Its a Game of Inches

Great smile eh? That's my friend Deb O'brien with what we didn't know at the time turned out to be the biggest legal June King Salmon I've ever seen. Let me explain. For the early run only here we 've had  a 'slot limit' for the last 10 years or so, all fish from 46 to 55 inches long must be released to spawn. ADF+G did this rule as a way to save some of the genetic size traits of these magnificent salmon. The idea was to protect for spawning the biggest spawners, 50, 60 or 70 pounders.

I met Deb about 20 years ago. I wasn't really her first choice as a guide as she met and fished with a young guy who worked for me I'll call Joel. But through the years Joel went on his own and just never seemed to have time for just one person or was to busy and didn't return phone calls and well....that was my good luck. She's been fishing with me ever since. I got lots of time for her, in fact I'm not exaggerating when I say she and I connect, she's really our friend. Deb came to Alaska from Alabama 20 years ago with a guy and the guy luckily didn't work out but Alaska sure did. She met and married Donovan O'brien who's the coolest guy and struggling to get it done started a family at the age of 40.....that takes a lot of love. Deb is an I.C.U. nurse and has a ton of things going on in her life, she's been busy and finally decided to take time with her daughter Haley and come fish with me.

So the other morning just 10 minutes into our first troll the Deb's rod goes off, its a gift. We have no boats below us and the fish runs off line, an easy 150 yards worth. Now normally I'd chase the fish with the boat but Deb has caught many a King, even a 70 pounder so I just watch as she stops him and slowly regains line. Its so far out that by the time near the boat its played out and laying on its side, blowing bubbles which indicates a very tired fish. Its in the net and I tell Deb its too big. I want to let it go and she wants to measure it. We measure and measure and double check and triple check, this fish is not only legal its about 1/4 inch short of the limit. We even measure again on the deck before I bonk it and its obvious legal. Its girth is what did it for us, it weighed an even 50 pounds at the scale and was just gorgeous shiny bright. Wow.

So after that theres nothing to do but hope Haley has a bite as we commune with nature. The rivers been quiet this year and this sight above I've seen several times in the last few days. Today we watched an eagle dive bomb mergansers and I'd never seen how well and long those little ducklings can dive under water.

Now I can't speak for all 4 of us, especially Jet-dog but I'd guess we all  had about as cool a Kenai experience as you can have, Fishing and friends, whats better?....