If you want youngsters to view salmon in a natural habitat, take them to a stream that has a lot of salmon acting naturally. Hatcheries are a great place to view salmon, but they are basically factories.

The Kennedy Creek area between Olympia and Shelton is a great place to view salmon in a natural setting. The chums plug the creek this time of year and you can see everything that salmon do naturally.

I'm a hatchery lover, but to see salmon up close in the wild would be special for youngsters, or anyone.

2many, I'm still auditioning to be his "before" angler - you know the 90 pound weakling type. Then he can be "after" guy who catches so many fish with his new magic lure he has to hide behind a tree when tying it on.

The Scene,

The camera cuts to me disgustedly breaking my fishing rod over my knee in frustration at my inability to catch any sort of finned creature on my "usual" tackle. Meanwhile The Merg swats away a horde of nubile beauties to make room for another cast with his magic jig, which of course hooks yet another chrome bright 20 plus coho. I break down weeping and Merg strolls off with a 10+ on each arm. The girls are bickering over who gets the right to clean his fish.

Dave,

Bear Creek where you turn off Avendale to your house. Should be Sockeye downstream of the bridge there. I have photographed them spawning there.

You probably wouldn't have to walk more than 100 feet below the bridge.

In a couple weeks there should be some Chums at my place. I can let you know when they show up.