When I first started steelhead fishing back in 1973 There was a lot of tackle and techniques that was not available back then that is today.
Here is some of what we didn't have back in 1973
Neoprenes
Egg cures
Braided dacron
Slinkys
Bobbers and jigs
Catch and Release
Pips Dispensers
Lazer sharp hooks

Hey Stew, do you have the new grandson at your house keeping you all awake at this hour or what? Or are you just still so excited about the nail polish okie haul that you can't sleep?

[ 11-11-2001: Message edited by: RT i ]

Good morning Marsha. I know you aren't a nightowl like I've become, so you must be up early for a fishing trip today? As for Stew you can call him Grandpa now.

I think some of us can come up with more items useful to fishing that weren't around back in the early 70's:

- Electronic sonar fish finders
- Fancy shallow water jet sleds
- The 'information age' (fishing websites)
- Foam sheathed hook files
- Short wave radios to share found fish
- Pink rubber worms
- The 'Gawdess' of fishing tips
- Cataract and Sawyer fiber alloy oars
- Advanced graphite fishing rod blanks
- Ceramic rod guides
- Superior reels
- Superior mono lines (you mentioned superbraids)
- Advanced scent formulas
- TOO MANY FISHERMEN
- LESS FISH (especially nates)

Probably lots more?

back then you could catch fish with a glass rod and a penn reel loaded with mono line, nowdays people think they have to use a 350.00 rod and a 200.00 reel loaded with 25.00 super braid line and use diachi 1.00 hooks, why is that ?

I have a Fenwick 83c and a Garcia, circa 1975, that I still use to good effect. Marketing and easy credit, Boater. Marketing and easy credit.

i agree jwc, and might add, you wont find any k-13 kwik fish in my tackle box.

'73
I was born in 72

Chemically sharpened hooks
Hook colors other than bronze, black and nickel
Flourocarbon line
Denise Richards
Angelica Bridges
Foam Corkies
Microwave burritos

Gooose

I think the history part of steelheading is awsome. How certain gear has evolved, and how techniques have changed, not to mention run sizes which were astounding. I liked the older arcticles of STS when they interviewd guys like Howard Miller of the Skagit and the developement of boating, gear, and overall popularity which has exploded.

RT, will there be anymore of those type of arcticles in STS?

tight lines....

Ahhh....yeah..heh heh grade school. Yeah that's the ticket

'walker,

I think there's a good chance of that. I did an article in last fall's STS issue called "Tillamook Chinook Fishing - Tech Evolution". It was about what used to be the go to techs back in the 70's era (give or take), and what has become the go to techs of the modern era there. It would be interesting to have someone write an article for a Washington area on that type of format. The Oly Pen and/or the Skykomish/Snohomish areas would be interesting.

Anyone remember the good ol' days when you could fish at Reiter without having thirty-seven floats in battle formation floating over, under, and around your line each and every cast?

It's always been crowded, at least since I started fishing there in the late '70's. I also really like fishing floats.

Just not there, it's such a perfectly classic drift hole. Except for the fact that it's damn near impossible to do it anymore with all the floats in the water.

Oh, well. Life goes on...

Fish on...

Todd

here are some other things I remember NOT having back then. I was only a teen then so they may have been available, just not to me:
.
1. Gamakatsu hooks
2. good rain gear
3. good polarized glasses
4. felt soles
5. vests with enough pockets
6. propane heaters for boats

Bring back disco. Get the goofballs off of the rivers.

73 Helll I was back from Nam by then...

Remember when you didn't need a law degree to read and understand the regulations?

Darn lawyers. Uh, ... wait a minute.

Anyway, it doesn't help me much, anyway.

Fish on...

Todd.