2020

Ya know we're not even half way into the year 2020 and I have to tell ya, of all the years I've wandered the planet this is shaping up to be one of my least favorites . Today I watched highlight clips of a day old Pro Baseball game from Korea....yawn...the only good news is that having cut the cord finally I watched it for free on an OTA ( over the air ) channel. But that free thing can cost ya too, it's cost me my usually rosey view of the world and all the possible outcomes, the mystery of sports ya know, like the mystery of WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I WATCHING...and WHY  !!! jeez, I feel better now.

So on top of all that is this new world you might remember that record or near record snow fall that me and MPeasy came home to. Well, it's put the kibosh on one of my favorite things, the sport of Marine Salvage on the World Famous. I'll explain it as if I were an ADF+G  person doing a power point presentation at a River Board meeting..... Deep snow = lots of snow melt which = lots of water = high river level = deep water = water over you boots when salvaging and difficulty spotting treasure...and oh, that water is cold.  My first good foray down to Fall=in-hole I came back with the inside of my boats washed out. I told MP I had worn the wrong socks and my feet were wallowing around in my Extra Tuff boots and I thought I was getting blisters so I let some water in to cool my feet 😎. I don't know, maybe I'm like that ageing athlete and losing a step or two but I've been up and down the river. Yesterday we went to the run at Eagle rock which has always been ground zero for anchors, the holy grail of the marine salvager....notta...nothing...none. But I did find this hundred dollar rubber net so at least we're in the chips here at Mile 14 for the 2020 season.

But I did learn a valuable thing, don't gamble on the Golf Course with anybody from Kenai Riverbend Resort because it could be the guy who hit these balls across the river. Now the distance is impressive but the accuracy incredible,  they were all ' on the green ' . At one place I found four of them within a 10 foot circle of each other, impressive. I even told one of the owners that our crew here at Mile 14 would try and return a few of those balls but we just don't have ball strikers like that on this side of the river, we're fishermen, don't have time to be no 5 handicapper.  Naturally with the way things are going I wasn't surprised when the pic didn't turn out.

You see that red string looking deal at the bottom of the pic ? Well it's a tag that was put into a King Salmon by the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. They like to track fish and map spawners and all kinds of things that leads to good management of this wonderful resource. Right on it it says Please return to ADF+G ( address P.O.  box Soldotna Alaska ) . So I figure I'll put it in the boat and return it when I see an ADF+G technician who would love to hear the story form me of where and how it was located and maybe even what it all might mean to a highly experienced and educated 37 year fishing guide 😎

So with our salvage season going the  way of the Seattle Mariners season me and MP just went fishing yesterday and it felt really good . Really good like in a comfort way, that might sound strange to you but that's really how I felt...of course that might have also come from a mini dose of hypothermia that most early spring trips create...but I don't think so...I was with two things I really love.

" Today we fished for King Salmon and they were unaware of it " Chic Kishbaugh 

Happy Mothers Day to all of you out there. My song of the week is for the favorite mother in my life right now...and honey, I'm still trying to be a better kid, I promise.