Let's all stop bitching for a while.

We all tend to focus on fish runs that have declined and many other issues we face here but we truly are blessed.

So far this summer I have caught huge Kokanee, stocker trout, geoducks, steamer clams, crab, salmon, lingcod, halibut and rockfish. And summer hasn't officially arrived!

This morning I had a geoduck and Dungeness omlette. This afternoon I'm off to the icicle for chinook than to Lake Chelan for Lake Trout and Kokanee.

The rest of the summer will focus on the large returns of chinook anticipated for P.S. summer run steelhead, which are showing in decent numbers, buoy 10 BIG chinook and coho, and taking my grandson on an alpine hike then chasing humpies on the beach at Whidbey with him. Yes humpies. Don't like is? Don't do it. There are lots of other choices.

Later in the fall it will be tuna trips, smallmouth in the Columbia, coho and perch in Lake Washington, more crabbing and who knows what else. There are so many choices and so little time.

My point is we still live in an outdoorsman’s paradise. Once in awhile we should stop and be thankful.

Fixed it for you.

I think Dave's point is there's a lot more to the PNW than salmon..

Kind of like listening to a rich CEO tell the minions how good they have it.

I know when I spend the afternoon in Portland all I can think of is how do these people live like this. I can drive through the home town from one end to the other in about 15 minutes and wave to half a dozen people that I know and a real wave not like they do in the city with one finger up.

Nice job, Dave.

I totally agree with you. I can bitch and moan with the best of them but when I hear people saying stuff like, "Well, I'm selling my boat and all my equipment because fishing is worthless", I'm shocked. It is rare for me to go more than a week or 2 without fishing for something and the catching is usually good enough to keep me coming back. For a lot of the year, I want to be in 3 spots at once!

I sure as hell didn't get a rich CEO taste in my mouth after Dave's post. I guess steelhead you made a huge oversight in the comprehension department or you just make living a huge pain in the ass. Either way good luck.

Yep, it's not a lack of options. . .usually just a lack of time to pursue them all. ... ... .


Good point Dave .

Must be nice to be retired

Tough to argue with that post Dave. Outside of Ak we have it as good/better than anyone. More of problem around here with time rather than the options.

Yep, we've got it good round here.

Good thread! Lets do our best to educate the kids about the resources so that they can hopefully have an opportunity do the same.

WAY gooder.......

"I sure as hell didn't get a rich CEO taste in my mouth after Dave's post. I guess steelhead you made a huge oversight in the comprehension department or you just make living a huge pain in the ass. Either way good luck."

Looks like someone made an "oversight in comprehension" and it wasn't me. You can send me my paycheck for being a pain in your ass you idiot.

A M

. grown women shouldn't whine, ever!

No whining here--just lack of time for the fishing opprotunities--this thing called work gets in the way. But I get my chances.

Back in the "way gooder days", folks whined just as much as they do today.

Over the years I've noticed that ones that didn't complain were usually too busy catching fish or out actually doing something to protect/enhance the resource.

Ding ding ding. We have a winner. Dave gets to travel around and experience all the "good", "positive" aspects of the PNW. Meanwhile many of us are busy fishing the same declining local streams etc. Many of the streams he helped exploit. I probably wouldn't be bitching either if I could afford to have my head in the sand. Yippeee!

M, it's not a question of whether "the direction fisheries are headed" should motivate us to action, but rather what that action will be. Complaining and doing are not the same thing. One gets positive results, the other does not. Never has, never will.

OK, so maybe there are a couple exceptions. The Whiners

Don't know about that. In the last couple weeks I've limited on Summer Steel, Chinook in both fresh and salt water caught trout to 12 pounds. Hell even caught a few Kokes and a ditch pickle or two. Not a Turd Slurper chaser but there's plenty of them around too. Freezer has a bunch a of local Hali, Ling, Cabazon in it from the last few week as well. Didn't have to travel far from my door step to do that. I have a lot of things to bitch about and there being a lack of fish to catch around here is not one of them.

I've been in the PNW for 15 years now. 2 things that are different here:

1) A ton of outdoor opportunities, including lots of fishing and hunting. Granted, a lot has been lost, but a lot still exists too.

2) Some of the most cynical people in the country.

Being upset and discouraged at a lot of the scraps we have to fight over right now is part and parcel of working on the fisheries and the resource...but I try to not let it affect my enjoyment when I'm out there trying to catch a few, and around here I get a chance to go out and try and catch a few pretty much as often as I want, year 'round.

Hard to complain about that part of it, that's for sure!

