Memorial Day Mess

[raffensg64]

I took my usual walk along Medical Lake with my pups this morning and was shocked and upset by what I saw. Soda and beer cans, water bottles, fast food wrappers, cigarette boxes and butts, wads of monofilament (one of which had a nasty treble hook attached), worm containers, power bait jars, spinner and lure wrappers, and even old grungy socks and underwear littered the banks.

At least I didn't have to run off any poachers this A.M. like I did the last couple days. I'm so sick and tired of seeing people poach Medical's trout on the south end cliffs that I don't even go there to fish anymore....just the north end for me so my blood won't boil and I can enjoy the trip.

I guess we can't have anything nice. But hey, I'm taking a trash bag down with me tomorrow and will clean it up if someone hasn't beat me to it. I didn't have a bag or the time this morning.

Thanks for letting me vent, I feel better now!

[tommytitan08]

Raffens it always sux when some idiots mess up a pristine fishing environment. I wish the trash could be taken to their homes and dumped on the lawn....i bet they would clean it up then. Thanks for helping clean up the environment, i usually take a couple of bags with me when i go lake fishing to lug out some trash.

[Marc Martyn]

Raff-

I was out there on Saturday and Monday. Both days there were dozens of kids on the cliffs. Quite a party going on. I didn't see one of the local police at all both days.

The next chance you have during normal business hours, stop into the City Hall and talk to Doug Ross. He is the City Administrator and is an avid fly fisherman. I met and visited with him when I was writing an article about the Solar Bee Aerator for my fly clubs periodical.
You live in Medical Lake and he would be interested in what your opinion is. I know that "The Cliffs" do present a problem for the city.

Let me know what Doug has to say.

[raffensg64]

Got it all cleaned up this morning, folks. Only took me 15-20 minutes to clean up what had to be dozens of people's worth of trash....including the whopping 30-second walk to the trash barrels provided by the city.

[Rich McVey]

Right on, Two thumbs up to ya. :thumleft: :thumleft:

[mav186]

Raff brings up a good point...but unfortunately it’s just one identified spot as this probably just occurred in literally hundreds of places throughout our beautiful state and waterways. (By the way…could I have my socks and underwear back please?) :pale:

[racfish]

As most of you know I live on Andrews Bay in the Seward Park area. Memorial weekend was beautiful except for the 150 yachts anchored in the bay.5-10 boats all tied together for mass parties.Tues on my walk I saw pretty much the same.Litter and cr-p everywhere in the water along the shore.Thanks to the deligence of the Seattle Park Dept. its pretty ewell cleaned up.I get so mad that these wealthy yacht owners dont care about polluting the lake as long as their yachts stay pretty.

[swedefish4life1]

Big Race just share you custom MUTTEN CHOPS WITH THEM they will clear out and FAST!!!:-& :cyclopsan :chef:

[Marc Martyn]

Big Race just share you custom MUTTEN CHOPS WITH THEM they will clear out and FAST!!!:-& :cyclopsan :chef:

And now we return back to the subject.......

[cobrar543]

Thanks to you and the rest of us that care! I have taught all my 7 kids that the earth is not our but on loan. When the kids were young, we made a game of seeing who could bring out the most trash on a fishing trip. Now that they are adults they still belong to the bring out more then you took in club! Even if its just that wad of line, or a few cans..every thing makes a difference! Good on the WHOLE GANG Of us for knowing right from wrong and standing up for it!

[jens]

Good post. There are few of us trying to battle this fight and I didn't even have to ask my son when we were down at Blue Creek to pick up some of the trash that others left behind. After each trip we both don a garbage bag and do a walk thru and help out. I believe we got thru to some fellow anglers last time out, 2 little boys joined in with my son picking up some garbage.

[Kfedka]

I took my usual walk along Medical Lake with my pups this morning and was shocked and upset by what I saw. Soda and beer cans, water bottles, fast food wrappers, cigarette boxes and butts, wads of monofilament (one of which had a nasty treble hook attached), worm containers, power bait jars, spinner and lure wrappers, and even old grungy socks and underwear littered the banks.

At least I didn't have to run off any poachers this A.M. like I did the last couple days. I'm so sick and tired of seeing people poach Medical's trout on the south end cliffs that I don't even go there to fish anymore....just the north end for me so my blood won't boil and I can enjoy the trip.

