. Now I have to! Someone still have the instructions to do so? Especially old prints like above. Look like some Cowlitz fish? You look familiar?



Dad?


Doubt that! I think I'm younger than you, but as kids may have seen you around ondariv.
I Teeny Nymphed the [Bleeeeep!] out of the upper Kalama flywater just below Summers creek, when they moved good numbers hatchery summers over the falls. I think it was the early 90's? That was hot fishing clear into October. I regret not getting on the Toutle before the mountain blew. My neighbor would go every weekend and come home with limits. I guess girls were the distraction then?
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#1022957 - 02/26/20 07:46 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Bobber Downey Jr. Offline
Parr

Registered: 04/01/15
Posts: 46
Loc: Bellingham, wa
I remember my first steelhead pretty well. It was my second year living in bellingham, and I had plans to fish with a buddy the next day on the nooksack. The night before, however, I got pretty messed up at a bar, and went home with a girl and did a bunch of cocaine and OxyContin. Between that and the sex, there was zero sleep. Morning came, and I picked up my buddy and later that day I caught a small wild buck on a pink fly I had tied. must have shot a whole roll of film on that fish, man it was a big deal. Must have been a long time ago. I don’t fly fish anymore, the river is usually closed now, and my buddy who took the pictures died in 2010 from heroin. I had talked to him on the phone just the day before he died. We had made plans to fish

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#1022958 - 02/26/20 07:48 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
Myass - the Boundary Waters is unbelievable fishing. It's so remote and there are so many lakes to choose from, that the fish are completely uneducated, numerous and very hungry. Walleye to 5 lbs., Smallies to 5 lbs. and as many big Pike that you can stand to catch. Lakers are only in the big, deep lakes - but a half acre "pond" could (and did) hold a 10 pound Pike no problem. Top water, spoons, jigs, buzzbaits. My favorite by far were Smallies on the bug rod. Angry and mean. Everything pretty much ate everything. I want to say our biggest Northern tipped the scales around 20 pounds give or take. Crystal clear water so you could see the fish follow and the take. Nothing like a big Pike cruise missile coming out of the depths to crush your offering. Trip of a lifetime and its pretty darn inexpensive to boot.
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#1022959 - 02/26/20 07:56 PM Re: Fishing [Re: Bobber Downey Jr.]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: Bobber Downey Jr.
I remember my first steelhead pretty well. It was my second year living in bellingham, and I had plans to fish with a buddy the next day on the nooksack. The night before, however, I got pretty messed up at a bar, and went home with a girl and did a bunch of cocaine and OxyContin. Between that and the sex, there was zero sleep. Morning came, and I picked up my buddy and later that day I caught a small wild buck on a pink fly I had tied. must have shot a whole roll of film on that fish, man it was a big deal. Must have been a long time ago. I don’t fly fish anymore, the river is usually closed now, and my buddy who took the pictures died in 2010 from heroin. I had talked to him on the phone just the day before he died. We had made plans to fish


Sorry about your friend.

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#1022961 - 02/26/20 08:06 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Bobber Downey Jr. Offline
Parr

Registered: 04/01/15
Posts: 46
Loc: Bellingham, wa
He was a great guy who was flawed, as all of us are, I guess.

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#1022963 - 02/26/20 09:17 PM Re: Fishing [Re: Bobber Downey Jr.]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: Bobber Downey Jr.
He was a great guy who was flawed, as all of us are, I guess.
I've had more than my share of that sort of thing.

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#1022985 - 02/27/20 12:31 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
steelheader316 Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 03/04/10
Posts: 170
Loc: Moscow, Idaho
What a great...and heartbreaking thread. For the first time in my 39 years, my beloved Clearwater shut down due to the lowest return over Lower Granite that they've ever recorded. For the last 11 years or so, I've mostly lurked here and followed the WA decline as told by you all. I read everything I can on steelheading and all of it tracks the frustration and loss expressed here (Gallagher's sublime "Wild Steehead" and Herzog's writings capture the loss especially well). Western WA truly is steelhead paradise lost, and as I read the wonderful stories, I notice all the stream names shut down, and though I've never fished the westside, what has been lost is incalculable. Maybe because I finally experienced a closure, as all of you have for years/decades, that I'm reading this with a pit in my stomach, but regardless, losing the opportunity to pursue the greatest sport fish on the planet is a huge loss, when one lose's their home river (Skagit, Sauk, Sky for many here and the Clearwater for me (though it reopened)), it feels like a death.

