Newbie Molalla Story

[SafetyChain]

Welcome to our world! :cheers:

[Skipper]

Welcome adiboy,

This is a great place to give and get fishing and boating help.

[spinnermaker]

Welcome to Ifish

[crabbait]

Welcome aboard, adiboy. Good story. My dad was pheasant hunting when I was born. Mom says he was driving her nuts so she had his brother drag him off hunting.

[slamin salmon]

Welcome to our gang! Thanks for the story. Bet you can still see and feel thoses days. graemlins/applause.gif

[Trophy]

Welcome aboard! :cheers: Have a beer :grin:

[blacktail]

Welcome from a fellow Canby-ite. :grin:

Mike

[ 01-06-2003, 08:47 PM: Message edited by: blacktail ]

[TOMCAT]

Welcome to ifish, I caught my first steelhead on a drift from wagon wheel to loggin bridge, I wil never forget that fish, the thing looked like a whale when i first boated it. was only a 8# buck, but made a lasting impression, neat little river.

[Jet Drifter]

I sure have enjoyed the Mollalla River also.

I think that upper canyon, above the "logging bridge", is the concrete bridge leading up Horse Creek and to Gawley Creek, on gravel road. Am I in a different place? :shrug:
After all, I am still a fry graemlins/dork.gif
There will be more log hauling across the Pinecrest Bridge begining this summer.

[PayDay]

Corkie Monster had a post asking about the Molalla River that I wanted to respond to, so I registered. I've been visiting ifish for about a year, so I figured maybe it could be my new guy story too ??

I live in Canby, so I'm just a cast away from the Molalla River, but I haven't fished it in years. Two memories come to mind from the mid eighties:

1. We almost sunk my buddie's new Clackacraft driftboat between Wagon Wheel (by Arrowhead) and Good's Bridge when we came to a split and took the main channel to the left. It turned out to be a blind corner with the current running right into a big sweeper.
Before we could pull away from it we were pushed under the tree sideways and the upriver side of the boat almost went under water. We were able to react quickly enough to shift weight to the high side and push ourselves out from under the branches, lucky that we just had a close call and no worse.

BTW, we did land and release one downrunner steelie that trip.

2. My 2nd ever steelhead hookup was on a sunny February day in the upper canyon
above the logging bridge. I was fishing a small slot below a rapid when a bright steelie grabbed my corkie, jumped, and spit the hook before I could set it. I can still see that fish in my mind, and it's almost 17 years ago. I'm sure I wouldn't remember one lost fish so well, except for when I went home after dark to find my very pregnant wife was in labor. We headed for the hospital and my daughter was born that night. Not bad, hooked my 2nd lifetime steelhead and saw my first kid born in the same day.

Happy Trails,
CT

[Cohodependent]

Welcome to I-Fish, great story. I grew up in Woodburn and spent lots of time up there. I remember when Steelhead fishing was pretty good on that river. Many of sunny spring days were spent skipping school on that river.

[Artwo]

Welcome from another fellow Canby-ite............GO COUGS

Jk

[PayDay]

Yep. I was referring to the bridge that crosses back over the river after you pass Dickey Prairie to head up the canyon on Molalla Forest Road on the south side of the river. There used to be lots of logging up there, so I guess I'm showing my age a little.
The Molalla is a beautiful river. I can't think of any other fast water tributaries around here that aren't dammed, so without a hatchery run any more I'm hoping the native runs will continue to build and it will be a first rate c & r stream. Doesn't sound like another hatchery program is likely anytime soon.

BTW, there's a really good mtn. bike area up there now if anybody does that sort of thing, but car vandals are out there now too, so don't leave nice stuff in your rig.

Good to meet you all.