Steelheading nostalgia

11-14-2002, 11:52 PM

I recently acquired some old STS magazines from the 70's (Thanks Fishing Geek) While looking through them it brought back some memories of the "old days"
Do you remember.....
Reeder rods
Maxwell Tackle
Wigwams
Carballoy guides
The old Guide Shop
Colgrove reels
Seal Dries
Don and Lola McClain
Herters
Fenton flies
Buster's Arco
Plunking shacks along the lower Wilson
Smiley's Hole
SORT - Save Our Rainbow Trout - The 1974 steelhead initative to make it a game fish. We won too Thanks to Gov.Tom McCall.
I'm sure some of you oldtimers can think of more....

[ 11-15-2002, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: Shane S ]

Osprey · 11-15-2002, 08:26 AM

Shane .......Since I'm not nearly as old as you
[img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]
I only remember a few of those,but there used to be a Herters here in the Olympia Area during the 60's and 70's,I think I still have one of there rifles........remember when gas was 25 cents and you could go all night

or was it...you're car could go all night ona buck [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] ........Os

Firedog · 11-15-2002, 08:34 AM

Shane those are great. I love those old STS issues, one of my favorite stories is (this wasnt a real old story aobut 15 years or so) Was the story about the huge silvers in the Satsop and the guys catching them on spinners, the one guy breaking off what could have been the new state record at the time because it was dark. Great story.

The old wigwams or even the original G.I. Joes loved those stores when I wa a kid. Seal dries were some of my favorite waders, they weren't warm but sure were great on summer days could roll them up and put them in the back of your vest. Beisdes back then my favorite places to fish were full of summer runs :smile:

Flatfish · 11-15-2002, 08:40 AM

Reeder rods yes(aint they still there?)
Maxwell tackle..Kinda,what did they make.Oakies?
Wigwam-Got my first yellow pole there.One in a long line of proud clunkers.
carballoy guides-uh huh.
Old guide shop-Yessir.Loved it there.
Colgrove reels-Didn't reeder rods have them?Saw a dude on the upper clack with one back in the 90s(when steelheading sucked bad)cleaning house with one.Looked hard to master one.
Seal Dries-Nope.
Don And Lola-Nope.
Herters-Where EVERYTHING was blessed.
fenton-Nope
Busters Arco-??
Plunking shacks on the Wilson-yep.Didn't Lou from the hospital hole own a bunch of property there?
Smileys hole-Nope
Remember graphite?
IM-6 was fun in '84-'86.
Jello and Borax.
That Wilson guide....Buzz something ya know the guy with the hat.
The Kilchis,before it was crowded.
Me without grey hair(found the 1st at 15).
Black Abus.
Diawa Millionaires.
Quick spinning reels.
T-Spoon spinners.
Alumaweld......Owned by a guy named Willie.
More more
Mark and the dog.

rob allen · 11-15-2002, 09:34 AM

Zebco Cartinal 4 spinning reels remember they were green and white??

Reeder rods is long gone. they kinda died out in the mid 90's

wool socks pulled over the feet of seal-dri's I remember that
I actually remember bith the old GI Joes(when there was just one) and Wigwams(in park rose)

How can anyone nor remember Don and Lola Mclane???
Or "Lucky" Jim Conway.. best fishing show ever filmed!!!!!!!

SteelieSteve · 11-15-2002, 09:50 AM

fenton flys, okies, glo-go's, fenglass rods and cardinal reels. the original Shimano 200, buying cards of bud's and steelies and my collection of STS beginning in 1978

[ 11-15-2002, 04:39 PM: Message edited by: SteelieSteve ]

Jennie@ifish · 11-15-2002, 09:54 AM

By the way, My grandfather, Roy L. Davidson wrote some articles for Field and Stream (and STS, I think)... way back when.

If anyone runs across anything like that, it would be SO valuable to me!!!

Jen

k9jeff · 11-15-2002, 12:37 PM

There was a WIGWAM in tigard where I grew up. Steelies were 45 cents and hung on a card.

Flatfish.... you kinda made me feel old. My fave spinning rig to date is my old quick 330,,,I caught fish on it yesterday.

11-15-2002, 12:47 PM

Hey Rob Allen - Email me I have something for you. :grin:

I Fred · 11-15-2002, 12:48 PM

How about Foster Sporting Goods in Portland. Went there in the 50's with my father. Wigwam took it over later. Later than that wigwam burned to the ground.

rob allen · 11-15-2002, 12:53 PM

thoes steelies were so hard to get out of those cards with the bronzed trebels and that stupis staple in the eyelet

hawgcatcher · 11-15-2002, 01:19 PM

Yes those are all familiar. I even remember the original Larry's in Oregon City. A small shop about where the spinner shop is now.

When I was just in high school, my dad would run into portland and we would buy spinner blades, beads and other spinner materials from a Jeweler, down around 5th and Stark. It was the only place you could get them unless you ordered them from Herters.

I remember when all the "Old Timers" at Black Point on the Willamette used to tell us to throw back the "rotten Steelhead" and only keep the Salmon. They were also the ones that kept telling us that a salmon's throat would "swell shut" in fresh water and they would only hit spinners and wobblers. That was interesting to us teens that fished the "tubes" with eggs and nightcrawlers and took home many Silvers (Coho).

The only plugs we had were the few that were made for Bass, like the River Runt.

The only good spinning reels were made by Mitchell. The casting ones were mostly Pflueger Rockets and then the Garcia 5000.

Our rods were heavy ones and usually fiberglas. Wow when a big fish exploded on one, you would see shards of fiberglas fly.

Rudy Lochenmyer (sp) was the fishing expert on TV. I can't remember what channel but even then, we only had a couple.

I remember that when I fished on various rivers, you could find a place to stand on the bank, except at the falls during Salmon season. A day off during the week would be heaven, since no one else was often on the river. Big creek was fishable then

I guess that I have mentioned too many old things and times, but you brought up some fond memories. I wonder where some of my partners have gone.

I remember hitchhiking home from Portland to Oregon City with Frank Amato after school to save our bus and streetcar (yes they ran all the way from Portland to Oregon City) fares so we could buy fishing equipment.

I remember fishing Bass above the falls in Oregon City with Tim Rooney, when very few others fished for them.

Some of those memories are good, some bad but the years of fishing were great.

rebell · 11-15-2002, 07:59 PM

Man I must be getting old. I remember most of it.

The best memory would be the plunking shacks down on the Wilson. Some of my greatest memories of my Grandfather and some of the old timers up and down Latimer road are of us sitting in Suzie Turners old plunking shack.

Build a fire, hook the cow bell to your rod, close the door and turn on the radio. Man it simply doesnt get any better.

The best thing about it was, when a bell went off I made sure I was always sitting next to the door. What was even better was that all those good old boy's made sure I was to that ringing bell first.

Grandpa, Curly, Suzie, you will never be forgoten!

Pete · 11-15-2002, 08:40 PM

I still can't drive past the McLain's old shop without remembering how helpful and patient they were.

Anyone familiar with Hollywood on the Toutle?