# Memories of the old East



## Niterider (Aug 19, 2017)

Some memories of the glory days.


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## Niterider (Aug 19, 2017)

I was thinking about all the great memories I have from the 80's and 90's fishing for steelhead in the spring and salmon in the fall. What crazy times, Ruthie's, throwing torpedoes against the wall with the amazing 9' glass rod my eccentric father somehow came across in an auction.. the early days discovering that kings love giant balls of skien in harrisville harbor. I think I could write an interesting book! Anyone else have some memories of old??


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## Niterider (Aug 19, 2017)

Sportsman's cabins across the street from Ruthie's putting fish in the refrigerator


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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

Drinking 2 cases of Red White and Blue throwing meat grabbers on 60 lb test. Going up to Ruthie's for a large cup of chili with pinto beans instead of red kidney beans. I remember when Desi's sold bait. Smelt drinkin and before that at the Tawas river when there was a lagoon there instead of the parking lot there is now where I seen a pickup box full of smelt. I think back in the 70s was the start possibly of the safety suit. I guy had one on with a few beers in him and decided to test it. He kinda pushed off into deep water and inflated it and went floating to the mouth laughing his arse off. A guy keep his 6 pack beer on a string off of his waders to keep his beer cold. The string or plastic loop busted on the six pack holder and lost his beer and started beeeching. A guy down about 60' dip netted it and held the net up for everyone to see and yelled out the "The Stroh's are running". lol Lots of smelt back then, but they had to fill up the Huron lake bays with those pesky walleyes. They got big quick and the smelt dwindled. There are walleyes, but the salmonids type have dwindled and so have the smelt. There are more fancy condos, marinas, and designer parking lots, but less fish and game just like SE MI. More than likely just another long term plan to use the natural resources for an advertisement to get a tax base then let the natural resources dry up and make it look like Central Park.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Smelt drinkin at the Singing bridge. It sure was a great show.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Paying 8 bucks for a gallon of Coleman lantern fuel at the Dam Store.... 

Right next to a bucket of M60's


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Packing in a bucket of KFC on a crisp Autumn day and sitting on the bank sharing it with a friend and finding chrome Steelhead that were barely visible in the crystal clear waters of an Eastside unmentionable.

Also bringing newbies along and having them hook and land their first Salmon or Steelhead below Foote dam.


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## jaypluggin (Mar 18, 2010)

Ahhhhhhh, the days of orange yarn and not needing your I.D. To buy beer at ruthies.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I fondly remember drifting spawnbags in between the pods of Kings that rode the currents just below the dam, and whacking Skams on every other cast - while everyone else was yanking on rotten old Kings with snagging lures, and 60# test. I was so unusual in the setting that I got the nickname, Mr. Rainbow. So many Steelhead, and they got SO big, and fought SO well. And I could get all the fresh loose Salmon eggs I wanted.


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## Niterider (Aug 19, 2017)

I remember huge skams above the coffer in July, kings too! Smelt dipping at singing bridge was always interesting lol


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

Yeah, I have some pretty good memories of the old east and some not so great. Truth be told, in most ways, I like the new east better...


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

Tight lining salmon all night long on the beaches of Harrisville. Listening to the barbershop quartet singers singing Good Night Ladies at dusk. Pizza deliveries to the beach.


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## MapleRiverSalmon (Aug 19, 2007)

I have great memories of the now days of this area and could only imagine how it used to be. Would love to see some of the old pics if anyone has any.


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## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

I wish I still had the picture of the stern of Shoeman's boat one day on the lake. We caught so many salmon it looked like we'd gutted a deer in the back of the boat...


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## jaypluggin (Mar 18, 2010)

Wasn’t long long ago but in 2003 I took my 12 year old nephew fishing with me in October. His dad wasn’t in the picture and his mom was dating a real loser so tried to influence him best I could. Long story short I bought him some hip boots and made him a homemade mepps, this thing was huge. Told him to stay a little down river from us and not get any tangles. He did great was very self sufficient. I look over and his pole is bent over and he’s yelling, I got one! I got one! We were like what ever, turns out he caught this steelhead about three bends below foot dam while we were trying to catch the dieing salmon. 15 years later he brings this trip up to me as soon as he sees me. Also let him try Kodiak, he barfed mission accomplished. This pic still hangs in the dam store.


