O.K after posting the issue about public access on the Cowlitz River, I gave it a first hand test myself today!
I don't want any other fishermen to get in trouble, or worse yet, get ticketed for trespassing! So hears today's results! After fishing the area around I-5 and Mandy road, I decided to go down to the "Public Fishing Area known as the "Wallace Gravel Pits", which is located about 1 and 7 tenths of a mile below the I-5 Bridge on Mandy road. I had just met a fly fishermen at the I-5 Boat Ramp and he asked me if I knew any other area's that he could fish. I told him that there was another area about 2 miles down Mandy road right at the sharp bend in the road called "Wallace's Gravel Pit". As I left the parking lot at I-5, he was getting ready to follow me down.
When I entered the gravel pit, I waved to a guy (I was pretty sure he was the owner) and he waved back. As I drove down the dirt road that follows the power lines on the left side, I noticed that there had been some cat work at the last 100 yards of the old road. For the last 10 years, that was the area that we all used to get to the Cowlitz River to fish. I stayed on the left side of two "trails" until I could no longer travel over it because of "the recent cat work" that was done. In the last 60 or so feet, I had to cross over to the right side trail (about) 40 feet, and headed down the along the riverbank. I have been there many times before so I knew that I was on state property when I was at the riverbank area. The guy that was following me never came down to where I was parked.
Not long after I was fishing, a worker from the pit drove up and told me he hated to be the bearer of bad news, but I was trespassing, and that I had to leave the area right now. I then polity told him that he was "wrong" and that I was on WDFW fishing access easement property. He told me that I was wrong, and that I had to leave now! I again told him about the access easement and he told me that if I stayed, he would "lock" the gate at the entrance of Mandy road. I did not want to get into a P****** match about it so I told him to go ahead and lock the gate, but that I have a cellular phone in my car and I will be calling the Lewis County Sheriffs Office and complaining that I have been locked into a public area by this gravel company.
Well, I continue fishing. I thought that the owner would come down next and tell me personally to get the hell out. To my surprise, about a half hour later, a sheriff officer came walking down the bank and address me by my first name. He had obviously checked my plates and knew who the owned of the car was. I greeted him, and then he asked me if I knew I was "trespassing"? I then proceeded to explain to him the "real truth" about this public fishing access area. He was also a fisherman and was extremely polite and agreed that this issue needed to be resolved before someone was written a ticket for trespassing when they really weren't. Just like what was posted in my earlier posting, I told him to call Ray Croswell from WDFW. He made an attempt, but only got his answering machine. I then told him the name of a local WDFW officer and he tried to contact him. He was not available either. As a last resort, I told him to have his dispatcher contact the region director, Lee Van Tussenbrock. I have worked personally with Lee over the years to revise the WDFW game laws. As luck was, the dispatcher was able to contact Mr. Tussenbrock and verify that there was an easement at the gravel pit and that it has been there since the 60's. The officer smiled and said, "Now I have to go back and tell him that he (the owner) is misinformed". The owner of the pit was way out of line, and he knows it! The owner may have a real problem with his pit. According to the original maps, the pit owner mined the original easement that went right down through the middle of his current pit. That would mean, if someone wanted to push the issue in court that he would have to backfill the easement all the way across his pit. The Pit is well over 38 feet deep all the way across the pond (about 250 yards). It is my understanding that the owners of this land were paid very well for this easement (over $60,000) in the early 60's. So this is the scoop as it stands now. WDFW has faxed a copy of the easement map to Lewis County Sheriff Office. The gate at the entrance should never be closed (especially on week-ends). If it is closed, call the Lewis County Sheriff Office and demand that the gate be opened. This is one of the largest public accesses on the Cowlitz River. Remember, use it but don't abuse it!
Remember, be polite, know your rights and use them when confronted to the best of your ability!
Cowlitzfisherman
Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of hook????
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Cowlitzfisherman
Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????
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