Gone Fishin' | Photo: www.alaskaseafood.org
In a world full of leaders with massive, blinding egos, ours takes the cake. To say that Sarah Palin is inconsistent is like saying Michael Jackson is not getting enough press coverage. Just days after announcing her ‘official’ premature extraction from Alaska’s highest office, Sarah Palin is now fishing in Bristol Bay. Yes, the very same Bristol Bay in which she is in favor of exploiting for mineral wealth via the Pebble Mine.
Her support of Anglo and Northern Dynasty Minerals is now common knowledge (see: http://tspey.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/down-but-not-out/) made more evident by the fact that the Palin family has taken gifts and paid trips from pro-Pebble Mine suppporters (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/25/AR2008092503988_pf.html).
In an age when one’s actions speak louder than their lies even steadfast supporters of Palin are now smacking into the broken glass-lined wall of reality. Yes, we have been hoodwinked into thinking that this person was much more than what she really is.
Alaskan politics of late has been marred with corruption. Speculation abounds that Palin’s decision may be a pre-emptive action against this nasty ‘c’ word. Alaskans have been forcefully spoon-fed this type of mush for too long. The time has passed for personal-gain politicos who have worn out their welcome.
The decision to quit makes no sense politically. What is the real reason for Palin’s fall? Family? Tired of the spotlight? Greed? So far up in Alaska, the latter is the speculative and all too common assumption.
Posted in Alaskan Politics, No Pebble Mine | Tagged Alaskan Politics, Anglo American, bribes, Bristol Bay, Commercial Fishing, Corruption, Fishing, Michael Jackson, money, Northern Dynasty Minerals, Open Pit Mining, Pebble Mine, reasons for quitting, Red Salmon, Sarah Palin, Shannyn Moore, Sockeye Salmon | Leave a Comment »
Posted in Alaskan Politics | Tagged 2012, Alaska, Channel 2 News, ethics complaints, first term, FOX show host, Governor, KTUU, NBC, Palin quits, Premature departure, Presidential Election, Real reason, Resignation, rumors, Sarah Palin resigning, Sarah Palin resigns, Sean Parnell, Ted Stevens, Todd Palin, Troopergate, Why | 1 Comment »
The re-opener was an epic display of old-time Alaska. Thousands of black-gray backs of schooled salmon in packs of 30 to 50 as far as the next bend. Fortunately, there were still trout to be had via the properly waked dry in-between the intermittent upstream rushes of first run sockeye.
The salmon run is the earliest and by far the biggest in my 20+ years on the river. The run’s strength was revealed during our trouting below the falls. At our favorite hole normally filled with hungry rainbow was a wall of sockeye. The holes were filled with fins. Even the swift water was packed with salmon raising their heads to get a view of the strange gore-tex-clad visitors.
As the day neared noon, D and I looked at each other from across the river as we simultaneously said ‘let’s get our limit’. Fred already made the switch 30 minutes sooner and was quickly on salmon after salmon. With 3 being the magic number, our plan was to quickly catch, clean and pack the fish then re-focus our sights to trout (easier said than done). This year’s sockeye are also much bigger in size than normal. Couple that with trout rods and you have a recipe for split graphite disaster.
The catching was the easy part. One cast = one fish. Landing them was another story altogether. On the 3rd and final sock, an unexpected last run and tangled-rod-to-tree nearly ended my day prematurely. Fortunately, the rod was intact. With the sounds of my buddies’ stream-muffled laughter reaching my ears as I kneeled looking at the securely tailed salmon, I knew I was lucky. Just one more second and that rod was broke.
The harvest
The trip was as close to the old days as one could imagine. Seeing that many salmon in one small stream during a time when we are facing a threat of open pit mining in an area with an exponentially larger annual run of wild salmon puts everything in perspective. There is something much more to be had in a continuously healthy river than in a gold chain.
Trees growing from trees
1:1,000,000
Posted in Fishing Trips | Tagged Alaska, Anglo American, Bristol Bay, Dry fly fishing, Fly Fishing, Northern Dynasty, Open Pit Mining, Pebble Mine, Pebble Partnership, Rainbow Trout, small river, Sockeye Salmon | 1 Comment »
Every year, the culmination leading up to the yearly trout re-opener is a flashback to my childhood and its ’are we there yet’ days of family fishing trips. My family went fishing every year for as far back as I can remember. Fittingly, my July birthday was celebrated each year in either a tent or camper next to the river that I consider my second home.
