Good times

Got the chance to fish with a couple of real men recently and man do they know how to catch some fish. We were fishing some new water for me and we caught 15 salmon! What a time it was. I ended going 5 for 7 on my rod, those fish fight hard and it was a blast. Thanks Glenn, and again, I am sorry for those last two.

FIRE!

I have been fishing Tillamook bay lately, and man is it on fire. We got 5 today, but the most interesting one was what I call the "reverse double". It was the first time this had ever happened to me. One fish ate two baits, getting hooked up by both anglers at the exact same time. We both played the fish, but the other guys leader broke allowing me to land the fish. Simply awesome!

The end is.............

The ODFW and WDFW, the two agencies that govern the Columbia river, have decided to shut her down. My understanding of the whole idea and process may not be right on, but since this is my blog here it is.

Sport fisherman, that would be me, are allowed to take X% of the returning fish. Now I don't know what that number is, and I frankly don't give a damn. Based on averages from years past, the numbers of returning URB salmon this season are down. They don't know if they are late or just not showing up. OUR percentage stays the same, so a lower returning number means are "take" is lower as well. Well the agencies feared that we had hit or were rapidly approaching that number given the low numbers of fish crossing the Bonneville wall of doom. So they shut the river down to angling for chinook salmon.

At first I was kinda bummed, but than I realized I could go to the Deschutes and swing some spey flies for summers like I used to. I used to love doing that. I like to ride my bike up river a few miles and spend the evening swinging a steelie fly across the water as the sun dips down for the night. Good times.

I could actually get some work done on the house, ah forget it who wants to do that.

Tillamook is approaching, with the coming rains comes powerful pissed off Tillahogs ready for action. I have tied up my leaders and made the necessary repairs to the sled, I think I am ready.

I need to put a new bottom on my drift boat. I should be doing that today, dangit I gotta go.

The end is...........the beginning.

Fat boy getting thinner????????

Well I have set my mind to loosing a crap load of weight before Christmas. 4 weeks in and I am down 20 lbs. I would like to burn off 65 more. Diet and exercise, the only true thing that works for me.


I miss pizza......................

My sanity is worth 36 bucks

I have maxed out on MAX!

I pulled into the fuel station the other day to fill up for the long fishing weekend. My head fell into my hands as I saw the clicker clicking by at 3.27 a gallon. Time to hit the Max again. I used to ride it to work everyday for a year and a half...........it took that long to get to me back than. Well it only took me four days this time.

First off, I leave my house at 0515 in the morning to get to work late, at 0710. I leave work about 1715 and get home at 1840. Crap I tell you.
Than there is the people, the people aren't that bad if you just riding the damn train down town for a night of boozing and billiards. But get on there each and every day and things change. There are the crazy people, I haven't been on the train one time where there wasn't a crazy person. For some reason the mass transit systems attract them. They all wanna talk to me and preached to about tattoo's and crap like that. Shut the hell up!! And NO! I don't wanna buy any of the batteries or razors you stole from Fred Meyer. Jeez.

Than there is the obese people, now I am no skinny dude, but when these 400 lb woman get on the train and stand next to me I loose it. Not because they are gross or anything, but because there mini cooper size ass is rubbing on for 40 minutes and than they turn over like they were sunbathing and rub there obnoxious fat buckets for breasts on me. I can't take it.

The mass of people gets me, I am not a people person. My Grandfather always quoted Roy Rogers in saying, I could get along with anybody if it wasn't for people. How true is that????????? For me, 98% true. The train gets so packed you are rubbing against people on all four sides. People drenched in perfume and coughing and staring at me. People talking on their cell phones to someone on the other end who they are comparing hickey sizes with.......cmon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I fall off the train at my stop each day and gasp for air, I hurry to my truck, my little ZaQsworld and sit there as the engine warms up. Ready to pop......but it is over, for at least 9 hours.

I sat there today, letting the engine warm and figured out my costs. It is 120 miles a week to work. Truck gets on average 15 miles to the gallon. 3 and a half bucks a gallon works out to somewhere around 36 bucks a week.

My sanity is worth 36 bucks.

Two for the crew

My friend Jeff drove over from the coast today, quite early I might add, and we took our daughters fishing today. We didn't pound them by any means, but each daughter did get to reel in a nice salmon. Way to go kids!

Now that is a hog, line

I fished the Columbia River today with several thousand other people. We like to hog line up for these fish, and man is it effective. In the picture there, it is solid wall of boats all the way to that marker in the distance, and there are 6 boats on the other side of me. A virtual wall of death for salmon!

The season is just starting and it is hot!
Click the picture for a larger version.

I survived (part 2)

A full week of work that is. I havn't done a complete week in some time, too much fishing. BUT, now I get to enjoy 4 days off and 4 days of fishing. The river is full of fish, and I am ready to net some for you guys. Let's shine some wobblers and stick it to them!