Sunday, March 16, 2008

Back when it was catch and keep.

This photo was taken as a post card in the late forties to early fifties according to the description of the other photographs it was with.

The description says "Steelhead caught in the Eel river by Deck Nicholson and parties of the Eel River Cafe."

I wonder what the limit was back then.

I do remember seeing many catches like that when I was a kid. The people from the city would come up here and make a big show of their catches. They would bring them to town and lay them on the sidewalks in front of the sporting goods stores and take turns having their picture taken with them.

It sounds like the salmon fishing in the ocean next year will be non-existent until they figure out what happened that caused the Sacramento River salmon runs to have dwindled drastically.

8 comments:

Kym said...

Maybe it's because I haven't had any in so long but I remember Steelhead tasting like butter when you're on a diet--melty and rich and 10 times better than salmon (and I love Salmon.)

When you go to Brown's you can still see the pictures of people with their catches. Going in there is like catching a whiff of how life used to be around here.

Anonymous said...

Limit? We don't need no stinking limit.

Robin Shelley said...

THE MOUSE ON THE BARROOM FLOOR

Some Guinness was spilled on the barroom floor
when the pub was shut for the night.
Out of his hole crept a wee brown mouse
and stood in the pale moonlight.
He lapped up the frothy brew from the floor,
then back on his haunches he sat.
And all night long you could hear him roar,
'Bring on the goddam cat!'

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY, ERNIE!

Ernie Branscomb said...

Thank-you! I forgot it was St. Patrick's Day. But it will occur to me before the day is over.

Soon, I will be celebrating my “Middleton” ancestry, Who came from the Emerald Isle. And my Branscomb ancestry, who came from “Jolly Ald Angland” who celebrate everything!

Today is the day that we are all Irish!

Anonymous said...

To celebrate St. Pat's, my great grandfather Blair would wear an orange tie to the nearest bar and duke it out with the bloody Republicans.
I sure miss the steelhead.

Anonymous said...

recent fishing tales have people catching dozens of steelhead daily. although the salmon fishing has been really crappy so far, and now that the fish police are involved, they will probably close the season all together. so for all the folks out there who remember what real wild salmon tastes like, get ready for a big surprise. it may be pink and have the same name but what is it really?

Anonymous said...

I always ask if I see Steelhead in the store and it has always been farmed. No red dye for me, thanks.

Joel Mielke said...

Another great photo. Look at the branch bend under the weight.