My ten posts.

  Have a few old stories. Before Albion, there was Elk for two or three years. Had to invite all the locals to our party so we could have it there. We did and they still gave us the boot. I got fifth place one year with about an eight pound ling, in a little sit inside river kayak. Just popped the skirt and slid it between my legs.  Elk has a big ass hill from the lot at the highway down to the water. We thought it was really funny when Mooch paid a local girl to haul his boat up the hill. Sad thing is, this is the beginning of the end for Joel. Nobody knew he was sick, even him. He was not up to pulling his boat up the hill and nobody thought anything about it.

Have heard about the hill at Elk since I joined, but have never gone since Albion is so easy.  Never seem to see a report from Elk either. Maybe it's worth a visit!  I do recall Joel mentioning that same day, and that someone had told to him that he should get himself checked out.  He later started a post that I'm gonna bump called GET YOURSELF CHECKED!!! and well, you know the rest.  Love you Joel, always and forever.

  First time I met Mooch was about 2006-2008. There was a calander of events in a magazine, maybe Sea Kayaker. It listed a tourny in Pillar point Harbor. Still remeber I pulled into the lot behind Ketch Joanne and he was right there. Don't know if it was the same event, but I remember we had the party on the deck at the yaght club and first place was won with a small fish. Maybe a 5lb cab. May have been a boat too. That was before the club expanded and Jeff Clark got CCK's old spot.

  Also remember walking out to the point at PP and giving mooch a bad time about having 10,000 posts. I surfed there the day his ashes were spread a mile or two south of there. We had a good group. Some of us dropped abelone shells with messages.

   Haven't been to the beach much lately. Yesterday lots of birds and bait in Pillar Point harbour and north of the point. Saw a real intense feeding frenzie at the north end of Montara. Goods signs.

  Best frenzie I remember was at Deep Reef about 20 years ago. Tons of birds, bait and whales. We smelled the whales bad breath most of the time we were there. Got limits quickly. Mooching, 100 pulls and up came a 13 lb chinook. So much action we snared at least two muirs in the line with a fish on. Had to reel the bird in and grab the line below the bird and grab the tight line with the fish on to get slack to untangle the bird. Can't remember if it was two or three times. Do remember we got the fish each time. Only got one or two bigger the the cookie cutter size. I think we might have had our six in the box, having a beer, and my buddy couldn't resist putting an anchovie out on a trout rod. Got hooked up and couldn't get it in. He was walking back on his whaler, then running forward to real in line. Maybe a half hour, thought it should go 20lbs. Finally got it to the boat. Foul hooked! Same size as the rest.

  Got to post. Need to read members reports. Maybe my last Mooch story. Before he left us, we had a big party at HMBK. Fundraiser to cover expenses. I remember him showing me and my kid his van that he was living in. Only time I remember hanging with Big Jim. His family had a tent we were hanging out by. So they called my name in the raffle and I hollerd at my kid to go get it. It was a net, and instead of her waking through the crowd back to me, she took an exit stage left and ran straight into the water to try the net out. I think the word was we made 10k for Joel.

Best 9 posts ever man, keep it up you are about to join the >10 club dude!   

  Just remembered that Joel had accepted a job in Alaska in the fishing industry. He was excited about it. Don't recall where it was. Maybe I'll look that up some day. I'd remember if it was Bristol Bay. That sockeye season hopefully is booming right now. It was when he did not go that we all found out he was sick. BTW, I believe he was mis-diagnosed and they did not figure out, until too late, he had breast cancer, which is what he died from.

  Thanks for keeping count Al. I thought I was getting close.

If I remember correctly, it was the Ketchikan Kayak Company.  He talked about it so much being his dream job and he was getting ready to move up there and start his new life when he found out.  And yes it's tragic that he was misdiagnosed... He would have made a great Alaskan guide, and would be so awesome to see where that path took him.   

Yes Kechikan with Howard McKim


tulalip you go away and coming back or what?  Who you be?  WElcome back!  (?)

  Hey Bushy. Arn't you Santa Cruz Allan?  I'm Mr. Magoo. We met a time or three. You told me you were with UCSC student housing. Only time I remember seeing you, you were sitting with Papa Bill, who moved to Texas, at the VHW hall in Princeton when we had an event there. When you chimed in about Ketchikan, it remended me of you guys going up there somewhere and slaying salmon sharks. Where did you catch those?
 I read up on those fish and it said people catch them as bicatch fishing for Halibut. My sister just bought a house on Prince if Wales Island. In Hollis near the Ferry from Ketchikan. Went up there last year and fished out of Craig on a charter. Gonna ask those guys about those sharks. Hope you still have some chinook down there when it opens. BTW my sister has grand ideas of renting her house out as a base, especially for kayakers. She lives in Idaho.

Yes Mr Magoo welcome back man.  Indeed I'm SCAllen.  Changed the name to Bushy while on that shark trip in 2007 actually.  Two Allens on one danger trip we had to use a different call sign.  Glad yer back.  ur trip was out of VAldez and the Salmon sharks caught at Hinchinbrook Island. My avatar photo is my catch from that trip. 600# Salmon Shark  (use to be 450).  2007.

  Hey Bushy. I remember you are in the media down there, just the radio part. I just looked at all the papers you are with. I forgot. So, grabbed a WON from the Berkeley bait shop, don't read it often, might have to now. Saw your piece about up north and the King Kandy. What a trip! I've heard of that company beforeand I just looked it up. Point Wilson is a lighthouse at Port Townsand. We have a family cabin just south of there in Hansville at Driftwood Key. Last fish my dad caught was up there in his boat with me up by PT. It was a local DK derby. We almost placed. Best local spt is another lighthouse at Point No Point. The derby winner caught there at Skunk Bay. Late summer people catch coho there off the beach, fly fishers too. Skunk Bay Weather is a great website. Good for watching fishers in fast motion and a million good links. My childhood summer spot, Tulalip Bay is about 30 miles east of there on the mainland, the other side of Whidbey Island. There is a bubble fishery there too, terminal like HMB. Back to WON, Late high school memories from Seattle. Had a couple buddies selling subscriptions cold calling on the phone. They had good stories about guys that wanted one and their wives nixed it. One buddy got fired for stretching the truth, Good times.