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That's how old I was on Saturday. I have to tell you I feel great and am enjoying the job of guiding more than ever before....except maybe my first trip where I kinda felt like I'd gotten away with something. I'm doing my one trip a day and working as hard as ever but I've learned what's important and what's not and and my stress level is a healthy -4.2 . Of course it helps to have the best customers and and a few fish around. Here's pic of my birthday crew. Jacqi there on left is a local gal who we are destined to become friends with and Larita there brought me the cake and her husband Mike who will celebrate 4 years of marriage with her Tuesday....Thanks you guys, you're wonderful.

The Kenai River King's seem to be back, well they are back. I could tell, as these things go our first run was better so it stood to reason so would our late run. The numbers are fantastic so really it puts to rest all the hysteria people had about the ' low abundance of Kings'. Now it's obvious that it was a problem that was not exclusive to the Kenai and one that would be temporary like most things around here. Alaska is a dynamic place. Our habitat is pristine, our management is by most standards good , we have great science so all I want to say to the people that kept saying " close the river until the Kings come back ".... you're wrong, pound salt, Les Palmer....retire....but shut up first.

That's a picture of the Dennis Over family from New York. We actually caught a total of 5 in the trip but the guys wanted to keep fishing and I sure understand that. For the week we managed to bat about 700 % and the only bummer was that we couldn't get the tug for my best friends Chris and Charlie. I guess things work out that way just because. I just don't know.

That fish right there that Kiel caught was exceptional. 46 pound female. It fought like a champ and the reason I show this pic is to underline the situation. Not only is it apparent that we will make escapement and our numbers are the best in years but the fish are normal....healthy, robust and absolutely beautiful. I'm just giggly happy for the fish, for us, for the town, for our culture and especially the young guys coming behind me.

Jim Hazzlewood and John Romero with their King salmon. Two of the coolest guys I've met in a while. John is related to Soldotna royalty....his son is the Direct TV business....

But don't think it's all fish, it ain't for sure. On my birthday I spotted this sun dog collection and it just said what I wanted to say.....

The Rain's letting up

The sun's on it's way

My half empty cup

is half full day

And I've learned the tight turns

just around the bend

Off in the distance 

I ship my ship coming in

 Thank you Kevin Fowler

And I finally found a good use for them dip nets.....yup, when you fetch up hard  on the rocks as old Joe Hazzlewood said you just break out your 150 dollar dip-net and push yourself back out into that old world famous Kenai River. I wonder just  how many reds he was figurin on putting into that little I.B.R.B. ( itty bitty rubber boat)....dip netters.......aaaaaargh......