Chum-a-thon Nov 15

Well, fishing yesterday was a complete bust
but at least it was a beautiful day.
Imagine what a suckfest if it had been windy, wet & cold.

Of course, easy for me to say since I didn't start the day
off taking a plunge, getting soaked thru the fly in my drysuit,
and killing my phone! 

Considering the way the day started, Pole kept an optimistic
attitude. As it turned out, yesterday was just one of those days
when the fish just don't cooperate...

Thanks again Pole, for showing me some NorthWest fishing
and good call on hitting Minter Friday! Nice to meet the rest
of you yesterday. Hopefully we can do it again sometime, with
better results!

Aaron

Well i showed up late after calling allen on the way there and asking if you could land a fish without a net or lip grippers...he just laughed and said something along the lines of they have big teeth lol...so i stopped at walmart in shelton and picked up a net...saw a white truck with a yak and an nwka sticker and i kinda thought it was brian but seeing as i had never met him before i didn't know for sure...turns out he was in the fishing area getting his license...then i got to the launch after getting a little turned around...to my surprise they weren't in the water yet...then polepole did his dive and dump technique :0

couldn't ask for a calmer day...mostly sunny accept a few clouds...a little chilly in the morning at about 46 or 47 degrees according to my truck but warmed up rather quickly to about 60 later in the day...no fish at Oakland bay....one good thing about being new to the sport is having very little stuff makes it less trips to launch and take out...of course im still one of the last to get out because my tie down system is a little bit jury rigged to begin with lol....not really set up for speed...oh well

then we headed down to the park...thanks to all that brought the food and beer...i was hungry lol

i had never been to hoodsport and i found it very odd to be fishing right next to a hatchery with a dozen or so other power boaters crammed into an area about the size of a swimming pool...i also found it odd that anybody is aloud to use a net at the hatchery. 

even with no fish i still had fun but it sure would a helped lol

but ya can't win all the time....and most of the time you can't win at all

Of course, easy for me to say since I didn't start the day
off taking a plunge, getting soaked thru the fly in my drysuit,
and killing my phone! 

Considering the way the day started, Pole kept an optimistic
attitude. As it turned out, yesterday was just one of those days
when the fish just don't cooperate...

Allen, this scenario seems to bring back memories of washing gear down in Pacific City??

Of course, easy for me to say since I didn't start the day
off taking a plunge, getting soaked thru the fly in my drysuit,
and killing my phone! 

Considering the way the day started, Pole kept an optimistic
attitude. As it turned out, yesterday was just one of those days
when the fish just don't cooperate...

Allen, this scenario seems to bring back memories of washing gear down in Pacific City??

Oh yeah, you'd think I'd learn my lesson.

BTW, put the battery back in the phone today and it powered right up.  Got a little condensation in the LCD and the battery charger port has a little corrosion.  I think I'll have to get a new phone, but at least I should be able to get the numbers off this one first.

-Allen

BTW, put the battery back in the phone today and it powered right up.  Got a little condensation in the LCD and the battery charger port has a little corrosion.  I think I'll have to get a new phone, but at least I should be able to get the numbers off this one first.

I thought it might power up again.

When I got back there was a little "present" left by one of cat's I'm taking care of...right on top of the owners' bed spread! I'm telling ya, there was just somethin' weird with the alignment of the moon & stars yesterday that threw everything out of whack... 

it's just after 8 am as i'm headed up highway 7 in spanaway, i'm late. i shoulda left an hour ago instead of snugglin into the blankets when the alarm went off..duh. as i'm waiting for the light to change at 176th and 7 i make the phone call, hoping i'm not already too late to catch the guys before they are shutting the phones off and suiting up at the launch site. i need to tell them i'm runnin behind.

i'm lucky. they're only 15 mins ahead of me but they're on the other side of the physical barrier to I-5 that is Fort Lewis/McChord AFB. i'm even luckier cause they're just clearing up brefkist at a fast food joint. i push it, blowing thru Perimeter Road and the backside of Lakewood then out the Log Center Gate/ Thorn Lane. it's a race now, and my ol' truck is bringing up the tail end.

down 5, hit the 101 in oly, see a lot of bankies at the extreme end of mud bay/ steamboat island then i'm thru to SR3, and shelton.. i look in my mirror and there's another F series on my left quarter.. then he's past me and i see this olive yak in the bed. wonder who that is??

finally i get to the launch site. it's old friends sayin hello, and intro's to the new faces for me. allen was right, there's a fence and a small opening that functions as a gate. not as bad as i'd thot it to be tho.

unstrap the boat, unload, gear up. we leave in dribs and drabs of 2's and 3's ...i help Z try a "seal launch" by pushing him down the bank a few feet to get his momentum up.. it's anti climatic..he drops the fins in place and off he goes after some ribbing from brian and me. [ brian where's the pics?]

i take a look at the bottom of the launch site while i'm there, and decide i'll be ok, all i have to do is get the boat into the water. my fat tuchis isnt as limber as these 20 & 30 yro's i'm out with. i get launched , then wait for YN and PP, our vistior from SFO, to get on the water. finally we're all there, then paddlin like mad to catch up to the others.. word of advice, let the hobie guys run on, it's hard on them if they have to slow down for us mere paddlers.

