| I just recently returned from my first
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| | could have used several different
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| fishing trip to Alaska.If you have ever
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| | methods-we used the single egg on seven
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| dreamed of heading to the last frontier,
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| | weight fly rods and it didn't take long
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| but have continuously put it off because
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| | before all of us were catching 20 inch -or
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| of this reason or that---STOP PUTTING IT
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| | better- trout. None of us caught any of
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| OFF!!I myself, found reason after reason
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| | the "mythical" 36 inch monsters, but
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| to delay one of my "dream trips" until I
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| | everyone caught quality fish--and plenty
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| could no longer stand it any longer."Damn
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| | of them.Greg landed a nice 25 inch Rainbow
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| the time constraints and load up the Visa
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| | and I had landed a beautiful 24 inch
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| card boys--were headin' to Alaska!!"What I
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| | Dolly.The canyon was a blast and even
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| expected was a : 'you should have been
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| | though we didn't catch as many fish as we
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| here in the seventies', "spawned out"
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| | had caught in the morning, the fish were
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| fishing destination--but what I found was
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| | all quality. Of course, the real thrill
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| a place I can't wait to return to.The
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| | came when we were false charged(if you can
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| Kenai peninsula-which to a lot of
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| | call it false) by a big sow Brown bear(see
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| fishermen is a place that is overfished
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| | Grizzly) who was protecting her cub. All
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| and to easily accesible-was just fine to
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| | this happened while I had a nice 23 inch
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| me. Eleven different types of fish, from
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| | rainbow on.(see brown spots in waders!!)We
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| fourteen inch Grayling to seventy pound
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| | also each caught a few more Sockeye as we
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| Halibut found it's way on to my fishing
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| | took a break from trout fishing and did
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| rod, and considering I only had one week
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| | some more "swinging". In fact, Greg
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| to fish in Alaska, I would say the only
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| | started catching so many Sockeye-even with
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| way I could have experienced more fish
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| | his fly gear- that we started to call him
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| ...would be to order the Alaskan sampler
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| | "Sockeye Greg"! We also chided him that he
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| plate at the Red Lobster!!Each and every
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| | was cutting into our trout time, everytime
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| day seemed to get better and better.Lets
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| | it took him more than five minutes to land
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| take a look at my own personal Alaskan
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| | his fish!!The trip ended with a motoring
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| Sampler Plate....We started with a nice
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| | across Skilak lake-which is a "wide spot
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| little three mile hike complete with float
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| | in the road" on the Kenai river. Skilak,
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| tube "necklace" and blister inducing
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| | along with Kenai lake help to make the
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| wading boots to Fuller Lakes. We were
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| | Kenai river what it is--an incredible
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| after Grayling, which would serve as a
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| | fishery.The trip was all catch and
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| nice little appetizer of fourteen inch
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| | release--so when we returned to "Camp
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| "dancers" on our five weight fly rods. The
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| | Yuppie Fisher" the only thing we had take
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| three mile hike would also help to take a
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| | with us was our bear story and any hygenic
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| little of the "starch" out my overly
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| | fall out from the experience.So, if you
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| stimulated fishing gland-which was
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| | are keeping score-that's four differnet
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| "swollen" with anticipation of fish filled
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| | species of fish in two days!!That trip
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| waters.Evidently,they don't believe in
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| | ended Allens' work week, and like any
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| switchbacks in Alaska, because the trail
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| | overworked - underpaid guide, he started
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| seemed to go straight up,and when we got
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| | his "days off" by...going fishing!!We all
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| to the end of the trail-the sweat I wrung
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| | went to Quartz creek that evening and
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| out of my shirt made me wonder why I even
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| | fished for more BIG Dolly Vardens on a
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| bothered to bring waders!!When we got to
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| | little spawning tributary of the upper
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| the lake, a small five acre lake, it was
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| | Kenai. I was fishing a new
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| shrouded in fog and I could only trust
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| | technique-called "cast and look back over
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| that Clayton- our friend, pseudo-guide,and
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| | your shoulder", which I had just developed
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| part time mountain goat- had led us to a
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| | since seeing more Brown Bear tracks on the
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| five acre lake, since you could only see
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| | sand bar I was fishing on. After this
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| about twenty five yards in front of
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| | mornings encounter, I was happy to move
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| you.Nonetheless, tubes were filled and we
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| | further downstream and let any bears in
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| set off into the fog like ghost ships
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| | the vicinity have this sand bar for there
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| disappearing into the great unknown.It
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| | watering and feeding hole. Clayton also
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| might as well have been the start of a
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| | mentioned that he saw some wolf tracks,
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| trans-Atlantic journey for all I knew,
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| | which was beginning to make me feel like a
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| because as soon as Clayton paddled thirty
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| | buffet item at the "all you can eat"
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| yards out--Greg and I were on our own with
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| | Wildlife Diner.At this point, something
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| nothing but the occasional splash of a
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| | should be said about the famed "long days"
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| hooked Grayling to act as a sound beacon
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| | of the Alaskan summers. Even in mid August
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| to guide our way.Eventually, after kicking
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| | the summer days are still very long with
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| around in my float tube for a half hour,I
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| | dark not coming until after 10:00 p.m- so
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| found a nice twelve inch Grayling. Then
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| | it is not uncommon to fish until dark.
