Reminiscing

[Creatch'r]

When we started going up there we were dropped off here, or at monroe or one other spot, while the older guys drove different places. We ended up with more fish that first year. But you know the deal, you stick a kid someplace and their going to figure it out. As we got bigger and stronger we started to explore, then got our licenses.

I used to do the same as a kid, great memories. My first memory of fishing the skykomish was at high bridge/big eddy , I was probably 5th grade. Used to fish behind the reformatory a lot too. Put a lot of lunch money in that mailbox lol.

 

[skyriver]

I was referring to the pic posted by MGTom on the previous page:

View attachment 256233

Ah, gotcha. I'm not paying attention enough. This work thing keeps getting in the way.

 

[JACKspASS]

I remember Mom dropping me off at Reiter Ponds after school for me to get my continued education in steelhead, cussing, and lying. Served me well in life. I don't miss Reiter, but damn, I have alot of memories from every mile of that river...

 

[landlocked]

View attachment 254474

Is that a Simms gore-Tex?! If so I’ve got that same jacket, purchased same era. It’s got about 200 hard days on it, now resides in the rowers seat storage as an emergency coat, but what a bomber piece of equipment that is! Not sure why I ever gave up on that coat (sheds water still with a years wash in treatment) and my trusty Columbia vest...needed things newer and blingier I guess.

 

[skyriver]

Is that a Simms gore-Tex?! If so I’ve got that same jacket, purchased same era. It’s got about 200 hard days on it, now resides in the rowers seat storage as an emergency coat, but what a bomber piece of equipment that is! Not sure why I ever gave up on that coat (sheds water still with a years wash in treatment) and my trusty Columbia vest...needed things newer and blingier I guess.

Very close to the Simms! It was the REI Gore-Tex. Wouldn't be surprised if Simms sourced them from REI.
I put it through the paces. It had at least 200 hard days on it as I used it for bird hunting as well. I forget when it finally started leaking, but I definitely got my $$ out of it. I have some discount Sage jacket now, but I still have the old REI one in the garage. I don't have the heart to throw it away.

 

[Buzzy]

Sometimes on the hang, sometimes not on the hang.

 

[_WW_]

I don't have the heart to throw it away.

My garage is full of stuff like that!

 

[Dave Maddock]

Buck Island was always my go-to stop, too. I haven't fished the Sky in years, but I still look out my window and try to imagine that run the way it used to be.

I recall one time when I hooked a fish that immediately decided it wanted to be back in the Sound, when all the line was off my reel, the backing knot failed and I saw my line shooting out into the water. But then it stopped. As soon as the fish didn't feel any pressure, it quit running. I was able to toss my rod on the bank and scramble downstream a bit and grab my line. I thought I could just hand-line it until either I landed it or it broke me off. HA! I probably still have the scars from the burns the line made as it was pulled through my hands. But he stopped running again as soon as the line went slack and I was able to recover it again. This time I took up enough slack to wrap it around my waist a few times before I started too back out of the river into shallower water. This time the pull almost took me with it before the fly parted with my leader.

I have a similar story at Buck. My first spey reel was an STH CASSETTE. It was an ok reel but didn't hold alot of backing. At the time I was throwing a Rio Skagit integrated line on my Sage DS 9140-3.
Anyway it was a beautiful sunny afternoon in the end of March. I had gotten off work early and went up to Monroe and noone was there. Hooked an absolute chrome hen that took me about 3 wraps from the arbor knot. I got super lucky and got her in. Unbeknownst to me another Angler had watched and offered to take a picture with my camera. That was cool as I pretty much fish alone and don't get many pics. That weekend I took a swim wading the Sauk. Ended up ruining the camera and the film in it.
I was more bummed about losing the pic of the fish than ruining the camera. For along time that was my favorite run on the Sky.

 

[bk paige]

I first met Leland there at Buck Island, Ron T, Trip and I floated there and I hop out and start fishing the riffle and hook a fish in only a few casts. I look up and see an older gentleman walking up with a stogie in his mouth and Ron greeting him. I was oh shit did I just cork you I'm sorry I didn't see you. Leland was very gracious saying he had just fished the run and was sitting on the logjam enjoying a smoke and enjoyed the show.

Man that was one of those runs that you knew had fish in it, and it usually did.

 

[skyrise]

Back before floods changed it one of the best spots was right above the Lewis street bridge. On the north side. Used to be a long gravel bar there that fished real well we never bothered with buck island plus there was more fish caught below Lewis street back then than that I couldn’t guess how many in one week ? But that was back when there was almost as many plunkers as drift fishers. But then they stopped holding smolts in woods creek and that really changed where the fish would hold up.

 

[ianpadron]

I was born 30 years too late, can't convince me otherwise.

Pretty wild to hear from fellas who had the privilege of fishing the Sky in its relative prime.

Have spent the better part of the last 2 years on the Sky without a grab. Summer, winter, North Fork, main-stem, not even an anemic 6# hatchery brat wants to dance these days.

Fingers crossed that this system can rise from the ashes too. If there's one aquatic critter that you should never write-off for good, it's probably steelhead.

 

[bhudda]

I was born 30 years too late, can't convince me otherwise.

Pretty wild to hear from fellas who had the privilege of fishing the Sky in its relative prime.

Have spent the better part of the last 2 years on the Sky without a grab. Summer, winter, North Fork, main-stem, not even an anemic 6# hatchery brat wants to dance these days.

Fingers crossed that this system can rise from the ashes too. If there's one aquatic critter that you should never write-off for good, it's probably steelhead.

Ian, you seem very positive, you need that to sustain the long wait. Don’t lose faith, believe in the fish and it will come

 

[_WW_]

Pretty wild to hear from fellas who had the privilege of fishing the Sky in its relative prime.

One man's wild is another man's depression.

 

[wetline dave]

Caught my first steelhead in1959, 12 years old and an adult friend took me to a gravel bar on the Green by Kent. We fished roe and we were about ready to call it quits when my rod doubled over and an 8 or so pound fish was hooked up.

It was probably 14 years later when I hooked up with a 12 pound summer run in the Green River gorge. I had caught some steel before that but winter fish plunking. The summer fish was caught on a caddis nymph fly. That was an epic battle with my 7 foot 6 weight glass rod. The fish damn near won as I ended up with a broken rib and multiple lacerations and deep bruises.

Dave

 

[vader]

I was born 30 years too late, can't convince me otherwise.

Pretty wild to hear from fellas who had the privilege of fishing the Sky in its relative prime.

Have spent the better part of the last 2 years on the Sky without a grab. Summer, winter, North Fork, main-stem, not even an anemic 6# hatchery brat wants to dance these days.

Fingers crossed that this system can rise from the ashes too. If there's one aquatic critter that you should never write-off for good, it's probably steelhead.

Yeap, sorry to say. Glad your positive about hope of bringing it back. but thanks to wsc it is gone. I can still remembering hooking a fishing in early Feb on Thunderbird. I am convinced that fish did not know it was caught.