OK, fun little two-part mini-poll here. Part 1: if time and money were no object, where would you live to be able to fish? Cabo? Lakefront on Lake Washington? The sky's the limit.

Part 2: Where would you live if money and time still played a part but you wanted to fish as much as possible? Where you live now? On the banks of the Fraser? The Sky's the limit (heh heh).

banks of the kettle river or lake roosevelt

Part 1 - Terrace BC or somewhere in the Skeena system. Then Cabo in the dead of winter.

Part 2 - Someplace around Chehalis (my hometown) - easy access to SW Washington rivers - easy access to the OP and saltwater out of Westport or South Bend.

If money is no object can I have mutiple houses?

Cabo.
Prince of Whales Island.
Forks.
Asotin.

More?

June - Mid September: Somewhere around Soldotna AK. I would use my cabin on the Kenai as a home base for chasing the fish runs statewide.

Mid Sept: - January: Somewhere near Forks. My homebase to chase the fish runs up and down the coast of WA, OR and BC.

January - June: Maybe somewhere in southern Mexico (Alcapulco or Zijuantanejo?) My homebase for other central American fishing opportunities. (Costa Rica billfish, Tarpon, Bonefish in Belize etc.)

And in between I'd be jetting around the rest of the world (Kamchatka, New Zealand etc.) checking out whatever's available.

It don't get any better than Idaho boys... If money is no object, you could go wherever you want, anytime you want... pretty much like we do right now.

4Salt,
I like your plan!

I just bought my dream place to live,, 40 acres in Rice washington.. The banks of Lake roosevelt...

Part one- I would relocate the playboy mansion to Kalama washington, and I would live there through out all of the hot fishing months and I would hit all of the southwest washingto rivers and occassionally round up a few of the girls and heck even Heffner for a trip up north for some fishing on the sky and the nooksack, when the girls got a tad bit unenthused I would rally up a trip to Hoodcanal to pick some oysters and have an oyster party. I also wouldn't forget about all my fishing buddies and they would have areas to stay in at the mansion as well. I would also start my own steelhead and salmon runs called Bunny fish. Good times had by all.

# 2 I would live right here in University place in Tacoma and drive my usual fishing commutes and pay the usual motel fees and do all the stuff I do now.

#1 I'd have to figure that one out once I had the money in hand.
#2 Montesano
Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Hey mindfusion you are right about the kettle river I own 110 acres with a mile of riverfront in curlew it is like heaven up there We are in the process of building a home up there right now some of the best trout fishing in the state if you ask me I just wish the drive wasn,t so far from tacoma

Great question!

1. Skeena system

2. Asotin

Thats a no brainer

I'd have one of those Prince William Sound islands all to my self.

Although north Vancouver Island is a close second.

Holy Cow!

Jackiepoo-

Did you consider starting the Bunny Lodge? Do you accept visitors? If I win the Lotto do you want to help me set that up? Got an in with Hef?

Sticking strictly to the poll question;

part one: Pacific Coast of Costa Rica on a yacht fully rigged for deep-sea fishing. No expenses barred, I'ld also have a villa in the San Juan highlands. Strangely, Costa Rica is still on my radar screen, although subject to more modest terms.

part two: Done deal. Bought my trailer-trash retirement digs in Cape George almost two years ago. The place ain't much but I have awesome views of the straight AND the mountains. Being a "realist", the place works for me. I figure as long as I can afford gas and a car, I'll be happy.

I would not leave where i'm at SW Wash. Close to all the fishing.

John

1. Zihuatanejo


2. Zihuatanejo

If money were not a factor I do not think I would even really be considered a permanent resident in any country or state as I would probably roam up and down the entire West Coast. But I'd probably have a house or houses in AK, WA, BC, OR, & CA. At this point even being as young as I am I still would not be able to fish every place I'd want to go before I die.

On a boat, up through B.C. and S.E. Alaska in the summer and down to Baja during the winter. But, fly back up to Alyeska to Ski a few weeks in the winter.

Ok, now without the money; on a boat doing above except boat is not 150 feet with my private helicopter on the fan tail, servants, and beautiful girls.

McCleary. It is within an hour from about 20 great fishing spots.

Hey, thanks for the great replies everybody, Keep 'em coming.

