Everybody loves a Challenge

That's what this last week was here at Mile 14, a challenge. That little pic at the right here was what we saw every day on the weather forecast. Some mornings at 4 am as I prepped the boat it was only 42 to 45 degrees, and raining. But what made the rain extra doublea special this week is that it was helped by a nice steady wind. Combine that with slower than average fishing and the week could be described as what I call 'a character builder'. I told MP just yesterday as I was warming up that I hope summer comes this year on a weekend so I can enjoy it. We did catch quite a few fish but alot of them were small like this one Katlin caught, its a little petite but didn't keep her from smiling real good. After all, this might be the only place in the world a salmon like that is considered small.

The next couple of pics were the highlight of the week. Jarod Davis there is Dan Beavers grandson from Great Falls Montana. Dan and his brother Temple are friends of my brothers and escaped Montana for a few weeks to show Jarod the Last Frontier. Jarod is one cool kid. They've had their 5th wheeler in our campground all week and once I got Jarod using the shrimp bait for rainbows he's been catching them pretty good. The other day I came up river just in time to see him release about a 6 or 7 pounder. Thats cool. The 3 of them caught lots of trout this week at mile 14...lots.

Jarod is first to the boat on Friday morning and I ask him if he's feeling the qwan. He tell s me "Jeff, I'm gonna catch a big one". So me and him are feeling the vibe and I figure I better start with a spanking new K-16 Kwikfish lure, its gold with a kind of rainbow head. We load
Temple and Dan up and downriver we go hoping that I can find the remnants of the 4 am high tide. Sure enough theres still some salt water at Eagle Rock and strangely enough not another boat in sight. At 6 am sharp we run out the lures, 2 Kwikfish and one spin-glo with eggs. I'm just settling in when Jarods rod goes off, its that perfect hard pull down that jerks the
salmon to the surface when he sets the hook. Its on and its on hard. This fish is obviously what we're after, it makes several long runs and when we finally get ready to net it surprises us with one last burst of 40 yards. Jarod fights him perfectly and after 15 minutes and 1/2 mile of river she's in the boat. Beautiful, a 44 pound female shiney fresh, she has that electric purple sheen to her back that I'm always so impressed with. Wow, huh Jarod? Tuesday morning they're fishing with me again and I wouldn't be bit surprised to see him catch a bigger one...I'll break out a new lure for sure.

Last night we went out to some of our oldest and dearest friends daughters wedding. Neil and Connie Arthur and us have shared everything from poverty on since 1977. Their daughter Janey married Chad Moore the grandson of an old homestead family here. I had a brain fart and forgot my camera. Yikes. The setting was gorgeous on the banks of the Moose River and Neil delivered the wedding party in his restored 1976 Ford 150 that he and Connie came to Alaska in.

So I messed up and didn't get any pics of the wedding. BUT, I'm making it up to you with this pic of the lilacs we came across on this mornings bike ride...in the rain. This is a friend of Sams parents house, the Dalkovskis on Kobuk street. MP and I had to agree that they're just about as beautiful as it can get.