Springer Clinic On The Water

Well I don't feel too bad about missing it now.  Ended up sleeping in.  Seems waking up at 5am, working all day, driving to Portland, and then visiting the Casa is not conducive to early morning fishing trips. 

Here are a few more pictures.

The fish just didn't cooperate with us.

Thanks to everyone who made it out.  The fish did not cooperate for us but hopefully everyone had a great time and now has a bit more confidence chasing springers. 

It was fun putting some faces and handshakes to names as well as spending time with some of the usual suspects.  Thanks to all who attended.

I'd like to thank LingBanger and H. O. W. for catering this event.  What a treat to have hot soup, hot coffee and sandwiches to fuel up on for the 2nd push!  The fishing may have been lack luster but the event itself was a damnn good time.

-Spot- 

  Glad you all had such a wonderful turn out of people for the "on the water clinic". Too bad the fish didn't cooperate. But at least you gave it a shot.

  My excursion down to Astoria didn't prove very fruitful either. Visibility was less than 12" on the Washington side and not much better on the south side of the river. My timing sucked as far as the tide exchange goes. It was still ripping out hard when I got there. Harder than I wanted to fight anyway. So it was an exploratory trip.
 
  Went out to Hammond boat basin to look for future options. They have a really nice concrete boat launch with ample parking. A short run out to the Colombia into what looked like a pretty good channel right near shore. Looking at depth charts-- you'd be in 15-35 ' FOW within 50 yards of shore. The current didn't look too bad near shore between Hammond and (what I'm guessing to be) the sawdust pile (a saw mill about a mile upriver) I poked into a few spots to do a visual check and saw a couple of sea lions and a huge Stellar swimming around in that near shore area. They were diving occasionally and I'm sure it wasn't for the scenery. Never saw any of 'em come up with a salmon...but I'd be willing to bet there are a few around.

 I'm gonna give it a few days to (hopefully) clear up and give it another try--maybe Wednesday. It would be a great birthday present to myself to land a nice spring king the day I turn 60. Any others like to give it a shot let's hook up and give it a try.

 

The Hammond launches get really really busy.  That's where we launch with Marie's uncle.  That channel is packed with PBS during the fall season.

It was fun putting some faces and handshakes to names as well as spending time with some of the usual suspects.  Thanks to all who attended.

I'd like to thank LingBanger and H. O. W. for catering this event.  What a treat to have hot soup, hot coffee and sandwiches to fuel up on for the 2nd push!  The fishing may have been lack luster but the event itself was a damnn good time.

-Spot-

My wife and I were looking forward to saying hi to everyone and meeting some new people. The pictures are great, I'm sorry we didn't make it. I'm sure the practice would have been helpful even if no fish were caught.

Unfortunately my wife threw her back out Friday night, so we didn't get out this weekend. Neither of us has ever had a problem like that... it's not cool!

A couple photos from Saturday...