Now we're getting somewhere

I've been a little hard on the Alaska Dept. or Fish + Game. I actually view it as positive input and I'd bet dollars to donuts some of you guys over at that office are reading this blog. So...congratulations, we're finally getting somewhere, we're finally starting at the bottom with a problem and we've certainly called in the right people for the job, the people with the most invested....our Kids.

We were at Freddies the other day and couldn't help but notice this truck. That's what college will do for you, creative solutions that fill your needs. It's a topper shelter made for multi use. Me and MP were impressed with that deal even before I went in the store and met the kids. They there were at check out and had basket after basket full to the top. How often do you see a grocery basket entirely full of candy? So you know me I had to ask...they were on their way to Ninilchik to do a Razor Clam Survey to help ADF+G get to fixing our Razor Clam ' period of low abundance'.  

I got to visiting with these young people from Alaska Pacific University and was impressed. They tell me that  the first steps is to define the extent of the problem and actually locate the areas most effected . They were to study Razor clam density and migration. They had a hydraulic device of some sort to speed the process of locating the clams which from my experience this spring seemed to be a project of it's own and then of course would come the science of age composition and looking at the overall health of the clams located.

It's what I've heard from Fisheries managers that I sometimes think is forgotten...The first steps to solving a problem is to admit you have one and then define just what that problem is,  sounds easy doesn't it ? But sometimes in the blur of our passions and and the fog of politics we forget that...lets start at the bottom and work the problem up. So thanks APU for coming down, I'm feeling a lot better for the future of our Razor Clam resource.

One of the coolest things about my job is that I often get to help and witness 'firsts'. I always ask people if it's their first visit to Alaska and what their impressions are. Is it like you thought it would be ? Is it more or less than you thought ?  What is the best thing about Alaska you've seen ? ....Well I never get negative answers, people are ALWAYS awed by our State. After living here for decades here's Jean Clayton with her first fish ever, not just first salmon, first fish ever. What a smile.

And here's Steve Fredrick with is first Alaska salmon with is twelve year old brother-in-law Caleb with his first ever salmon. Caleb was a kid who fishes bass in Georgia and he knew his way around that fishing rod.

I had a trip of old friends and Alaskans. Craig King who used to fish here with his own boat showed up and went with Joe and Mike who are old customers of mine. I guess staying on the 'firsts' theme all I can say was the only first that came that day was the fact that Mike Eglund didn't catch a fish with me for the first time ever. It was so strange....we threw the pic out on top of a bunch of silvers. Joe caught his limit fast, Craig released a few to slow his harvest down and before 10 am everyone had a limit except Mike. He couldn't get a bite, it was just weird...hey Mike, did you get that goat sacrificed like we talked about?

I took this pic at sun up yesterday morning. We were supposed to have a tropical low swing by and put us through yet another few days of deluge. Well, it bounced off us and settled in the Gulf of Alaska thank goodness, they're used to that kind of rain in Seward and Cordova...sorry guys, I wish you'd had a gorgeous morning like this. Makes you wanna go fishing doesn't it ????