7/3

I just realized that I've left one BIG thing out of my blog, the very reason I decided to come to Alaska… the fish! The fishing has had its highs and lows, in early June it was pretty phenomenal thanks to a gigantic run of early sockeye that lasted unusually long – it then petered out and is now almost back in full swing.

                The sockeye are an interesting fish, and one I have a love-hate relationship with. In the beginning of the first sockeye run I loved them; these fish fight hard and are incredibly acrobatic. They’ll make several runs, jump a half-dozen times and have the most deep red and delicious meat in the river. So far the quickest I’ve been able to get a sockeye out of the river and into my mouth has been about twenty two minutes, and it simply doesn’t get fresher than that. By the end of the first sockeye run I hated the fish, couldn't have cared if I never saw another sockeye again. The massive amounts of Advil I consumed towards the end of the sockeye run brought me back high school football, and icing my shoulder and elbow was a daily activity. The “Sockeye Swing” (also called the Kenai Twitch, Russian Rip, Flossing, the Twerk n’ Jerk, Shnatching, or – more accurately, snagging) had taken its toll on me. If you don’t know what “flossing sockeye” is take a minute to “youtube” it, and while you’re at it search “combat fishing on the Russian River.” I always thought that fishing was supposed to be relaxing and was about peace and serenity – that was until I experienced combat fishing. I've lost track of the number of times myself or a client have almost started a brawl because some diddler thought it would be acceptable to stand three feet away from me and fish in my hole. A week or so after the sockeye left I was begging them to come back: it was hot, the fishing was slow, and I was feeling very deprived of the tug that is the drug.

The first run kings were also a trip, and I got schooled and spooled by my fair share of fifty plus pound fish. I did have one absolute monster that I chased a mile downstream and fought for just over fifty minutes, the fifth time I got him to the leader he broke off. When he broke the line I cried a little, and began walking the most defeated one mile walk back to the lodge. The kings have been slow for a while now, in fact the state shut the season down early a couple weeks ago (it just started back up the other day), and we will hopefully get a big second run of toad kings.

The Kenai Leopard ‘Bows are the true gem of the peninsula, with the possibility of hooking into a thirty five inch rainbow being very real. I was talking to a state fisheries biologist on the river who told me that they had a forty two inch rainbow in one of their fish traps (he even told me what mile marker the fish trap was next to… You can guess where my ass was parked for the next week). The Leopard ‘Bows are capable of putting on six pounds in a single season; they feed on nothing but salmon flesh and salmon eggs – pure protein. Because of that these fish are absolute freaks, just when you think you’ve got a fish whipped he makes his fourth run and you find yourself deep in your backing. I’ve never heard so much drag peeling in my life, and let me tell you I could get used to it – a screaming reel is such a sweet, sweet sound.

Apart from rainbows and salmon we’ve got dollies, lots and lots of chromer dollies. They are a beautiful fish, but don’t fight worth a damn. A twenty incher will try to dog a dude and stay deep for ten seconds or so before giving up and commencing some sort of inefficient death roll. I can’t wait for the dollies to start turning into their spawning colors, they change from chrome to fall foliage and are one of the prettiest fish in the river.

I also foul-hooked one whitefish – it was very anticlimactic and was quite an ugly little bro. If I never catch another one in my life I will be content.

Wednesday is my day off and I will be hiking into Fuller Lake chasing grayling! I have yet to catch a grayling and can’t wait to cross it off the list – plus the hike it supposed to be pretty epic so as long as the bears chill out (evidently there are a lot of bears in this area? Let the wrastlin’ begin…) I’ll have a nice little Wednesday. I’ve been making a killing in tips so I bought a new camera (don’t worry Mom I am being impressively frugal considering the incredible deals I get with my new guide discount) and will break it in on the hike!

During the day I am fishing or napping, that is my routine. The nights however, they are interesting. Things gets weird after dark (proverbial darkness – it doesn’t get dark) in Alaska. I’ve managed to find a healthy balance of staying responsible while having one hell of a time up here. Fishing guides are a fun group of dudes I’ve learned, we work early and hard, and we party late and hard. There is a bar called Moosesquitoes just down the road and within walking distance of our lodge, and with free pool, darts, and foosball - it’s a pretty incredible place. For anyone who experienced good old Unwinders back home – think bigger, arguably trashier, rowdier with way better people watching, a much lower tooth-to-person ratio, and a last call coming at 5:00 am. I’ll take pictures and probably videos. I have many stories to tell a select few of my blog followers (everyone except my parents and grandparents - who do not need any more gray hairs).  

Dudes, miss you – I hope the Cape was a blast and you represented us well without my responsible self present to guide you all (Also I hope you said hello to Melon or Coconut or Pineapple  or whatever that bartender’s name was at the bar we got kicked out of last year for me). Gruner I hope you didn’t miss every single striper that hit your fly and get out-fished by Keating like last year. Keating, I really hope that stupid car you sent me a picture of isn’t actually yours, no matter how fitting it would be. Coop, the wheels that are Mountain Springs Maple Co. are turning (we can work on the name if you wish). Knutsack, don’t kill yourself on that bike you big overgrown goon. Big Dawg, miss you man. Groggy Sunday mornings just aren’t the same without your auburn hair and awful jokes (mostly about Gruner’s shnoz) that hit my even worse sense of humor just right. Leon, I think we all blame the Bruins losing on your recent unfaithfulness. That’s a big burden to bear, do you sleep well at night?.  Steveguy, have you found a cure for cancer yet? Fish, miss you lots you weirdo – our D.C. anniversary is coming up - know that I’ll be thinking of the Enola Gay (no shot did I spell that correctly). Patchy, I can’t wait to see what business you’re CEO of by the time I get back in September. Tuna, thanks for answering your phone, calling me back, and spilling the beans on the cell service I may or may not have. I’m quickly getting cold feet about having you as a business partner. Danebro, I'm missing your Thai cooking. Von Percy, hope all is well my dude. Well boys I have yet to let “Tuesday’s Gone” play fully. I still have to change it when it comes on the radio or skip it on my itunes. Can’t wait for the rendezvous – the beers and tears will be a’flowin! Big love to you all.  

Mom, Dad and Hal, you better be pampering my dog and heeding his every beck and call. If I get home and find out that the Oz Man has been neglected in any way, there’s gonna’ be trouble. If there’s any chance of a thunderstorm there needs to be a dog bed in each of the showers so he can hide out in comfort until the thunder is over. You should also start giving him one extra cracker with peanut butter at each meal, and before he goes to bed. Love you all!

I miss Vermont and all you goons I left behind, but am having the experience of a lifetime and am trying to make the most of every day up here. If I have a free day and don’t want to fish there are dozens of trips I can take through the lodge at no cost and I am doing my best to see every bit of Alaska possible (“google” Kenai Fjords cruise – unreal.) Dad I have yet to visit the Salty Dawg in Homer, but rest assured I’ll go through the trouble and agony of sampling their beer as per your request. Speaking of beer, the Alaskan Brewing Company is overrated and my favorite Alaskan beer to date is the Twister Creek IPA made by the good folks at Denali Brewing Company. If you’re ever in the area be sure to try some. 

Cheers from Alaska!