We first met Dave and Kaylin about eight years ago. Sabrina was about a year old and Linda had an opportunity to go back to work for a few months to help her old boss through a software transition. Our wonderful daycare provider Marian, who had watched Jack in her home, needed to focus more time on her kids, so we were ,without a source of daycare. While Linda had been away from her old job, a new woman, Kaylin, had been hired. When Linda was negotiating how she could come back, she met Kaylin and became instantaneous friends. Within minutes of meeting each other Kaylin had offered her husband (who himself was staying home as the primary care giver) as daycare for our two kids. I was a bit skeptical at first. Some unknown guy watching my two childeren. Who were these people? Were we sending our childeren to the wolves? I hardly could even guess at what a blessing that offer would turn out to be. Dave is a quiet and very wonderful father and treated our kids with such gentleness and care, one would think our kids were his. Kaylin, wicked smart and extremely wise, also would watch over our two from time to time. Since then, even though we have moved from Washington to Alaska, Dave and Kaylin remain our good friends and some of the few that have remained dedicated to maintaining our friendship despite the miles. Kaylin, while we were visisting last summer, made a king salmon cake (It looked just like a king salmon) for my birthday. Kaylin is very busy, and the fact that she took so much time to create this awesome treat, is just another example of how loyal she is to her friends. Dave has an awesome talent at video production. While our kids were staying with them, he shot some movies of Sabrina's first steps and other great moments in a movie he entitled Jacks and Tyler's Dance Party. They sent us the link to it off of YouTube the other night. It came to us as we are just coming down from some of the more stressfull few weeks of our life (windstorm damage, kitchen floor being tiled, washer and dryer going out, my surgery, etc.). They has just found the old tapes, digitized them, and created a wonderfull picture of our kid's adventures that we have never seen before. It was a wondefull treat to bring a smile to us for some relief from a stressfull time. Thanks Dave and Kaylin, you indeed Rock!!!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Friends
Friend
Function: noun
Definition: a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another
Synonyms: buddy, chum, comrade, confidant, crony, familiar, intimate, pal
Related Words: acquaintance; associate, cohort, colleague, companion, fellow, hearty, hobnobber, mate, partner, peer; brother; accomplice, ally, collaborator, confederate; benefactor, supporter, sympathizer, well-wisher.
7:30 AM October 10th, twenty-four hours after undergoing surgery on my right wrist, I hear through my pain pill induced stupor,
“Dad!! There is a tree on your car.”
Stumbling out of bed and cursing the wind storm raging outside, the power is out, our four kids are in full panic mode. I grab a coat, slippers and a flashlight and confirm the worst. A forty foot birch has dropped across our driveway and onto my Suburban. The damage thankfully appears minor, but I now have an issue. One handed, no power for the electric chainsaw, wind gusting to over 100, I need help, I needs my friends.
Drugs still slurring my words.
“Jeff, I need you and your chainsaw right now”
Not a question was asked.
“I’ll be right there” 
“Dad!!”
“Dad!! There are trees down all over the back yard.
Now the fence. Parts are shattered across the back yard, an eighty foot section is leaning against a neighbor’s house. I call another friend, Jeff W and quickly explain the problem.
Function: noun
Definition: a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another
Synonyms: buddy, chum, comrade, confidant, crony, familiar, intimate, pal
Related Words: acquaintance; associate, cohort, colleague, companion, fellow, hearty, hobnobber, mate, partner, peer; brother; accomplice, ally, collaborator, confederate; benefactor, supporter, sympathizer, well-wisher.
7:30 AM October 10th, twenty-four hours after undergoing surgery on my right wrist, I hear through my pain pill induced stupor,
“Dad!! There is a tree on your car.”
Stumbling out of bed and cursing the wind storm raging outside, the power is out, our four kids are in full panic mode. I grab a coat, slippers and a flashlight and confirm the worst. A forty foot birch has dropped across our driveway and onto my Suburban. The damage thankfully appears minor, but I now have an issue. One handed, no power for the electric chainsaw, wind gusting to over 100, I need help, I needs my friends.
I call Jeff P, without fail, cheerfully answers the phone.
“Bruce Almighty!! What’s Up!!”
Drugs still slurring my words.
“Jeff, I need you and your chainsaw right now”
Not a question was asked.
“I’ll be right there”
Friend - buddy, chum, comrade, confidant, crony, familiar, intimate, pal
“Dad!!”
The tone in my youngest daughter’s voice is stressed and excited.
“Dad!! There are trees down all over the back yard.
Eight to be exact along with 100 feet of fence. A quick call to our tree service netted a 9:30 AM appointment for removal of the several precarious trees hanging over our neighbor’s house. Jeff P meanwhile has just finished clearing the tree in the driveway and is headed out to get his kids off to school.
“I’ll be back for the wood later”
“I’ll be back for the wood later”
Jeff P heats with wood so my tree is his warmth.
Now the fence. Parts are shattered across the back yard, an eighty foot section is leaning against a neighbor’s house. I call another friend, Jeff W and quickly explain the problem.
“I’ll round up some guys and you let me know when it’s safe for us to come over.”
About noon, the hanging deadmen trees are gone, and the fence is ready to be tended to. Jeff W, Ben, Todd and James show up and get to work.
Friend - acquaintance; associate, cohort, colleague, companion, fellow, hearty, hobnobber, mate, partner, peer, brother.
Three hours later, new posts are drying in their concrete foundations, temporary wire fencing is strung. James, Jeff P, Ben, Joe, Paul, and Gary make quick work on Sunday of attaching the old fence to the new posts and closing the two remaining gaps.
Friend - accomplice, ally, collaborator, confederate; benefactor, supporter, sympathizer, well-wisher
Friends standing in the gap for one another, providing more help than just physical, making good come from a tough situation. Friends
Thank You
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Why My Wife Rocks Part Two
So, a couple of years ago, I posted a blog about what was so wonderful about my wife. Here is a reminder.
