The Highlight of the Trip

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You may ask yourself after seeing the title "The Highlight of the Trip", "wait", "you still have the cruise, how can this be the highlight?"

Well, let me say that this was one of the best days of my life. My friend Tom "Yeah Baby" Fields knows what I'm talking about. It was the perfect storm of luck, opportunity, and yes, you guessed it, being prepared.

It started out by changing plans. We rolled into town on the mother of all land yachts yesterday about 4pm (see yesterday's blog). We heard from the driver on our trip, that the Copper River Salmon were running for about 2 weeks now. There was a slot of time we had the next morning that we could go out fishing. So we booked Klutina River Fishing Charter for a 7:00AM Rafting Fishing Trip!

After a great night's sleep, had breakfast, and boarded the shuttle to the nearby campground where the Charter Service called home. We boarded the raft, and headed downstream of the swollen, 40 degree, grey colored Klutina River. This river is one of the tributaries of the Copper River, and about 65% of the Sockeye Salmon head up the Klutina. We headed all of 5 minutes, literally just crossing the river, which was no easy task, with the river flowing rapidly at about 15mph.

After landing on shore, a brief explanation of how Sockeye Salmon fishing is done, we were busy trying to catch our first Sockeye!. The silver (locals call it chrome) colored fish is quite a bit different from his bigger cousin the King Salmon, but Alaskan's prefer the richer flavor and firmer, but smaller Sockeye. As all salmon, the Sockeye push forward upstream against all odds, loosing a good quarter of their body weight to reach their spawning grounds. All you have to do is stand ashore, and repeatedly cast your fly-rod, loaded with little more than a hook and fly. You try to "floss their teeth" as the salmon push forward to reach their final destination.

As the guide finished his explanation, and started with his demonstration, he stood on the rocks inches from the water, and let out a great cast of about 6 feet. You read right, 6 feet. As he started to "floss", he hooked a Sockeye on the first cast! It was going to be a great day!!!

Excitedly, Debbie ran upstream and I stayed somewhat where we started, both practicing the art of fly-fishing for Sockeye. It wasn't long before Debbie landed her first Sockeye, screaming and jumping up and down. At that point, she didn't know she was going to get 5 more! I, on the other hand, landed three in pretty rapid succession after a slow start. The score: Debbie 4, Don 3.

The limit was 3 Sockeye until a few weeks ago. Due to the combination of a late winter, which kept the Salmon out in the ocean, a very unusual Alaskan heat wave (you may have seen this on the news) which caused local flooding of the rivers, and an abundance of 2 year olds, the Department of Fish and Game decided it was best to allow a higher limit. THANK YOU FISH AND GAME

Here is the best story of the day and perhaps my life.

I was struggling to get my forth fish. Debbie had landed 5 and about to get her 6th. I steadily fed the casting/flossing/recasting tirelessly. I had already lost several and just recently seemed to hook and loose the biggest of the day. It was a big fight that ended bad.

I then hooked another fish. That familiar brick wall feel to when you are reelling or flossing against the current. I did my usual set routine by slightly setting the hook with a small wrist snap. Nothing. Another rock. My umpteenth of the day. So I pull to the left toward shore as a precaution and wham! This monster takes off! Within seconds its in the middle of the river when it flips it's majestic tail and Debbie screams while taking video. I walk downstream wondering how a Sockeye had the fight of this fish. Another few seconds I'm wrestling and hoping it doesn't loose the lure, or simply pull out of the belly or side or whatever I hooked into. I start to pull it onshore and the guild jumps in to help keep the rod bent. A good idea when you want the hook to keep its setting. Another few seconds later, this fish is onshore. Its not a Sockeye at all! It's a heavy 45lb King Salmon! What a fight it had and it must have been the one I hooked and lost initially. After a quick few photos and videos, we sent him off back into the river. He seemed dazed and hit a sandbar, but Jay, our guide went over and guided him back to deep river water. Wow! Catching a 45 lb King Salmon on fly-rod. Jay said it was the first time he's seen it since the 25 years he's been here. Nice!

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