Fish on...

Todd

And part of the complaining is about what it could be. That, and since the mantra (and data) seem to suggest that it was better back when, we need to keep what we have and recover as much as we can of what we've lost.

"I'm mainly just jelous that Dave is out there playing ... while I have to work"

Bingo! Mr. Globetrotter living the life of Riley telling all of us working slobs we should be happier. It's just more twisting of the knife like his pics of Russia, or Chile, or wherever. I hate living through him!

As a life time Washingtonian, while I agree with Dave on the amount of things we can do and for sure the beauty of much of the State....I remember the "gooder days" also. I wouldn't move to many parts of the USA because I'm a "outdoorsie type person", and love to be on a river, or enjoying a sunrise or sunset, driving to Ocean Shores or Westport just to "see the ocean".

I really do worry about the amount of resources that will be available for my grand kids. I tend to be "not very positive" when I see the netting schedules in Region 6, and the sports community that wants to enjoy a dwindling salmon and steelhead fishery......wow, when will the "rape of the resource slow down"?????? I just don't see an end!!!

Retirement is good......just wish there was more like the "gooder days".

Thanks Hank,

When ya get here I will take you out fishing. Most of the stuff I was talking about in my original post is available right here in western WA.

We really do have an awful lot left here, and much of it is easily accessible at little cost other than gas.

The time thig is huge and I trul;y feel sorry for you who cnat find time to egt out more. I know how that goes.

I try to stay off the water on weekend. I know for many that's all the time you gewt. it was for em for more than 35 years

I realize a lot of the comments about Dave and his adventures are in jest.

What a lot of folks here on PP is that Mr. Vedder worked very hard at jobs he didn't enjoy to put food on his table and build toward retirement. Whatever he has, he earned. Dave's getting into the outdoor writing world many years ago has given him an opportunity to enjoy many of the trips he writes about here.

I have been fishing regularly with Dave a couple of times a month or more for about 20 years so know that some of these trips seem like a dream deal, but a lot of hard work goes into getting these opportunities.

Having lived in Washington for 45 years I can say things were simpler and better with few limitations on outdoor activities. I can remember when salmon fishing was basically a year-around activity and bottom fish were abundant in Puget Sound.

These things have changed, but that doesn't mean there are not many activities to enjoy. Things were gooder back then with some resources, but we need to adjust to today and enjoy it. We also need to work to improve our resources where it can be done.

If I were to seriously gripe about something, and I have, it would be the closer of many small streams and beaver ponds where in the past I spent hundred of hours catching cutthroat trout. Last year's regulation change concerning any waters connected to waters that had anadromous fish was a real blow to my fishing hopes and plans. Most of these creeks I use to fish saw very little fishing activity so were not overfished.

Come on. He began fishing with 24K gold spoons and Beluga caviar below a cultured pearl.

No joke, too many places to fish all at once.

I know a couple folks who wanna 'move outa this shithole' I tell em good, move. Or go outside for a minute, even in the rain its an awesome state, rain makes the state green so let it rain!
Couldn't imagine living anywhere else, well maybe AK or kamchatka

for sure. Too many of my friends want to go see the world, when they don't even know what's in their backyard. Sure even myself has seen some of washingtons lush resources disapear, but the continuing ones fuel my passion for the land.

I feel like I show my respect and gratitude by holding a regard for the condition of the resource too. I am greatful when I catch a fish, have a wonderful seafood dinner, or hear my friends and family tell me that I make the best smoked salmon in the world. I hold eternal gratitude for the intrinsic rewards it gives, and the variety this land has to offer. I would feel very hypocritical to blindly hold this passion without regard or the desire to know the livelyhood of what I love so much.

Now that I know these things, there is a need. Without pain, comes no change. I want that day of most pungent pain to never come, and the inevidable change it intails, to happen today. Despite how positive I am, in the end it is action that makes a difference.

If you're worried about negativity in online forums, don't be. What happens on the internet doesn't matter in real life.

I think its a great point that Dave makes, the problem is people become so focused on one species they become blinded. I have watched salmon and Steel head go down over the past 25 years bringing more disappointment with each trip. This has been a wake-up making me realize that catching a bucket full of perch, stringer full of walleye, catch and releasing 100+ small mouth a day and on and on is still fun fishing. I might add that the stress level of lake and freshwater fishing is about as low as it. No racing to be the first at the launch, paying 13+$ to just put the boat in, breathing smoke, farts and big mouths rubbing elbows at the rivers not missed. Worrying about a forgot pinched barb or punched salmon, getting crossed by another boat, Don't get me wrong love to fish salmon and steel-head but realizing that the other fishing opportunities can be a great time and relieve stress on you and the salmon stocks.

