July 2nd, 2013....

Wow, how do I explain how I was feeling this morning to be out fishing again after 2 weeks of Kenai closed?...In a word...I felt great, fantastic, at home, living, even normal.

The only restriction we're under is no bait and I guess a lot of fisherman see that as more important than I do as the river was way quieter than I thought it would be. For me the no-bait deal isn't that big, for me it's the chance to fish for them and then if they're in the river we'll catch em, period. So this morning I got the chance to fish with my neighbor Mick Wykis, his brother Don and his wife Joanie and their cool grandson Eli. Mick has lived here about as long as I have and to get hired by a local guy like him who knows other guides and knows the river well is the ultimate compliment for a guy like me. Here's a pic of Mick.

Now that's not the biggest King salmon I've ever guided but I have to tell you, it was as important as it was exciting for all of us. Mick was pulling a red big wing cheater when in the middle of our chat Eli spots it.....Mick....Mick....ever one reeled in and Mick who's caught as many salmon as I have said that it's either off or a bit small and he was right. But, like most of our fishing friends they were hoping to have a fresh salmon supper so we bonked it and bled it. When that rod went off I was about as excited as when the first customer of my career old John Manson caught his King 31 years ago. And then momentum took over. We went back to the spot and maneuvered through a few boats that had decided to fish there and walla....Don's Rod goes off. This more substantial fish circled the bow of the boat and...the line goes slack...I'm holding the net at hip level and looking for where he's gone...and a flash erupts from the water and we've got him, he's jumped right into the net. Magic.

Over that we had a good chuckle. Don and Joan are headed to Charleston tomorrow and are taking their fillets fresh not frozen for a family barbecue on the 4th of July. They're great people, thanks for coming you guys. We have some fish, had some laughs, talked story and I couldn't  be happier....and neither could these guys who've been waiting for some salmon as well.

So tomorrow we're back out. We've got the month underway and the moe-joe started. Now we'll hope upgrade in the size dept. We're also  really hoping the sonar counts go up and the month lights off. In any case we'll always, always do the best we can......