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| another and another...until I giggled
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| | This makes for a lot of red eyed fishermen
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| happily as the hooked Grayling danced
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| | and guides, and might have something to do
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| around me. My "giggles in the mist"
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| | with the "crankiness" of some of the sleep
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| attracted Greg and Clayton and after
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| | deprived fishermen--and the endless string
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| twenty or thirty fish ,we decided to leave
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| | of espresso stands that you almost could
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| Fuller lake. Thank goodness Clayton and
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| | jump from roof to roof and never touch
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| Greg knew how to get back to the starting
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| | ground in Alaska.That might be a slight
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| point on the lake,otherwise I might still
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| | exaggeration--but there are ALOT of
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| be up at Fuller Lake, living on Grayling
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| | espresso stands.Day three on the Alaskan
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| sushi.I never did actually see that
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| | sampler, required a drive and another
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| lake-and I hope it wasn't an
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| | semi- short hike.I could tell you
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| abirition--cause I sure had fun!!Fuller
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| | where-but then I would have to send you to
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| lake was the perfect warm up, so to speak,
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| | Afghanistan and place you in an
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| and after a brief rest at Camp Yuppie
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| | underground tunnel where you would never
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| Fisher,
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| | be found or seen again.It was a special
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| we were ready for a little "Sockeye
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| | place and actually can be figured out if
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| Swinging".Now, before you think that this
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| | you do some research, but we had the whole
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| is some sort of kinky Alaskan
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| | place to ourselves, and I am not quite
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| male-female-fish menage -a - trois, or the
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| | ready to give up the name of this
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| latest winter solstice- blues busting
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| | "sanctuary"!!We wound up waist deep in
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| dance craze, understand that the Sockeye
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| | saltwater fishing for Pink
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| Swing is a technique of catching Sockeye
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| | Salmon--lovingly referred to as "humpys"
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| Salmon on a fly.Or- snagging them in the
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| | in Alaska. You can quickly understand
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| mouth -as the local guides like to refer
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| | where they get their nickname after seeing
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| to the techniques rather unique use of
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| | the "quasimodo" hump(speaking of
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| fly, 3/8 oz weight, and nervous "shoulder
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| | sanctuary) that bulges from their back as
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| twitch"!!Boy--it sure catches a lotta
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| | they ready themselves for the spawning run
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| fish.Keep in mind, in Alaska--snagging a
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| | up creeks and rivers.I'm not exactly sure
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| Salmon anywhere in front of the gill plate
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| | why they get all grotesque like that--I'm
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| is considered a fair hooked fish-- and
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| | just glad our spawning rituals don't
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| before you get on your purist high
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| | result in such an obvious display of
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| horse--also consider that over a million
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| | transformation!!This day was truly a
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| and one-half Sockeye will return on the
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| | saltwater fly fishing dream. Seven weight
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| Kenai alone this year!!Viva la Sockeye
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| | rods, and a fly we cleverly named "Pink
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| Swing!As with most Salmon, the Sockeye
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| | Floyd", which might give you a hint as to
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| really isn't interested in eating when it
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| | which color it was, and fish stacked up
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| hits the river,so the only way to really
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| | like cord wood waiting to head up out of
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| catch them is to drift something into
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| | the saltwater into freshwater. You could
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| there mouths. (Although a friend of mine
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| | see the fins protruding up out of the
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| tells me that later in the spawn they will
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| | water and this was the closest thing to
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| get angry and hit just about anything.)The
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| | "bonefishing" that I have ever done.Moving
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| only downside was the continuous fighting
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| | into the "herd" and casting out about
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| of six to ten pound fish on fly rods,
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| | forty to fifty feet, then stripping slowly
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| which is not much of a downside as far as
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| | back would yield fish after fish after
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| I am concerned.We also released all but
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| | fish....until we were actually exhausted
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| three Salmon, and they were not sporting
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| | from hooking and landing "humpys". AND
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| the bright red color yet.I could have quit
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| | these fellars would take the fly!!!Then
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| fishing now and been satisfied with the
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| | the "humpys" would move and you would
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| trip, but we were just getting started.The
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| | follow their dorsals until you were
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| next day was one of the best- and most
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| | casting into group again.There were more
