Hiked the North Fork up to Howard Creek. No steelhead but I did run into 4 nice bull trout. Didn't see one other person fishing. Still tons of coho spawning up there, a few in side channels but more in a couple of the tributaries.

Anyone fished above Howard Creek? It looked like some decent water in the stretch.

i don't go up there anymore, had a really bad experience with tweekers about 3-4 years ago... need to get a new side arm before i decide to play with the black teeth bandits

black teeth bandits, haha love it

Bantam, thanks. That's the kind of thing I am interested in. People have mentioned being careful up there, so I wouldn't mind having a little information before I head up there alone again. Any spots to especially watch out? How far up before you need to worry?

I actually decided to head back at the nice pool by the bridge at Howard Creek because I saw a couple guys lingering up ahead near the road...might have been perfectly nice locals, but after reading a couple warnings on this board, decided it wasn't a bad time to head back.

Sultan. Lots of tweekers everywhere up there. People shot at on ben howard road, broken into all over the place, etc. Ask huntingcoug about some of the locals in Sultan. Too bad they shut down the booby trap. It was a classy place!

S & W, don't leave home without it.

Fishy

the only thing bad about shootin tweekers is they turn into zombies, and thats a whole nother story all together

I'm not so worried about getting my vehicle broken into...I mean that sucks, but we all roll the dice on that time to time fishing more remote areas. Specifically I'm wondering about fishing alone past the road washout on the North Fork Sky...some of the warnings make me think it is a little different up there.

i've scene a lot of sheet so far in my time fishing, and robed cult people was one of them up there....meth heads (black teeth bandits)are one a dime a dozen, and what got me was being assaulted putting my rod in the car.... dipshits! should have hit me harder and never stopped at one blow, thats when Mr. Easton comes out and swings for the fences, if i had a side arm with me that day, i probably would have shot someone that day. Instead two out of three got away but one black tooth bandit took a nice beating... that was 3-4 years ago haven't really fished it since...

Myself and a chunk of metal bar was enough to run off a veritable crowd of 'em...they're cowards, but cowards in numbers are something to be afraid of, to be sure.

I'm not a big fan of vigilante justice, but woe to the tweaker who gets caught messing with my rig, my buddies' rigs, or anything else...if they're unlucky enough to be caught in the act.

Fish on...

Todd

It really is differnt up there. A friend of mine used to have a cabin up in Skyco 3 which is above the washout. We used to see a lot of crazy things up there, especially at night.

Wow...nothing like fending off a little assault while looking for steelhead. Odd, too, because I've fished some real urban locations that got a bit sketchy after dark, yet up past the washout on the Galena/Index road one would think you'd need to be more worried about mountain lions or black bears than people...that's too bad. I have second thoughts heading up there alone now.

Huntncoug, what kind of crazy things? Is that the worst part, some of the tents/shacks up by Howard Creek area?

PARKER ALERT! PARKER ALERT!

Also had a friend with a cabin up there and they burned it and others to the ground. Gay ranch....nudist colony....tweakers....bikers....no fish anymore....lovely place.

ROFLMAO

When I worked in the ER we used a tooth to tattoo ratio to diagnose meth use.



It pays to be aware and prepared.
A friend "fell in" and drowned under mysterious circumstances on the North Umpqua last year. All his gear disappeared as well.

A "personal protection device" such as SW, Glock, etc. is a PITA to add to waders, vest and raingear, but maybe is the way to go. Pepper spray is much smaller and can be useful for 2 legged predators, and fits in the wader front pocket easily. Being able to use a tool quickly rather than dig around is important.

I have to really remind myself to stress situational awareness, such as monitoring my 6 as well as the line in the water out front. I have been in situations where simply making eye contact and positioning my body averted a problem.

The sky is my HW and I intend to continue fishing. I like being able to fish alone when the spirit moves, but 2 people can operate as a team and just the fact of 2 people together is a deterrent to assault. I make it a point to talk with other fisher folk; I think we need to kinda look out for each other.

Pepper spray is much smaller and can be useful for 2 legged predators, and fits in the wader front pocket easily. Being able to use a tool quickly rather than dig around is important.


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This sounds like an awesome idea as nobody in their right mind really wants to end up shooting someone. So pepper spray and a buddy with pepper spray when I go back up there.

+1 on pepper spray with a Krav Maga class. I've been blasted and it was pretty difficult to see or breath, which pretty much took me out of the fight.

And though I'm a fan of concealed carry, my G23 is not the right tool for scaring off tweakers who don't have murderous intent. You don't want to be the guy who is waving a pistol without scaring anyone...NOW WHAT? if you DOn't' shoot, you risk getting the gun pulled from you along with all the rest of the stuff they were gonna take in the first place...
Any ol' tweaker-be-good stick (16" of 5/8" rebar) will work.

Of course if they pull first, then the ONLY way to protect yourself is with your sidearm.

Has anyone been murdered by "tweakers" on the Sky?
An old lady gettin' murdered by a kid with an itchy trigger finger doesn't count, and I doubt he was tweakin'...did anybody drug test that kid?

Sounds like a sound strategy. Just please don't spray me when I walk up to say "Hi!" 8^D

Tweaker-Be-Good Stick I love it. I have picked up some good sayings lately. Black Toothed Bandit

You bring up several good points such as lethal vs non lethal force and escalation of force. Non of us interested in living in a peaceful world seeks out potentially lethal conflict. Also, the psychologic and legal ramifications have been shown to been totally involving of time and resources in the aftermath. In other words, you will be very busy, poor, and unable to sleep for a long time, at best.

I think it is a real challenge for an average, intelligent citizen of the republic to sort out use of force decisions, and even more difficult to train them.

Every good personal protection class I have encountered introduces, and practices: movement, distance, time, and options. A big part of the "problem" in fishing is that we all go fishing in part to connect with our greater natural world, and it is a challenge to maintain a peaceful connection with the challenges of the "outside world." We intentionally limit our options. At least, that is my experience.

Also, regardless of experience and training, it is really hard to be "Sword Cleaves Water" in waders, boots, vest and rain gear, with a rod in hand. More like "Michelin Man Methodically Moves Through Mud."

Wading staff is good, and a pole has some utility, but I don't want to break it. Bright flashlight good. Never underestimate throwing rocks.

It is good to be friends on the water. We all want the fish to be healthy, and we need each other. I think the best and highest right now involves being kind and helpful to each other on the water, and in our lives. Just my opinion.