-She is beautiful 24/7
-She has the 192nd largest library on Library Thing (out of over 488,000 members)
-She cleared out the forest at the back of our property to make it a serene wooded play area
-She takes care of our house despite the worst efforts of the rest of us
-She is constantly improving her pizza recipe
-She can pack our trailer for a week end outing in almost no time at all
-While camping she will cook, bake, and serve teh most amazing food
-She likes the smoked salmon jerky I make
-She is wicked smart
-She won't take crap from anyone, especially me
-She loves Alaska
-She loves beer
-She loves me
-She recycles
-She shops for all the bargains for our clothes, books, and food
-She is out right now taking donations to the Goodwill
-She is more wonderfull than she will ever know
-She has some of the most wonderful people you will ever know as friends
-She puts up with me
-And she is probably blushing, again, if she is reading this
-She is beautiful 24/7
-She has the 192nd largest library on Library Thing (out of over 488,000 members)
-She cleared out the forest at the back of our property to make it a serene wooded play area
-She takes care of our house despite the worst efforts of the rest of us
-She is constantly improving her pizza recipe
-She can pack our trailer for a week end outing in almost no time at all
-While camping she will cook, bake, and serve teh most amazing food
-She likes the smoked salmon jerky I make
-She is wicked smart
-She won't take crap from anyone, especially me
-She loves Alaska
-She loves beer
-She loves me
-She recycles
-She shops for all the bargains for our clothes, books, and food
-She is out right now taking donations to the Goodwill
-She is more wonderfull than she will ever know
-She has some of the most wonderful people you will ever know as friends
-She puts up with me
-And she is probably blushing, again, if she is reading this
Monday, September 01, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
That's My Boy
So Jack has joined the league of the visually enhanced. The straw that broke the camel's back was going in for his Cub Scout Camp physical and not being able to read the eye chart and having to use his right eye to sight in a bb gun shot when he shoots left handed. So with much ado, and some family turmoil over what frames were just right, Jack is now a proud owner of his first spectacles. Thank God for vision coverage!!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
The Count
The fishing season is definately nearing an end as the Upper Kenai will close to reds on the 20th. Those there are many opportunities left for silvers and rainbows, the freezer filling is all but done. Let's recap. The seaon started with four halibut off of two days of charters then qickly transitioned in to kings. Two from the Ninilchik and one more off the Copper. The Copper dipping trip added nineteen reds to that last king. A trip to Seattle interupted the opportunity for first run Kenai reds, but there were grand hopes for the second.
The second runs started a bit late but looked very promising once the fish set in. I bagged nine on my first three day outing. The numbers dropped off a bit but was able to put 13 into the bucket over a five day trip. Add another two for a follow on day trip to the lower, however, doom was on the horizon. The Kenai all but closed with the limit going to one in the lower and closed completely below the counter. Fortunately the Russian stayed open. Three trips there yielded five reds including three very bright fish on the 16th of August, which was extremely late for fish that looked that good.
So, what is the freezer talley for this year.
Four halibut
Three Kings
Nineteen Copper River Reds
Twenty-Nine Kenai River Reds
Total Fish to Freezer 55.
Not a bad year considering I started with a tear in my rigth bicep ligament, and am ending the year with needing surgery for CTS in my right hand. Add lack luster fish runs, one of the coldest summers on record, and leaving for two weeks mid season. Gear wise, I'm down one rod and had to replace my ten weight reel. The reel died gloriously at the Confluence where the drag broke on a tail dragger heaed for Australia. The Ugly Stick, the first one I had ever purchased, finally splintered after catching too many fish to count. It was already showing signs in that the two piece weren't holding together well.
My go to gear has evolved as well. I now exclusively flip with the ten weight fly rod with a double taper line. I think I'll trade out the line though for a fast dropping sink tip. The new fly for the year is the Adler Grappler which is basically a Russian coho tied on a 3/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Wicked deadly!!
I'm still trying to get proficient at the whole curing deal. None of my eggs have brought success, but then again, I haven't really given them much opportunity yet.
This most definately has been the year of the bear. I have had more close encounters than I would care to have, and am definately getting close to buying the first piece of deadly bear protection.
So, I know I have some more silver trips, but the season is definately drawing to a close. Time to start smoking salmon, tying flies, and telling lies.
The second runs started a bit late but looked very promising once the fish set in. I bagged nine on my first three day outing. The numbers dropped off a bit but was able to put 13 into the bucket over a five day trip. Add another two for a follow on day trip to the lower, however, doom was on the horizon. The Kenai all but closed with the limit going to one in the lower and closed completely below the counter. Fortunately the Russian stayed open. Three trips there yielded five reds including three very bright fish on the 16th of August, which was extremely late for fish that looked that good.
So, what is the freezer talley for this year.
Four halibut
Three Kings
Nineteen Copper River Reds
Twenty-Nine Kenai River Reds
Total Fish to Freezer 55.
Not a bad year considering I started with a tear in my rigth bicep ligament, and am ending the year with needing surgery for CTS in my right hand. Add lack luster fish runs, one of the coldest summers on record, and leaving for two weeks mid season. Gear wise, I'm down one rod and had to replace my ten weight reel. The reel died gloriously at the Confluence where the drag broke on a tail dragger heaed for Australia. The Ugly Stick, the first one I had ever purchased, finally splintered after catching too many fish to count. It was already showing signs in that the two piece weren't holding together well.
My go to gear has evolved as well. I now exclusively flip with the ten weight fly rod with a double taper line. I think I'll trade out the line though for a fast dropping sink tip. The new fly for the year is the Adler Grappler which is basically a Russian coho tied on a 3/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Wicked deadly!!
I'm still trying to get proficient at the whole curing deal. None of my eggs have brought success, but then again, I haven't really given them much opportunity yet.
This most definately has been the year of the bear. I have had more close encounters than I would care to have, and am definately getting close to buying the first piece of deadly bear protection.
So, I know I have some more silver trips, but the season is definately drawing to a close. Time to start smoking salmon, tying flies, and telling lies.
Scratch My First Ugly Stick
ANGLER: FishonbruceAK
TRIP DATE: 8/16
REGION: Kenai Peninsula
WATER: Russian River
SPECIES: Reds and Silvers
REPORT: Wow - what a day. Two friends and I entered at Grayling and worked our way down. There were a lot of fish in the river, mostly red, but still a few bright fish and the occasional silver. We found a nice spot and kept flipping drifts past the tomatos in hope of a good fish. In about five hours of catch and release the red ones, we were able to hook enough good fish to each limit out. Another friend joined us and got his limit that included a dime bright silver. Saw both a brown and a black bear who were definately way more interesrted in the fish than the people. On a sad note, my very first Ugly Stick finally wore out and broke. I figure that rod put dozens of limits in in my freezer not to mention all of the missed hookups, foul snags, and too many catch and release pinks to count.