Anyhow, my first: 1988; 8-years old, Snake River, less than a mile upriver from Asotin, drifting a naked rocket red/black stripes/white wing spin n' glow from my uncle's jet boat almost at dusk. 23 1/2 inches, perhaps a 3- pound extremely bright hatchery fish, and the only one caught by us that day. I was already hooked on steelhead before that one, as I had personally seen steelhead caught by my late dad and uncle, but that little silver runt sealed a passion that will never die.

I hope the resilient mykiss can rebound in the PNW and that we will see some openings like the Skagit in the future. Hard to have a big piece of one's identity stripped from you.


Edited by steelheader316 (02/27/20 12:31 PM)
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#1022996 - 02/27/20 01:42 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
steelhead59 Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 01/09/07
Posts: 155
Loc: Olympia, WA
Wild fish are returning in fairly good numbers in the past few weeks, 4 days fishing and I have hooked 15 fish, largest being 37.00 inches X 18.500 inches. Lots of smaller silver bullets with sea lice. So it's not doom and gloom. Just lucky there are a few rivers still open here in Washington.

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#1023011 - 02/27/20 02:22 PM Re: Fishing [Re: steelhead59]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
Originally Posted By: steelhead59
Wild fish are returning in fairly good numbers in the past few weeks, 4 days fishing and I have hooked 15 fish, largest being 37.00 inches X 18.500 inches. Lots of smaller silver bullets with sea lice. So it's not doom and gloom. Just lucky there are a few rivers still open here in Washington.


No...it's not all doom and gloom. Some VERY nice fish are around. I haven't been out myself due to work, but I will be soon! Can't wait.

The Tug is the Drug!
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#1023094 - 02/27/20 10:29 PM Re: Fishing [Re: NickD90]
AP a.k.a. Kaiser D Offline
Hippie

Registered: 01/31/02
Posts: 4533
Loc: B'ham
Originally Posted By: NickD90
I will be soon! Can't wait.


Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

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#1023102 - 02/27/20 11:05 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
No kidding. Between the fish, work, rivers, WDFW and my own ineptitude, the odds are long.
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#1023107 - 02/28/20 08:05 AM Re: Fishing [Re: NickD90]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


I think he means river closures,or so I've heard,which really puts a damper on my plans for a trip up there next month.

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#1023120 - 02/28/20 08:39 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
snit Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 1844
Loc: Wenatchee, WA
On Monday I was at 3Rivers Marine, dropping my boat off for some work to be done. Driving from Wenatchee to Woodinville by myself was surreal. I had the radio off, and just enjoyed the dam near 50 years of life/fishing memories flood back as I wound up the Wenatchee and through Tumwater Canyon (CLOSED) where my dad and I spent countless days in the 70's.

As I descended Stevens and I approached Index, I remembered the mid-80's on the South Fork where we would fish the Falls at the boundary line for winter runs (until the State got wise and adjusted it further upstream). There were GIANT fish in there in January that we lost when they decided to leave the pool! Also, the North Fork (snaggy friggin' NF) could be a hidden gem when it ran "gin clear" once the temps and water level dropped from a high water event. We would glow-ball directly above the bridge at Index, after spotting our prey from the bridge by the lone street light at the intersection. Those fish even had sealice on them sometimes. (CLOSED)

All the Upper Sky water I fished from the mid 80's to the early 2000's, mostly as a bank maggot, but some drift boat trips. The people I'd befriend in Big Bend so I could park at their yards so I didn't have to beat the banks (and I could get to the better spots quicker). The reflection I had done with my own life, by standing on rocks in that section of River, thinking and sorting out my own life's problems during my teenage and early 20's while catching fish was my "therapy". High Bridge was my 1st drift boat ride ever! Remembering my dad tell me the story of his 1st "real" steelhead at the mouth of the Wallace the year after I was born (he didn't consider summer runs on the Wenatchee "real" steelhead, too easy to catch). The crowds at Sultan taking out/launching, the picket fence of guys on the cracker bar. Walking over in the middle of the day and being "that guy" by making a half dozen casts and catching 2 fish and being done! Breakfast/dinner at the Sportsman Diner before it burned down. I never really liked fishing from Sultan to 2-Bit, too boring for a kid. Good water just boring to me. 2-bit could be awesome! At Lewis Street, twice I remember waves of winter fish coming in a few hours after a tide change in January. EVERYONE had fish, it was just incredible!! Launching behind the Reformatory in the late 80's-90's(Indian Hole, Hanson Dairy Hole) held big natives, and we'd float all the way to Douglas Bar (had a key). Also the chum were dime bright into early January back then too. Winter quarter was very difficult to keep grades up at the UW back then.

