Tales From The Tyee Pool........2018

[Dave H]

So yesterday brought us Tyee #17 and once again it was a rookie combo that scored.

Here's rower Jaret Knowles and his brand new member/rod-holder, one Brodie Doherty and their nice 32 pounder.

It's always interesting to me to note the number of new members and first time rowers that are depicted on the board.

This year we have 11 of 17 as new members, including one eight year old Junior Angler, and five Rookie Rowers registering their first Tyee.

Literally hundreds of years of combined experience and knowledge in the pool daily, working all the tried and true "spots" where Tyee are normally found, and it turns out few of that crew have a Tyee this year, with a couple of obvious exceptions of course.

The Tyee Pool is a capricious mistress and often gives her favours in the most interesting ways, not to forget how absolutely frustrating it can be when fish are showing all over the place, many appearing to be Tyee size too.

Aaaaaaargh!!

The two brothers in my boat last night saw lots of fish, heard the bell ring when the 32 pounder was registered (early in the evening too), saw a couple of cruise ships go by and had a brief burst of excitement when we "hooked up" and thought for a brief moment we were on a fish.

Alas, it was a repeat of the previous night when we had our plug run over and introduce itself to one being towed around by Quentin Dodd, resulting in two boats singing out "Fish on" just a tad prematurely.

And, as the other boat last night was being quickly rowed from the pool I realized we had a copy of a rare happening for me, we'd tangled horns with another plug heading the opposite direction from us, fooling both rod-holders into thinking they had a fish on.

It took a couple of shouts at the other boat before they realized what had happened and we let them reel in and loose our plug from theirs so we could carry on.

I don't think I've snagged up with another plug for a few years now so it was weird to have it happen two nights in a row.

I think my plug is a wanderer or something.

Anyway, at it again tonight with the guy who boated the only fish we subdued last year, which fell a few ounces short of being a Tyee and then had another get off after 15 minutes or so of give and take.

Hoping we can repeat this year with a bigger one.





Take care.

 

[paguy]

Sounds like you might need to mix it up a little and try some of those not so well known secret spots. Either way, Best of luck out there, I'm rooting for ya.

 

[Dave H]

Saturday evening and nothing registered I'm aware of and, as it turned out, I didn't row tonight.

But, I did notice a new posting on the Bulletin Board at the Clubhouse that the limit has changed from One Chinook per angler per day to Two.

In recognition, the Executive of the Tyee Club has declared the award for the Daily Double is back in effect as at today.

This will come as exciting news to some, as there are rowers here with a legitimate chance at that award.

Sadly, none of them are found in my boat.

Regardless, tomorrow night I'm taking out my best rod-holder so far this year, the one with four strikes in six outings.

Enough of this fooling around with amateurs.

The pool has been stingy with strikes and fish lately, and it's possible that the conditions won't be great if we have the wind again, but I'm hoping her great rod-holding skills and my floundering and noodle-arming attempts at looking graceful will combine once again and we'll be favoured with a strike.

If not, I'll have to dump her I guess.



Take care.

 

[lazoman]

I told you 2 were coming back to the pool!

 

[Dave H]

Tuesday just past noon a bit and still no new Tyee have been registered since August 31st.

And few unders too.

Bob was telling me this morning that between the first Tyee, in July, then the usual slow period until fish showed up, it was just like last year.

Then we had the little busy period, when most Tyee were registered and we had the four strikes from my boat, and then another dry spell for Tyee but there were 26 or so unders weighed in during that no Tyee period.

This last slump hasn't seen anywhere near that number of unders nor have there been a lot of fish showing in the pool the past few days, leading many to wonder just what is happening.

One theory is that the warm water from the river is keeping them further offshore and in deeper water, waiting for a cooler flow.

Yet fishing south of the area has slowed considerably too, and that's far enough away that the warm water would have become irrelevant one would think.

Five years ago, 2013, was when the Blob was first identified in the North Pacific, and that created a huge area of what is called "poor pasture" by fisheries types and may contribute to the large number of smaller fish encountered last year and this year, although fewer this year for sure.

Still, we try.

Here's a neat perspective of one of my early surfing spots for your perusal, given I have no fish pics to share. LOL










Take care.

 

[Dave H]

Thursday and a mixed bag of news.

The really bright spot is that I've retrieved my 10' dinghy, the Hazy Dawn, from where it was found.

Ironically, the thieves had it chained and locked to a tree right next to a canoe that was also chained and locked to the same tree, with the same brand, size and type of lock as well as same chain.

