A little competition is a great idea. I think the beach just south of Potlatch SP is the perfect place. The Chums hang around the beach but they are not sitting still and spawning like they are in a river. Will have to wait till next year though. The Green would also work except for we would be fishing for them in the redds where they are just sitting there. Not good for competition.

Carl,
I may have to work Sunday, I should know by tomorrow or Friday at the latest. If not, I will see you up by Flaming Geyser, I`ll be leaving around 6:30 a.m. and I should be there by around 7:30 or so. I`ll be driving my old blue Subaru Wagon.

Carl - I'm not sure what you are stating when you say

You don't have to fish the reds to cacth river chums. Or any other salmon/trout/steelhead for that matter. I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I know for a fact that you can find more aggressive biting, strong, and fresh fish moving through slots, holding in deep pools, ect. We should not encourage fishing over redds. Or am I just smoking something here? Are chums such a 'garbage' fish that it is OK to snag them and harass them on the redds? When fish are stacked up, is it OK to snag 75% of the time just for a chance at one biting? There are other effective ways to do it. If i'm way out of line here, please let me know. I'm not trying to be argumentative or a jerk - but I really don't get it.

Thanks,
Chad

ChadK, you've got it! I am just saying that from my experience fishing for Chums on the Green I have only seen Chums in the redds.
I am drawing a comparison to fishing for Chums on Hood Canal.

MikeC. Have you been back to that lake that we cleaned up last April. Little Lake Cav. Since I can't seem to get out anymore. I was wondering how dirty it has gotten. Jim S.

Mike, If the weather craps out on us for Saturday i'm pretty sure we are going to chose the green over the nisqually and the way it looks, alot of people from here are going to go saturday also. So how bouts organizing your clean up idea. The lower end of FG park could really use it and by the looks of it, with all the cars i see at Metzler, it is probably just as trashed.

Rainycity, I will see ya there!

FFF, maybe I will see you there too!

[ 12-12-2001: Message edited by: Carl Costenbader ]

Jim,
I haven't been back to Lake Cav since the clean up. I would hope it will take a few years to get that dirty again.
FFF,
I was speaking in the abstract about organizing a clean up. I have my heart set on heading back down to the Cowlitz or over to the Sky Saturday for some steelheading. I think it's a great idea and would encourage you and the others going to bring along trash bags and spend an hour cleaning. I'll bet if you bring extra bags you could convince people there to help out. It's the kind of spontaneous activity that you can talk people into. I do want to organize a cleanup in the Spring again. I think it would make for a great yearly tradition.

Carl,
No work on Sunday, so I`ll see you up there...

Rainycity, I am all stocked up on corky and yarn for this weekend. Looks like the mother nature is going to be on her period too.
Nor rain, nor sleet, nor snow will keep me from my appointed rounds!

Hey Mike, that's cool. Wish i was going to the Cowlitz. I went up on the Green again today and i guess someone couldn't stand all the garbage cuz most of it was gone. Still lots and lots of stray line and birdnests tangled all over the place. Talk about rain sheesh. Non stop downpour the whole time. Tossed it out for steelhead for an hour or so, no takers. Hooked 1 chum and a white fish, oh boy. Still tons of chum everywhere. Have fun Cow tippin.

Just stopped by Flaming Geyser after work to check out the water conditions. WOW! was the water high, fast moving, and muddy. Caught four fish though. Fish the slow moving water or back eddys at your feet. The chums are hanging out close to shore. Hope the water drops and clears a little by tomorrow otherwise access will be really limited.

Fished FG this morning. Water was still high and muddy. The water dropped a lot since yesterday but access was still very limited. Found a stream farther back in the park where the Chums were packed in hiding from the fast water.
I hope the river gets back into shape soon!

Hey Carl, John had to work at the last minute so we didn't go. The river looked way high so maybe it wasn't that bad getting a christmas tree instead of fishing. But atleast ya found em. Anyone up there today from PP? I got those pics of johns brute up on the website if you wanna check them out. Awesome clear pics but they make it look around 9lbs not 15. Salmon page 6 then click the pics to enlarge them. Nisqually is lookin slow still.

FF, I did not see any one from PP. I think tomorrow is suppose to be the big gathering day.

Those of you planning on heading to Flaming Geyser tomorrow, don't waste your time! Access is very limited and the water is very fast and muddy.

I was thinking of heading to Kanaskat-Palmer myself to check things out there. I don't think they will be any better than FG.

Mother Nature is really on the RAG.

Fished at Kanaskat-Palmer first. I only saw three guys fishing there. I fished for a while with jig and bobber with no luck. Went up to Headworks. No public access beyond the damn now, I guess because of Sept.11th. Then I cruised down to Flaming Geyser and fished the bridge hole. Hooked into a couple of chums there and the water was a lot lower than the day before but still very muddy.
All in all a not-so-good day of fishing.

Can anybody give me directions to the bridge hole at flaming geyser? I live in Battle Ground. I don't get a chance to fish much, being 15, so when I do go I want to know I'll have a good time. What should I use to catch'em on? I was talking to my dad and he said that when he was a kid he would take a three way swivel and tie a two foot leader on one end, his line on the other, and on the third end he would have a two foot leader with some sort of a spinner at the end. I guess he fished this off of a bridge, so he didn't have to worry about it getting tangled in a cast. If anybody would like to know of any good fishing places in their area, I have sources, and might be able to help.
Thanks

FB5, for you the best way to get to Flaming Geyser is I-5 North, take exit 142 (Hwy 18) going EAST bound towards Auburn, take the Auburn-Black Diamond exit off of Hwy 18. Follow the signs to the park. The park is eight miles from Hwy 18 on Green Valley Road. Be lookin' for the park entrance on the right side of the road or you will drive right by the entrance! When you enter the park you pass over a bridge that is over the Green. Look to your left and you will see the parking area and probably see fisherman wading in the river.
It will be a long drive for ya but if the weather cooperates fishing for Chums will be worth while all the way to the end of the season for salmon Dec 31st.

P.S. If you are serious about hitting the Green I would be more than happy to show you around!

FB5,

P.S.S. I use a bullet sinker (3/8 oz) on top of a swivel with a with a lime green corky/yarn or a clown colored (pink,green,yellow,white,orange,and pink) corky/yarn. I don't use pencil lead like every one else because the bullet sinkers don't SNAG like pencil lead do. Try it! It really works!

Hey Carl, if you wondering about the headworks, yes it is closed for security reasons but also closed for good because they are putting in a fish management center by the dam and at the gate they are putting in a salmon hatchery(chated with the guy in the gate house). Which i totally disagree with. All the salmon up there are wild. Now they are going to have hatchery fish spawning in the same area as the wild fish. Dumb idea. Like there aren't enough salmon in the green already. And for what i saw up there last year i'd say the wild run is pretty strong.They said the new facilities will be up in 2 years. Kiss those sweet holes goodbye!!!