After I dropped my boat off, I decided to drive back on I-90, so I cut across through Lewis Street in Monroe. More memories! Fishing the Lower Snoqualmie behind Carnation Farms...walked in one time with a buddy and got into a mess of fish coming out of the Snohomish (CLOSED) and it was just a really neat experience. Nobody around, we just hooked/lost/broke/landed, and finally killed fish. Globalling big summer runs beneath Snoqualmie Falls in the 80's was quite a thrill, lost alot of them too when they decided to leave the big pool! Winter fishing the Raging (CLOSED). I then drove through TOLT (CLOSED), which I never fished but my dad did as our good family friends had a house right on the river. Pops caught a few fish out of, but Dick knew it really well and at times in the late 70's he would do very well on it. It was really cool!

Most of us could pen the same song with just "a drive around the block", especially you "local" guys that grew up on these rivers. Just a sad state in general that basically, the entire state is fu%&ing closed to steelhead fishing!!!
_________________________
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#1023126 - 02/28/20 08:47 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
People that haven't charged a glow ball with a camera flash haven't lived.

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#1023130 - 02/28/20 08:52 AM Re: Fishing [Re: snit]
Todd Offline
Dick Nipples

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 28170
Loc: Seattle, Washington USA
Originally Posted By: snit
On Monday I was at 3Rivers Marine, dropping my boat off for some work to be done. Driving from Wenatchee to Woodinville by myself was surreal. I had the radio off, and just enjoyed the dam near 50 years of life/fishing memories flood back as I wound up the Wenatchee and through Tumwater Canyon (CLOSED) where my dad and I spent countless days in the 70's.

As I descended Stevens and I approached Index, I remembered the mid-80's on the South Fork where we would fish the Falls at the boundary line for winter runs (until the State got wise and adjusted it further upstream). There were GIANT fish in there in January that we lost when they decided to leave the pool! Also, the North Fork (snaggy friggin' NF) could be a hidden gem when it ran "gin clear" once the temps and water level dropped from a high water event. We would glow-ball directly above the bridge at Index, after spotting our prey from the bridge by the lone street light at the intersection. Those fish even had sealice on them sometimes. (CLOSED)

All the Upper Sky water I fished from the mid 80's to the early 2000's, mostly as a bank maggot, but some drift boat trips. The people I'd befriend in Big Bend so I could park at their yards so I didn't have to beat the banks (and I could get to the better spots quicker). The reflection I had done with my own life, by standing on rocks in that section of River, thinking and sorting out my own life's problems during my teenage and early 20's while catching fish was my "therapy". High Bridge was my 1st drift boat ride ever! Remembering my dad tell me the story of his 1st "real" steelhead at the mouth of the Wallace the year after I was born (he didn't consider summer runs on the Wenatchee "real" steelhead, too easy to catch). The crowds at Sultan taking out/launching, the picket fence of guys on the cracker bar. Walking over in the middle of the day and being "that guy" by making a half dozen casts and catching 2 fish and being done! Breakfast/dinner at the Sportsman Diner before it burned down. I never really liked fishing from Sultan to 2-Bit, too boring for a kid. Good water just boring to me. 2-bit could be awesome! At Lewis Street, twice I remember waves of winter fish coming in a few hours after a tide change in January. EVERYONE had fish, it was just incredible!! Launching behind the Reformatory in the late 80's-90's(Indian Hole, Hanson Dairy Hole) held big natives, and we'd float all the way to Douglas Bar (had a key). Also the chum were dime bright into early January back then too. Winter quarter was very difficult to keep grades up at the UW back then.