For me, I'm thinkin' it would be west coast of Vancouver Island in the summer and either Cabo or somewhere Hawaiian in the winter. $$ would only make the digs and boats bigger.

I would bascially follow 4Salt around.... except instead of Cabo which I like I would pick Maui.
Cabo is great but I had the diarrhea

#1: How about 250' Waterfront lot on Lake Chelan with no neighbors.

What????? No one wants to live in Gold Bar

#1 Buy a good motor home and a jeep to tow behind it. Then I would travel around with my fly rods and go trout fishing in Montana/Wyoming/Idaho/B.C, Salmon & Steelhead fishing in Washington, Oregon, B.C, and Alaska, with the occational trip to New England for native brook trout and Atlantic Salmon in Canada. I might even fish some Great Lake rivers for steelhead.

#2 property in Montana near some famous rivers and less famous but equally fun rivers, or property in Alaska or the OP.

Leadthrower, I do!!
I'm simple.
Sky Valley near the Sky will do for me!

RIGHT HERE!




Course, the above was taken at

Mike

Let me guess, Mike.
The mighty Skagit!

Ya just gotta love it!

Not all peaches and cream though...there is a price to pay for living this far out.

Safeway - 38 miles away.

Doctor or Hospital - 24 miles away.

Home Depot - 35 miles away.

I-5 - 33 Miles away.


Salmon, Steelhead, FISHING - 100 ft. away.

Who needs Safeway, Doctors, Home Depot and I-5?

Mike

I'm with you on that! Mike.
What about high speed internet, Do you get that out there?

No true "high-speed" like you would get from the cable TV type, but we have a fairly fast (800k+) DSL connection.

Frankly, having had Comcast high-speed via the TV cable that typically ran 1.2 meg+, and now this Verizon DSL line at 800k+ you really can't tell the difference.

So far, Verizon DSL has been a far better choice in terms of service and performance. -0- down time in months.

Mike

DSL will work just fine, Mike.
You're lucky verizon provides dsl service out in your area.
I live in Lynnwood and verizon could not provide dsl service, go figure??
However, cable company was happy to provide their high speed service.

OK, I'll bite.... finally:

In my heart, my "home" river will always be the mighty Kenai.... the river where I first wet a line as an 10 yr old kid.... the place where my lifelong fishNaddiction was spawned. But realistically it's only a 4 month season.... 5 tops if you are pushing it, unless of course ice fishing is your gig.

From a practical point of view, it's pretty damn tough to beat good old Grays Harbor. Summer steelhead right in my back yard, within an hour or two in several SW WA streams, or a couple hours north on the coastal OP. Summer fishing for ocean salmon, bottomfish, and later tuna. Fantastic salmon fishing in my back yard during the fall. Winter steelhead again in my back yard or up TRBO's way. Springers and sturgeon a couple hours south to the Columbia. Did I say summer steelhead....

Ok that's one hell of a never-ending fishing season, don't you think? Now if I could just break away a little more often to enjoy it.

When I moved over to Port Angeles in 1971 from the "busy side of the water" where I had lived since 1952 (minus Army time and a few brief excursions to Alaska) I felt like I had moved into heaven......really. There was an endless list of fishing, crabbing, shrimping, hunting, drinking (a past vice now), and no shortage of women (another vice of yesteryear).....flatass awesome! Fishing and Logging were the main stays, and most everything revolved around those two industries. I liked and respected those independent, self-reliant, "don't-need-nor-want-your-help, thanks-very-much" folks (referred to occasionally now as "knuckle-draggin, hickory-shirted, mouth- breathing Neanderthals").

So times change and we are where we are.....I liked it better the old way. That said, I suspect that Alaska (at least for the Summer months) is the only place that could even remotely come close to what it used to be like locally, so if I had my choice it would be up North .......but then I'm sure my wife has other ideas. (We need a “wussy-whipped” icon.

)

I would have a few modest,cozy,pads on the following waters.
1) Marathon Key during Tarpon season
2) Sitka for chinook,Halibut, A house boat will do here 26ft Sea Sport, twin 250 Mercs, home sweet home.
3) Cabin on the upper,upper HOKO I just had a wet dream over this post....