It may sound strange to anyone besides a beaver or fish to describe a body of water as a home but for some of you out there I suspect you know the feeling. Upon your arrival to a favorite stream or lake, the comfort is immediate and subliminal. Everything around you is familiar. The trees are in the same places but in their 20 years of incremental growth spurts now tower over you. The trout are still there, descendants of the first caught and released rainbows on your Dad’s salmon fly rod.
Standing bankside the movement is automatic. Lining up the guides, fastening tight your reel, tying on your favorite fly to light tippet. The memories are always a blur until the fly lands softly on the water. The senses then come alive with focus until that moment and the rise.
The trip is being mapped out as we speak but in reality it’s been been in planning mode since last June. There is something special in the first trip of the year to your home stream. As each year passes I’m finding myself stepping back more to enjoy the subtle nuances.
Last year, I noticed a tiny shrew swimming near the bank looking for a decent landing spot. Oddly enough, on the same trip, I had no clue about the black bear sniffing just 15 feet away from me while fishing midstream until D caught my eye downstream. After seeing his wide eyed face I immediately knew what was behind me bankside.
The plan this week is to tie up a few dozen flies and enjoy a full day on our home water. You can bet that there will be plenty of ‘are we there yets’ come early Saturday morning.
Posted in Fishing Trips | Tagged Alaska trout, favorite stream, Fly Fishing, home water, rainbow trout fishing | Leave a Comment »
2 blocks from the Hilton
With another small creek spring season under our wading belts our gears shift from miniatures to monsters. The jump from 5-12″ creek trout to Alaskan king salmon sounds like a rediculous transition but this is where D and I found ourselves last Friday with heavier spey rods in hand.
Typical urban king | Photo: ADN
This local flow sits in the heart of downtown Anchorage and gets a healthy run of stocked chinook and coho salmon every May-July (kings) and July-September (coho). A virtual melting pot of fishing, this local hot spot is home to 2 fishing derbys and thousands of fishers from tourists to purists. Most come out with any and all types of gear from roe, spinners, the ever popular pixies and more. In a place where anything goes, we found ourselves right at home tucked in a clear stretch of high bank perfect for spey casts.
D's Loop
Though there were no pulls that day, you can bet we will be bankside during lunch for the next few weeks until the trout opener.
Posted in Fishing Trips | Tagged Anchorage, chinook salmon, Urban king salmon fishing | 1 Comment »
Photo: Anchorage Daily News
Bravo to Captain Sig Hansen who in one fell swoop elevated many outsider’s limited view of Pebble Mine opponents (sparked by the pro-side’s propaganda machine) from tree-hugging environmentalists to a group with hard shells. To say that crab fishermen in Alaska are respected is an understatement. To say that crab fishermen are teetering the line of insanity is more accurate. Steelheaders are tough but I go out on a limb and say crabbers are second to none when it comes to pure hell-like living and working conditions.
The immense popularity of Deadliest Catch might be explained by the crabbers chasing the ever-disappearing American Dream. Where else can you potentially make a year’s worth of handsome pay in such a short time period? The caveat is that with each potentially rewarding day comes the ultimate in risk. Captain Hansen has been a successful crabber because of his common sense. He knows that there is a fine line between an overflowing hold and a safe return.
With Pebble, common sense is slapping us repeatedly in the face. Past environmental and humanitarian catastrophes are the norm from open pit mines of magnitudes just short the size of the proposed Pebble Mine with the very company, Anglo, leading the way in these disasters. Captain Hansen knows when to fold ‘em. The question is… will we?
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/801698.html
Posted in No Pebble Mine | Leave a Comment »
The hole...
The month of May for many Alaska fly-fishers is a difficult one. The main local flows are closed due to the spring rainbow trout spawn. Patiently waiting for 6 months of winter to pass takes it toll on normal folk. Just think of the effect that this forced hibernation has on obsessed fly-fishers. Sure, we tie flies and re-watch fly-fishing and casting dvd’s to get us through the withdrawal. Come spring, however, we are a sight to avoid. Like werewolves who have been caged next to fresh meat we pounce at the first chance to wet a fly.
