Water Haul

That's an old commercial fishing axiom for nothing, you haul your net in and nothing but water. Well us sport guys just simply call it a skunk or some of us post pics of moose and mountains and well I'll get it over with early in this edition of Mile 14...I got invited to go drift boat Monday fishing with my friend Bill Radke and notta, nothing,,,,but the water was chalky, the tide was wrong and the barometer was falling. How's that for the trifecta of excuses errrr....I mean reasons ?

Here's a pic of our first stop at Fall-in-Hole taken from our Koffler driftboat. I don't mind telling you that after having walk around room in a 21 ft. Alumaweld for my entire life being sooooo close to the water felt really strange. Then throw in the rocking of the boat with any movement and the cushion less Fish-On seats...well...it's just different.

All B.S. aside this really is a wonderful way to fish, you have time to notice things. We talked all things Kenai, watched a young guide show his people how to catch reds and fished along side of a powerboat trolling for Kings...I didn't have the heart to tell him he was breaking the rules.  Here's Bill pulling us on down to Eagle Rock for the take out and our view from there. Thanks Bill , I had a great time.

Everybody knows I'm a 100 % guy but until I go fishing with other people I guess I  really never new what that meant. Bill's a great fisherman, he really is.....But....I guess the best way to tell you the difference is with two simple pictures, the first is my tackle box and the second is Bill's tackle box.

We are experiencing a glut, a record or at least close to it sockeye run to the Russian River. The usual 3 per day limit was raised to 6 several days ago and yesterday the daily limit was raised to 9....Yikes, only in Alaska could you legally catch more salmon than you can carry.  The gravel bars around Mile 14 are full of fishermen everyday, we've got some energy going on. Here's a pic I took yesterday from my house.

Our house is surrounded by fledgling Bald Eagles. They shriek and carry on continuously as they learn the way. I've seen them do it all through the years....land in trees that won't support them etc but the other day I got as close as I've ever been to one and this one has a bright future. What better way to make a living that to hang out on a gutting table and not move until you get your share. I drove up to him and snapped the first pic and then I drove down the ramp and stopped right nest to him. Both pics are without any telephoto...AND,  he never did fly off . We're gonna name this guy and help him along.

And in the ' thank goodness ' dept. MP is finally walking well. We've done two short hikes now. This morning we did 1 1/2 miles at Centennial Park and visited with my friend Ivan . It won't be long before we're back up to our 3 to 4 miles everyday and a normal life here at Mile 14....even if the ' hell week ' that is July is right around the corner.

People have asked me what I'm going to do with my time now that I'm not guiding....well...I guess the typical response from any of us retiree's is something like  "  I'll have time for all the other things in my life that I've wanted to do "  Check out them fingers, ya think I've been busy ? Maybe have a spanking new song for you next week at Mile 14 ....😎🎵