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Kenai
King
Kenai King Salmon run the
rivers of the Kenai Peninsula from from June 1st to
July 31st. The six AM frenzy at the
Eagle Rock boat launch marked the beginning of an
adventure in pursuit of the mighty Kenai King
Salmon. The fish were running strong this season,
but catching them comes hard. These wild salmon are
strong and crafty, a true challenge to the skill of
the angler...and a true test to the equipment. Joe
set out with two fathers and their fourteen year old
sons for a day of fishing as a part of a birthday
celebration. The day was cool and overcast with a
slight drizzle. There were at least 120 boats in
the river and at least 30,000 elusive big fish.
Joe manned the motor,
skillfully avoiding other boats and keeping in the
current and away from the invisible rocks. There
was little action that morning after four hours of
trolling up and down between Eagle Rock and The
Pillars. With four people backtrolling, Joe was
giving constant advice about being wary and being
certain to set the hook hard if anyone gets a
strike. Just before the despairing idea that there
were NO fish in the water to be had that day became
an entrenched conviction, George yanked back on his
rod stood up and grew pale. “Oh #**##!..I got a
fish ON!”
Indeed! Joe saw a true Kenai
monster leap out of the water showing silver sides
and a well sunk hook in his mouth. This King was
bent on his destination, and was truly annoyed at
being detained in his journey to the spawning
grounds upstream. The fight was on!
The Penn reel screamed as the
line ran out. Joe chased the fish down the river to
keep the line from breaking. "Hang on! Don’t give
him ANY slack at all!" The fish charged at the
boat, Joe reversed direction and yelled to George to
reel as if his life depended on it. There was no
way this fish was coming easily. For two hours they
chased him up and down the river into parts Joe had
not explored before. Many times the mighty king
leaped from the water trying to shake the hook. But
it was a well sharpened gamigatzu and George gave
him no slack. As they fought up and down the Kenai,
Joe signaled to the other boats to give way out of
courtesy, and they honored the chase and did so. No
other boat had landed a bright big fish like this
one all day. Most of them had been much smaller and
red already. This fight was cheered on by
spectators with cameras and video recorders all
along the way. No illegal maneuvers would survive
this crowd of watchers!
Poor George was in bad shape,
Joe was concerned that he would give up before the
fish did! He urged him on and used the boat to keep
ahead of the fish. It was a true fighter first
running away from the boat, then charging towards
it, then trying to run under the motor, then trying
to run under another boat. Fifty times he ran out,
and fifty one times they hauled him back. Joe kept
his attention on the line. A moment of slack would
be the end of that fish. You know HE wouldn’t be
lacking vigilance for the least sign of slack to
shake off that hook!
Finally, George was so weary
that he sat down to ease his arms and rest a bit.
That was when the rod broke! George grabbed the end
with the fish still on it, and held on for dear life
just as the fish came toward the boat, and Jake had
a try with the net... but the fish reversed
direction and swam toward the back of the boat. Joe
took over the net, and gave one mighty swoop...He
got most of the fish into the net, and almost fell
in himself while hauling it over the side.
There was a cheer from the
watching boats as George raised the fish in
triumph. It tipped the scale at 78 pounds. George
was glowing from ear to ear with pride and joy. His
hands were cut from the line, and his arms would
hurt for a week, but he got that fish! |