Growing up I fished Steilacoom Lake Off the Interlaken Bridge almost every day during the summer. During this time I met or heard of several of the lake legends. First there was iceman. He would show up every morning at 7am with sixer of Hamms Ice(hence iceman). It wasn't his fishing skills that made him a legend, it was his ability to put down the entire six pack by 7:45am, that made him a legend. Then there was Jenkins king of all hooksetters. Legend had it he once set the hooks so hard he broke his arm. If you ever saw him set the hook, you could see the legend was probably true. Next came an old timer only known to my buddies and me as Velveeta. He received this name because he swore up and down that Velveeta Cheese was the best bait ever. I never did see him catch a fish on that mystical product. And lastly there was Heller, the greatest fisherman the south sound had ever seen. He reached cult status on the bridge. Heller had reportedly caught numerous trout pushing the 10# mark in almost every lake in the county. Although myself or any of my friends never did see his legendary efforts, we still considered him the greatest of all time.
Any other local legends out there?

Fish Bills boathouse on American Lake in March and you will see plenty self proclaimed legends. They will be the one's who are quick to criticize your tactics all the while boasting up their trout tactics and prowess. Year after year I have to witnessed these legends in true form when a first timer shows up. The first timer gets the same arrogant attitude from the same people I encountered years ago. I enjoy taking my boy there year after year and have learned not to fish next to those with legendary status. It also gets me a little fuzzy inside if me and the boy put on a little mini clinic, leaving the legends to ponder how anyone but them could possibly catch those intelligent little stocked bows.

FJ...out.

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Fish Jesus ]

has anyone ever heard of Ahole the spoiler? he the guy that sneeks into your hole when your not looking. then he snags up and breaks off and disappears. he been spotted on just about every river known to man. be on the look out. i saw him last week.

Does he have a family? If so I have a confirmed sighting. They bull rushed me last night on the Cow while glowballing. It must have been him with his girlfriend and maybe his brothers. The spoiler
must be changing up tactics though because after climbing in my pocket they didn't leave. When will I ever learn not to hook a fish when spoiler is lurking? The hard part is determining his alias as it is ever changing.

FJ...out.

Fish Jesus can also be called F.J the stealer! I have seen him steal a fish from me twice... His motive works like this.....I hook a fish, "just" as he happens to cast over my line....his hook travels down my line....and poof, I come unbuttoned, and he says "fish on" If this doesn't qualify as legendary status, nothing does.

Randy,
#1 My prophetic ability gives me a sixth sense. I like to utilize the gift when I can sense that you are about to choke one off!
#2 I got you covered, what are friends for! Mention nothing of it.
#3 Attaching such a strong word like stealing to my moniker doesn't sound very appealing to me. How bout FJ got backup!

FJ...out.

Fishing is my religion!

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Fish Jesus ]

ahole has been making an appearance up here as well could he be related to s clause he certainly gets around.... one odd trait of ahole ive noticed is he has a short memory... on a previous outing a hole climbed in my pocket also and after hi holing lo holing and every other hole he could find he wandered down the river to find his next intimate fishing partner.... well the next day i came upon ahole and decided to mimick his previous fishing antics... i climbed on his back and hiholed loholed and every holed i could think of also.... ahole side eyed me glared at me snorted stomped and cursed under his breath at me he couldnt seem to believe anyone could have such terrible fishing ettiquete, when i was satisfied with my experiment i was off with a good day to you and a smile....

That ahole sure gets around. I met him on the Kalama. He actually stood behind me and made a cast over the top of me. Iwas so confused by his tactics that I ust stood there dumbfounded. He stayed around until I did a double handed, cross the eyes, rip that fishes head hook set on phantom fish and smacked him i the face with the rod. He left soon after.
In all reallity I do know a Living fishing legend. Ermie Walters, The best salmon and steelhead angler I have ever met.

Richard Paradinski AKA Bank Maggot or Twitchy Richie,I've never seen anyone catch fish like him
NEVER !!,He was on the Pro staff for Oregon Fishing Club put on lots of seminars for GI JOES and Fisherman's,smoked a ton of cigs a day,and that guy could snore he could be fishing on the cowlitz and wake you up in Portland !!! He always had time to instruct someone or help them learn to fish or esp. Bobber fish and he was a good friend.My Wife and I miss him a lot .
Bob

Could he be the regular named Richard that homesteads sometimes down at Blue Creek. He once proclaimed his legendary status to me of being the #1 fisherman on the Cowlitz. I thought it was quite an accomplishment being the difficult spot that BC is.

We simply refer to him as.....#1

FJ...out.

Fishing is my religion.

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Fish Jesus ]

Richard died about 4 yrs ago,he never was one to brag,he just caught fish a lot of fish.He would help anyone who asked for it anytime.He did fish the cowlitz but not very often maybe two or three times a year in winter.Tall thin guy raspy voice smoked a ton of cigs.,and would wander up and down the bank,seemed like he couldn't stand still he was always moveing.
Bob

Sorry Dawhunt, I'm not thinking of the same guy, obviously!

Your Richard, no doubt, exemplified the true essence of what fishing should be about. I admire a guy that will take time out to mentor a stranger with out coming across like a pompous know it all.
I tip my hat to your legend. May his memory and that of others like him live on in all of us!

FJ...out.


Fishing is my religion dammit!

FJ,
Met the "Spoiler Family" last night, although they beat us to the punch (they got there first) and didnt get to use their tactics on us. However they did do alot of longlining hooksets on all of us, even though they didnt leave their spot, they still thought our spot was better.

Rock, let me guess you were just above the point where the stump pile used to be.

So how did you fare? Went 2-5 friday from 9pm till 2:30am. Rode Mr. Snappys air service home and it only took 35min............I'm just kidding!


FJ...out.

Fishing is my religion dammit!

i have heard of a fishing legend down in orgeon, cant think of his "initials" right now,

FJ,
I posted my stats for the night over on Matts board. And yes that was the spot. I almost forgot about one other tactic they employed. The ole "whats casting sequence?" method. It worked to perfection, fouling up several of my own as well many other's drifts.
Im ready for that Nooch drift when you are, Im dying to get my ass whupped on the bug rod like I do the drift gear.
Tight Lines
RL(Dew)

How the hell is somebody sposed to know where they're casting at night anyway? I've never night fished because of that one thing (mostly). I would think you'd get hook plenty of 'neighbor fish', snag on things you can't see in the water, etc because you can't see where you're casting. Someone care to enlighten me how this is possible, unless your in boat out in open water in the Columbia, with a lantern...

KB, it's called looking left and right once in a while and being aware of who is casting when. It's not like pitch black conditions exist at night with all those lanterns going.

FJ...out.

Fishing is my religion dammit!

a guy named paul from lone lake. we nicknamed him machine.
tyler