Fishing Silver Salmon on the Kenai River

    

    

#119

10.03.10

    

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - Radiohead

  

I spent 10.02.10 on the Kenai River in Sterling, Alaska with my father-in-law DHO.  We fished for about 8 hours through intermittently high winds, hard rain, fierce cold, dead calm and bright sunshine.  Alaska in the Autumn - what a wonderful thing!

 Autumn colors and "Termination Dust" on the Chugach Mountains.  Kenai River, Alaska

 

The CCE using an ultra-light rod for trophy trout.  I actually landed a 10-pound silver salmon on this rod using a plastic bead and single hook!

  

 Successfully landed.

 

 Two silvers, probably 12 pounds each.

   

 DHO with his monster silver, 14 or 15 pounds.  He is a terrific fisherman; I've only ever really fish when he or DRS come to town.  My boy Q and I typically fish for weeds and lake grass.

     

The Haul.

  

We brought home nearly 32 pounds of salmon fillets, and had a great time doing it.  

I'm actually conflicted about posting these photos, because I really despise trophy hunting and criticize it often.  Seeing some guy kneeling on the dead animal he just killed from a distance with a rifle seems far from "sporting", and frankly repulses me.  

    

DHO and I were trophy hunting for trout - which was acceptable to me because that was catch-and-release.   We were fishing for the meat with the silver salmon, which is also acceptable to me.  But why did I feel compelled to, and no remorse for, posing with our catch as if it were some technical or supernatural feat?  Sigh.  And then I post the images here, as if bragging at my ability to deceive and kill a fish?  I'm a terrible hypocrite, and beg understanding and forgiveness.  These fighting, wild fish deserve better, and I thank them for allowing us to catch them.

      

CCE