Realistically, March is the first opening, the first glimpse. The rivers are still partially frozen. The water still numbingly cold to the point where no amount of expedition weight capeline can succeed in warming the essentials. But yet again, we find ourselves hiking in on frozen trails. At the river, we wade right in past our waists like a lab retrieving her duck. For me and my friends, fly-fishing is tattooed next to our hearts by other very important things like family and friends.
April is the time of year when water in Alaska finally shifts from solid to it’s liquid state. The drops add up quickly and feed the rivers. The warming sun provides temps suitable for massive stonefly and caddis hatches. In an instant, there is a wealth of morsels for hungry trout. But as fast as spring progresses the May closure goes into effect leaving us hanging until the re-opening in mid-June.
Yes, May is a tough month. But with a major mind-shift we are able to more than just get through yet another wait. We shift from spey fishing for monster trout to a miniature world equally full of life and laughs.
The stalk...
Enter the world of small streams, Alaska-style (be forewarned that this is for the truly obsessed). Head in any direction in Alaska and you inevitably cross a small stream every 5- 15 minutes. In almost every one of these creeks are trout and char. Most range between 5″-12″ or so but given that we are in the land of extremes, once in awhile you may see trout that cannot possibly belong in such small water.
Again, the window is short since they too must pass on their genes. Care must be taken to avoid fishing when the spawn is on. But for a 2 week window before their spawn, light 0-4 weight short fly rods are the stick of choice. Bow and arrow casts with short leaders get you to tight mini-holes under budding birch limbs.
Extremely scare-easy, at one hole you will be hiding behind a tree with only your arm and rod showing. At another, you will find yourself on your knees hiding behind an old rotted-out stump trying to coax an 8 incher out from under the bank. Imagine all of this in addition to being stuck everywhere by thorns and constantly untangling your line out of unseen trees.
It seems to an outsider that there are more reasons not to fish small streams but for the few, it is these challenges that make us want to fish in these rediculously tight quarters. Like the stream itself, the successes are miniaturized. A great cast can be a 10 foot slingshot under a 2 foot high hanging spruce bow. With the ultimate reward being the moment when a trout flashes out and grabs your fly. In this tiny clip of time, you forget about any and all of life’s worries if not just for that short instant.
The reward
Posted in Fishing Trips | Tagged Creek fishing, small streams | 2 Comments »
Spring of '09
It’s spring in Alaska. Just like that, the snow is gone on the lowlands. As seasons go, spring and fall are short windows that disappear as soon as they reveal their offerings. This spring however has started off early and remarkably well. The multiple temps in the 60’s match last summer’s warmest few days.
As with any first trip there was plenty to look forward to. My fly boxes were overflowing with new creations and old stand-bys. There was new gear and lines to try and an old friend to fish alongside again just like old times. James and I left town well before dawn for a day trip that now rests amongst the best.
One aspect that makes spring fly-fishing so enjoyable is the plethora of life emerging and migrating all around you. On our long hike in we saw Mother Nature’s wide range from the tiniest to the biggest. Signs of lynx, coyote, moose and bear were everywhere. Old decayed salmon carcasses lined the trail miles away from the river. The availability of prey was made obvious when we walked by a recently but not completely eaten snowshoe hare carcass.
Once again we were met by the river. Once again, we were floored by its scale and beauty. Wild rivers are something to behold. They are a living, breathing entity. Every year I look forward to seeing her. With each passing year the river’s changes are subtle but distinct. New pockets form and old runs vanish. It’s the same river I have been fishing since I was 12 years old but it is always different.
Giant trumpeter swans were paired alongside pools of open water. The eagles outnumbered seagulls. A bull moose crossed upriver in slow motion with the sounds of others munching on freshly budded willows directly across from us.
Unlike last year and its numbing 17 degrees the day’s starting temp was 45. Intermittently throughout the day a massive stonefly hatch would spread river-wide. The smaller trout were sipping nymphs off of the surface 80 feet out in their prep for the spring spawn. We knew that the big boys were deep, chasing bigger prey to necessitate their high calorie needs.
