I am going to float the Cowlitz on sunday for the first time and I have some questions. Were is the take out? How do you get there? One more what exit off of I5 do you take to get to Blue Creek. Oh by the way how is fishing? I hear dsifitter(sorry I spelled your name wrong) is doing good. Please reply. Thanks you.....

Chris

Chris;
Fished it last weekend. Hooked three Sunday on Anderson Bar. Saw a few others, both Saturday and Sunday. Are you sure you don't want to fish the Washougal? I hear there doing INCREDIBLY well there!

You want to take the hwy 12 exit #67 I think. Eastbound to Ethel (which is hardly a whistle stop. Just a closed down grocery and a choke and puke). Turn right and keep going strait at the fork. At the end of the road turn left, past Andy's, (which is closed)(hey, what is the activity going on there are they going to reopen?)down the hill and you will see the turn in to the hatchery. The launch is at the end of the road. The drift is about 5 or 6 miles. The river moves along at a pretty good clip. There are no real tough spots, except around Blue Creek. You can go either way around the island, usually, but last weekend I stayed to the left. There is one other break in the River 1/2 a mile? below the log cabin. Most of the flow is to the right. The take out is called the Mission. To get there, from Blue Creek, take the same road down to (can't remember name of road?) (this road is the last one before the road turns and goes up the hill. If you go around the corner you have gone to far, go back one road and follow it to the river.)
Make sure to get bait at one of the stores around I5 or you will SOL. The best bait we found was at the Barrier Dam Campground, but that is 6 miles past the cut off to the Blue Creek Boat Launch.
We will be there again starting Friday night through Sunday and, as always, will be looking for a turnaround. (Who wants to ride a bike past all those mean a** dogs?)
You can e-mail me at the above.
Fishguts
PS #14 pink corkies and yarn with small shrimp on a #2 tied with 6-10 pound flourocarbon.
Good Luck!

------------------
I Wish I were standing in a River,
In the Rain,
Catching Steelhead.

Chris

hey man the Cowlitz has some fish in it. the Blue Creek to Mission Bar float is a good one for a begine. as for riding the bike I havn't had problems wit hdogs YET but I am nocking on wood. Like was said take some sand shrimp and if you got them some good eggs and a variety of corkies. I got mine with my fav. bait with a peach and white corkie. I went back this last weekend and my cuzin (new to steelie fishing ) hooked and lost 2 and I couldn't touch a thing. But he had the first on long enough to get hooked on steelie fishing himself.
don't have much time now maybe shoot me an e-mai land I will tell you a bit more.

dcrzfitter@aol.com

dcr

I got one on eggs lost one on shrimp on sunday the name of the road to the take out is Bucky road.

Chris,

Take the Hwy 12 Exit off I-5, go a few miles and turn right on Jackson Hwy and then left on Buckley rd. to get to the takeout (Mission Bar). Then when you leave, turn right on Singleton-Spencer Rd, which parallels the river. Put in at the trout hatchery just above Blue Cr. or, if you want a longer drift, put in at Barrier Dam. If you put in at Barrier Dam, you'll have to side drift and keep moving to cover the drift, although there's plenty of daylight this time of year. The guys above gave pretty good bait advice. If you're going to side-drift, tie your leaders LONG (5-6 ft) and use just enough lead to tick bottom every so often. Sometimes I'll drift down to Anderson bar across from Blue Cr. and get out and bank fish for the day and just blow through the rest of the drift to the takeout, since good numbers of fish stack in the hole there. The water is no sweat, but mind where you drop anchor, as the water moves pretty fast and DON'T anchor where the sleds are side drifting, unless you want to be glared at all day. Guys tuck tight up against the clay bank across from Anderson and drift fish, but the bank has sunk numerous boats in the past when chunks come down, although that happens most when it's raining. Anchoring along the clay bank and tossing a float/jig combo can also be productive.

Good luck


Fish on..........

Thanks for the reports. They will be helpful. I just got a side ancor system from hyde boats and it didn't come with dirctions or anything, so I am having a hell of a time putting it on. Well boys, see you sunday...

Chris

Chris,

maybe print off those little hints about Andreson Bar and the Clay banks and take them with you that Dan S. gave you. that is some great info. I think I wil lgo saturday. let me know maybe we can hook up and I'l show ya a bit of what I have learned on that drift. one other thing you won't find much room to fish off the bank at Anderson Bar if you aren't on it by daylight.


p.s. if ya have a few spiners give them a try on the flats. and keap yer eyes open for visable fish when floating water that you can see down to the rocks.


dcrzfitter

OI already printed off those emails, they are very knowledgable. My diftboat is a 15ft aluminum and I have blue cataract oars,so if you see me say Hi. I am floating with my dad and a friend. My dad has hooked over 8 steelhead and has never landed one. Hopefully this will be the end of his curse. Oh,one more queston, if a sled is going up river and I am floating down river thenwhat do I do? might be a stupid questioin but I don't want to mess up.

Thanks,
Chris

Chris;
I believe that you have the right of way as you are not under power. Some of the sledders will slow down and not "wake you up" to badly. They generally will try and go behind you so as not to run over your fish. Just be sure to make it clear to them what your intentions are.
We are heading out around 2PM today, hoping to maybe get a quick drift in. We will be camping at BC. Drop in for a cold one! I have an 18' Eastside with Blue Rails. We call her Fishguts. As always we will be looking for a turnaround from the Mission. If you want to hookup, send me an e-mail and
I will give you my cell # or just drop by.
Jeff "Fishguts"

Well guys my plans have changed. I am not going sunday because I am having a hell of a time putting my side ancor system on. I think I will go sometime this week if I can get it on. Thanks for all of the andvice. Fishguts, thanks for the invitation, how about someother time.

Chris

Fishguts.

were you fishing off Anderson Bar on Sat. I made it down a little late the alarm didn't go off. I was the dude in the cowboy hat. I think i might have fished next to you in the morning.

We stay untill about 6:30 pm on the Bar and the fishing got better in the afternoon. we still couldn't get a thing to bite but every bod yaround us had several fish. the boats were even hitting fish in front of us.

we lost one as we were fishing our way down to the take out.

dcrzfitter