After I dropped my boat off, I decided to drive back on I-90, so I cut across through Lewis Street in Monroe. More memories! Fishing the Lower Snoqualmie behind Carnation Farms...walked in one time with a buddy and got into a mess of fish coming out of the Snohomish (CLOSED) and it was just a really neat experience. Nobody around, we just hooked/lost/broke/landed, and finally killed fish. Globalling big summer runs beneath Snoqualmie Falls in the 80's was quite a thrill, lost alot of them too when they decided to leave the big pool! Winter fishing the Raging (CLOSED). I then drove through TOLT (CLOSED), which I never fished but my dad did as our good family friends had a house right on the river. Pops caught a few fish out of, but Dick knew it really well and at times in the late 70's he would do very well on it. It was really cool!

Most of us could pen the same song with just "a drive around the block", especially you "local" guys that grew up on these rivers. Just a sad state in general that basically, the entire state is fu%&ing closed to steelhead fishing!!!




This all reminds me of the late 70s and al thru the 80s, too...

Fish on...

Todd
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#1023132 - 02/28/20 08:56 AM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
People that haven't charged a glow ball with a camera flash haven't lived.


thumbs
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#1023133 - 02/28/20 08:58 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
Originally Posted By: AcidAngler
I think he means river closures,or so I've heard,which really puts a damper on my plans for a trip up there next month.


Ya I know, that's why I said rivers and WDFW. Gotta have faith!
_________________________
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#1023138 - 02/28/20 09:40 AM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Todd Offline
Dick Nipples

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 28170
Loc: Seattle, Washington USA
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
People that haven't charged a glow ball with a camera flash haven't lived.


Back when there was actually good fishing in the Cowlitz and I was a lot younger, rolling down there in early December at 8 in the evening, glowballing up a limit before midnight and then another after midnight, and slogging out that long muddy trail back to the boat launch in the dark with four fish...that was really fun.

Fish on...

Todd
_________________________


Team Flying Super Ditch Pickle


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#1023144 - 02/28/20 09:52 AM Re: Fishing [Re: Todd]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Originally Posted By: Todd
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
People that haven't charged a glow ball with a camera flash haven't lived.


Back when there was actually good fishing in the Cowlitz and I was a lot younger, rolling down there in early December at 8 in the evening, glowballing up a limit before midnight and then another after midnight, and slogging out that long muddy trail back to the boat launch in the dark with four fish...that was really fun.

Fish on...

Todd



Don't forget trying to get a fire going out of wet alder too.
Where there is smoke there isn't always fire. frown

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#1023145 - 02/28/20 09:56 AM Re: Fishing [Re: NickD90]
snit Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 1844
Loc: Wenatchee, WA
Originally Posted By: NickD90
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
People that haven't charged a glow ball with a camera flash haven't lived.


thumbs


Whoever dreamed up that flash idea was a genius! Dad stole one from my mom's Canon AE-1, and I stole one from photography class. They sure beat the whimpy ass charge you got with the neverready batteries in the chrome flashlight with the red slide button. You remember the flashlight from the jockey box, cause you left the other one on the kitchen counter with the extra batteries. It didn't really matter cause that red slide button would get pressed in your vest pocket and then the batteries would die anyway.
_________________________
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#1023147 - 02/28/20 10:27 AM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Todd Offline
Dick Nipples

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 28170
Loc: Seattle, Washington USA
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
Originally Posted By: Todd
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
People that haven't charged a glow ball with a camera flash haven't lived.


Back when there was actually good fishing in the Cowlitz and I was a lot younger, rolling down there in early December at 8 in the evening, glowballing up a limit before midnight and then another after midnight, and slogging out that long muddy trail back to the boat launch in the dark with four fish...that was really fun.

Fish on...

Todd



Don't forget trying to get a fire going out of wet alder too.
Where there is smoke there isn't always fire. frown


Truth. I am sure I remember a few nights when it was cold and clear...but those may be wishful thinking.

I for sure remember a bunch where it was 39 degrees and rained all night.

Fish on...

Todd
_________________________


Team Flying Super Ditch Pickle


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#1023150 - 02/28/20 11:40 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
This is an interesting thread. Lots of great memories and stories but almost all are tied to steelhead. When I moved up here for grad school (UW CoF) in '72 steelhead were some sort of mystical fish that took a gazillion hours of staying in a cold river in the rain to catch one. Jokes aside, steelies were about more than just the catching and eating; there was a connection beyond that. Salmon were food. You went salmon fishing to catch dinner. You went steelhead fishing for other purposes.

Perhaps that "other purpose" has been lost not only in we anglers but in the managers an beyond. A fish, any fish, is simply for catching. How can regain that view, or do we want to?

