'04 was a good one (lots of pics)

[David Johnson]

I know it's the middle of January and '04 ended a few weeks ago but now that the rivers are out for a few days I'm able to sit down and write this.

This past year marked my 11th year as a professional fishing guide and all I can say is 2004 Was Killer! With over 800 salmon and steelhead landed :dance:

It started out a great winter steelhead season, weather we have a double digit day or catch a few quality fish there is something special about steelhead fishing.

You owe it to yourself to come and experience why I love this fishing so much!

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Then I moved on to the best spring chinook season I've ever had.

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The Columbia had some of the best spring chinook fishing most anyone has ever seen. And talk about some good eating. Hands down a Columbia springer is the finest in the world!

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The tribs were great too!

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And there is nothing better than spending a warm spring day running up a tributary after these beauties. Fishing river salmon along with the winter steelhead fishing we do are my first two loves.

This is a local fishery that a ton of peaple take advantage of.

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Then it was late June and July and onto some Columbia summer steelhead.....

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....and lower Columbia sturgeon.

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The sturgeon fishing we do is great for kids, families, corperate groups etc as there is a ton of action and these fish fight great in the shallow water and light gear.

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These great days of estuary sturgeon melded into another great (as usual) Astoria salmon season. This past August was one for chinook, lots of chinook, up into the 40 pound range. So many chinook we didn't get a whole lot of silvers but who can complain with limits of chinook every day?

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Then there was Fall Chinook

Again, another best season. From the first of September all the way until Christmas there were chinook.

We caught them in the bays (and just outside when the water was calm)......

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.....in the tidewaters......
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....and in the rivers

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It has been great. There were so many families, lots of people from out of state, quite a few first time fishers getting their first salmon, steelhead or sturgeon. And many, many regular, repeat customers.

And there is no better way to conduct a business meeting, get to know your co-workers or intertain some clients.

It was fun and without all of you I couldn't have done it :bowdown:

<font color="red"> There are a lot of these fisheries that fill up early so as they say, "The early bird gets the worm." I get a lot of people asking me when is it a good time to book a trip and I say, "Now". Otherwise you could end up wishing instead of fishing.</font>

In my years of guiding I've learned and improved on both people skills and the skills necesary to get into the fish. With patience and professionalism, they have helped to make a trip you book with me a great one.

[David Johnson]

My goal isn't to be the best fish catcher in the world, but
I do work at being the best I can, because no matter the location or condition, what really makes the trip is how much you enjoyed your experience.

I have such a good time with so many of my clients I wish that I didn't have to charge them, but it's like any profession, if you did favors all the time you'd go broke.

There are some clients that have been with me so long their like family. I look back at 2004 and think about some of the memories that have made it special to me.

There were the numourus kids and begginers that caught their first fish or their first salmon or steelhead. There are the times that husbands bring their wives and get outfished :blush:, the grown sons who are out to spend lost time with dads.

More and more, clients are becoming friends, like Bill, Todd, Gordon, Rick &amp; Peggy, Jack, John, Ron, Morgan and so many more. We spend time re-living the fish stories of past triumphs as we pound the fish in the present.

Rick and Jack bring their wives. Bill brings in his old friends from around town and accross the country, Morgan brings friends from church, Adolf brings friends from work and Eric brings his kids.

I like to think they feel comfortable bringing their family and close friends out with me because they feel confident in my level of professionalism and patience. It makes for a great atmosphere even, if by chance, the fish aren't cooportating (which doesn't happen too often). No one is going to get offended by crude language or jokes or get yelled at for a tangled line here.

If you're looking for an enjoyable high quality trip, you've found the placehere (http://www.davidjohnsonfishing.com) Or just give me a call @503-201-4292

<font color="red">Many of our most popular times/seaons are already filling up, so please don't put booking your trip off till later, the good times are waiting! </font>