View Full Version : Possible Flyfishing Lodge on Kalama ,UPDATE
Firedog
09-19-2004, 07:24 PM
I was up doing some work on our family place today. While looking for a property corner on the area that borders the piece that was for sale up around the Holy water (piece at bottom of hill) I started talking to an excavator that was up ther to dig test holes for a possible Fly fishing Lodge up there. He said if it happens it will be built by Lindal Cedar Homes. Sounds like it will be a nice place, hopefully the fish will come back some day also. Heard a rumor that a Bed and Breakfast was going to be built above the Gobar also.
rob allen
09-19-2004, 08:36 PM
What a crock.. there isn't enough of a fishery up there to support a lodge of any kind.. just tie up more of the river with private property.. first we killed off the Washougal then the East lewis now the Kalama.. development sucks! quite frankly i want an economic downturn in the northwest so people have to move away to find jobs
I want an economic downturn in the northwest so people have to move away to find jobs
:hoboy:
Firedog
09-19-2004, 08:48 PM
Rob, I don't understand the logic of a lodge up there either. I didn't see any summer runs up there this year before the water came up. Saw a few last year but not many. Hopefully that land they are trying to develop is to wet, I know that the original owner tried to put homes in there years ago and couldn't get permits because it was to swampy and I don't think it is any better now. I walked through the property today and it was swampy, lots of Elk sign though :smile:
steelhead86
09-19-2004, 11:01 PM
Must have something to do with the color green. Doubt
it will have anything to do with actually finding and
catching fish - hmmmm!
:rolleyes: :whazzup:
mandinga
09-20-2004, 05:07 PM
Rob, I don't understand the logic of a lodge up there either. I didn't see any summer runs up there this year before the water came up. Saw a few last year but not many. Hopefully that land they are trying to develop is to wet, I know that the original owner tried to put homes in there years ago and couldn't get permits because it was to swampy and I don't think it is any better now. I walked through the property today and it was swampy, lots of Elk sign though :smile:
remember; it's not how good the fishing is, rather it's how effective your marketing campaign is. Nothing is ever like the picture, it's like ordering off the picture menu at Denny's. :shrug:
Cohodependent
09-20-2004, 09:59 PM
It is disapointing to hear you all talk about how the runs have died off on that river. I caught my first Steelhead on that river while stationed at Ft. Lewis...
Firedog
09-21-2004, 06:49 AM
Coho, there is still a strong run of hatcery fish in the lower river. It is just the area above the upper hatchery that is down. It is managed for Native escapement only. So the only fish up there are natives and broodstock fish. Which is a good thing once the native runs get stronger. That is one thing that will hinder this possible lodge being succesful, the lack of fish to catch.
Mark Vickers
09-21-2004, 08:17 AM
Okay, I don't know the Kalama at all, so I'm partially speaking out of my ass when I say/ask this:
What's wrong with a new fishing lodge going in on a river? Shouldn't we be happy that the fishing industry grows a little? Creation of new jobs around a sport that appreciates and practices good stewardship for our rivers is a good thing. Its a heap of a lot better than putting in a new quarry or auto salvage yard.
Firedog
09-21-2004, 08:44 AM
Mark, for me it is more of a personel thing. I hate to see the development up that high on the river. Where they want to build is a big meadow that the elk use a lot. It will also close a big access point for people fishing the upper Kalama.
chromeseeker
09-21-2004, 08:49 AM
It would be great if the lodge was fly fishing only, but of course I'm biased!
Obviously if a lodge were built there would need to be enough fish around to support it. If building the lodge means continuing to work on providing suitable wild fish habitat and increasing wild fish numbers in the upper watershed (such as is going on now) then building the lodge is a good thing.
It would mean more anglers but the lodge would have a vested interest in keeping the runs healthy.
CS
Firedog
09-21-2004, 09:12 AM
To fish the area around the lodge it will be fly fishing only. They might run trips to the lower river with other types of gear to help keep a steady client flow. If it helps to get the Native runs restored in the upper river then the lodge would be a positive.
Firedog
10-07-2004, 07:51 AM
Here is a couple pictures of the spot they are talking about building on. I am sure many of you know the spot well. For those of you that don't the river is on the left.
http://home.comcast.net/~mjgetch/Misc._052.jpg http://home.comcast.net/~mjgetch/Misc._053.jpg
Abalone
10-07-2004, 10:35 AM
You ever get the feeling that Walt Disney has taken over and has turned America into an amusement park.
Forest Parking fees.
Mushroom lisence.
Snow parking permit.
A fishing lodge on every corner.
PRIVATISE everything will ya.
Davy Crocket, Lewis and Clark, Daniel Boone would hate this world.
It's a FEE country !
:noway: :smash:
Take your pick ..... Privatise or pay taxes.
Hardware
10-07-2004, 03:40 PM
Hey yeah Rob Allen, hopefully you will be the first to feal the brunt of an "economic downturn" so you can move away :hoboy: :hoboy:
Firedog
04-22-2005, 07:12 AM
Here is an update on the Lodge going in Up in the Fly only section. I talked to the owners recently. They are going to build a lodge and also 8 cabins. They have realized that fishing isn't what it used to be so they are going to sell it more as a place to get away rather than a fishing destination. They are very nice people and also are trying to do everything they can to minimize impacts up there. Sounds like it will be a real nice place, with the building's being done by Lindal cedar homes.
A lot of things going on up there recently two new houses are being built at summers creek. I unfortunately had to log my place to be able to buy it(Logged 16 of 23 acres). So if you go up the Kalama and see the big clear-cut where Weyerhaeuser's road and the county road meet on the upper end I am sorry for how ugly it is but we will get it replanted with The best and fastest growing Fir and Cedar and also a few redwoods and it should be back looking good soon.
So there is an upper Kalama update.