Soldotna

I arrived in Soldotna with high hopes of catching the big Sockeye salmon run that usually starts in mid July. After a nice drive from Hope, I pulled into the Soldotna Elks lodge and set up camp.

  

  

Soon, many more folks arrived, and we began to do the usual RVer thing, gathering around a campfire, telling stories… but mostly fishing stories here, as everyone is in town for the salmon.

  

And, guess what? The salmon run is late! There are a few fish in the river, but nothing like the hundreds of thousands that come up en-mass in the peak of the run. Everyone is fishing like crazy, but very few fish are to be had.

  

The local Fred Myers and the Wal-Mart in Kenai look like RV parks. Every camping site and room in the area is taken, and folks are still coming in. It is amazing to watch!

		Lotsa RVs VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

After trying to catch some salmon in the river, Jim, Kim and I decide to take a float on the Kenai river and see if we can tag some elusive Kings. Our guide outfits us with rods and lures, and we troll the river. The king population is in a serious decline, so getting a fish is very difficult. You can only use un-baited lures, and are only allowed one fish. in fact, you are only allowed to take a total of 2 fish per year from the entire Kenai peninsula! Sure has changed from the heyday when the Kenai was famous for it’s big kings.

  

  

The river is very different from the Kasilof where I fished last month. Where the Kasilof was very wilderness-y, the Kenai has homes, lodges and fish camps all along it, including some interesting properties for sale… Hmmm.. maybe I should check this one out!

    

Against the odds, Jim hooks a nice king that later weighs out over 17 pounds!

  

  

Kim and I don’t get a bite, but the day on the river is fun anyway.

We drown our sorrows at the slow fishing with a visit to the St. Elias brewery in Soldotna. Nothing like a beer sampler to perk up your day! *burp*  They also make great brick oven pizza, and their beer menu is long and interesting. I grab a growler or two of their pale ale, for further testing.

  

  

Now, for an Alaska moment: This is Fireweed. It starts blooming in the spring, and slowly the flowers open from the bottom to the top of the cluster. It is said that when the fireweed blooms get to the top, summer is over. Dang, guess we better hurry and get everything done soon… looks like we have less than half of the summer left!

  

In the midst of the still not really started salmon run, we go down to the mouth of the Kenai river, where Alaskan residents can dip net for salmon. Called subsistence fishing, each head of household is allowed 30 fish per year, and an additional 10 fish for each family member. Apparently, the long winter nights are not the only reason that many Alaskan families are big!

  

In the gallery below, you can get a feel for how busy and uniquely Alaskan this fishing event is. People come from many miles away, bring the whole family, and gather fish that will help feed them for the rest of the year. Even though the run is slow right now, they are getting some fish, but everyone I talk to says “it’s nothing like it should be”. Check out those big nets!

Dip Netting VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

This fellow deserves special notice. There are several things wrong here: First, he’s in the water in a bathing suit! Second, he’s not just in there for a quick painful dip, he’s in there working a net! Third, he’s not the only one doing it! Geeze! Brrrrr! That water can’t be 50 degrees, feels like ice to me!

  

Back in town, I join the many folks fishing. It’s a bit difficult, as there are only a few public access fishing spots, but I find a little hole close to the Elks lodge. I strap my pole and waders to the bike and ride down. I fish in close proximity to lots of other folks and although I don’t bring home any salmon, I do hook up to several each time I fish… just can’t get them into the net. Does that discourage me? You know, it really doesn’t!. Let me set the scene for you: I went down to fish late in the evening, got into the water about 9pm, didn’t make it home till well after midnight, but I had such a blast that when I got home, I had to write down the experience so I wouldn’t forget it.

After all these years of fishing, I finally get it: It's not about catching fish, It’s about the experience of fishing. Tonight, I went down to the river to fish. Foremost in my mind was: I need to catch some fish, so I can show everyone how great a fisherman I am, you know, display my catch for a photo op, post it on the blog, feel good.... but tonight I went down to the river, and somewhere in the few hours I was down there, an epiphany happened. I was out there, standing on the Kenai river, in for gosh sakes Alaska, a few strangers, become companions, nearby, and although I did not bring a single fish home, I hooked 2 big salmon, enjoyed the fight as the fish leapt into the air, and for a brief moment, I was living the reality of being a fisherman. It's not about the fish I have in the freezer... Hell, I can BUY fish and stock my freezer. They taste just as good. No, what I finally GOT last night was the joy of just being out there, feeling the cold water flow past my legs, savoring the excitement of the big fish on the line, watching other new found friends hook up to a big salmon, seeing total strangers drop their poles to grab a net and help a friend, watching the sunset colors change the trees from green to rose, yes, even the mosquitos swarming around us... If I was meant to learn anything from this trip, this has to be it. It's not about the fish we bring home, it's about the joy of being out there fishing. Thank you, Lord, I finally do get it... it only took 57 years. The memories will live as long as I do, and I didn't have to clean any fish! Sounds like a win-win to me.

When I get ready to roll out of Soldotna, I take one last look at the river. There are even more folks fishing and still darn few fish being caught. I sure hope the run gets here soon, so all of these folks can go home! Me, I’m heading for Homer, maybe do some halibut fishing. It’s all good! Y’all catch some fish for me!