Stayton Dam

[tag-a-long]

How many of you have been over the daam, or should I say down the slide? I took a trip with Dom this weekend down the santiam, and had a great time. We did encounter a bit of first timer problems at the dam. As we headed to the point, we had planned on getting out of the willie and looking it over since we neither one had been there before. His dad and I were in the front, and I couldn't hold my foot on the rocks, and no way could I jump to the shore from the slippery bugger that I was standing on :shocked: So, the current starts to take the back of the boat to the right, and Dom rows the front a bit closer to shore. Not close enough, but that wasn't stopping us. Dom stood up from the rowers seat and leaped for the rock just as I said don't jump!
Isn't the captain supposed to go down with the ship????????????????? :laugh:
So there we are, me and pops standing in the front of the boat looking at Dom who has now slipped off the rock and is in the water to his chest holding onto the anchor arm and trying to swim us to the rocks. What a riot. I jumped into the rowers seat and gave a pull and Dom grabbed the rock and pulled himself out. I will leave out all of the explatives (sp). We got the willie to the slide, and made it down the slide with 15 feet of rope graemlins/idea.gif Keep at least 50 in the boat for the slide.
I am still without my first steelhead. Not for lack of trying tho!! Every trip in the river is a new experience with Dom. He is pretty new to drifting, and doing a darn good job so far. So, If you see a willie on the Santiam and the rowers seat is empty, Give us a wave, I'll be the guy in the front with the lost look on my face trying to fish the driver out of the water!

Thanks again Jeff. Always a pleasure to take the front seat for you! :dance:

[fishin]

Sounds like a fun ride. I've been over both sides several times but it still can put a butterfly in your stomach when you row up to it. The best is to have a new guy in the front of the boat and watch them start to squirm as you pull up.

I learned last year that 50' of rope gets you to about the bottom of the slide. Ouch! it sure does smoke the fingers if the rope comes off the post at the top.

I've talked to two guys this year that said they forgot thier long rope and they were drug down the slide almost by there boats. One of them blew out the knees of his waders from being drug and actually had to make a mad dash to catch his boat as he was by himself.

Does anyone know if they have the lower Bennett slide back in action. Last year I guess it was damaged during high water.

tag-a-long...shoot me an e-mail. We should make a trip together. Not saying I can do it, but it sounds like a good challenge to get you into your first steelhead. I live just down the road.

Scott

[Boedy]

Scott how about we make a short run tonight?

Looks like I am heading to Las Vegas for a job in the next week and need to get a couple runs in before then. :grin:

[tag-a-long]

Sounds good Scott. It was a great time. Being the first time over for both of us, we weren't sure what we were in for. I do have a brand new scuff in the knee pad of the waders. It was all we could do to keep the boat from bashing down the ramp. Maybe we can all get together and flotilla sometime. If I can get Dom in the water.

[fishin]

Tag-a-long it's a deal then. Boedy and I are going down Saturday and my wife has other plans for Sunday. Maybe we can give it a try the next weekend.

Let me know when a good time is.
email is Knoxft@aol.com

[HT Buzzo]

They used to have a blind skid in the middle of that I wanted to try, two logs formed into a V which you couldn't see until you got right up on it.
I put a hole in a wood boat on that slide before they cleared out the rebar.