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#1023159 - 02/28/20 04:27 PM Re: Fishing [Re: Carcassman]
stonefish Online   content
King of the Beach

Registered: 12/11/02
Posts: 5205
Loc: Carkeek Park
Originally Posted By: Carcassman
This is an interesting thread. Lots of great memories and stories but almost all are tied to steelhead. When I moved up here for grad school (UW CoF) in '72 steelhead were some sort of mystical fish that took a gazillion hours of staying in a cold river in the rain to catch one. Jokes aside, steelies were about more than just the catching and eating; there was a connection beyond that. Salmon were food. You went salmon fishing to catch dinner. You went steelhead fishing for other purposes.

Perhaps that "other purpose" has been lost not only in we anglers but in the managers an beyond. A fish, any fish, is simply for catching. How can regain that view, or do we want to?


Speaking of salmon, I'm sure others remember just how good the blackmouth and resident coho fishing was at the peak of those programs.
My family spent a lot of memorable days chasing both out on the sound.
SF
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#1023288 - 03/01/20 04:46 PM Re: Fishing [Re: stonefish]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
Originally Posted By: stonefish
Originally Posted By: Carcassman
This is an interesting thread. Lots of great memories and stories but almost all are tied to steelhead. When I moved up here for grad school (UW CoF) in '72 steelhead were some sort of mystical fish that took a gazillion hours of staying in a cold river in the rain to catch one. Jokes aside, steelies were about more than just the catching and eating; there was a connection beyond that. Salmon were food. You went salmon fishing to catch dinner. You went steelhead fishing for other purposes.

Perhaps that "other purpose" has been lost not only in we anglers but in the managers an beyond. A fish, any fish, is simply for catching. How can regain that view, or do we want to?


Speaking of salmon, I'm sure others remember just how good the blackmouth and resident coho fishing was at the peak of those programs.
My family spent a lot of memorable days chasing both out on the sound.
SF


Yes great thread!
Christ, Winter Blackmouth was amazing. We had a boat dry docked at Narrows Marina early 80's. Drift mooch w/ a fresh cut plug was our choice although lots of "Meat Liners" around then. I remember a dude got busted for selling Blackmouth to restaurants. He had no limit and it caught up w/ him. It was that good. One season the marina elevator broke and only a few had their boats in the water and could get out, so no one was around in the evenings. I remember coming in one night and the dock covered in Blackmouth from end to end. Those were the days! Blue boat Frank, or meat line Bob, are you out there?


Edited by RUNnGUN (03/01/20 04:49 PM)
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#1023292 - 03/01/20 05:12 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
Kudos to AcidAngler for starting this thread. It has really shed some light on how grim fisheries are these days compared to the past. This leads me up to a quote from another board for you young guys that might not realize how bad it is. Keep in mind I never got to experience my Grandpas heyday either, and what I thought was great wasn't, compared to his time. "A curious thing happens when fisheries decline. People who aren't aware of the old levels, accept the new levels as normal. Over generations, societies adjust their expectations downward to match prevailing conditions". I guess what I'm thinking is, we can't keep adjusting downward or it will be gone.
_________________________
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller.
Don't let the old man in!

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#1023301 - 03/01/20 06:33 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
eswan Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 01/19/14
Posts: 171
No pics but fishing remains decent. in the last 3 trips dad and I have hooked 13 fish with 10 to hand. so not terrible. there's enough to make it worthwhile. still hate beads they've resulted in most of the fish lost. anyone have any better rigging ideas?? 12lb fluoro 14mm soft bead on t peg #1 octo hook 3" from bead.

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#1023306 - 03/01/20 07:13 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
5 * General Evo Offline
Lord of the Chums

Registered: 03/29/14
Posts: 6825
Drop the 3 inch to 2 inch, reel 1-2 turns before setting the hook...
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#1023313 - 03/01/20 10:45 PM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
GPS Offline
Parr

Registered: 04/09/14
Posts: 43
I got my first, a small buck, on the Puyallup at Anton's. Must have been 1970 because I think I was 7. Not really much of a story, but I remember it bit a pink pearl corkie and I beached it pretty quickly with a heavy spinning rod and green Penn Spin-Fisher reel that my dad used for plunking.