TRIP DATE: 8/16
REGION: Kenai Peninsula
WATER: Russian River
SPECIES: Reds and Silvers
REPORT: Wow - what a day. Two friends and I entered at Grayling and worked our way down. There were a lot of fish in the river, mostly red, but still a few bright fish and the occasional silver. We found a nice spot and kept flipping drifts past the tomatos in hope of a good fish. In about five hours of catch and release the red ones, we were able to hook enough good fish to each limit out. Another friend joined us and got his limit that included a dime bright silver. Saw both a brown and a black bear who were definately way more interesrted in the fish than the people. On a sad note, my very first Ugly Stick finally wore out and broke. I figure that rod put dozens of limits in in my freezer not to mention all of the missed hookups, foul snags, and too many catch and release pinks to count.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Skunked at Bird
ANGLER: FishonBruceAK
TRIP DATE: 7/30
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Bird Creek
SPECIES: Coho & Pinks
REPORT: I fished at the mouth at high tide. Whereas I was blanked, I did see about a dozen fish being caught/cleaned/carried out in the two hours I was there. Mostly small silvers and a pink or two. The catching rig seemed to be pretty evenly split between roe and small spinners. I tried roe at all levels of the water column and a pixie with no success. I did see a number of fish enter the creek about an hour after high tide, but they weren't interested in the eggs I splashed out in front of them, nor were they spooked. Hmmm. No sign of any bears.
TRIP DATE: 7/30
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Bird Creek
SPECIES: Coho & Pinks
REPORT: I fished at the mouth at high tide. Whereas I was blanked, I did see about a dozen fish being caught/cleaned/carried out in the two hours I was there. Mostly small silvers and a pink or two. The catching rig seemed to be pretty evenly split between roe and small spinners. I tried roe at all levels of the water column and a pixie with no success. I did see a number of fish enter the creek about an hour after high tide, but they weren't interested in the eggs I splashed out in front of them, nor were they spooked. Hmmm. No sign of any bears.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Family Fishing on the Kenai
ANGLER: FishonBruceAK
TRIP DATE: 7/23
REGION: Kenai Peninsula
WATER: Kenai near Moose River
SPECIES: Reds, pinks, rainbow, dollies
REPORT: I know that his report is a little bit of old news but I thought I would still report it out anyways. My family and I bank fished on the Kenai near Moose River Wednesday through Sunday last week. Wednesday night the fishing was plentiful with hook ups every couple of minutes. As our stay wore on however, the fishing got slower and slower and slower. At least the weather was rainy and cold. I would have hated to have to deal with getting a suntan while flogging the water for multiple hours each day. Out of 21 potential fish based upon who fished what day, we put 13 in the freezer. Not horrible mind you, but it could have been oh so much better. Did hook into a couple of pinks, a rainbow and two dollies. One dolly was a thin torpedo of about 18 or so inches. So the fishing wasn't the best, but spending time out on the river with the family and friends more then made up for the lack of fish. Will be hitting Bird Creek for a couple of the evening tides this week to see a bout a silver or two. Fish On!!!
TRIP DATE: 7/23
REGION: Kenai Peninsula
WATER: Kenai near Moose River
SPECIES: Reds, pinks, rainbow, dollies
REPORT: I know that his report is a little bit of old news but I thought I would still report it out anyways. My family and I bank fished on the Kenai near Moose River Wednesday through Sunday last week. Wednesday night the fishing was plentiful with hook ups every couple of minutes. As our stay wore on however, the fishing got slower and slower and slower. At least the weather was rainy and cold. I would have hated to have to deal with getting a suntan while flogging the water for multiple hours each day. Out of 21 potential fish based upon who fished what day, we put 13 in the freezer. Not horrible mind you, but it could have been oh so much better. Did hook into a couple of pinks, a rainbow and two dollies. One dolly was a thin torpedo of about 18 or so inches. So the fishing wasn't the best, but spending time out on the river with the family and friends more then made up for the lack of fish. Will be hitting Bird Creek for a couple of the evening tides this week to see a bout a silver or two. Fish On!!!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
We Regret to Inform You...
July 22, 2008
Dear Jack,
On behalf of Fox and "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" we’d like to thank you for joining us for our Class of 2008-09 auditions. This season we saw the brightest, most enthusiastic group of soon-to-be-5th Graders yet, and we hope the experience was as fun for you as it was for us; we enjoyed meeting each and every one of you.
Of course, we are only able to pick five new classmates from among the thousands of kids who auditioned, and with regret we must inform you that you have not been to chosen to be a part of the new 5th Grader class.
We hope you’ll remember your trip to Hollywood fondly, and have lots of memories to share with your family and friends. Please accept our best wishes for much success in the future.
Warm regards,
Casting Director
Well, now we know. Becasue of the four weeks of silence, we felt fairly sure we knew the answer, but there was always a bit of hope held out that it could potentially happen. For certain we are not too disapointed, and Jack says he is OK as well. It will be interesting to see who made it. I guess for now Jack will have to live with being an Alaska kid who plays in the snow all winter and catchers fish all summer.
Fish On
-bruce "a.k.a. Not Smarter Than A Hip Wader"
Dear Jack,
On behalf of Fox and "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" we’d like to thank you for joining us for our Class of 2008-09 auditions. This season we saw the brightest, most enthusiastic group of soon-to-be-5th Graders yet, and we hope the experience was as fun for you as it was for us; we enjoyed meeting each and every one of you.
Of course, we are only able to pick five new classmates from among the thousands of kids who auditioned, and with regret we must inform you that you have not been to chosen to be a part of the new 5th Grader class.
We hope you’ll remember your trip to Hollywood fondly, and have lots of memories to share with your family and friends. Please accept our best wishes for much success in the future.
Warm regards,
Casting Director
Well, now we know. Becasue of the four weeks of silence, we felt fairly sure we knew the answer, but there was always a bit of hope held out that it could potentially happen. For certain we are not too disapointed, and Jack says he is OK as well. It will be interesting to see who made it. I guess for now Jack will have to live with being an Alaska kid who plays in the snow all winter and catchers fish all summer.
Fish On
-bruce "a.k.a. Not Smarter Than A Hip Wader"
Monday, July 21, 2008
Fish On With Jack and Bini
ANGLER: fishonbruceAK
TRIP DATE: 7/20
REGION: Kenai Peninsula
WATER: Kenai River near Sterling
SPECIES: Reds
REPORT: Fished Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Reds were slow to moderate coming through. Got two on Friday and Saturday, with many foul hookups. Flipped for about twenty minutes on Sunday. One bump and no splashers to be seen. Jack got his first unassisted sockeye, a nice medium sized hen.
TRIP DATE: 7/20
REGION: Kenai Peninsula
WATER: Kenai River near Sterling
SPECIES: Reds
REPORT: Fished Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Reds were slow to moderate coming through. Got two on Friday and Saturday, with many foul hookups. Flipped for about twenty minutes on Sunday. One bump and no splashers to be seen. Jack got his first unassisted sockeye, a nice medium sized hen.
Jack with his first "solo" fish.
