If I were a salmon I'd take the road....

and that's no kidding. This was hell week for us locals, all of Anchorage as well as our usual tourists were here chasing red salmon. And low and behold as things go here on the Kenai the dip netters who formed a parade going to Anchorage yesterday left disappointed.  Today more seem to be hitting the river but with only 330,000 over the sonar ADF+G has once again created as Ernie  says a 'shamoozle'. For the first time in a long time the usual Monday commercial opener is closed and I'd bet dollars to donuts that the Thursday opener will be also. But don't feel to bad for those commercial fishermen, they've already harvested 1.25 million. The problem is it's starting to look like they harvested the escapement, you know, that silly little thing called the future. Oh well....but King Salmon we got ! I just love this pic that my new friends the Hangers and Shepards mailed me. Scott's wife Johni with her King in the net , man that is the essence of sport fishing.

And here's a pic of the slimey she retrieved from the Emerald green waters of the world famous.

It was a great week and if I were counting I'd say we batted pretty well over 500 %....So I'll just give you the highlights, the idea, the mystery... Thane Davis caught about the largest. I encouraged him not to weigh it so he can in good conscious massage the story anytime he likes.

I might Jere and Jen Yates we figure in 2006, they've been on the every other year plan since. Jere is a great fisherman. No coaching and he is even confident enough to net his wife's fish which for me is the real load test of  a marriage. We're simpatico with these guys. They make fishing fun, really fun. so thanks for coming and bringing Rich and Cin.... I know we'll see you guys again. And oh, thanks for liking my new song 😊

Jere sent me the video of about a 30 pounder running around the boat on the surface like silver's do frequently....and crud, I can't get it to load for the blog and it's sooooo exciting. Here's the crew with virtual fish.

Saturday night is debrief for me ya know. As I practiced a few songs and enjoyed a tall orange this object on my prep table caught my writers eye....It's my life man and it's EVERYWHERE. The stuff is like uranium, when it's on you it stays on you. I'll bet I've sent hundreds of people home with enough of that on them that people ask...what the heck is that ????

And campers.....boy howdy is this town full of campers.  All you need is glance at the camp and you can tell certain things. This guy buy's local.

And don't be impressed....this guy has the largest collection of useless fishing junk that I've ever seen.  To some people a fishing rod is just a fishing rod, so why not get the 12 dollar deal that comes already spooled with brand x line and a bobber.....don't let me hear you're having trouble landing fish buddy...and if you do remember.....it's all on ADF+G even if you ain't got a clue.

It hurts me to see this. The person I love the most having to make room for more empty beer cans. Our town is about as full as our dumpster. I pitched in and made a dump run as our guy doesn't come until Wednesday. Someone asked why we didn't have a bigger dumpster and this tells the story, it only gets full for two weeks every July.  Hang in there baby, we almost got it knocked out again.

And lastly..... I got a word for you guy's down in Homer.  Don't think you guy's down there have an exclusive  on this deal.....This Slowdotna can be a test don't ya know.