The next year or so we started going to the Cowlitz with my considerably older bro who moved down outside of Centralia specifically to be closer to the Cowlitz. We would drive down what became the Blue Creek trail as far as we could then cross the creek by walking on a couple old car bodies. There were typically more fish on the bank than there were fishermen. Simply crazy by today's standards.

Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
Originally Posted By: Spoonfedhead
Anybody remember when they used to plant skate and the Tilton with trout?

I sure do miss runnin a crawler or a single ball-o-fire (green label) under the smallest float I had in my arsenal.

That's what all started it for me right there.


Remember when they trucked the Tilton full of steehead??


We used to hit the Tilton a lot, mostly in the summer. Caught a few winterruns on the way to or back from the Cowlitz. One summer (pre-'80...?) I was trout fishing way up the road from my brother when the hatchery truck pulled in right in front of me and dumped in a couple hundred springers. It took a while, and about all the gear I had, but I finally beached two. Had to scrounge up some heavier line scraps from the riverbank after several spoolings. God I'd love to have a video of that.



Edited by GPS (03/01/20 10:59 PM)

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#1023314 - 03/01/20 10:48 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Originally Posted By: ReefSkunk
Agreed, big thanks to acidangler for starting a fishing thread on a fishing board. Truly ground breaking.

rofl

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#1023315 - 03/01/20 10:49 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


This thread turned out to be what I was hoping for. Thanks for all the stories.

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#1023316 - 03/01/20 11:16 PM Re: Fishing [Re: eswan]
thaxor Offline
Returning Adult

Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 425
Loc: Olympia, WA
Originally Posted By: eswan
No pics but fishing remains decent. in the last 3 trips dad and I have hooked 13 fish with 10 to hand. so not terrible. there's enough to make it worthwhile. still hate beads they've resulted in most of the fish lost. anyone have any better rigging ideas?? 12lb fluoro 14mm soft bead on t peg #1 octo hook 3" from bead.


Sounds like a pretty decent ratio. My only recommendation would be to try the finesse widegap hooks.

And like the others said, reel into the hook set. Especially when float fishing a bead I find this more effective than setting the hook.


Edited by thaxor (03/01/20 11:18 PM)

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#1023427 - 03/02/20 09:33 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Paul Smenis Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 08/02/12
Posts: 1052
Loc: In a drift boat...
Remember when a guy could go and bank fish the hoko pysht and the clullam drift fishing and catch fish until he got tired of reeling them in ...? Seems like another life


Edited by War-Paint (03/02/20 09:34 PM)
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#1023428 - 03/02/20 09:36 PM Re: Fishing [Re: eswan]
Paul Smenis Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 08/02/12
Posts: 1052
Loc: In a drift boat...
Originally Posted By: eswan
No pics but fishing remains decent. in the last 3 trips dad and I have hooked 13 fish with 10 to hand. so not terrible. there's enough to make it worthwhile. still hate beads they've resulted in most of the fish lost. anyone have any better rigging ideas?? 12lb fluoro 14mm soft bead on t peg #1 octo hook 3" from bead.


I would go size 1 laser sharp light hook but those are good ratios dude. Size 1and smaller is all I ever run even for chinook with lighter test and we done lose many fish if at all.


Edited by War-Paint (03/02/20 09:38 PM)
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#1023557 - 03/03/20 10:05 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Steelheadman Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 03/15/99
Posts: 4214
Loc: Poulsbo, WA,USA
My first memories of fishing with my dad were in the 60s on Lake Cushman and Dogfish Bay. I [Bleeeeep!] my pants in the boat while we were trolling pop gear and worms for cutts on the bay and my dad was pissed. I landed my first catfish on the Rock River back in 69.

Fished alot of salt off the old oil docks in Poulsbo catching cod, flatfish, SRC, and salmon in the 70s. Fished Dogfish creek for Cutts and caught my first steelhead on bobber and worm. I have the pic.
Technically a jack but a sea run. Saw steelhead on local creeks including Grovers creek on our property in West Kingston. Dad took me over to the OP and we fished the Quilcene and Dosewallips but not much action.

Took a break for like a decade after the Bolt decision. Met my wife and her dad starting taking me driftfishing for steelhead in Oregon like 30 years ago. Haven't caught a steelhead since I was down there last summer. Nice buck about 12 or 13 pounds. I have a pic on my FB. I really have trouble posting pics here. There must be a short window to post pics when I'm working. I did do some salt fishing last summer and caught a little resident silver.

