You know, the more I read the post on here and the more I just hear in general I wish I could go back to being a kid. I remember when all there was to fishing was grabbing the boat, tacklebox/vest, poles, a lunch and hitting the lake/river. Just relaxing and trying to catch fish, but more then anything was spending time with my Dad. I do my best to clean up after myself. I do more cleaning for others then anything. I'm finding that fishing has turned from more of a passion to more of a fight anymore. Lounging on the river has become a "gotta get the honey hole first". I decided a couple years ago that it was time to relook at my life and decide what mattered most to me. Fishing wasn't just CATCHING fish, but also enjoying the company you're with or just the outdoors. Alot of the complaints I hear are just, but it's becoming repetitive. As of right now, the best thing to do is do your best to be the best sportsman/woman you can be and set examples to all the rest. Instead of blowing up at someone, try to talk or just smile and say "have a nice day" and grin and bear it. It just has been bothering me hearing about sleds vs drifters, drifters vs bankers, etc etc etc. Why the hell can't we ALL get along and try to cooperate. Alienation of a group or name bashing isn't going to solve anything, just flare tempers more. I think that it's time we get together as a group of sportspeople, once we do that MAYBE we can take on bigger issues such as state/tribal, etc. I'm sorry for venting, just couldn't sleep and I've read enough posts lately that it was bugging me. I had my Dad give me his old trout rod and reel. An old eagle claw glass (w/metal ferrules) and old mitchell on it. Brought back alot of old wonderful memories and kinda made me smile, but made me sad too. I remember my first Steelhead on the Puyallup, but then wondered if my kids will ever catch one there of that quality. I remember floating by guys on the Kalama, Toutle, back in the early/mid 70's and saying "Hi" with smiles. Now you barely get a grunt from a stonecold face who's worried if you saw them hook a fish or not. I remember when people had favorite rivers they fished exclusively and rarely strayed. Now it seems most people hear a report then run to the river. Most of these guys spend their time anchoring in holes and spooking fish, thus ruining fishing for us all who know and love a river (NO, I'm not saying rivers are exclusive, but shouldn't be fished by report, but by pure want). I just worry that my kids won't have a passion for fishing like I do (eventhough they both do now) due to the fact that someone they encounter on a river/water is mean or spiteful to them (like so many more people are nowadays). What's worse is I do my best to teach my kids ethical practices on a river, but hard to enforce when my kids see others do things unethically. I have a picture I love of myself with my two kids holding a 15lb chum that I was about to release (due to C & R on the Nooch that year). Then, I had to try to explain why I released mine, while a driftboat up at the head of the hole was hooking them and conking them in their boat. I know the past will never come back, but I hope maybe someone will read this, and look back at their past. Maybe it may change their minds about how they do things, maybe they'll just think I'm an asshole. If we'd all get back to basics maybe things could change for the better. My logic now is, I fish because it's something I love to do, if I catch something great, if not it's a good day on the water. I don't need first light, or first run on a slot. I can fish all day, and take my time doing it and just letting my kids enjoy their Dad as much as I enjoy them. Just food for thought, just had to get that off my chest while I couldn't sleep.

------------------

Interesting Steel. Now I too will be able to sleep better knowing there are still some good fishing people like you around. Thanks for expressing those good thoughts! And hopes!

Word!

Reading you're post Jerry brought back many fond memories for me also, the good old days of the Nisqually , Satsop and such...looking forward to our float can't wait... thanks for the post nuff said thanks Mike

------------------
Row Quietly and fish a Catarft ----<'))>>{
Release all Wild Fish

[This message has been edited by Osprey (edited 06-05-2000).]

Amen to all of that!!

Wow, I'm surprised of the positive feedback I'm getting. I figured I'd get the "shut the hell up" feed backs. I almost canceled out the post when I woke up the next day, kinda glad I didn't now.

Oh yeah Jax, I sent you some email and we'll get together soon. My cat's been on a flyfishing float in Montana all last week without me and now I'm dying to get it out on the water myself.

Thanks everyone and maybe someone will read this post and change their attitudes towards things.....

------------------

why to go steelheader69, you just reminded me of my first steelhead on the puyallup. first time my dad took me out, just below the old bridge at alderton at the tail out of the long riffle.
threw out all the way across from the east shore line to right next to the rock wall, bounced down until came to a small sand bar and rught at the bottom, bam!!, 9 pound steelie.
use to fish there all the time after that, took a buddie, got his first fish out of a river there, of all things a 10 pound dolly. these were almost 34 years ago. doolies were ever present, but very shy, my buddie almost threw it back. he thought it was a sick steelhead. at the time it was funny.
now i have not caught many first since the good old days, took a small brat hen on the lower puyallup last year near the end of the season plunking. most of the big fish have been chums, but what fun they can be to c&r.

even on a guided trip this weekend, could not catch what we were after, ended up with 2 sockeye looking for springers or steelhead summer runs. but it was a great day on the water, first float in a boat on any river for me and the guy i took with me. great experiece just to be somewhere i had never been and had only heard about. went up to the sol-duc with guide jim leon.

thanks for memories, very similar except i think mine my be older.

elmtree, (woody)

excuse my rambling, just love them days when!

Steelheader,
your 100% right. Its turned into more of a game than anything else. As long as you do whats right, you wont have any problems. Fishing is a way to relax and get away from work and everything else. The last place I'd want to get pissed off is on the river/lake (unless i lost a big fish).

tight lines...

StlHdr69,
Thanks for a very uplifting post. There has been many serious discussions and some lighthearted ones on the two BB's that I like to read and post on (here and ifish) but very few that remind us all of what it is really all about. I have been here in Washington 6 years and caught my first salmon about two months after I got here, at the time I was obsessed with the "fill the freezer" mentality as I was overwelmed by just the great opportunity to fish for, eat and enjoy such a great delicasy. The longer that I am here and the more I catch fish, the importance of keeping and retaining fish becomes less and less. What is really important is the memories of the day, the time shared with friends and family, the smells and sound of the salt air or the sound of the river flowing. It reminded me of the first striper I caught while with my Dad. The first trip to the American River to fish for shad and how good those pancakes tasted that we stopped for on the way. It is for all of those reasons that fishing will keep me coming back again and again. Thanks again.
Tight lines, Jeff