Sabrina hooked into her first salmon, a tail dragger that headed for Timbuktu at mach 2.1. I hooked its twin just moments after her fish went wild. For about a minute or so we had sheer mayhem. Fortunately mine got off after I dropped my tip, thus letting me help free her's up as well. Hopefully next time we can put one in the net for her.
Sabrina looking to hook a sockeye
Seems like the fish have been running on the big side this year. Looking forward to the next surge!! Fish On......Bruce
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
So I'm 40 - What's It to You
Yup, I just passed that notorious milestone and am now over the hill. After several strong hints by me, the family suprised me with a very nice grill. Definately a plus because we have lot's of salmon and halibut to grill up. For those of you fishing fanatics that are tracking my blog (including the person from Germany who showed up in my logging stats), sorry I haven't had any new fishing trips for you to be jealous of. Being out of town for a few weeks, plus a slow start to the second run of reds, has led to a definate gap in my accounts of fishing Alaska.
To the person from Germany whose been reading this blog, have you ever fished at the Russian? During the first run, I always run into droves of folks from Germany and other nearby countries. Last year I talked shop with a guy from Austria. We swapped homemade flies for good chocolate. Mmmmm good. Anyway, if you have plans to come over, let me know.
Anyway, I have a grundle of fishing trips planned for the rest of the summer, especially targetting the lower Kenai for reds and Bird Creek for pinks and silvers. Stay tuned!!
Fish On
To the person from Germany whose been reading this blog, have you ever fished at the Russian? During the first run, I always run into droves of folks from Germany and other nearby countries. Last year I talked shop with a guy from Austria. We swapped homemade flies for good chocolate. Mmmmm good. Anyway, if you have plans to come over, let me know.
Anyway, I have a grundle of fishing trips planned for the rest of the summer, especially targetting the lower Kenai for reds and Bird Creek for pinks and silvers. Stay tuned!!
Fish On
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Chitina Dipnetting
ANGLER: fishonbruceAKTRIP DATE: 6/19
REGION: Upper Susitna and Copper River area
WATER: Chitina Dipnetting
SPECIES: Reds and Kings
REPORT: Two buddies and I hit the Chitina dipnet for an overnoght stay on the Copper River. We were dropped off near the lower end of the rapids at about 6 PM whereupon for the next six hours the fish came in at a fairly consistent rate including two 45lb kings. By midnight, we had about 50 or so on the bank and then it shut down. By 5 AM we had eeked up to 66 fish (includding another king in the 30lb range) and saw no more after that. We called it quits at seven and headed back. The reports from the other over nighters was pretty much the same, a few limits or near limits, but then it stopped in the morning. A nice morning was then spent filetting our catch then back to Anchorage. The guides are saying then river is really coming up right now and that the increased flows may hold back the fish. Or maybe not... Fish On!!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Views from Ship Creek
Views from Ship Creek
I went out fishing again on Saturday to try for another Ship Creek King. The air was cool and a stiff breeze off the inlet made for another chilly evening. With this being the last weekend of the King derby, the crowds were thick. We were fishing from a boat, and were joined by probably a dozen others. Throughout the night, while waiting for a fish to bite, I took the opportunity to take phots of the action. It is near impossible to catch the full extent of action, espcially watching a very young girl reel in a twenty pound King. But as the fishing was slow, and the lighting superb, there were many oppotunities for a good picture or two.
We boated only one and saw maybe another dozen landed from boats and the lower Ship Creek banks.
Here's one of the dozen or so boats out on Saturday. The camo-guy eventually landed a nice 25lb king that put up quite a fight including a run in or two with the outboard.
A croweded but not quite shoulder to shoulder Saturday night out on Ship Creek. You'll see a wide range of folks ranging from a Cabella's decked out tourista, a family with strollers, the sourdough sipping beer in a lawn chair, kids playing in the mud, etc, etc, etc.
Now this was a unique situation. This kayaker was trolling around through various fishing holes and boat when he hooked up with this nice 15lb fish. He fought and landed it solo. I could't resist getting a shot of him with the city in the background.
Here's a partial picture of Mr Steve (a.k.a Stan) taken by me (a.k.a. Ollie) of a nice 30lb he tagged for the $500 derby fish.
A couple of the next generation fish slayers trying their luck out on Ship Creek mud. Didn't see them get any fish tonight but you know these two will bank plenty of fish in their lifetimes.
Being Father's Day, I couldn't resist a shot of this father/son duo.
Like I said, the lighting was great. Here's a group of angler's way down near the mouth. Definately getting late in the day.Friday, June 13, 2008
Fifth King
The following is my post to the Alaska Outdoor Journal private angler's fishing reports. Before I get to that I must say that this has been a stellar year so far. Five Kings to the bank. I am sure this is my personal best for a year. The downside is that for all of that, I have only been able to put two in the freezer. At Ship Creek I have had four take downs, reulting in two fish on, both snags!! I have been using a double hook rig which is what I think has bee leading to the problems. The 2nd hook gets the fish in the side when I o for the set, then the mouth hook releases with no tension on it. I think I'll try going to a single hook rig for a while to see if that make a difference.
ANGLER: FishonBruceAK
TRIP DATE: 6/12
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Ship Creek
SPECIES: Kings
REPORT: Hit the high tide this afternoon and saw several hookups with many jacks coming in before the high then fish getting progressively bigger after the tide. Six to eight kings to the bank in the 15 to 30 lb range. I got one too, good for about 15 pounds. Too bad it was foul hooked and I had to let him go. For all the griping about a lack luster year, that was my fourth king to the bank this season, fifth if you include a jack. Fish On!!!
ANGLER: FishonBruceAK
TRIP DATE: 6/12
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Ship Creek
SPECIES: Kings
REPORT: Hit the high tide this afternoon and saw several hookups with many jacks coming in before the high then fish getting progressively bigger after the tide. Six to eight kings to the bank in the 15 to 30 lb range. I got one too, good for about 15 pounds. Too bad it was foul hooked and I had to let him go. For all the griping about a lack luster year, that was my fourth king to the bank this season, fifth if you include a jack. Fish On!!!