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## MapleRiverSalmon (Aug 19, 2007)

I wish the store still did this. Couple years ago I took my boys in with a few nice October steelhead. Asked if they took pictures still. They stopped years ago I guess. A shame


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## MichiganStreamside (Jan 19, 2014)

The past was lots of steelhead and salmon! With major overcrowding, slob fishing, snagging, flooded river every afternoon, piles of fishing tackle everywhere, eroded out mess, fighting at the access points, etc. The glory years are right now with some beautiful Steelhead & Atlantic Salmon to go along with a beautiful river!


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Not worth a crap for the bankies, but cycling the water way back then brought fresh fish every day. 

We would work the high water and chase it. Fish would move, feed... insane!

I tell guys of 30 Fish days (steelhead) and they swear I’m smoking weed!


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## Erik (Jan 17, 2000)

Always avoided the dam. We fished the pier. I remember getting up before dawn and casting little cleos with my dad. I caught my first Steelhead, my first LRB, and my first Chinook all on the lower.
Ausable river.

I remember the smell of breakfast cooking coming from Charbenaus as the sun would come up.
I miss the people that I knew back then.
I miss them more than I miss the fish.

I still fish the Ausable. Its different now. I WAY like to fish the west side to catch fish. But I never feel like I wasted my time fishing the Ausable. And I actually like the walleyes.
Got to admit though, I do often think to myself while I'm fishing, man if this was 20 yrs ago I'd be fighting to fish this hole.

The pic of my daughter and son and me, That was one of my favorite spots above the trestle bridge. My daughter is 30 yrs old now. My son is 27. I have grandchildren


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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

Back in the 60s they used to use Zebco 880s on solid glass bait casting rods for salmon fishing @ Foote Site. They also used to catch perch there in the spring. There used to be forest and Whippoorwills.


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## partsman (May 12, 2013)

OnHoPr said:


> McGillis Creek maybe 1960s


Nope, think tait and cruzen rd.


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## Davey Boy (Jan 5, 2011)

How about the long walk to the "new weir" or parking at More Trout when you could drive right to the river or the B52s taking off at Wurtsmith?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I once drove a Subaru station wagon UNDER the first gate they put up to block access to Moretrout. I had 1 inch clearance on each side, and had to ride a rut all the way to the bottom of the hill with my passenger-side tires. When I got to the bottom, there were a couple guys with big pickups parked. They kindly asked me how I got through the gate, since they had keys, and knew I didn't. They laughed when I told them I drove under the gate, and one offered to tow me back up the hill when it was time for me to leave. I just drove (carefully) back up the hill, and back under the gate to leave. 

Who remembers when the Thunder Bay river was full of Salmon, Steelhead, and Browns from about mid-Sept til mid-May? Those were great times.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Fishndude said:


> Who remembers when the Thunder Bay river was full of Salmon, Steelhead, and Browns from about mid-Sept til mid-May? Those were great times.


I only fished it a few times in the mid 90s. Friends would talk about _chrome_ Kings being caught in December with disposable camera pictures to prove it.


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## partsman (May 12, 2013)

I remember during the Vietnam war the B-52s and the phantoms, flying over cedar lk. it was a awesome display of power. I was 10 or so years old then, I just watched in awe at the B-52s it looked like they weren't even moving as they flew over the lake, anyone remember when the south end of cedar lake was not accessible except for a very small sort of channel? We called those lakes back there the secret lakes when we were kids, the fishing was unreal for big pike and bass, and the sunfish were huge. Brownell reality was my personal unknown enemy back then, lets dredge and develop!


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## mrjimspeaks (Aug 23, 2009)

When I was a kid my grandparents had a cabin in Sand Lake. My dad would take me up in the fall and spring for Steelhead and Salmon. We had no idea what we were doing, lots of bottom bouncing spawn bags bought at the dam store. I remember my dad landing one on a glow cleo in the wee hours of the morning. I'm happy he never decided to try snagging or any of that; happy I didn't start that way. Seeing the East Branch absolutely loaded beneath the weir. Talked to a guy who would hit them with a bat as they tried to jump it lol. We would get to one of the holes below the dam (meat etc.) early. Around 10 or so the snagabillie clans (10+) would come down and crowd us out. Respect my dad for not taking the easy way out and yanking on em. Despite watching so many people do it with success. 

These days I'm trying to get him to come out and fish with me. He's not a fan of wading anymore, so it can be tough.


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