We started fishing a long run together spread out by 200 yards. The first cast was a pitiful effort that dribbled line just 25 feet out. The second was a better representation of all of the fake casting practiced inside during the winter months. The cast and the line had a nice feel to it. The water looked fishy. The sink tip felt like it was moving the fly perfectly near the bottom… and just like that, a strong pull, a lifted rod… my first trout of ’09.
First trout of '09
The trip overall was a great first taste of 2009. No pigs but plenty of mid-sized fun trout caught on invented flies tied over the long, forgotten winter.
Next...
Posted in Fishing Trips | Tagged bears, Coyote, Fly Fishing, Hand tied flies, Lynx, Moose, Perry poke, Skagit casting, Snowshoe hare, spey casting, Spey fishing, Spring, trumpeter swans | 4 Comments »
Early Spring Spey.
Here is a re-post from last spring to get us in the swing of things…
The dreaming days are nearly over. The long grip of winter is showing signs of breaking. Rivers are starting to see light. Drop by drop, the ice and snow melt to provide more room for trout and later the returning salmon. The trout are holding in lakes and deep river pools that have provided protection and food throughout the quiet winter.
The first trip is mapped out. Flies have been tied at home, late at night when it’s 10 below and at friends’ bachelor pads over fish stories and beers. The first trip of the year always makes a lasting impression. Spring fishing is quickly becoming my favorite time of year on the water. The beauty and solitude of the snow covered peaks, swinging leeches and monster grabs from voraciously hungry trout have that effect on a person.
More to follow after this weekend’s trip…
New Season Cont’d:
The first trip of the year has come and gone. This year’s annual spring migration was the earliest to date. The day began with the beeping alarm at 2:20 am. The rest of the 50 minutes were a blur as I tricked my body into thinking that 2 hours of restless sleep was enough for the day’s 2.5 hour drive, 5+ mile hike in and 8 hours on the river. I arrived at D’s house just past 3 am. The rest of the crew arrived shortly after and we made yet another drive seem short. The day’s potential for hungry spring rainbows fueled our trout-starved brains. Was a 30″ trophy in store for one or all of us?
The drive went by quickly as the talk centered around fishing. Soon we found ourselves parked, sorting and packing the essentials behind the glow of headlamps. The dark hike in showcased Mother Nature’s creativity as numerous melt and freeze cycles turned the trail into an ice rink. The crew struggled as we experienced first-hand that felt and glare ice do not mix.
Our 2 plus hour ordeal of the hike was forgotten upon seeing a glimpse of the river. Its normal beauty accentuated by the fresh thaw from a 5 month slumber. We were met by 4 trumpeter swans floating on the far bank and eagles in every one of the tall cottonwoods as far as the eye could see. A spawned-out silver was taking its last gasps in a deep pool as a pair of bald eagles sat on the bank patiently awaiting their meal of the day to expire.
We were eager to get our flies wet and made our way along the bank to our planned starting point. Months worth of fishless winter forgotten and eroding like the sheets of ice along the river bank.
We waded out into the frigid water and quickly discovered that adrenaline lasts just 30 minutes when met with 33 degree water. The slow flow, ice in the guides and numbing pain made for a challenging day of spey casting. The rest of the day provided us with many extremes. Hands, feet and legs were overcome with cold. Every half hour one or all of us would shiver out of the water and jog on the banks to get blood flowing again through our numb extremities.
Why do we subject ourselves to this apparent torture? Any sane person wouldn’t get up at 2 am for a few hour drive, hike 5 miles on glare ice, fall numerous times on your arse, then stand in a frozen river for 8 hours all in the hopes of catching just one fish. The answer is that the ‘one tug’ makes you forget all the pain and sacrifice of a long day on the river. The entire experience; the prep, the anticipation, the pull, the strength of the trout and eventually easing it in by your side is worth its weight in gold. A connection is made between the fly fisher, the fish and the setting. For a moment, you are living in the Alaska of 100 years back.
Here are a few photos to help further support the ‘why’…
32″ Spring Buck, 2008 | Photo by J. Kim
First Trout of ‘08| Photo by J. Kim
Posted in Fishing Trips | Tagged Baja, bald eagles, Fly Fishing, fly tying, Rainbow Trout, rooster fishing, silver salmon, spey cast, Spey fishing, trophy trout, trumpeter swans | Leave a Comment »
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