Sunday, June 08, 2008
What A Night
I went fishing on the Ninilchik for the midnight opener on Friday night/Saturday morning. A buddy and I got to the river about 10:30 PM and were happy to see several rolling Kings in multiple holes. The anticipation for the next ninety minutes was just about more than one could stand. At midnight we rigged up eggs for drifting through our chosen hole. No more than ten flips later, FISH ON!!! I landed a silver bright 20 pound hen. My buddy slipped up to my spot and caught the same drift as I had. Four flips later, FISH ON!!! His hook up quickly became fish two to the bank; a 22 pound buck. I glanced down at my watch. 12:06!!! We had just hooked up and landed two fine kings in six minutes. Both had their adipose, so now we needed hatchery kings. I brought two more kings to the bank (a 10 pound buck and a 14 inch jack) and lost a real nice one in the stick on the other side of the river. We kept the jack, but the buck was natural. My buddy brought two others to the bank, a 20 pound hen, and a near 30 pound buck. All had fins so back to the river they went. At about 1:30 we called it quits. Around us, we saw ten other anglers who between them had a total of two hookups (both by the same teenage boy) one of which was landed (a 10-15 pound king). One other angler walked by with a King in hand, but we saw no other fish than that. We definitely were in the right spot with the right gear for the night. The photo of the fish is after a night on the ice gutted and gilled at my buddy's place on the Kenai. We cooked some up that night over the campfire. Awesome!! Fish On!!
The $2,500 Salmon
ANGLER: fishonBruceAK
TRIP DATE: 6/6
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Ship Creek
SPECIES: Kings
REPORT: I fished the high tide from a boat with a volunteer from the Ship Creek Derby (buy your tickets!!!) to tag kings for the jackpot. I hooked and landed a 28lb hen which we marked with the $2,500 tag. It was sad to release such a fine fish, but we did get a picture before she was set free. I had one more take down without a hookup. Saw one other fish on this morning. Perhaps things are starting to pick up. I hope someone catches her again. They will walk away with a smile and $2,500 in their pocket, assuming a ticket was bought. Fish On!!!
TRIP DATE: 6/6
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Ship Creek
SPECIES: Kings
REPORT: I fished the high tide from a boat with a volunteer from the Ship Creek Derby (buy your tickets!!!) to tag kings for the jackpot. I hooked and landed a 28lb hen which we marked with the $2,500 tag. It was sad to release such a fine fish, but we did get a picture before she was set free. I had one more take down without a hookup. Saw one other fish on this morning. Perhaps things are starting to pick up. I hope someone catches her again. They will walk away with a smile and $2,500 in their pocket, assuming a ticket was bought. Fish On!!!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Snooker Kings
ANGLER: FishonBruceAK
TRIP DATE: 6/2
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Ship Creek
SPECIES: Snooker Kings
REPORT: Ran into a new species of fish on Ship Creek. Its called the snooker King. Just about when you are going to call it quits, the snooker king will come and take a swipe at your eggs. No hook up of course, but just enough of a hit to snooker you into fishing for another half hour or so. I fished near the mouth at high tide on Monday night. About an hour after the change my bobber and a buddy's took a ride. We both went for the set and saw a nice king splash, but no hookup. His eggs were intact, mine were all but gone. We got snookered. Our action was the only excitement we saw all night long, other than watching another buddy falling (literally) prey to creek crossing along the grassy flats. At least he was wearing waders. On another note, I think I'll buy stock in a surgical glove factory. Those latex wonders are quite the hit at Ship, particularly when they are stained a nice shade of blotchy egg dye pink. Fish On!!
TRIP DATE: 6/2
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Ship Creek
SPECIES: Snooker Kings
REPORT: Ran into a new species of fish on Ship Creek. Its called the snooker King. Just about when you are going to call it quits, the snooker king will come and take a swipe at your eggs. No hook up of course, but just enough of a hit to snooker you into fishing for another half hour or so. I fished near the mouth at high tide on Monday night. About an hour after the change my bobber and a buddy's took a ride. We both went for the set and saw a nice king splash, but no hookup. His eggs were intact, mine were all but gone. We got snookered. Our action was the only excitement we saw all night long, other than watching another buddy falling (literally) prey to creek crossing along the grassy flats. At least he was wearing waders. On another note, I think I'll buy stock in a surgical glove factory. Those latex wonders are quite the hit at Ship, particularly when they are stained a nice shade of blotchy egg dye pink. Fish On!!
Monday, June 02, 2008
Ship Creek 06/01/2008
ANGLER: fishonBruceAK
TRIP DATE: 6/1
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Ship Creek
SPECIES: Kings Yet To Arrive
REPORT: To quote the phrase from Dances with Wolves 'There ain't nothin' there Lieutenant'. Well not totally true. I counted about 70 or so anglers on the very lower reaches of Ship Creek. Floating eggs, eggs on the bottom, tossing pixies, even a fly or two and all I saw for it was one Jack King landed by some guy fifty yards downstream. Granted I only fished the hour or so of high tide on Sunday night, but the word of the day was, they aren't here yet. Despite the non-abundance of fish, it was a great night to be out on the water. A cool breeze off the inlet, folks laughing and joking about the no luck of the night, an underlying anticipation of what we know is to come sooner or later. I brought a friend with me for his very first trip to the Ship. Yeah, he was less than impressed by the lack of action, but the comaraderie of shared fish-less-ness and a relaxing time well spent on the banks of Ship, leads me to believe this won't be his last trip to our urban jewel. It won't be my last either.
TRIP DATE: 6/1
REGION: Anchorage
WATER: Ship Creek
SPECIES: Kings Yet To Arrive
REPORT: To quote the phrase from Dances with Wolves 'There ain't nothin' there Lieutenant'. Well not totally true. I counted about 70 or so anglers on the very lower reaches of Ship Creek. Floating eggs, eggs on the bottom, tossing pixies, even a fly or two and all I saw for it was one Jack King landed by some guy fifty yards downstream. Granted I only fished the hour or so of high tide on Sunday night, but the word of the day was, they aren't here yet. Despite the non-abundance of fish, it was a great night to be out on the water. A cool breeze off the inlet, folks laughing and joking about the no luck of the night, an underlying anticipation of what we know is to come sooner or later. I brought a friend with me for his very first trip to the Ship. Yeah, he was less than impressed by the lack of action, but the comaraderie of shared fish-less-ness and a relaxing time well spent on the banks of Ship, leads me to believe this won't be his last trip to our urban jewel. It won't be my last either.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Out of the Blocks for 2008
Here’s the lowdown for my first trip of the year. A buddy and I fished out of Deep Creek on a combo king/halibut charter on Thursday and Friday. The king fishing was slow on Thursday (2 out of 6 for the boat), but apparently had been good to great for the previous three days as evidenced by the photos on the charter’s wall. My buddy was one of the fortunate two, landing a 25 lb buck. Saw a few landed in other boats around, but it was nothing spectacular. Friday we got blanked for kings with only one hit with seeing only one landed on another boat. Our guide was saying this was a definite slow down with this being the first day being blanked after getting kings the previous nine. The halibut fishing was more successful with 11 for 12 on Thursday and 12 for 12 on Friday. Fish were running in the 20 to 40lb range. We saw a couple of larger fish on the racks at days end. I got a 20lb and 30lb Thursday and two 20lbs on Friday with my buddy getting a 15lb and a 40lb Thursday and a 30lb and 40lb Friday. The weather was simply awesome. We also tried fishing the Kasilof at Crooked Creek on Thursday night. Though I didn’t see it happen, one person reported catching (and involuntarily releasing after a long fight) a King using a yarn/egg pattern. We saw a few kings rolling. My buddy bested me again by catching (and voluntarily releasing) a nice 16 inch bow on an egg pattern whereas I got blanked. The water levels looked like they were receding after a slug of higher water. The island at Crooked Creek had low flowing water all around it, with signs of much higher water from a day or two before.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Kenai River Fishing
Fishing ala Bruce
So you want fish on the Kenai River. I have lot's of friends that come visit from outside who want to know what to expect and what to bring. This document is a run down of a typical one-day trip geared towards the angler who has a vehicle but doesn't have a lot of money for a guided service. Sorry, I won't tell you about where to go, because that depends on the time of year, how the run is doing, various fishing reports, if you will be in a boat or from the bank. If you want more specific info, email me and I'll see what I can do to help.
