Jet - Dog

Jets not been doing well. She's 12 years old now and I hear for a pure bred that's getting right up there. I guess when you got a candle that burns so bright it just don't burn so long. She's had accidents in the house. She had a terrible crash jumping into the boat a while back. I help her into her favorite place, the truck. So, last night as I tended to my Sunday ritual of over cooking a beautiful steak I was astounded...over joyed....when ol J.D. Jet-dog starting wagging her tail and wanted me to throw the ball. Yikes she even jumped over the tongue of my boat trailer, we had a ball and boy do I love that dog. Normally this picture is no big deal but there she is, ball in mouth, running....wow.

Our friends Tom and Niki were down and they have a dog Hoover that they adore. Well, the girls went into executive session and decided a pain pill regime was what the Jet needed and walla.....it's like a miracle. Her hind end hurt so much that she stands all day and when she goes to lay down you can just tell that it's total misery.  But the pain pill is obviously working and ol Jet is ambulatory once again. Thanks Niki, thanks Jet.

The other morning I snapped this pic of my prep board in the boat, awful darn pretty sight if you ask me. These darn things have always worked on our silvers but for some reason this year they're absolutely smokin the fish. Maybe it's the high water or maybe the turbidity but whatever it is there's something almost hypnotic about watching the jiggle of your rod tip with these guys on and then the  inevitable explosion of water and excitement when the rod goes 'off'.

And here's a couple pics of Alex Quinonez and his group who got those silvers pretty well surrounded for a few days. I'd say that's a load, the smallest of the catches was 85 pounds of fillets. The second day we fished the guys against the girls, the guys won but if I were refereeing in that they had the same number of fish I'd have given it to the girls.

My friend Nate Morton used to be the title holder in 'coldest day on the Kenai' department. I wish I hadn't had to fish through it but last Friday it rained and not that Kenai drizzle rain...it poured and with about a 35 mph wind it was right at unbearable. We made an abbreviated trip with two really cool guys that were a pleasure to meet. Ed and Ed Jr. there were amazing, upbeat and strong. I kind of made a tactical error as I didn't recommend my vinyl rain gear over Ed's Goretex. My credo has always been 'vinyl is final' and I should have had it aboard for him. Sorry Ed....But, you are the new title holder. "Coldest on the Kenai'.

That gal in the picture below is flattering statement about my guiding. Chris Degernes was the Kenai Area State Parks Superintendent while I served on the River Board and worked for the future of this wonderful place. She's the best they ever had and I think one of the big reasons is that she and her husband Bill are Park users. I don't know anybody that's as 'Alaskan' as those two. They're hunters, fishers, hikers, skiers, birders,,,,they're amazing. The days before fishing with me Chris and her Swiss friend Gabriela had taken her boat up Skilak Lake to camp and were weathered in for a few day due to rough seas...now that's Alaskan. And of course Chris knows all the guides on the Kenai and she chooses me, that's pretty darn cool

We had a great day. We talked old times and we talked the future. As always happens when you get diverse groups together we all learned a lot and left friends. Ed from the east coast, Ed from Kansas, Gabriella from Switzerland and Chris...full blown Alaskan.