Ruston Way is at the far North End of Tacoma, on Puget Sound. There is a long thoroughfare, for light traffic, and just about everyone who comes to the pier comes there to fish - for salmon, dogfish (a small shark), flounder, squid, and even sting-ray. While George was doing his run on the hills of Ruston, Daisy and I got acquainted with the boisterous crowd lined up along the fishing pier.This is a long stretch of boardwalk, with 'gutting' huts for preparing bait.
About sundown, you'll find men, women and children casting lines out onto the water and showing their catch.
This is some serious fishing, and when something is caught, it is everyone's business. They gather together to determine the lure and the bait, they check the fish and tell stories. Everyone was eager to share the time that "I caught one bigger than that", and "you shoudda' seen the fight in that bastard!"
Guys with fancy reels rammed them into the slots on the railing to check out the small sharks caught with....shark meat. 
The 'gutting house' has stone slabs where fish are prepped and cleaned. There's a pump with running water, and pails for innards. The guys laughed over a few beers while getting bait ready. I noticed packages of squid, shrimp, and perch, all packaged specifically by a Korean market for fishing.
The place was sounding like a party, as one of the fishing clubs of Tacoma set up and cast out. This gear was inside the gutting house. 
And nearby, the tools of the trade. 
This couple caught an eel, a small one for Puget Sound. They had the darnedest time trying to wench that hook out of the eels mouth, but once done, it wiggled down to the bottom of the water. (And don't mind that sloping shoreline - I'll do anything to nose into a good photo!)
This guy told stories as he puffed on his cigarette. He said that several weeks ago someone caught a 10 foot shark off this dock. He fishes every night with his buddies until 2:00 in the morning, setting up lights over the water and jigging for shrimp. He's part of the fishing club. There are about 12 members, who 'party every night' here all year long. And, it did sound like a party, with lots of laughter, and cussing, with dads and moms watching out while the little ones cast their lines. 
This little guy has been fishing for about a year. Those sunglasses are to protect his eyes, in case he throws that line in the wrong direction. 
His sister cheers him on. She said, "Take a pit-chur of ME too." Daisy and I spent about an hour listening to the stories, watching the catches, and then we left these guys, who said they'd be happy to have their picture taken. They gave a big grin and bear hugged each other.
"But mind you" one of them admonished, "if yer picture don't turn out, you can just find us on the wall at the post office.