All I have to do is look out my window over MA-9 to see how fortunate all of you who live in Washington have it. Count your blessings all of you and go see what is available, there is always something!

I hear you - but guess what. I'm targeting these things now too (as are many). Count the days to even shorter ling seasons etc.

too many people, too few fish.

fun though, chasing the tail ends of seasons not quite done.

-S

Thanks for that rant Dave... I was just starting to really get depressed with being single, living in my own house alone, and having about 8 solid salmon and steelhead rivers within an hour and 3 of them within 2 min...... Thanks for encouraging words Dave. I was really stating to get bummed out

JD

Sure seems like a lot of sour grapes about a guy who:

a) managed to turn his passion into paid work.
b) still gets trips/paid even during retirement to fish and write the occasional article
c) fishes more than any three of us

So, what, exactly are you guys bitching about DAVE for? He's the one who has this figured out. You should quite bitching and start taking freakin' notes dudes.

oh sure praise Dave for exploiting all the rivers around here just so he could go off and exploit more rivers, lakes, streams, ponds and oceans all over the world for the sake of making us feel like crap annd and and stuff.

that freekinecoteroristSOB F him and little dog of his too.
What makes that bastard think he has the rite to come on here and try to make us feel better about what we do have. Fndick

While all of you are bitchin; Mr. Vedder has gone fishin; but your still bitchen while Mr. Vedder is in the kitchen cooking up his day of fishin.

It aint work that keeps you from fishin its that bitch in the kitchen that don't want to listen; that you need to go fishin.

Sorry, at midnight I turn into a rapper. Good post there Mr. Vedder and thanks for sharing all that knowledge about fishin with those who just keep on wishin that they were fishin.

Screw Dave.....bobber fisherman.....bah!
Never did like you, you bastage. Ain't startin' now, either.

Good post, you old fart!

The beatings will continue till moral improves, now quite yer bitchin!

Fishy

I, for one, appreciate living vicariously through Mr. Vedder's adventures. The places he has been and the flavor of the experience he shares is seed for dreams of my own. Will I ever make ONE of his trips a reality? Probably; more than one... doubtful. Knowing there is more out there is a gift.



Now if I could just figure a way to keep my f'n coffee hot. Gddamit.

Damn near unbreakable too.

I have broken one .. . .on a fish. . ... still landed the fish though. ... .

Nice post, Mr. Vedder. You are an inspiration.

Although I was never here to experience the "glory days," I have experienced a lot of what I would call great days, and I find that there are more opportunities for outdoor pursuits in this region than any in which I have ever lived (including Colorado - no ocean there). In many cases, the opportunities here are truly world class (even if that doesn't mean what it once did either). I would argue the fishing is about as good as it ever was, even if the catching often isn't.

The fact that there are still so many great opportunities out there is the very reason we must continue our dedicated stewardship. Barring acts of God and/or tremendous (HIGHLY unlikely) shifts in human thinking, as long as human populations continue to grow, these opportunities will eventually disappear. Shortly thereafter, most or all of us will go the way of the dinosaurs. All we can do (and should feel obligated to do, in my opinion) is to do our absolute best to preserve the wildlife and ecosystems that define those opportunities (and, lest we forget, provide us with food to eat, water to drink, and air to breathe) as long as possible. We should all get involved, stay involved, and encourage others to get involved as well.

I second this (+1 ???). Living in Alberta, Canada, I have to work 51 weeks out of the year to get the opportunity to travel 16 hours each way for 1 week of salmon fishing. I read many of the posts on this forum, just to get me through the long drought. I get twitchy around January, waiting for that late July week of paradise. And I am strictly a catch and release guy. I am in it for the love of the sport. I respect these creatures as true wonders of nature.
So I am also working hard for the hopes that some day, I too will be in a position to fulfill dreams of many fishing opportunities. SOME DAY, I will be in a position to hopefully walk down to the river and fish or maybe I will have to travel, but there will be many days of fishing for me in times to come. For now, I cherish my 1 week each year and am extremely thankful I have it. My family is very understanding...
So thank you Dave, for your many posts. You have provided me with wisdom, expertise, and most importantly, inspiration that there are so many wonders out there for us to experience. My time is coming!!!
BTW... I like your dog. I miss my lab

I was thinking the same thing. As a matter of fact I'm gonna start right now...Oh wait...I'm going fishin, I'll start when I get back.