Haven't been fishing since. Too much stuff going on in my life. A lot of fishing gear in my garage left unused. Had my daughter's baby shower last weekend and I was looking at the Puyallup valley thinking about all the PS rivers I haven't fished. Only fished the Green and Sky once. I think PA and OP river steelhead fishing is dead and will never be what it once was.
_________________________
I'd Rather Be Fishing for Summer Steelhead!

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#1023559 - 03/03/20 10:10 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
snit Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 1844
Loc: Wenatchee, WA
I always wanted to fish the Hoko and the Pysht, but we always went to Forks. We used to drive along the Pysht in the summer heading down to Pillar Pt, and it was literally a Pysht creek...almost dried up! The 2nd week of August sometimes a few early kings would be crashing bait along the kelp, off the mouth of the Pysht inside of Pillar and if we lucked out it could be REALLY NEATO!! I generally cracked most everything off, as pops would get me set up cause he wanted me to get my ass handed to me as much as possible! He'd say "this ain't going to last forever", you'd better figure it out--and fast son! He knew the writing was on the wall..God those fish pulled hard on mooching gear with 12# maxima
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#1023560 - 03/03/20 10:13 PM Re: Fishing [Re: snit]
Steelheadman Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 03/15/99
Posts: 4214
Loc: Poulsbo, WA,USA
PIllar Point used to be hot. My dad used to fish there. The local groceryman Chet caught the record Chinook there.
_________________________
I'd Rather Be Fishing for Summer Steelhead!

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#1023562 - 03/04/20 06:34 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
snit Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 1844
Loc: Wenatchee, WA
Some of my earliest childhood memories originate at Pilar Point. We'd spend a summer vacation through the '70s there, staying at Silver King Resort, then we switched to the Clallam County Park in '77 I believe (just up the beach). "Old Jack" was the caretaker of the County Park and he ran the little bait shack too. He would mooch up at least 1 50# king each year! There would be a couple 50's taken each year by other lucky anglers but by the late '70's they were dwindling down to maybe 1 big fish the first 2 weeks of August at the County Park. I can still see them being paraded through camp in Jack's wheelbarrow, head and tail hanging over the sides!

Nightly camp life was quite amazing back then, with the men sharing stories of the days fishing after dinner, sitting around campfires and then moving on to the next set of camps and having another beer/cocktail and checking in with the next group of friends (or new folks). Us kids figuring out which camp we'd spend the night at, so our parents could find us at 3am to get up and go fish. (it really was a roving party for the kids and adults alike). Staying with the guides at River Bend on the Kenai and meeting a bunch of "regulars" was a similar experience in the early 200'0's. I've been fortunate (or unfortunate) to of seen the end of big native steelhead and salmon in Wa waters.
_________________________
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#1023566 - 03/04/20 08:13 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Originally Posted By: ReefSkunk
Really enjoying all the end of the world talk. You guys just keep staying home to reminisce on the good times. I’ll enjoy the current good times which aren’t the same of course, but they’re still good.


You guys name drop small streams as if they don’t get fished anymore and can take the pressure of being talked about on the internet. News flash! They’re still fished, for fish, and no they can’t take the extra pressure. So kindly stfu. Thanks.



Very true.

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#1023571 - 03/04/20 09:00 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
DrifterWA Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 04/25/00
Posts: 5074
Loc: East of Aberdeen, West of Mont...
Hey, look at the good side....great time to do all the maintenance on your reels, clean your rods..........so they will be ready for the next early closing in western Washington.
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#1023580 - 03/04/20 12:23 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Krijack Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 06/03/06
Posts: 1531
Loc: Tacoma
I think there was a thread a while back with people reporting the number of rivers or creeks they have caught fish in that are now completely closed for winter steelhead. My guess is that for some of us, 25 to 50% of the places we caught fish in are now closed completely, or at least closed for the later part of the season when winter run fish come in.
Some of these places were only good for one or two fish a year, catch and release, but timed right they were there. I went 2 for 3 on hatchery steelhead one day, a few years ago, on a small creek. Less than 10 hatchery strays show up there on a give year. That one is still open, most are not.