Yesterday one of my neighbors here at the retirement farm told me a kayak paddle of his had gone missing the same night my boat was taken.

Guess what was in the boat when I found it??

Awww, that was too easy. No prize for you. LOL

The really bad news is that there has not been a single Tyee registered as yet this month.

Few fish showing and the few caught are old fish and much darker than when they first arrived.

Despite being old and slow I think I've figured out that if the top Tyee rowers on the planet along with another 50 lines or so in the water are not catching anything then there just might be an absence of fish.

I have an incredible grasp of the obvious sometimes.

Anyway, we'll still be out there hoping for a showing of new fish to perk things up, but geeze it's hard to stay keen when it's like this.

Thanks to The Blob and El Nino methinks, but your theory might be as good.

Got one??



Take care.

 

[noluck]

so glad your dinghy was found, now you can get that Tyee

 

[Dave H]

Friday AM and we have a new Tyee from last nite, proving that I still have the ability to generate one whilst standing on the beach, as I demonstrated last year.

Congratulations to Rookie Rower Tyler Berkenstock and his rod-holder and new member of the Tyee Club, the debonair Gary Lawson, not from the far side as it turns out.

I watched the whole battle with that fish and it was quite interesting indeed.

At one point the fish was fairly close to the boat and made a really good jump with what looked like a somersault thrown in for good measure. Gary said it scared the heck out of them. LOL

As the end neared it was interesting watching Tyler as he did what almost all of us did on our first fish, grabbed the net prematurely and then quickly dropped it and grabbed the oars in reaction to the fish's movement in order to spin the boat around. Took a couple of tries to get the tired fish on the right side of the boat in order to net it but in the end he got it in the net and it certainly looked good from the beach.

As they carried the fish to the scale many of the onlookers from the beach surged into the front yard of the clubhouse to watch the weighing, so there was a good crowd watching when Weighmaster Bob announced 31 1/2 pounds, upon which the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, much deserved.

Well done men and thanks for breaking our little drought.





Take care.

 

[high tide]

Great news about you boat Dave.

Terrific thread once again this year, thanks for taking us along another row or three in the Pool.

Sure hope to partake some time.......

Thanks for sharing these experiences.

HT

 

[seadna]

Every day I log in here to see - "Is this the day that Dave will row someone to a tyee?" I'm never disappointed by the writing or the stories but I do keep hoping that today will be "the day'. Maybe we should start a pool on what day/year that will happen. I'm sure many others are rooting for you too.

 

[Dave H]

Every day I log in here to see - "Is this the day that Dave will row someone to a tyee?" I'm never disappointed by the writing or the stories but I do keep hoping that today will be "the day'. Maybe we should start a pool on what day/year that will happen. I'm sure many others are rooting for you too.

Just yesterday I was chatting with Paul Curtis, the victim of my 13 year long running joke, and I mentioned that Randy K had boated some 26 or so under-size fish since his last Tyee.

"Pfffft!!" replied Paul. "I've boated 30 some odd since my last Tyee."

So, I'm not alone in my futility, which only makes it all the worse for my early season malfunction with my line situation and two broken off fish.

Haven't boated a darn thing this year except my award winning Cabezon.

Bob Main is still green with envy.

The Tyee Pool is a capricious mistress, as I've noted before, sometimes giving up a Tyee to a rank beginner and then denying experts with years of experience and proven gear who fish hard every day they can.

Nearly as bad as living at Jordan River and hoping for good surf. LOL

I used to live in that cabin on the beach in the background and would just paddle off the beach there, catch a couple of close-outs in the river-mouth and then surf the point.............43 years ago.





Take care.

 

[seadna]

<stuff clipped>
The Tyee Pool is a capricious mistress, as I've noted before, sometimes giving up a Tyee to a rank beginner and then denying experts with years of experience and proven gear who fish hard every day they can. <more stuff clipped>

I went back and looked through the records - 2 in 2012, one in 2013, zero in 2014. By linear extrapolation, I assume you put one tyee back in in 2015, two in 2016, three in 2017 and are on target to put 4 back in the water this year.

 

[bMcN]

I went back and looked through the records - 2 in 2012, one in 2013, zero in 2014. By linear extrapolation, I assume you put one tyee back in in 2015, two in 2016, three in 2017 and are on target to put 4 back in the water this year.

Isn't #fish/yr more like a random walk than a linear trend?

 

[Bob Main]

Just yesterday I was chatting with Paul Curtis, the victim of my 13 year long running joke, and I mentioned that Randy K had boated some 26 or so under-size fish since his last Tyee.

