Smallie Scouting the Russian

One time I found a willow fish trap while digging in a mud bank looking for baby Lampray eels. I was blown away it had to be 150 years old and looked like it was made the week before.

That's cool Dale I would love to see it got any photos? Fish traps are a great indicator of the Type/Age of the site.

thats way cool mike. me and my cat milk are just trippen off it rite now. i would follow u through the mists of russian river anyday of the week buddy. u got the hawk eye my friend!

Very cool Mike.  Glad to hear the smallies are getting back on the bite too.  Drew and I have been talking about targeting them here pretty soon if we can find time between baseball games and practices.  We usually fish the shad before switching over, but this year we'll likely be hitting them early too....

Take care,

Norm

  Hi Mike
  I found that fish trap in maybe '71 up at Geyserville. I don't have any photos of it but, I'll describe it for you. It was bell shaped maybe 30-36" in diameter at the base and 36" tall. As I recall the construction it was willow braided hop at the bottom with stays coming up about 1-2" apart it had two more hops at 10 and 20" woven and then the stays were gathered at the top to form like a handle. I think it was use to stalk the river and trap fish by lowering it down over the fish. However I'm no expert that's just how I would of used it. It could of been a basket for carrying rocks? I took it home and as soon as it started to dry out it started falling apart, I gave to friend who collected Indian artifacts and he conserved it and its part of a collection now.
   On a different note I heard that the river flows were going to be cut 5/1 by 50% so get out and get it done while still have water. Smallies will be good Shad will suck. Worst part is the reason I herd for the cut fed's say the Coho fry in the upper river couldn't swim against the flow?
  Tight lines Dale                           

looks like a blast.  Never fished the Russian.  Where is the best access to launch a kayak? 

Jody

WAY cool spear point, Mike.  You definitely have a good eye, (or two).

Good eye(s) dude!!!
EVERY TIME I get off my yak, along any shoreline, i always think back to Mike finding arrowheads and start looking for anything that looks close.
...I ain't found sqaut but a few lures and lots of trash......then the picture in my head switches to an AmericanIndian crying, as a bag of TRASH gets thrown at him along the roadside