I joined the Board in '07. At that time there were many interesting members who provided lots of interesting comments, thoughts, and advice. One of my favorites was Sol, who passed and left the Board in '10. I just, finally, 14 years later, passed him on posts. Wish he were still around.

You and me both C'man

Maybe the live ones will come back.

I've heard that people are leaving Facebook, so that might be a good sign.

While I loved stirring the pot here, I'm now over it.

Nothing frustrates me more than thinking of the ghost town that our rivers have become, and I simply don't come from my highest self when I consider the loss.

While I still kill some summer runs to smoke, steelhead fishing and I have forever changed. The lack of opportunity and crowding has been pathetic.
The loss of my closest fishing buddy didn't help either.

Lately I have been doing a pile of fly fishing for trout in Idaho and would enjoy talking bug chucking with someone more experienced before I dump too much money into my next rod and reel.

This site was cranking when the fishing was good.
NOW???

Has anyone heard from Stam lately?

When it comes to pot stirring, you were about as good as it gets. When I find a river that is open to fish, it is anything but a ghost town - it's pretty crowded because it's often the only show in town, or nearly so. And yes, that is frustrating, especially when it's because WDFW closes rivers because a tribe tells them to and not because conservation makes it necessary. Steelheading in WA appears to be forever changed, mostly due to factors no one can control and partly because WDFW chooses to bite the hand that feeds it. Sorry about the loss of a fishing buddy; that's never easy.

I make a couple trips a year to MT to throw flies for trout and keep thinking I should try a few places in ID as well. There are so many excellent fly rods on the market - we call these the golden years - that dumping money into expensive rods and reels doesn't make anyone a better fly angler. Instead of spending $1,000 on a fly rod, 99% of all anglers are better served buying a $160 Redington Classic Trout (or $200 Echo) and spending the rest of the money on casting lessons. Even the people selling those high end rods agree with that advice.

This site was a going concern and began dying off before the fishing did. I haven't seen or heard from Stam, Todd, or several others in years. I stay in touch with Francis and fished for coho with him last fall.

All true.

By ghost town I meant the fish being a no show compared tp the past.

I fish both Mt and Id.
Just a matter of which side of the mountain I choose to roll off.

It's hopper season.
Hurraaay.

I joined also in 07 after lurking for a while. No doubt things have changed. Although I have never met any of you personally it seems I know some a little. I never was a facebook guy, and this site still offers good information. Was always curious why people just bailed and never came back for any comments? I know back when, I probably saw some of you on the rivers for Steelhead, not knowing this sites connection. Did recognize STRIKE ZONE on the Wynoochee in his white Willie a few times back in the day and fished with Joe Superfisky once. Never posted pics because I didn't need to, and could'nt figure it out anyway. Been retired for a couple years now, and thought I would be hitting my local river in Feb and March, minutes from my house, during the week ,when crowds would be less. Closures ended that thought. Never thought it could happen in my lifetime. Like the great Harry Lemire said "After fishing for over 50 years, Steelhead fishing as I know it is gone"

Certainly is sad to see. There definitely used to be some characters on here.

Superfly's been posting on FB, it sounds like he's having some pretty serious health issues.

Doc's posting on FB; that's where we can follow his ankle/leg. Do miss the reports as there is still quite a bit of interesting fishing and hunting both here and certainly out of state/country.

I do know that what used to be the most well known fisheries in the State (ocean salmon and steelhead) are circling the porcelain Buddha but there are other opportunities. I think.

retirement must be boring if you want to follow someone's broken leg on social media, lol

Having gone through a very similar process a few years ago it is interesting to see how a younger dude responds.

Bet there's a bunch of boat ho that are following the captains recovery.

To be sure. Does that make Doc a Madam because he supports all the Boat Ho's?? I guess that ,makes him a Pimp.

This site, although a good one back in the daze for sure, is dying for the same reasons our beloved passion for fishing, and /or hunting is dying. We all had it so good here in state and this website for a while, that we all missed or ignored the early symptoms of our own demise. That is, until we all really felt the touch of it’s ending tapping on each of our shoulders.

Then we all pointed fingers, we lay blame for fisheries that ended. We came on site here as we tried to fight for who’s right, or who we and what we wanted to think was right, and or wrong with our lil world, while most took little responsibility to deal in reality for what we just let die. That worked for a short bit, for as along as some here had the means to afford following the last great fishing opportunity here in Washington before it died, and then outta state, All was good, until it fades away.

We all have done this to our own selves.

These sites were installed and used to share info, stories, and ideas regarding our activities, passions, and fun, and it was good. Then when the fall began, so did our trust in each other, tighter and tighter lips became the rule, and defending our last secret spaces was the action of the day.

Me included.

If I had any nuts, I would have posted how fun the salmon fishing was at Point Defiance yesterday, but then I realized someone might take offense in sharing that relevant angling information with you all...

And so it goes.

PP is one of the few BB that have survived the rise of social media. There are many out there like Bloody Decks that survive with a wide national audience but those that are about a particular area such as western Washington are not what they once were. Posting up on a fishing trip is something I stopped after getting a whole lot of new friends my favorite being the guy that actually anchored 10 ft behind my boat while I was releasing a fish. So things change but I think for myself it is the ever-growing number of fishers from outside the area. As other areas, particularly Puget Sound continue to decline folks look for a place to fish. It has gotten way past worse in the Grays Harbor area with the destruction of the Willapa Fall Chinook fishery by WDFW. Add to it the growth in guided fishing on the Chehalis as a whole and we now have traffic jams!

So posting fishing stories with locations is not a good idea, sad but true. So PP is part of Bob’s business and I appreciate it as one can still address issues that are about salmonids on the coast. It allows for discussion and different points of view and to share insight. Social media whatever your choice is more like show and tell time. Both serve a purpose but with different objectives and outcomes.

Guess I never specifically posted locations unless I was already sharing them with hundreds of my closest buddies. My interest was and is more in the methods and equipment that worked.

I do think that the connected group that can share observations as to what is happening where they are helps us to deal with issues about management and what we, as rec users, hope to accomplish.

What would be neat is if people would get back to posting fishing reports and pictures. I know several people on this board, and myself have been out recently and caught some fish. Let’s not forget how enjoyable it is to read other’s posts and stories about fishing.

The dark side was the real entertainment and made the site enjoyable during the slow times. Seeing characters like DanS and Illashee get worked up quickly over petty things was amusing.



Streamer

Sheeshhh,

So posting of a fishing location is not good ?

Let’s see,

“We went out on the ocean for salmon near west port. We saw lotsa boats, a few fish caught, and we even netted a couple ourselves.

Beautiful conditions, and the kids loved the fishing adventure ....”
See Picts.

Would that be admissible for posting, or do we keep it secret ? Big waters, lotsa room, tons of access, and absorbs the pressure for numbers of anglers.

In or out?

Or

My bud and I hiked into Ives’s Creek for summer run Steelhead. Tuff hike but no other fishers, and we hit 7 nice summer run Steelhead to 15 lbs !
See Picts.

In or out for posting here ?

One should know the rules, or perhaps at the very least, exhibit some common sense and etiquette. Unless one is talking about some other distant shore, another state, or Country, then itz ok to share with the masses ?

We get it.....