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[FlyFishin Magician]

Yes....those were the days they allowed people to fish the mouth of the channel. I would normally walk down the run below and it was easy to get anything from 3-5 steelhead a day.....

We used to fish the old "gun barrel run" which was a few hundred or so yards below the hatchery channel.  Just in the distance in your photo.  Here's a photo of my first steelhead on the fly in that run - back in December 2000...

[greyghost]

I remembered the run just before the VW run. One day I walked into that run all alone with sandshrimp and I could not keep them off my hook. The problem- I was not able to land a single fish!!!!!!

I also remember Mr Purdy screaming at us for trespassing his land!!!!!!

Hahahaha so true! Thank god he didn't have a salt gun! But then again I had a pair of River Rat neoprene waders on. Bullet proof!

[greyghost]

We used to fish the old "gun barrel run" which was a few hundred or so yards below the hatchery channel.  Just in the distance in your photo.  Here's a photo of my first steelhead on the fly in that run - back in December 2000...

The die hards know that the real gun barrel run is in the canyon! Nice pic Magician.

[FlyFishin Magician]

Thanks!  I actually released that fish as I didn't want to kill the first steelhead I landed.  I got the name "gunbarrel" from the guy who first took me in there.  That run used to be prime for summer chinook as well!  Man - I miss that run...

[greyghost]

Thanks!  I actually released that fish as I didn't want to kill the first steelhead I landed.  I got the name "gunbarrel" from the guy who first took me in there.  That run used to be prime for summer chinook as well!  Man - I miss that run...

Great run indeed. its funny you mention about the summer Chinook. Stack hole for sure, you would have about a 10 day window when the first push of fish would come in before they would start to turn red. It was awesome. Clunk a chrome red chinook then fish the tail out for a chrome summer steelhead. How can you beat that!

Hint for summer steelhead anglers. Find the Red springs and you will find summer-runs!

[summersteel]

thanks for the pictures, great memories! I'll bet that I'm somewhere downstream in that photo.

[drh]

That fisherwoman in the photo posted,I'm pretty sure her and husband Gerald were pretty avid back then. [if it's the couple I recognise]They were dialed in on wool combos that consistently worked on steel and coho,they outfished my bait offerings more than a few times back then.
The VW run was killer when the summers were moving in,I haven't fished the river in about 4 years now and don't recommend it to the new fish hunters,it's just not the river it used to be

[silver ghost]

It seems that all the rivers aren't what they used to be     I'm starting to develop a love hate relationship for the vedder...except a little more on the hate side these days  I'm gonna bite the bullet and spend some cash this summer and head north where there is actually fish.

[CohoMan]

DRH- that was indeed Gerald's wife but unfortunately, they went their separate ways. She was an awesome fisherwoman.

[floatfisher]

Anyone have some old time pics of the canyon? I wonder how it has changed over the years as some spots fill in while others become deeper.

[greyghost]

Anyone have some old time pics of the canyon? I wonder how it has changed over the years as some spots fill in while others become deeper.

Give me a couple days floatfisher. I am positive that I have some kicking around in my photo albums.

[opwins]

I have not been back to the canyon in 15 years until the last few months, other then some logging the canyon spots seem to be somewhat intact so to speak....  But below the hatchery I was totaly lost its a shame how much it has changed, but it does not mean there is no fish 

[floatfisher]

Give me a couple days floatfisher. I am positive that I have some kicking around in my photo albums.

When you mentioned a spot in the canyon called the gun barrel I had a spot pop into my head right away lol and it made me wonder how the pools have changed over the years. I look forward to seeing some old pics lol

[the carp]

In the canyon i remember fishing the sandhole the shale run and carters, many years ago mostly wild fish, but stacked up at times, also remember seeing cougars on two occasions. couldn't do the hike nowadays lol.

[iblly]

I remembered the run just before the VW run. One day I walked into that run all alone with sandshrimp and I could not keep them off my hook. The problem- I was not able to land a single fish!!!!!!

I also remember Mr Purdy screaming at us for trespassing his land!!!!!!

My Great Grandmother was a cook for the Prettys and lived on the property for several years with my Grandpa when he was a boy, a LONG time ago. Grandpa used to tell me stories about all the fish of all kinds that he had seen go up that river. He loved living there as a boy. Years later my dad caught his first steelhead there, years after that I caught my first steelhead there. Me and my dad sprinkled some of grandpas ashes off the single lane bridge after he passed. Great memories of that river for three generations of us ! Like many of you guys, don't go there much anymore. Maybe this year.