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#1023598 - 03/04/20 01:48 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
steelhead59 Offline
Juvenile at Sea

Registered: 01/09/07
Posts: 155
Loc: Olympia, WA
I did a count a few years back from the list of streams in the regulation book. I had caught Steelhead in over 45 streams and creeks in Western Washington. I started fishing for Steelhead in 1976. A one point all the waters I had caught steelhead in were open to Steelhead fishing and would close the end of February or the last day of March.
Did a lot of brush busting and exploring.

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#1023748 - 03/05/20 10:51 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
You guys are just a bunch of old hippies.






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#1023754 - 03/05/20 12:17 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Thanks for noticing.
It was my dad's, fully restored to killer, 24' Chris Craft.
The varnish was so thick over the wood it magnified the grain and added so much depth.
I sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded on that boat before we finished it..
There wasn't a glass boat that could keep up with us in that heavy inboard across the Westport bar.
We terrorized Sekiu, Westport, and Buoy 10 for years.

He was a contractor and had the boat's name in gold on the back.
Change Order







Here's to you pops!!!!
Thanks for all the good times and helping me be the man I am today.
You Rock!
(Classic where's my cigs search going on)




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#1023756 - 03/05/20 12:19 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Todd Offline
Dick Nipples

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 28170
Loc: Seattle, Washington USA
That's a pretty sweet ride. Any idea where it is now?

Fish on...

Todd
_________________________


Team Flying Super Ditch Pickle


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#1023759 - 03/05/20 12:23 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
I'm not 100% but I believe it ended up in AK.

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#1023760 - 03/05/20 12:26 PM Re: Fishing [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
Originally Posted By: WDFW X 1 = 0
Thanks for noticing.
It was my dad's, fully restored to killer, 24' Chris Craft.
The varnish was so thick over the wood it magnified the grain and added so much depth.
I sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded on that boat before we finished it..
There wasn't a glass boat that could keep up with us in that heavy inboard across the Westport bar.
We terrorized Sekiu, Westport, and Buoy 10 for years.

He was a contractor and had the boat's name in gold on the back.
Change Order







Here's to you pops!!!!
Thanks for all the good times and helping me be the man I am today.
You Rock!






Those pics are dope..
I like the pull tab sippy cup next to you in the top pic...lol

"It'll put hair on your chest son"

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#1023763 - 03/05/20 12:41 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Life's short.........................Live it!!!

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#1023764 - 03/05/20 12:44 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
Life's a garden.....dig it!!!
-Joe Dirt

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#1023780 - 03/05/20 02:02 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
NickD90 Offline
Shooting Instructor for hire

Registered: 10/26/10
Posts: 7260
Loc: Snohomish, WA
Holy Mullet.
_________________________
“If the military were fighting for our freedom, they would be storming Capitol Hill”. – FleaFlickr02

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#1023788 - 03/05/20 02:31 PM Re: Fishing [Re: NickD90]
SpoonFed Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 01/29/19
Posts: 1519
Business in the front...Party in the back..

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#1023797 - 03/05/20 08:01 PM Re: Fishing [Re: SpoonFed]
AcidAngler
Unregistered


Pops looked like a beast. thumbs

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#1023804 - 03/05/20 09:52 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
eyeFISH Offline
Ornamental Rice Bowl

Registered: 11/24/03
Posts: 12766
First ever steelhead was in 1977.... Butch's Hole, Ninilchik River AK, caught incidentally while targeting kings. Caught driftfishing a GOBSTOPPER sized Okie Drifter that I personally tied after first learning how to snell a hook. It was a 38" bright downrunner wild hen that I was prepared to release. Got bullied into keeping it by a bunch of ol'duffers on the bank.

First WA steel was in 1984... Puyallup River, right under the Meridian Bridge, driftfishing a GOBSTOPPER sized Corkie and yarn.

Most recent steelhead was last Friday...

_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!

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#1023808 - 03/06/20 06:54 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
snit Offline
Three Time Spawner

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 1844
Loc: Wenatchee, WA
Those are awesome Pics Dos-Many!
_________________________
..."the clock looked at me just like the devil in disguise"...

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#1023814 - 03/06/20 09:26 AM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
Terry Roth Offline
Returning Adult

Registered: 07/13/12
Posts: 261
Loc: Vashon
Still got that blonde mullet?? O r has it gone gray and thin, like mine??
_________________________
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a night. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.

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#1023979 - 03/07/20 12:04 PM Re: Fishing [Re: ]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Brown.
Still a full head of it.
I imagine that goes against science.
Plant fish!!!

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