My first full year at Dave and Pam’s, by Tye Vedder.
For me 2011 was an awesome year. I got to go lots of fun places, saw many strange sights and generally had a ball. Most of the trips Dave went on I got to go too. Sometimes he left me home and I HATE that, but I will pass on what he told me about the trips I wasn’t allowed on.
His first trip of the year was one he left me home. He told me he got to fish a SW stream with Rico, his good friend John and the son of my old friend who passed away the year before. In addition to great company they had a stellar day and his friend’s son landed his first ever steelhead. After landing his fifth fish he said. “I thought this was supposed to be hard.”
Soon after that we went to the ocean and dig holes in the beach. It was great fun. At first I was a bit afraid of the water rushing in at me but soon I was playing in it and having a ball. Christian, my favorite boy, dug his first clam that trip.
At some point in the winter we had a great snow. My I loved that! We got to play in the snow with my boy Christian and a Frisbee. One day I got to play with my Mom, Dad and a few brothers and sisters. What a great family reunion. Boy I hope it snows again this year.
Then dad left me for 10 days to go off to Nicaragua. I had a good time at home with Pam and she spoiled me rotten, but I did get in a bit of trouble. Dave said Nicaragua was great with many new experiences and some excellent fishing
Soon after Dave got back from Nicaragua us went to forks to fish steelhead with Phil Maurade and Brett Lowe. I got to stay at Phil’s and play grab [Bleeeeep!] with his two dogs. I guess they had fun too. I think they caught a few of those steelhead things.
Dave no more than got home when he left me again. This time to go fish springers with his friends Phil Stevens sand John Grabowski. He brought home a lot of fish. But I didn’t get even one bit of it. It sure smelled good on the BBQ.
Pam is great to me but sometimes she is a bit slow feeding me.
Next we went digging BIG holes in the sand with Charlie, Seastrike and his dog Chase. I got to eat a Horse Clam. Yummy!
Lots of night’s dad would load up that funny thing that he gets so excited about if I chew on, and drive off. I suspect he was fishing some local lakes. He says next year he will get a bigger raft so I can go too.
The he left me for a week. He says he and his friends Rob and John went to Las Craigas and fished with Captain Love. Judging by all the salmon he brought back it must have been a great trip. He even gave me a few scraps of the cooked fish when he BBQed it. I like the photo of John with the crabs. Seconds later that crab got a hold of his pinky finger and cut it badly.
Damn! He no more than got home when he took off for Westport. Again they came home with a bunch of fish and his friend John seems very excited about something called a 37 pound Chinook. I was just mad they didn’t take me.
Next we went to Montana. It sure was a long ride in that kennel, but once we got there it was awesome. I was allowed to run free for a week. I chased deer, and marmots, went fishing in a drift boat and generally had a blast. Dad was bummed about the high water but I didn’t see any problems with it.
Soon after we got back from Montana we went to Eastern Washington and fished for Sockeye by Wells Dam. My friend Brad Wagner guided, Canyonman and his two boys. Rico and Blondebud joined us. We had such a good time playing, fishing and bonking salmon. That’s one trip I want to do next year.
Next up was a trip to Neah Bay. I got to go on that one. I love riding in Dave’s new Alumaweld. This year we had really flat water. We went 30 MPH all the way to Swiftsure. Fishing was only fair but Dave and his friend John got several nice Chinook and a lot of yummy bottom fish. I got to fetch my horse toy in the surf and mooch food from all the other campers.
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Only a few days later we headed town to fish Buoy 10. Darn there were a lot of people there but all of the guys caught fish. Dave got his biggest Chinook of the year a 28 pounder.
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Then came the most exciting thing all year. Dave took me too Cook Canyon with Seastrike, his boy and his dog chase. What a lot of fun. I learned how to track pheasants and took to them immediately I think bazillion generations of my ancestors must have left me with great instincts. I even pointed a few. I live for this now. I am so glad HuntNCoug and Art Achewter got my parents together.
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Our next trip was with Fishranger and Dave’s grandkids fishing for pink salmon. The kids loved it and it was a relaxed good time for everyone. I liked watching the fish get netted and licking them before they went in the fish box.
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Then Big Fish Danny and Dave took me for the longest car ride ever. It seemed like I was in that kennel for a week but I guess it was only 18 hours. We stayed in some cabins where everyone loved me. I spent time with Ryley and Todd and slept in at least three different beds. We fished for two weeks and my people caught fish every day. One day Dave got really excited about what he said was the biggest steelhead he had ever photographed. Danny was pretty much always excited but he rubbed my ears and felt sorry for me when the bugs chewed up my privates badly.
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We got back home and took a few days off but soon headed over to eastern Washington. We hunted quail several times and I flushed several but Dave sure did a crappy job of hitting them. Then we went to the Methow River with Brad Wagner. I followed them up and down and across the river and they caught a lot of steelhead.
We fished around the area a few times then Dave took me to eastern Washington duck hunting. I was awesome. In two days I retrieved 24 ducks and one huge goose. The goose was a bit scary but I finally drug it in to shore. One time Dave tied me to a five gallon bucket then we both forgot I was tied up. I jumped in to retrieve a duck and towed the bucket behind me. I got the duck and brought it back but that sure was hard.
As the year ended Dave and Pam, went to Florida and left me with a house sitter. He was a nice guy but I sure missed Pam and Dave. It does look like they had a good time and d Dave said he scratched several species off his bucket list.
To end the year we did several hunts in eastern Washington and went clam digging again.
Dang I love this outdoor life, I think I’m one lucky pooch.
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