Combat Fishing

The next day we headed in a completely different direction. Toward Kenai and the Red Salmon Run going on in that part of the state. There are four different kinds of Salmon up there in the wild woods of Alaska.  Kings, Silvers, Reds and Pinks. On this trip we caught three of the four.  Alaskans, I might add are very picky about which they eat. Pinks they don’t touch, reds are so-so, Silvers are better and the Kings are the best. Also the biggest.  (this is how I understood Salmon, I could be completely wrong, and if I need to be corrected, please do so!)

Since the salmon were running we thought we would hike up the Russian River Falls, hoping to get a glimpse of a brown bear or two trying to catch them. No luck on our part, but the hike was beautiful none the less. Oh, and there was bear poop aplenty. We were also able to meet one of our friends from Wyoming there. He had moved to Alaska a  couple years ago. He lives for fishing, so of course he had to join us on our little adventure.

Like I said earlier, I haven’t really fished in years.  I grew up fishing with my dad. I wasn’t too much of a girl.  (Though I hate taking hooks out, can’t get myself to do that. ) I hadn’t even intended to fish really. And then, some waders were handed to me and into the raging waters I went.  I elbowed my way into  a spot and there I stood for the next couple of hours waiting to snag a Red Salmon.  Which isn’t really “fishing” more like snagging. But it still is kind of an art. I learned that people who live there, pretty much hate combat fishing. Too many people. Too many lines to get tangled in. Too few parking places.  But, to experience it just once, is worth the trouble.

 And so I did.

 I was the first one to bring one in. My son was so proud of me! I yelled and hollered and jumped up and down and the whole line of people I was fishing with cheered for me.  Some complete strangers helped me net the mighty beast. It was pretty awesome. The boys, when they finally caught them (many were foul hooked and they couldn’t keep them) would let the Dino Dude reel in the fish if they could get close enough to shore to hand him the pole. That was pretty awesome too.