What to Expect - My typical day trip would target sockeye and rainbow, being drive and wade affair. Depending on where the fish are, we go get our limit on sockeye (three to six depending on the runs) then go hit a couple of prime rainbow spots. You can count on a long day with a 5 AM departure and return time of whenever. The sockeye fishing is not "A River Runs Though It" experience so get that idea out of your mind. It can be brutal hand to hand combat fishing, but when the fish are there, it can be an amazing experience. Typically the crowds are thinner for the end of July. The trout holes are much quieter.
Clothing and Like Gear - Your absolute minimum would be waders with felt bottom boots, day pack, bug juice, fillet knife, a few gallon size zip-lock bags, a camera, and whatever other do-dads you like to take with you while you fish (I talk about fishing gear later on). Breathable waders work just fine and are what I normally use. I wear shorts and wool socks under my waders and can fish all day without problem. I also pack a wool sweater and a rain jacket for the occasional rain shower.
Bears - Typically you should have at a minimum bear spray for bear protection. A lot of individuals at the popular fishing holes (i.e. the Russian) will have a sidearm, so bringing your own is not necessary. Just because I see a bear doesn't make me stop fishing. My rule of thumb is I keep at least twenty people between me and the bear as I'm fairly sure the bear would take out one of them before it ever got to me. At the less popular sites (i.e. the Canyon) someone in your party should be armed. The best defense however is staying together in a crowd and making noise. There has never been a documented report of a bear fatality with a group of four or more people, and with group of that size, attacks only come if you surprise a bear or disturb its cubs or food.
Fishing Gear
For the Sockeye I use
-A two piece 9 foot medium-heavy bait cast Shakespeare Ugly Stick
-5500-3 Abu Garcia bait cast loaded with 30 lb test mono, I use the same for leader
The absolute must is the 30 lb test mono.
For Rainbows I use
-9 foot 5/6 with Floating WF
-6 foot 10lb no taper leader weighted with split shot to bounce the fly along the bottom
I recommend you bring your own fly fishing gear in that FF is a rather personalized experience.
Terminal Tackle for Sockeye
-1/2 ounce or 1 ounce banana weight augmented with #0 split shot to bounce the fly along the bottom
-I use Russian River Coho flies or a 2/0 Octopus tied with a snell bait loop to hold a small bit a yarn.
Terminal Tackle for Rainbow
-#12 hooks with a trout egg beads are best
-Egg sucking leach or other egg pattern 2nd best
-Flesh flies if appropriate
Kings and Silvers - We are now talking some more complex tackle with bait loops, cured eggs, sardine wraps, poppers, spin-n-glows, pixies, quik-fish and other more unique items, so I won't really address that here. Plus, there are a lot better places to go than the Kenai if you are limited for time and money. If you want more info, email me.
The Flip - The flip is the key to successful bank fishing on the Kenai. When you see photos of people lining the banks of the river, what you are seeing is a ballet of fishing lines all vying for the chance to hookup a prized sockeye. The flip is simply this, flipping your line upstream and letting it drift downstream then performing a smooth flip of the line to do it over again. And again. And again. And again. The trick is to get a fish to get your leader in their mouth and when you do the flip at the bottom of the drift, WHAMMO - Fish On!!. The details are having about ten feet of line out with a 18"-24" leader between your weight and fly. Have enough weight to light bounce the sinker along the bottom (you'll feel a light tapping as it bounces along the bottom). Too much weight, you'll snag up, too little weight and you will be out of the area for the sockeye. Depending upon the location, you may need more leader, less weight, more line out, a faster flip, or some other variable you don't know of. The best plan for success is watch what others are doing. If someone is having good luck, check and see how they are fishing, how much weight they have, how far out into the current they, etc. And yes, there are "sweet spots" along the river. But as I mentioned before, if the fish are really in, it really doesn't matter.
Playing and Landing the Fish - Fish On!!! Those are the most awesome words a fisherman can say. Make sure you say them, because it lets people around you know that you have a fish in play. Typically, the flip will have set the hook enough so you don't need to do much more. Sockeye mouths are a bit soft so a super strong set will rip the hook from the mouth. The fish should not be taking much line. If it is, it is either foul hooked or your drag is set to loosely. Point your rod upstream and set the drag to stop the fish. Use the flexibility of the rod as the show absorber to keep the hook from coming out. A trick I have learned is that while I have my rod pointed upstream, I drop the tip into the water. What this does is it keeps the head of the fish down in the water making them less likely to fight. If you do this and it still fights, you most likely have a foul snag. For me, however, I never release of fish until I have someone or myself confirm the fish is foul snagged. To release a fish, tighten your drag all the way, point the tip of your rod at the fish and yank. This will release the majority of foul snagged fish. If it doesn't, you will have to muscle the fish to the shore to manually get the hook out for the release. If a fish is fair, by dropping your trip into the water with the pole pointed upstream, you can get the fish to practically swim right to you. Once I can see the fish and confirm a good hook up, I will get it as close to the shallows as I can, then quickly flip my rod down stream, while keeping tension on the line drag the fish ashore. This is not always easy or graceful because the fish will often make one last dart for the deep often between yours or someone else's legs, under a log, around a boulder etc. All of this is happening while you are trying to walk backs out of swift moving water on slippery rocks. I typically fall a few times a year. You do, however, get extra points if you fall and still successfully land the fish; double if you injure yourself in the process; and triple point if you go back to fishing after becoming injured. The fun really begins once the fish hits the shore. Grab the fish right behind the head and sink your fingers into the gills. If you collar the fish like this, it will not get away. My hands are big enough so that on most fish I can touch my finger to my thumb through the gills. I call this "scruffing" the fish, coming from how one would pick up a small puppy by the scruff. Grab a rock, a stick, a billy club, or whatever and whack the fish on the head. Not a light tap, not a nudge, not a slight knock - whack the begeezers out of hit. Think hitting it hard enough to knock one of its eye balls out. Blood will splatter, goo will be on your hands, fish line will be wrapped everywhere, your rod will probably be in the water, and you will be wearing a grin on your face as you have just put dinner on the bank.
