Still in Valdez

After Dave and Jan pulled out, I moved out to Allison Point, which is where the terminus of the Alaskan Pipeline is. I stayed here last trip, waiting in vain for the silver salmon to show up. This time, I’m not going anywhere till I catch some!

  

Just down the road is a huge fish weir, it’s where they manage the salmon fishery for Prince William sound. Right now, there’s still a sea of pink salmon around the weir, so thick you could walk across the water on their backs. It’s late in their spawning cycle, and they have begun dying off in huge numbers. At low tide, billions of seagulls flock to feed on them. Well, maybe not billions, but a buttload!

  

It rains a lot in Valdez, most every day, but when it does clear off, it’s very scenic!

  

We even get some sunsets!

  

OK, the fishing. The silvers are trickling in, and I have caught one or two most days. These are some big salmon! This one is 16 pounds, about 36” long. Look at those fillets! If that don’t make your mouth water, I ain’t sure you’re breathing….

  

They fight like Hell, too! I have hooked a number that managed to get loose, and some of those moments will be in my fishing memories forever! I had a big one on, and it started doing cartwheels across the water. Like 5 or 6 cartwheels. Needless to say, it got away, and I had to take my hat off and say “He deserved it!” Another one made these amazing runs, peeling line off the reel to the point I was wondering just how many yards I had on there. I got him all the way to the beach, but when I tried to horse him up onto shore, he got loose and hauled ass. It has been highly entertaining!

These are a little smaller, but still big ass fish. I’ve been running them in the smoker, and man, they are good eating! Pretty tasty in the pan too, especially when they hit that pan only an hour after they left the water.

     

I’ll be here at Allison Point till the end of August, just fishin around. Then, I do need to get used to the idea of actually leaving. The fireweed never lies, and from the looks of things, summer is definitely over. Sigh