Mentoring

With the reopening of the Kenai River to king salmon fishing on June 4th, it was time to clear out the boatyard.  It goes without saying that I'm one happy guy.

Eric "the only man to propose marriage in my boat" Taylor bought Phil and Debbie Dreyer's boat last fall.  He's had a long winter and spring dreaming about the first day launching it on the river. This past week his timing was perfect for the both of us; I wasn't busy and there were virtually no boats to get in our way. I'm glad it came together because there aren't many things more stressful for a first time boat operator than to venture out on the Kenai the third week of July.

Over the years, Eric has spent a lot of time fishing with me and other guides on the river. He knows the etiquette, but it's a whole different deal when you're the guy running the boat.  So, to get comforable, we spent each day "running channels" trying not to find gravel bars (we didn't).  We also backtrolled a few hours. Heck, we even gave backbouncing a shot. One of the most valuable skills we practiced was beaching the boat without dinging up the prop. This is a very critical skill when red fishing.  It's not only embarrassing to do this wrong, it could end your day of fishing.

We enjoyed great weather, saw lots of wildlife, but unfortunately never had the opportunity to see a king (we saw red salmon jumping, though).  Landing a fish will be a skill I hope to practice with him when he gets back next week.

So, why was the fishing slow?  Above you'll see a gauge of the water flow of the river. If you compare the blue line, which is the current flow, against the triangles below, which is the 51 year daily average, you can tell the river is not normal. In fact, it's high and dirty. That's a poor mix when it comes to catching fish on any body of water.

Momma Moose and her 2 babies in the front yard

The water has been improving daily and from what I've been told a few fish were caught on Saturday. I had every intention to be out there, but a broken water pipe in a cabin took priority. I'm glad it happened now because I would really hate for that to happen the third week of July.

Finally, other waters to report on. The Russian River opened yesterday.  The report is it's still early, but with patience and luck a limit could be had.  The Anchor River is still fishing well.  The Kasilof has been a little hit and miss lately.  The ocean, well, it's the ocean, and limits of halibut are the norm. The only question is what size are the halibut.

So, that's it for now. See you next week!



Beaver Creek Cabins & Guide Service