Pigeon Hole

I never drive past the Pigeon River without thinking about its chunky smallmouths, but normally when I'm on the section of Interstate 40 that parallels the Pigeon, I'm on the way to or traveling home from a far-away destination, and stopping isn't practical. Yesterday afternoon, while driving home from Knoxville, Nathaniel and I decided to get off at the Waterville exit and hit one Pigeon hole.

We didn't fish terribly long because it was already late afternoon and we were still a couple of hours from home, and we stayed on the bank, instead of wading. Despite the quick-hit approach, we did draw a few fierce surface strikes with Rebel Bighoppers, drifted and waked on the surface, and Nathaniel managed to land one pretty fish. A fun stop, for sure, and now Nathaniel is pretty eager to get back to the Pigeon on a day when fishing is the main objective!

Perfect Hot Day Plan

Yesterday's East Tennessee forecast included severe heat warnings, but Nathaniel and I stayed comfortable all afternoon by wading knee-deep in a tumbling Smokies stream. We caught neither big fish nor big numbers, but we did manage to fool a few wild browns and rainbows and had a wonderful time fishing together in the park.

Alaska Treasure Chest

"I'd suggest ordering something other than salmon or halibut," said Chuck Smock of Cabela's as we pondered menu options at The Flying Machine restaurant for our last dinner in Alaska. We all laughed in agreement, knowing the four huge boxes in the hotel freezer contained more than a few meals of delightful Alaska salmon and halibut.

One of many great things about spending a week on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula is the opportunity to bring home a portion of the trip in the form of fresh fish. Our treasure chests each contained nearly 50 pounds of sockeye and king salmon and halibut, all vacuum sealed in serving-sized packages and frozen by Ninilchik Outfitters. Staying shy of 50 pounds spares "overweight" charges, and allows you to fly a box of fish all the way home for the cost of an extra checked bag.
From a practical standpoint, that's a lot of fine meals. It's more than a box of meat, though. When we enjoy a meal of halibut baked with garlic butter and chives, I'll think about Capt. Al's funny lines, Colin's cod-catching prowess, the thrill of detecting a telltale halibut pump and the painful but laughable futility of reeling up 4 pounds of lead from 193 feet to learn the bait was not stolen after all. Grilling salmon "on the halfshell" will remind me of Chuck's last casts with the fly rod, Daniel's refined flossing technique, John's relaxed posture as he watched us try to conquer a king and of course the countless fishermen who back-trolled together in amazing harmony.
I'll also remember the bears on the trail, sandwiches from the General Store (incluing the one the dog stole from John), humpback whales, the great tractor launch, 11:30 sunsets, snow-capped volcanoes, stories shared around the dinner table... And as my family enjoys the contents of the treasure chest, one meal at a time, I must remember to share an added taste of Alaska in the form of trip tales.

Farewell Alaska

Well, we wrapped up the Alaska fishing by all limiting out on fast-running, high-flying sockeye salmon. It was a fun morning with sometimes-furious action.

My favorite part of the morning, though, was getting to fish with outfitter Mike Flores' 16-year-old son Daniel. Beyond showing exceptional skill at the technique we were using, he was quick to share what he knew, run for the net or help anyone else out any way he could, and he was simply great company. No doubt he'll be guiding in a few more years.

We'll stay in Anchorage tonight and start the long journey home tomorrow morning. My first trip to Alaska has been an outstanding experience.

The Great Salmon Show

It was obvious something special was going on when we arrived at the landing at 5:00 am, and the lot was already filled. Once we got on the river we saw that there were hundreds of boats on the section of the Kenai River where we would fish today.

Everyone was there because the salmon were running. Most anglers, including us, had king salmon in mind. The world record king came from the Kenai. In fact, we started our day in the spot where that fish was caught. A few anglers were after sockeyes, which are just starting to run. We actually caught a few of them today, and we'll target them in the morning.

I missed my chance at a king, which got off right at the boat. Our group only landed one king, but we saw lots of others landed by others around us. It was fun being in the middle of all the excitement and absolutely amazing how the anglers worked together. A raised net means a fish is on, and when a net goes up other boats are always quick to clear space, bring in lines or whatever they need to do to get out of the way.

I suppose I'd better sleep now. Alarm is set for 3:30 am.

Bears

We'd been warned that the river we planned to explore got a lot of bear use, and signs all around the national forest recreational area said likewise. Then we started talking with other anglers and hikers, and three different groups reported having recently seen black or brown bears. We also noticed that most fishermen were armed with bear spray.
About that time we began thinking we dared not go very far upstream and away from most other fishermen (although that was where we thought we would find the best fishing), and then that idea was confirmed when we looked across the river and spotted two young black bears strolling down a small path we had just been walking along ourselves.
We didn't see any brown bears, which was OK.

