Cowlitz Steelhead Trip

I'm thinking of hitting the Cowlitz launching from Blue Creek Hatchery tomorrow or Wednesday. Anyone want to join me? You can crew in my tandem or paddle your own. Should be good according to reports.

iHop


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Watch out for all the sled-tards

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Have you been there lately? I was hoping it would be less crowded after the holiday weekend.


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I've never seen it uncrowded, even when the flow is really high.

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I have spent many years there on the bank bumping elbows along with the other combat fishermen.   
When sleds would go through the crowded bank fishing areas,  they always did so at a pretty good pace.
Any that would just drift through often found people casting lead as close to their boat
as possible"and occasionally off and in their boat"   
It was the bankers way of saying "while just you drift through here,  all of us can't fish".
I think it was really their way of saying "I am envious that you have a boat while I have waders"
When the banks are crowded,  I would be worried about drifting through on a kayak

Sheesh, guess I'll pass on the Cowlitz unless someone has any alternative approach to kayak fishing there. Thanks for the warnings, it would have been a real drag to drive that far to become a target!

Just turn that T.I. of yours into a Monitor boat by putting up side curtains of kevlar and arming both yourself and your number two with good automatic paintball guns loaded with hard rubber balls and you should be fine. 

Wonder if anyone ever really fights back?

When I was a fishing guide in Yellowstone back in '63-64 we "savages" would joyfully cut lines of "dudes" who encroached in the boat passage under Fishing Bridge. It was usually the highlight of the day. Of course we had lots of backup at the Boat Dock. Sadly, FBBD is no more.

Ah, youth.


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The lower drift is a lot better.  If you drift from the take out that you would normally use after launching from Blue Creek, then take out at I-5, it's a lot less crowded.

Is it productive to launch at I-5 and anchor or troll?


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The Cowlitz this morning is running a brisk 6500 cf the long strait  at I-5 I've never been productive for steelhead, I have pulled a couple of springers out there. Best bet would maybe anchor up and run a diver with sand shrimp and egg cocktail, or side drift eggs. There is several good fishing spots between I-5 and the next takeout downstream at Olequa  creek.  Boat traffic on that section of the river tends to be pretty slow. Stay away from Blue Creek, I don't even like to brave that in my drift boat, that is where they coined the term combat fishing.

I think the secret would be to target the parts of the river that the bank fishermen don't have access to.       When you do have to go through the popular bank spots, the majority of bank fisherman will typically be stacked up on one side of the river.  If you hug the far bank as you pass through those areas,  then there is no reason for them to mess with you.   

 

You can launch at Blue Creek and simply avoid the combat zone. You can find plenty of good water below that.

Whenever I drift the Cowlips from Blue Crk to Mission, I fish the drifts just opposite the launch down to just above the riffle section going into the corner combat zone. Lots of sleds in the run just below the corner, too, so i avoid that entire run. I row thru that entire freak show and park my boat on the bar a ways below all that insanity. I still have to deal with a few sleds in the picture, but they offer me a good opportunity to practice at snagging hats with a fly, so I'm always happy to see 'em.  Then I wade and swing some cutthroat or steelhead flies before moving down to the next good looking water.

I've always done that float in either a full-sized drift boat, or my Don Hill mini-drifter. Haven't done it yet in a yak, but I'd have no qualms about taking my Ultimate 12 down the Cow. My mini-drifter is almost the perfect craft for a solo float on the Cow, though, and I'm almost done building my new 4' X 8'  flatbed "utility & mini-drifter" trailer. Just need to finish building the side rails and then go get it inspected and licensed. I'll be back in the saddle again, ropin' some line on the Cow!

Thanks for the great info, CHM. I just sent you a pm. Always looking to meet up and fish new waters.

iHop


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