"Pfffft!!" replied Paul. "I've boated 30 some odd since my last Tyee."

So, I'm not alone in my futility, which only makes it all the worse for my early season malfunction with my line situation and two broken off fish.

Haven't boated a darn thing this year except my award winning Cabezon.

Bob Main is still green with envy.

The Tyee Pool is a capricious mistress, as I've noted before, sometimes giving up a Tyee to a rank beginner and then denying experts with years of experience and proven gear who fish hard every day they can.

Nearly as bad as living at Jordan River and hoping for good surf. LOL

I used to live in that cabin on the beach in the background and would just paddle off the beach there, catch a couple of close-outs in the river-mouth and then surf the point.............43 years ago.


View attachment 40244


Take care.

Just yesterday I was chatting with Paul Curtis, the victim of my 13 year long running joke, and I mentioned that Randy K had boated some 26 or so under-size fish since his last Tyee.

"Pfffft!!" replied Paul. "I've boated 30 some odd since my last Tyee."

So, I'm not alone in my futility, which only makes it all the worse for my early season malfunction with my line situation and two broken off fish.

Haven't boated a darn thing this year except my award winning Cabezon.

Bob Main is still green with envy.

The Tyee Pool is a capricious mistress, as I've noted before, sometimes giving up a Tyee to a rank beginner and then denying experts with years of experience and proven gear who fish hard every day they can.

Nearly as bad as living at Jordan River and hoping for good surf. LOL

I used to live in that cabin on the beach in the background and would just paddle off the beach there, catch a couple of close-outs in the river-mouth and then surf the point.............43 years ago.


View attachment 40244


Take care.

Dave: As another Tyee year comes near closing, one has to thank you for another year of reporting on the daily going ons at The Tyee Pool. As it looks by the replies posted,this celebrated column is read and enjoyed Canada wide. Keep up the good work David and good luck finding that prized bull head.

 

[Dave H]

I went back and looked through the records - 2 in 2012, one in 2013, zero in 2014. By linear extrapolation, I assume you put one tyee back in in 2015, two in 2016, three in 2017 and are on target to put 4 back in the water this year.

Actually, I quit rod-holding because it was obvious I was trapped in an ever descending spiral of smaller and smaller fish, based on real-world experiences, not too off what you've speculated.

My first ever fish in the pool was 28 1/2 pounds, rowed by Van Egan.

Then either Paul Curtis or my trusty rower CC got me a 27.

That was followed by a 26 , a 25 1/2, a 24 and lastly a 22, in that order.

It was obvious that my next fish would be a teener so to avoid that I bought a boat and started rowing.

But, aside from them all being Tyee, as in your example, I have hooked the four for this year already I guess, given they all went free.

Switching topics, I couldn't believe my eyes last night when I saw one rowboat with two people braving the elements in the pool.

It was the old ebb tide with a SE wind scenario, the favorite of masochists everywhere, wherein you whoa as much as you can while still fishing going one way, and you motor back.

Props to whoever it was.

Also looked like a half dozen intrepid souls out at first light this morning so props to them also.

Love the rain but don't like the wind at all.

Brrrrrr.





Take care.

 

[lazoman]

Good Luck on these last few nights Dave! The weather might just cooperate and hopefully you will show those rookies how its done

 

[Dave H]

I wish I had something fishy to report on, but alas, the biggest excitement recently happened last night when a rather large and exuberant Sea Lion entertained many of us with a full on display of twirling, whirling, whacking a dead fish around, surfacing mere feet away with a decent display of a mouthful of teeth to boot.

Kind of put the kibosh on any chance for a fish, but given it appears there are no fish left in the Tyee Pool it seems all moot now.

Nothing Tyee size for the last eight days plus Bob the Weighmaster told me yesterday he hadn't seen any size of fish for four days and had weighed nothing during that period.

I think he's overpaid for this year. LOL

Anyway, two nights to go and no sign of fish is not very compelling at all, but we'll be out tonight and tomorrow night too, 'cause we're eternally optimistic, and Tyee fishing is what we do.

(Little poetic ending for ya.)



Take care.

 

[casper5280]

The best of luck to you and your crew this weekend Dave. Thanks for another great year of story telling.

 

[paguy]

Dave, Get out there and catch a fish. Trust your gut and put that plug in the zone. I have total faith.

 

[Oly1]

Good luck Dave. Another great year of tales and suspense as well as a couple tough old“rotten” lessons. Ones that aren’t to be used again with fresh line on all your reels now. Oh the what if’s. Row the heck out of that plug the next couple nights Dave. There has to be a couple left in the pool.

Oly