Long Live the Kings vol. 2

They say that the average person has to spend 40 hours fishing to actually hook and land a king salmon. Chris and Amy are here to tell you that this is true. Painfully true. Frustratingly true. They also say that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work. Again, let us assure you that this statement is also quite true. We scheduled a trip to have a guide take us up the Deshka River, known for kings early in the season, and silvers later on in the summer. Chris had to work the night before, and we were due to meet our guide, Howard, at 4:45am. The Deshka River is just outside of Willow (the location of the official start of the Iditarod), located about 3 hours north of Anchorage. We decided it would be easier to drive up late the night before, rather than to get up at 1:30 am. We snoozed in the back of the Subaru, nestled between a few trucks with empty boat trailers, awakened by the occasional buzz of the boat motors.

We spent an abosolutely beautiful, sunny, warm Alaska day (it was about 75 degrees- major heat wave!)- which is great for boating, but not so great for fishing. Howard took us to incredible hot spots, where we watched hundreds of king salmon swim right past our bait at lightening speed. These kings were on a mission, and they were late. At one point, we were positioned above a set of shallow rapids, where we could SEE the salmon flipping and splashing, their bodies half way out of the water. They were so large, they created huge wakes as they blasted right past our lines. Amy did have a couple of nibbles that morning, but no one else on the boat felt the slightest tug. Howard reluctantly returned us to shore empty handed. But, being the typical fishermen, Chris and Howard kept us entertained all day with their stories. It only motivated us to keep trying and make plans for another day. One of the great things about Alaska is that there are endless choices for fishing. And we intend to take full advantage of that!

Long Live the Kings vol. 1

Sometimes, our schedules make it difficult to do things together. Lucky for Amy, Chris will go and check out an adventure, and if its worth a second trip, we'll go back together. The Anchor River is down on the Kenai Penninsula, about 20 minutes north of Homer, and the Ketchimak Bay. King Salmon run early in the season, and come in with the tides. The water level close to the mouth of the river changes sometimes by 8-10 feet. We were lucky to secure a campsite right at the edge of the river, and only about 100 yards from the beaches of the Cook Inlet, as well. We arrived, just at the peak of high tide. The shore was lined with fisherman, who were occasionally pulling massive kings out of the water. We fished for a while, until the tides subsided, had some dinner, took a disco nap, and then fished from about 11pm until 5am. We were the only ones on the rivers edge, and although we never did catch a king, we were able to see hundreds of these giant fish working their way up the river. They were so massive, that they created a wake behind them as they fought against the current. It was exciting to watch. It never did get dark, as the sun never truly sets in Alaska in the summer. We saw so many bald eagles, and had perfect weather (hard to come by in Alaska). Despite the fact that we didn't catch any fish, it was an amazing trip.