Flat-Out Tiring

We got in a couple hours of halibut fishing before the swells grew into 8-footers, and let me tell you, pulling big flat-sided fish from 190 feet of water, with 4 pounds of weight on the line and strong current, is quite a work-out. And my biggest was only about 25 pounds. I can't imagine what it must be like to catch a really big one. Maybe I'll find out tomorrow!

It was an exciting morning on the water that included a beach-front tractor launch, spotting a couple of whales and a seal, fishing fairly near a 10,000-foot active volcano and nearly constant action when lines were down.

Having rested a bit and eaten at mid-day, we're northbound now to try a little wade-fishing for trout!

Winds of Change

Last night we were supposed to board a big boat, on which we would sleep, eat and fish for the next 2 1/2 days; however, a call for 6-foot waves inside the bay (we were planning to travel much farther out) dictated a change of plans. Instead we settled into cabin at Ninilchik Charters, from which we'll do all our fishing in day-trips. Dependant on wind along this part of the coast, we'll fish either halibut or salmon today.

Yesterday we saw one moose, plus a spectacular slice of the Alaska landscape.

Reindeer Sausage

A lot of things on the breakfast menu looked good, but somehow it didn't seem like I could pass on what I would only find in Alaska - reindeer sausage.

Travel yesterday was long but smooth, and we spent night one in an Anchorage hotel with mounted bears and salmon and halibut in the lobby and a float-plane airport on the bay out the back window. We also roamed around a tourist district of fur shops, bear and Eskimo art, wildlife tour companies, reindeer sausage stands and much more Alaska-distinctive stuff.

Now we're headed out of the city and into "real Alaska." By evening we'll be on a halibut boat.

Destination ALASKA!

The alarm is set for 2:00 a.m., and a big duffel, three cameras and my mini-computer are waiting in the truck. By tomorrow evening -- assuming no travel problems -- I'll be in Anchorage, Alaska. I've never been to Alaska and am really excited about the trip. Of course I'm looking forward to battling giant halibut and fly-fishing for salmon. Just as much, though, I'm looking forward to simply seeing the landscapes. Since 2:00 is only five hours away and sleep is a good thing before a long day of travel, I suspect I ought to save most of the blogging for the other end.

The Catfish Pond

The Family Fishing Pond on the property of the Burton State Fish Hatchery doesn't look like much, but it's loaded with fun in the form of channel catfish. Operated by the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division for the express purpose of providing a family friendly option, "the catfish pond," as we've always called it in my home, provides great access to easy fishing and normally fast action.

Asher, my 6-year-old, got his first introduction to the the catfish pond this weekend and left four catfish catches richer. We threw back our fish , but anglers are allowed to take home four fish apiece.

We also visited the hatchery and "ooood and awed" over the thousands of trout in the tanks and then dunked bread balls on tiny hooks at mouth of Moccasin Creek in adjacent Moccasin Creek State Park and caught about 20 bream in short order. Had he wanted to, Asher could have gone for the area slam, targeting trout in the same creek in a section that's open only to children and senior citizens. He'd had enough of the July Georgia sun, though, so we packed it up and turned the truck toward home.

I've enjoyed days at the catfish pond with my three oldest children and a few young family friends, and I suspect in time I'll get out there with my other two. I commend the WRD for providing such a nice opportunity for young anglers to enjoy good angling action virtually any day.

Our favorite bait at the catfish pond, by the way, is a little piece of a cheap hot dog. Chicken livers also work very well.

Summer Break Bass

My nephew Jerred sent me a phone photo of this 5-pound largemouth bass he caught yesterday. That's what I call a summer day well spent. Congratulations, Jerred, on a great fish, and thank you for sharing the photo.

Door County Smallmouth Video

A little slice of the fun on my Wisconsin trip last month. I got edged out by a couple of ounces in the Kalin's one-grub tourney at day's end!

I Lied

Maybe that Mayfly on the gas pump stayed stuck in my head, because Nathaniel and I did end up slipping out to our favorite pond yesterday afternoon -- and I even used my fly rod. We didn't get much time - maybe 15 or 20 minutes - before an pop-up summer storm pushed us off the pond. Still, that was long enough for me to catch a couple of bass and miss a couple of bluegill on a Sneaky Pete and for Nathaniel to land a nice one 0n a YUM Dinger. Quick but fun afternoon outing.

If I Was a Trout

If I was a trout, the Mayfly on the gas pump sure would have made me hungry. Instead it just made me want to go trout fishing! For today -- and maybe all week -- writing fish stories will have to do. This time next week, though, I'll be packing my duffel for Alaska!