Caring and Cleaning Your Catch - After landing a fish, I will rip a gill to allow the fish to bleed out. I'll keep the fish on a stringer in the water where it will keep nicely for all day long if need be. For cleaning, I generally scrape scales with a dull fillet knife. I then thoroughly rinse the fish.
Filleting - I have a special way I fillet that is a bit unconventional. My first cut is at the tail where I put a vertical slice to define the rear end of the fillet. I then cut the fillet from the tail along the backbone up to the rear most lateral fins on the bottom of the fish. You now have about 3 inches of meat (for your typical sockeye) dangling from the fish. I then cut along the top of the fish from the point I left off going forward to the gills. The knife runs along the back bone just so tip of my knife slides along the backbone. Be careful not to cut the ribs. You will feel the pin bones being cut. After this cut, I will make a cut top to bottom just behind the gill plate to define the front of the fillet. At this point the upper half of the fillet will pull away from the fish. I then take the knife and with long smooth strokes, I cut the fillet away from the ribs and cut the belly flesh to define to lower limit of the fillet. I work back to those rear lateral fins where I normally have to use a bit of force to break the cartilage connection between the left of right fins. This final cut at the rear lateral fins will separate the fillet from the body. I will generally then trim the jagged edges and remove fins.
Storing for Transport - I rinse each fillet briskly in the river to clean off any extra slime and blood, shake it off a bit in the air to remove excess water. then put the fillet in a gallon size zip-loc bag. Do not let the fillet stay in the water as it will degrade the flesh. Normally I can get about 3 fillets per bag. I then get them to ice as soon as possible. I just place the bags on the ice and head on home.
Freezing and Storing - The sooner you get you fish to the freezer the better, so after your three hour drive home don't poop out with a beer in front of the TV. Get those fish to the freezer. My process is I take the fillets from the zip-loc bags used to transport the fish home and give them another thorough rinse job with cold water. No matter how good of a job you did at the river bank, the fillets will be covered with blood and slime. This is OK for the ride home, but not good for the freezer. After rinsing, I pat the fillets dry with paper towels so there is no extra moisture on skin or meat. A vacuum pack the fillets and not on the bag the date and species of catch.
Prepping Fish for Eating - No recipes here, just a couple of tips on physically preparing the fillet. Defrost the fillet while it is still in the vacuum bag either in cool water or on the counter top. Remove from bag and rinse with cold water to remove any excess slime. Now is a good time to pull the pin bones out of the fillet. The freezing process will likely have exposed the pin bones a little more than when the fish was fresh. I have found it easier to pull the pin bones after the fish has defrosted than when it is fresh. Trim off any undesirable parts of the fillet (i.e. bits of fin, cartilage) then dowse and rub with lemon juice. Most people cook with lemon juice anyway, so the flavor won't be a problem. Dowsing and rubbing with lemon juice I have found removes any (I know this sounds funny) of that weird "fishy" taste that one often gets with frozen fish.
In Conclusion - Well, these are my tips and tricks. If you surfed in here and have questions, post a comment or drop me an email. Tight Lines!!!
So you want fish on the Kenai River. I have lot's of friends that come visit from outside who want to know what to expect and what to bring. This document is a run down of a typical one-day trip geared towards the angler who has a vehicle but doesn't have a lot of money for a guided service. Sorry, I won't tell you about where to go, because that depends on the time of year, how the run is doing, various fishing reports, if you will be in a boat or from the bank. If you want more specific info, email me and I'll see what I can do to help.
What to Expect - My typical day trip would target sockeye and rainbow, being drive and wade affair. Depending on where the fish are, we go get our limit on sockeye (three to six depending on the runs) then go hit a couple of prime rainbow spots. You can count on a long day with a 5 AM departure and return time of whenever. The sockeye fishing is not "A River Runs Though It" experience so get that idea out of your mind. It can be brutal hand to hand combat fishing, but when the fish are there, it can be an amazing experience. Typically the crowds are thinner for the end of July. The trout holes are much quieter.
Clothing and Like Gear - Your absolute minimum would be waders with felt bottom boots, day pack, bug juice, fillet knife, a few gallon size zip-lock bags, a camera, and whatever other do-dads you like to take with you while you fish (I talk about fishing gear later on). Breathable waders work just fine and are what I normally use. I wear shorts and wool socks under my waders and can fish all day without problem. I also pack a wool sweater and a rain jacket for the occasional rain shower.
Bears - Typically you should have at a minimum bear spray for bear protection. A lot of individuals at the popular fishing holes (i.e. the Russian) will have a sidearm, so bringing your own is not necessary. Just because I see a bear doesn't make me stop fishing. My rule of thumb is I keep at least twenty people between me and the bear as I'm fairly sure the bear would take out one of them before it ever got to me. At the less popular sites (i.e. the Canyon) someone in your party should be armed. The best defense however is staying together in a crowd and making noise. There has never been a documented report of a bear fatality with a group of four or more people, and with group of that size, attacks only come if you surprise a bear or disturb its cubs or food.
Fishing Gear
For the Sockeye I use
-A two piece 9 foot medium-heavy bait cast Shakespeare Ugly Stick
-5500-3 Abu Garcia bait cast loaded with 30 lb test mono, I use the same for leader
The absolute must is the 30 lb test mono.
For Rainbows I use
-9 foot 5/6 with Floating WF
-6 foot 10lb no taper leader weighted with split shot to bounce the fly along the bottom
I recommend you bring your own fly fishing gear in that FF is a rather personalized experience.
Terminal Tackle for Sockeye
-1/2 ounce or 1 ounce banana weight augmented with #0 split shot to bounce the fly along the bottom
-I use Russian River Coho flies or a 2/0 Octopus tied with a snell bait loop to hold a small bit a yarn.