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| underrated trips- on the Kenai
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| | Pinks then "extras" in a remake of Ben
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| peninsula.The upper Kenai for trout.Allen,
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| | Hur!!Numerous times all three of
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| a first year Alaskan fishing guide, and
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| | us(Greg,Clayton and I) would have
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| the son of Clayton, was going to be our
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| | "triples" on and we literally quit because
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| guide that day.The first thing I noticed
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| | our arms were getting sore!Bummer.We even
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| about Allen was that he was walking around
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| | had our own "Pink Floyd" parody by the end
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| with nail polish. It was the evening
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| | as we sang: "all in all.. it's just a
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| before our trip and Allen slipped into the
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| | ..nother fish on the pole..." do do do
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| "guides fish hut", where they tie flies
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| | do.....On our way out of saltwater
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| and ready their gear for the following
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| | flyfishing nirvana, we stopped to view the
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| days floats and trips. Now, the fact that
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| | Pinks and Chum Salmon that had already
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| Allen was carrying a bottle of Revlon
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| | made it into freshwater and were beginning
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| "creamsicle shaded" teflon coated "nail
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| | to bury eggs. We even spotted a wayward
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| enhancement" might not be of concern to
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| | Sockeye which looked about as out of place
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| you--but all I could think was that it
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| | as a "Jay-Z" fan at a "Yanni" concert. I
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| must be tough being a first year guide in
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| | hoped at least one more wayward Sockeye of
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| Alaska!! I had already heard the
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| | the opposite sex would wander up that
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| term"fish- bitch" bandied about in guide
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| | stream, otherwise the big moment in that
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| circles, and thought the worst for poor
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| | Salmons existence was going to go
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| Allen.If he showed up in stilletto heels
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| | unfulfilled.We headed back for "Camp
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| and mascara in the morning--I WAS OUT!!My
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| | Yuppie Fisher" and decided to take the
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| curiosity got the best of me and I took a
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| | evening off from fishing.Instead, we hiked
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| peak into the fish hut,(O.K. -so I'm a
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| | to the Russian River Falls, where we
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| sicko!) and was releaved to see Allen
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| | watched another "fisherman" catching fish
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| painting "fishbeads" with the nail polish.
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| | in a more native Alaskan way. Actually, it
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| In fact, the whole bench was covered with
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| | was a "fisherwomen" and she would just
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| various shades and colors of choice-and
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| | swim back and forth at the falls picking
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| each guide had their own personal favorite
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| | out Sockeye like an informed consumer at a
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| shade that they used to seduce FISH!Whew,
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| | local fish market.Finally selecting her
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| what a relief!!Early morning found us on
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| | "catch o' the day" by burying her head in
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| the upper Kenai, floating in 20 foot
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| | the water and pulling out a nice "catch"
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| Willie Drift boats(Made right here in my
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| | by her teeth. Then she would sit back and
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| hometown.) with four fishermen, and Allen
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| | eat her catch like a giant sushi popsicle,
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| at the helm. I checked out Allens
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| | tossing it aside half eaten while a
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| fingernails-just to be sure- and felt
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| | watchful sea gull waited like a hungry bus
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| comfortable that the beads were the only
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| | boy about to swoop up some leftovers.This
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| things being painted! The fishbeads are
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| | time we were viewing the Brown bear from a
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| supposed to simulate single Salmon eggs
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| | safe distance on top of an overlook and
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| floating downstream,and the nail polish
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| | didn't really feel any danger since Salmon
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| gives them a "milky" look-much like real
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| | probably taste better than Sal-MAN.I
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| eggs look like as they float downstream.We
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| | think??So, day three results--five
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| put in above the Russian River, and the
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| | different fish species, three different
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| plan was to drift down through "The
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| | bear experiences, and three sore
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| Canyon" all the way to Skilak Lake. I
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| | shoulders!!End of part 1A.J. Klott
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| guess the theory is that the big trout in
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| | Author, writer of fishing humor,and "fly
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| Skilak see the Salmon heading through the
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| | tack" peddler. A.J. writes about the
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| lake, and follow them like kids follow an
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| | people, characters and modern day events
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| ice cream truck in summer. Whatever the
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| | that surround the fishing world. His first
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| reason- there are some big Rainbows and
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| | book is due out in December of 2005.
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| Dolly Vardens in the river. Although we
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