we catch up with the other 4 members, and yeah it's a beautiful morning, still some mist in the trees and the water is flat golden calm in the sunlight. picture perfect morning, i can see why people built along the shores.

there should be chums rolling, but there isnt. we round up the yak herd, talk it over and allen leads us back to the put in, then its a high speed unload, throw the gear in the cradles and on the trucks, some of us struggle out of our wet gear, speed strap/ rig for fast unload at the next spot, then off our little convoy goes to the next put in..maybe the fish have migrated and we just missed them..get to the next spot.. Z and MK take off to scout after a few minutes of group discussion.. we realize it's lunchtime,  allen and others break out the grille and food and we talk a lot of things over. wait for Z and MK to get back, this does not look promising.. they show up and confirm our fears.. it's not a good thing here.. break out the road map.. talk over a few options.. ok, hoodsport it is, but the 2 larger trucks need to stop for fuel on the way.. we split up.. heh, me and YN are on our own.. the other guys arent answering the phone..pull over look at the map again, i tell YN ok, this is the way we have to go to get there, you up for it?? back down to 106, blow along the shore, hammer down when possible. it's at least 30 miles on this path but we roll hard.. 40 minutes later, onto the 101 again, downshift into hoodsport,, i slow it way down and start swivel necking,, THERE!! Z's and Pole's vehicles, and there's allen paddling out..

glide past, do a whupabout then find a parking space with or near them.. get out look for the launch point, realize this is what is meant by the term "street launch"..literally rip the boats off the trucks, toss the gear into place, hop on, realize my rods arent going to clear the bottom of the footbridge above me, reach around to lay them down and oooooppsss...i'm in the water..wtf? O? YN is in shock... what happened?? i went for a swim is what happend..[ i think i got top heavy and unbalanced ] swim it back til i can walk on the bottom, dump it out, drain the water out of my "dry top" check the waders, just a cupful down the front but my shirt is soaked.. screw it i'm back on the boat and paddlin to catch up ..

get there just in time to see the tail end of some native guy draggin in a bulging net..what? on a saturday?? thot that was illegal?? dig out the chovies.. hey they finally thawed out!!...hook up one, cast.. wait, wait..realize i've drifted way downwind...reel in, bare hook....ok, paddle back up to the line of boats.. rebait.. damn how do ya keep these things on the hook?? allen tells me, thru the head it's the hardest bone structure..ahh ok, rebait... cast.. talk to some of the guys.. it's not a good prognosis... beautiful day tho..question of the day pops back to mind:  where are the fish??

look around, folks is leavin, and so are the rest of the group.. looking hard to the west to see them but the sun is dead in my face.. blind paddle to shade, then make a left back to the launch.. the day is over.. i can see the frustration in the eyes of the other guys ..peel off the waders, i look like i've peed myself, allen teases me a bit about being wet.. take evrything out lay it next to the truck pack it up, load the boat with YN's help, say goodbyes while strapping down.. finally get it all tied off, discuss alternate return route options with YN, decide the best way is to retrace the 101 thru oly and back up north that way, but we could both go over to the north a bit then hit 16 over the narrows bridge.. decide against the toll..

yeh the fish were on vacation, but we had the oppourtunity to spend quality time with our brethern, meet new people and for some of us, explore new options for next time....

next time... where will that be?? who knows??

I wonder if the fish all headed upstream with the big rains?

It always amazes me how fast thing can change.

I wonder if the fish all headed upstream with the big rains?

It always amazes me how fast thing can change.

funny thing is, in all cases we were dead in the way of hatchery runs..we should have seen fish at least..

still, netting within 300 feet of the hatchery entrance, thats something i have serious issues with, regardless of treaty rights.. would like to see a 1/4 mi. exclusion zone from hatchery mouths....might put a few places out of bounds, like at drano, but so what?

No fish. But nice weather.

Of course, easy for me to say since I didn't start the day
off taking a plunge, getting soaked thru the fly in my drysuit,
and killing my phone! 

Considering the way the day started, Pole kept an optimistic
attitude. As it turned out, yesterday was just one of those days
when the fish just don't cooperate...

Allen, this scenario seems to bring back memories of washing gear down in Pacific City??

Oh yeah, you'd think I'd learn my lesson.

BTW, put the battery back in the phone today and it powered right up.  Got a little condensation in the LCD and the battery charger port has a little corrosion.  I think I'll have to get a new phone, but at least I should be able to get the numbers off this one first.

-Allen

Does this mean there'll be a new entry in the "Huli" thread?   

Man that water looked nice!!!

The water was so nice that I have no complaints about the 5 hours of driving for what turned out to be a nice paddle and a picnic lunch with some friends.   Oh and watching Allen 'huli' after sliding down the grassy launch hill was good too, I only wish I had my camera out in time.

Does this mean there'll be a new entry in the "Huli" thread?   

oh damn, forgot about that thread... does this mean i have to keep count??

I didn't take any photos, but after Polepole biffed on the kayak sledding and I didn't have my camera on I made sure to capture Zeelander trying the same stunt.  Z made it look easy, but he didn't start out nearly as high as polepole did.  In fact Polepole probably started 15 ft up hill from Z's start.

Anyway, here is a quick video clip.
.

oh, kewl, i thot you'd done it in stills.. didnt realize it was video time

Found a video of Polepole's Huli! 

Seems Allen has to do everything in GRAND fashion.   

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7735242.stm