Terminal Tackle for Rainbow
-#12 hooks with a trout egg beads are best
-Egg sucking leach or other egg pattern 2nd best
-Flesh flies if appropriate
Kings and Silvers - We are now talking some more complex tackle with bait loops, cured eggs, sardine wraps, poppers, spin-n-glows, pixies, quik-fish and other more unique items, so I won't really address that here. Plus, there are a lot better places to go than the Kenai if you are limited for time and money. If you want more info, email me.
The Flip - The flip is the key to successful bank fishing on the Kenai. When you see photos of people lining the banks of the river, what you are seeing is a ballet of fishing lines all vying for the chance to hookup a prized sockeye. The flip is simply this, flipping your line upstream and letting it drift downstream then performing a smooth flip of the line to do it over again. And again. And again. And again. The trick is to get a fish to get your leader in their mouth and when you do the flip at the bottom of the drift, WHAMMO - Fish On!!. The details are having about ten feet of line out with a 18"-24" leader between your weight and fly. Have enough weight to light bounce the sinker along the bottom (you'll feel a light tapping as it bounces along the bottom). Too much weight, you'll snag up, too little weight and you will be out of the area for the sockeye. Depending upon the location, you may need more leader, less weight, more line out, a faster flip, or some other variable you don't know of. The best plan for success is watch what others are doing. If someone is having good luck, check and see how they are fishing, how much weight they have, how far out into the current they, etc. And yes, there are "sweet spots" along the river. But as I mentioned before, if the fish are really in, it really doesn't matter.
Playing and Landing the Fish - Fish On!!! Those are the most awesome words a fisherman can say. Make sure you say them, because it lets people around you know that you have a fish in play. Typically, the flip will have set the hook enough so you don't need to do much more. Sockeye mouths are a bit soft so a super strong set will rip the hook from the mouth. The fish should not be taking much line. If it is, it is either foul hooked or your drag is set to loosely. Point your rod upstream and set the drag to stop the fish. Use the flexibility of the rod as the show absorber to keep the hook from coming out. A trick I have learned is that while I have my rod pointed upstream, I drop the tip into the water. What this does is it keeps the head of the fish down in the water making them less likely to fight. If you do this and it still fights, you most likely have a foul snag. For me, however, I never release of fish until I have someone or myself confirm the fish is foul snagged. To release a fish, tighten your drag all the way, point the tip of your rod at the fish and yank. This will release the majority of foul snagged fish. If it doesn't, you will have to muscle the fish to the shore to manually get the hook out for the release. If a fish is fair, by dropping your trip into the water with the pole pointed upstream, you can get the fish to practically swim right to you. Once I can see the fish and confirm a good hook up, I will get it as close to the shallows as I can, then quickly flip my rod down stream, while keeping tension on the line drag the fish ashore. This is not always easy or graceful because the fish will often make one last dart for the deep often between yours or someone else's legs, under a log, around a boulder etc. All of this is happening while you are trying to walk backs out of swift moving water on slippery rocks. I typically fall a few times a year. You do, however, get extra points if you fall and still successfully land the fish; double if you injure yourself in the process; and triple point if you go back to fishing after becoming injured. The fun really begins once the fish hits the shore. Grab the fish right behind the head and sink your fingers into the gills. If you collar the fish like this, it will not get away. My hands are big enough so that on most fish I can touch my finger to my thumb through the gills. I call this "scruffing" the fish, coming from how one would pick up a small puppy by the scruff. Grab a rock, a stick, a billy club, or whatever and whack the fish on the head. Not a light tap, not a nudge, not a slight knock - whack the begeezers out of hit. Think hitting it hard enough to knock one of its eye balls out. Blood will splatter, goo will be on your hands, fish line will be wrapped everywhere, your rod will probably be in the water, and you will be wearing a grin on your face as you have just put dinner on the bank.
Caring and Cleaning Your Catch - After landing a fish, I will rip a gill to allow the fish to bleed out. I'll keep the fish on a stringer in the water where it will keep nicely for all day long if need be. For cleaning, I generally scrape scales with a dull fillet knife. I then thoroughly rinse the fish.
Filleting - I have a special way I fillet that is a bit unconventional. My first cut is at the tail where I put a vertical slice to define the rear end of the fillet. I then cut the fillet from the tail along the backbone up to the rear most lateral fins on the bottom of the fish. You now have about 3 inches of meat (for your typical sockeye) dangling from the fish. I then cut along the top of the fish from the point I left off going forward to the gills. The knife runs along the back bone just so tip of my knife slides along the backbone. Be careful not to cut the ribs. You will feel the pin bones being cut. After this cut, I will make a cut top to bottom just behind the gill plate to define the front of the fillet. At this point the upper half of the fillet will pull away from the fish. I then take the knife and with long smooth strokes, I cut the fillet away from the ribs and cut the belly flesh to define to lower limit of the fillet. I work back to those rear lateral fins where I normally have to use a bit of force to break the cartilage connection between the left of right fins. This final cut at the rear lateral fins will separate the fillet from the body. I will generally then trim the jagged edges and remove fins.
Storing for Transport - I rinse each fillet briskly in the river to clean off any extra slime and blood, shake it off a bit in the air to remove excess water. then put the fillet in a gallon size zip-loc bag. Do not let the fillet stay in the water as it will degrade the flesh. Normally I can get about 3 fillets per bag. I then get them to ice as soon as possible. I just place the bags on the ice and head on home.
Freezing and Storing - The sooner you get you fish to the freezer the better, so after your three hour drive home don't poop out with a beer in front of the TV. Get those fish to the freezer. My process is I take the fillets from the zip-loc bags used to transport the fish home and give them another thorough rinse job with cold water. No matter how good of a job you did at the river bank, the fillets will be covered with blood and slime. This is OK for the ride home, but not good for the freezer. After rinsing, I pat the fillets dry with paper towels so there is no extra moisture on skin or meat. A vacuum pack the fillets and not on the bag the date and species of catch.
Prepping Fish for Eating - No recipes here, just a couple of tips on physically preparing the fillet. Defrost the fillet while it is still in the vacuum bag either in cool water or on the counter top. Remove from bag and rinse with cold water to remove any excess slime. Now is a good time to pull the pin bones out of the fillet. The freezing process will likely have exposed the pin bones a little more than when the fish was fresh. I have found it easier to pull the pin bones after the fish has defrosted than when it is fresh. Trim off any undesirable parts of the fillet (i.e. bits of fin, cartilage) then dowse and rub with lemon juice. Most people cook with lemon juice anyway, so the flavor won't be a problem. Dowsing and rubbing with lemon juice I have found removes any (I know this sounds funny) of that weird "fishy" taste that one often gets with frozen fish.
In Conclusion - Well, these are my tips and tricks. If you surfed in here and have questions, post a comment or drop me an email. Tight Lines!!!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
