What happened in the 60's should stay in the 60's.

More I think of it, so should the 70's and 80's!

And as far as the fishing was concerned, we complained just as much back then as we do now. Maybe more.

Amazing how many wild steelhead there were back then.......

Keith

Pretty awesome! Thanks for goin thru all the work of scanning them.

Awesome thread.

Who is the dude in the green shirt at the top - he looks a lot like a buddy of mine.

Thanks for putting that together - I took my own little trip down memory lane on the Cow while I was looking at your pics.

2many--
Yes we worked on those tall oar locks for years until we go the right angle and height. I even had some of my fellow Boeing guys in the labs perfecting the alloy to use as the higher we went, the more they bent with those 10 and 12 foot oars.
Back then it was true free drifting, I had a set of guns back then from pumping those oars to slow us down to get the bait down along that high bank hole, but boy when I got it slowed down just right, it was whack almost every time.

Where you there when the bank caved in and took out those 2 boats along the high bank? That was something and one of those time most guys were pretty happy they were not anchored there that day!

The other good point about that time on the Cow, was that you could fish all the way to the Salmon hatchery and the fishing was just as good up as down from Blue creek.
Our only delema was how many days on the Cow and how many days on the North Fork Lewis which had plenty of fish but they were much bigger down there. One early summer we had 2 clipped fish over 20 and 3 over 15 on the same trip.
Ah, the memories!

Ah....the days before Boldt

what the hell does boldt have to do with the cowlitz?

Dan,
I need more info.
I strolled through the first many pics and didn't see a green shirt???
Call out the pic and I'll give the name.

Yes we were there that day, or a day like it, and pulled some guys off a root wad below Bear rug or just above Hartman's cabin.
It was both scary and stupid to be anchored next to the clay banks when that thing started to thaw.
One day the river was so littered with tackle, corkies, and a few thermos that it was a little spooky.
Back then it was fools in lake boats with oars. Now it's fools in Bayliners.

I've been told the shirt is blue.



Holy sh!t I'm getting old.

Your only as old as you feel Dan.
Your Green may be a lessor man's Blue.

Were any of you guys there the day the cow came down the bank and ended up in the water? I was on Anderson bar and watched the whole thing...circa...???...1986? !983?

Can't remember the year, it was around then.

Watched the damn cow swim around a few boats, mooing to beat all for about half an hour.

Fish on...

Todd

I heard about the cow but was not there for that event!
Those were the days of hog lines, sometimes as many as 40 or 50 boats anchored up along the willows, made it real hard for us doggers to get through and man did they bitch as us,,,,until they watched us pick off fish after fish and then all of a sudden they joined us in the free drift, then it turned into a circus as everyone did it different, pretty comical.
Then Clancy perfected the motor dogging and that changed it all once more but did help keep everyone in some what of a pattern!
And then there is the guy that shows up in his 24 foot bayliner/prop, now that was some funny [Bleeeeep!]!
Or the guy we watched come down through the fast water to the wall in a 20 dollar k-mart rubber raft and plastic oars, he did enjoy his swim to the bar. A sled got his little raft back for him and ran him back to the launch.
Or the guy that came down in his brand new 20 footer for the first time and ran right through the fast water and plowed into the high bank at about 20mph, I stll remember his legs up over his head when he hit. Everyone was OK.
Or the guy running up at about 40mph in the fog and driving right into the back of a guide sled, smashed the crap out of both boats.
Or the guys that were transfering gas (not sure why) and caught there boat on fire.
Oh my, memories, I could go on for hours, but I got to head out for a trip to Colorado.
I am sure there are more stories coming!

The first low water of the year we would go pick up anchors along the clay bank.

i was there the sunday before the big collaspe/slide. i thought that was in early 90s and on a superbowl sunday too.