I guess we can't have anything nice. But hey, I'm taking a trash bag down with me tomorrow and will clean it up if someone hasn't beat me to it. I didn't have a bag or the time this morning.

Thanks for letting me vent, I feel better now!

What kind of poachers did you find? Never heard of these lakes getting poached, except I once saw someone using a nightcrawler to catch trout there.

By the way, I like those cliffs to go for a quick swim to cool off after a long day. It can get very messy there at times.

[T-Bone]

Thank for the post and the topic.

Although I rarely flyfish, I do fish neighboring West Medical Lake and I find myself overwelmed by the trash. I CAN'T STAND IT!!! So, I regularly walk my immediate fishing area and fill up at least 1-2 plastic grocery bags of trash.

Thanks to all of you who do the same at all our lakes.

[Mr. Black]

We were at Bradley lake in Puyallup on Memorial Day.

I was shocked at how much of a mess the place was. I think I gave up counting how many wads of wasted line laying all over the place. Hell I was pulling it out of trees. Even recycled a few bobbers.

[raffensg64]

The poaching was just a side note, but let me explain.....

If an angler is fishing with any kind of bait in a selective regs lake (Medical is one), then there's a myriad of things going on....none of them good, and definitely not in accordance with state laws. Not only is the angler using bait which is prohibited, he/she probably using a barbed hook or a treble hook (a no-go), and is probably out to retain a 5-fish limit (Medical's is 2 fish, 14" or bigger).

Poaching is the illegal taking of game or fish (see above).

Medical gets a limited number of trout, probably only 5% of what it's big neighbor, West Medical gets. I can't understand why people can't drive the extra mile to a lake that gets 150,000-200,000 fish a year (fry included) vs. one that gets only a few thousand!

[Dustin07]

I wish the trash could be taken to their homes and dumped on the lawn....i bet they would clean it up then. .

Probably not. Trash is as trash does.Usually people treat public places like they treat their own.

[flippinfool]

As most of you know I live on Andrews Bay in the Seward Park area. Memorial weekend was beautiful except for the 150 yachts anchored in the bay.5-10 boats all tied together for mass parties.Tues on my walk I saw pretty much the same.Litter and cr-p everywhere in the water along the shore.Thanks to the deligence of the Seattle Park Dept. its pretty ewell cleaned up.I get so mad that these wealthy yacht owners dont care about polluting the lake as long as their yachts stay pretty.

I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN I LIVE ON 56TH THE GUY ON THE P A YELLIN GET ER DONE WAS REALLY GETTIN OLD I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU BUY A OCEAN GOING 60 FT BOAT AND SIT DOWN THERE EVERY WEEKAND JUST BUY A HOUSE AND YOU CAN STAY ALL THE TIME IT WOULD BE CHEAPER THE COP WHERE OUT IN FORCE FOR ACHANGE DOWN THERE . I SEEN A GUY WITH 2 KIDS ONA WAVE RUNNER GOING FULL SPEED IN THERE SAT AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE TEAK SURFIN ITS MATTER OF TIME UNTIL SOMEBODY GETS KILLED THATS WHY I STAY OFF THAT LAKE ON WEEKENDS GET ER DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:compress:

[Dave]

I know I'm a month late responding to this topic so sorry about that. If you see unlawful fishing on the cliff's or anywhere else for that matter, call 911 and report it. The worst thing that can happen is the officers are unable to respond and make the complaint “patrol information” which means they will check the area when they are available. I would love to get that call as would most of not all of the members of my department, so please call 911 if you see a crime and let the officers / deputies have a chance to address it.

Thanks for policing the lakes and parks of trash as well. I know I do that when I am out fishing and appreciate all of you who do the same. Unfortunately too many just don't give a darn about our resources so it's up to us that do, to take care when we are able. Lastly, there may also be another resource available to you regarding the trash. In my jurisdiction I often see the county and or State jail van out in public (work release and other trustee type inmates) out cleaning up and doing some basic public lawn care maintenance. You might give your city a call or call the local jail in your area to ask about getting a work crew out to police the trash. I know the inmates love to get out of their cells to do these jobs and it's free labor with exception to the officer who is overseeing these projects. Just a thought. Great topic. I am sorry I found it a month after it was started.