Old Steelhead Reports

Been a few decades since I heard Bolo spinners mentioned. Those plus Metric spinners, and SteeLee spoons were about all I carried when I first started fishing for steelhead and salmon. Old school gear then was Cherry Bobber spinners.

I caught my first steelhead back in 1968 on a Sammy Special. I was pretty happy. I think I petted the scales off that poor fish. 😂
SF
 
"we used to have a lot of fun hiking upstream from the crossing."

I'm sure you have it figured out.
What a great place.
Needed to pay attention to the river if it was raining or you could get stuck on the wrong side of Sam.
 
I remember awhile back someone bringing up their one armed friend.
This is our friend Rich.
A careless shotgun while duck hunting as a teen changed his life.
Honestly you would never know as he was never handicapped.
(Look at that beefy left arm.)
He and my dad noodling up a double.


Next pass I got to play along with pops who wouldn't be denied.
(Must be the feather in the hat)


Mission Launch back in the days before people.


Free-drifting in a 21' inboard with Rich running the boat and doing the netting.

Quite the bend in that noodling rod.
Times up Mr. Steelhead!


More fun and games.
Looks like I learned something and stuck a lucky feather in my hat.



Rich was a stud and one hell of a nice person.
RIP
 
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I remember awhile back someone bringing up their one armed friend.
This is our friend Rich.
A careless shotgun while duck hunting as a teen changed his life.
Honestly you would never know as he was never handicapped.
(Look at that beefy left arm.)
He and my dad noodling up a double.


Next pass I got to play along with pops who wouldn't be denied.
(Must be the feather in the hat)


Mission Launch back in the days before people.


Free-drifting in a 21' inboard with Rich running the boat and doing the netting.

Quite the bend in that noodling rod.
Times up Mr. Steelhead!


More fun and games.
Looks like I learned something and stuck a lucky feather in my hat.



Rich was a stud and one hell of a nice person.
RIP
Geez. That left arm looks worth about four of my arms
 
I am in the middle of reading One Man's Steelhead Shangri-La and between that and this thread I am feeling a bit of anemoia, a new word to me. I had not felt it before now and am glad that a word exists to describe the feeling.

Much respect to the one armed anglers and others getting out with disabilities. I have been impressed by others catching some nice fish, but those who defy the odds just to get out another day are much more inspirational to me.
 
I am in the middle of reading One Man's Steelhead Shangri-La and between that and this thread I am feeling a bit of anemoia, a new word to me. I had not felt it before now and am glad that a word exists to describe the feeling.

Much respect to the one armed anglers and others getting out with disabilities. I have been impressed by others catching some nice fish, but those who defy the odds just to get out another day are much more inspirational to me.

That is a great book.
SF
 
I am in the middle of reading One Man's Steelhead Shangri-La and between that and this thread I am feeling a bit of anemoia, a new word to me. I had not felt it before now and am glad that a word exists to describe the feeling.

Much respect to the one armed anglers and others getting out with disabilities. I have been impressed by others catching some nice fish, but those who defy the odds just to get out another day are much more inspirational to me.
Yes- that is the perfect word to describe steelheading in Washington…
 
We gave this cat a quick lesson in netting.
It was his first time steelhead fishing.
Unfortunately he missed the part about letting go of the net as you scoop the fish.
His technique was more like a spatula pancake flip.
At least the fish landed in the boat.
My dad staring down at it in disbelief still cracks me up.

 
Since the salty old tim pics are going up!

Sister and I after a day with dad in the ol Lund.20220221_171926.jpg

My 1st King on a Point Wilson Dart!

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One of 2 40+ Kings the old man caught that summer.
A 44# won the Westport daily Derby and was 3rd for the year.
Then a monthe later a 42 on the Columbia in a friends boat.
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Since there is some salt stuff in this thread and we are discussing old stuff that has kind of disappeared, anyone else miss winter blackmouth fishing?
There used to be a couple beaches that always produced blackmouth in the winter on flies.
We had a couple of docks and shore spots in the Tacoma area that we’d hit in the winter. They weren’t big, but they fought great for their size on the trout outfits we used and tasted excellent. The first stop was the boathouse to get some herring. A herring strip with a single hook cast out was the setup of choice and leave the bail open.
Fun to watch the line come off the reel on the bite. It was a hell of a fun way to spend a day and enjoy some libations. Based on my squinty eyes, I don’t think I was feeling any pain this particular day. 😂

Anyone else used to listen to Outdoor Line on KIRO radio hosted by Bill Davis?
SF

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Yeah, I remember listening to Bill Davis’s radio show. I remember how he was dialed in to the smaller streams that fed into the “S” rivers for winter steelhead. Enjoyed that show.

I miss that Blackmouth fishery too. Mooching with plug cut herring was my favorite method, but got a few while trolling plugs off a little Scotty hand cranked down rigger. I fished the north Sound out of a 15’ aluminum Bayrunner and an old 25HP Evinrude. Fun times, and good eating fish.
 
Listening to Bill Davis on Outdoor Line at 7 pm on Sunday night kept me awake driving home from a long day’s fishing.
I really miss the winter days fishing for black mouth. Jigging Pt Wilson darts at Possession Pt for those feeder kings was very productive.
 
Listening to Bill Davis on Outdoor Line at 7 pm on Sunday night kept me awake driving home from a long day’s fishing.
I really miss the winter days fishing for black mouth. Jigging Pt Wilson darts at Possession Pt for those feeder kings was very productive.


We had some Australian friends over back in December 87, the old man and I took them out Jigging PW Darts at Possession. As soon as they hit bottom it was fish on, well over 100 fish day and sore arms for all 3 of us!
 
Ran into this on a Facebook posting about G Harbor historical things a few days ago. @Stonedfish and I have chatted about these and anyone older than 40-50 years may have heard about these in relative terms as existing in their era. The hooknose silvers of December and January. Impressive, deep-shouldered brutes where the males seemed to come into the tidewater with full-on fighting schnozes already on them.

Truly a legendary creature of note. The 20/20 pound slam of steelhead and hooknose coho in one trip was a distinct possibility on a few rivers back then.
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