Harbor Seals

Harbor seals are just one of the many animals you'll find on the Kenai River. It's good and bad when we see seals in the river. If they're in the river that means that there are fish present. That's good. The bad is they are after what we are after and let me tell you they are fish eating machines.

A couple of quick facts about harbor seals. When they're mature they'll be 5-6 feet long and will weigh 180-285 pounds. They're lifespan is 26-35 years.

During the silver season is when we see the most seals. It's been my opinion that when there are fewer fish to be caught in the ocean they move into the rivers because "that is where the fishing is good." A trip doesn't go by that we don't catch a silver salmon that escaped a seal attack. I'm posting a few of the more obvious photos of salmon that have escaped but managed to find our hooks.

Other Species of Fish on the Kenai

Often I am asked what do you catch other than salmon on the Kenai. Usually I respond by saying "dolly varden and rainbow trout." Perhaps this is because on every trip we have a chance to catch either of these species of fish.

However, once in awhile we will catch an exotic, or maybe I should say unusual, species or two. The photos above are of a starry eyed flounder. When we do catch this fish it's in the tidal area of the river (the first nine miles of the river) and it's always been in July. The flounder seem to be very lure specific and as you can see in the photo it's a sardine wrapped kwikfish.

This photo is of hooligan and give or take and inch they are all this size. Other names for this fish are eulachon or candlefish. They're called candlefish because if you dry them out you can actually light them like a candle.....honestly, they're that oily. Millions of these smelt like fish migrate through the Kenai River in late May into early June to spawn. They really don't bite a hook but when the school is that large it's hard not to snag one once in awhile.

Well, that's about it. That doesn't mean there aren't other unusual species present in the Kenai. Maybe one day you'll be on the boat and here me say, "Wow, I've never seen that before...."

Time to Move On....

You heard it here first.

Time to move on. With great regret but with giddy excitement I'm here to tell you that I've made the decision to retire from guiding and pursue my first love and passion......blogging. The pay isn't the same but I do like the hours. I get up when I want, go to bed when I want, and I can wear whatever I want because no one can see me (I did put on clothes to pose for the photo above). Jane has liked the change because she says on most days I smell better than when I've been fishing all day. She likes to point out the that part about "most days".

One of the hardest parts about my new endeavour is renaming the title of the blog. I'm thinking about "Lirpa Sloof". What do you think? Comments?

The annual tradition continues.....

Why Pinks?

Why not?

Do you like catching fish until your arms fall off? Do you like betting your buddies to see who can reel their lure in WITHOUT HOOKING A FISH? Take a look at the action that's going on in this boat. I watched these guys hook pink after pink all afternoon long. Dad didn't even attempt to fish because at all times there were one, two, or three fish on. What a show they put on and what a great dad for taking the family out. So, why the bad rap? Well, it has to do with table fare. An ocean fresh pink grilled up after a day on the water is very good. However, when you freeze the fillets of a pink salmon the quality disappears. Based on the photo above do you think Will Robertson cares about that? It's all about the action, baby, all about the action.

As a fishing guide I can not fish with my clients so when my guiding day is over I like to go out in the evenings with my friends and chase a few pinks and silvers. Often this is a time when I try different lures, different techniques, and different areas to help me be a better guide during the day. It's a time that I often step out of my comfort zone and do things completely different. In my opinion, to experiment with my clients is unprofessional and when I'm hired for a fishing trip I want to be using proven techniques on proven spots. I feel this way because of an experience that my dad and I had many years ago. We hired a guide to show us how to catch walleyes in a lake we had never fished before. He tied on our lines a jig with a Bass Pro Shop salted plastic grub worm. It seemed a bit odd for walleyes but we trusted our guide because we felt he "knew what he was doing" and didn't question his choice. After a couple of hours and no fish he said that this was the first and the last time he'd try a jig and grub for walleyes on this lake. After that we switched over to more traditional live bait rigging and finally caught a few fish before the day ended. Much of this day was wasted because he wanted to try something new. Lesson learned: I will waste my own time but not yours.

So, back to the topic at hand. Here I am "wasting" time in the evening fishing for pink salmon in slough I rarely fish. Thanks Will for sending me this photo of Humposaurus Rex!

2011 Homer Winter King Tournament

The 18th Annual Homer Winter King Tournament was held on Saturday, March 19th. 860 anglers on 248 boats caught 135 king salmon. Coming in first place with a 30lb king was Homer resident Mike Walls. His fish netted him a nice little check in the amount of $18,060.

This is a great little "cabin fever reliever" tournament that has been growing in popularity year after year. I've been part of this in the past and unfortunately I am one of those guys who said "it was just nice to be out."

Xtratuf Boots

Outside of my fishing equipment probably the gear I cherish the most are my Xtratuf boots. You must be thinking that I'm really scraping for topics but these boots are unbelievable in Alaska. Don't believe me? Next time you watch any of the shows on the Discovery Channel or TLC about Alaska look at what the locals are wearing. The majority are wearing Xtratufs. They are an Alaskan standard.

Why Xtratufs? Because they handle the conditions found in Alaska. They keep your feet dry, they're snug, and they rarely slip on wet surfaces. Would I wear them in the winter? Usually not, but they handle the other three seasons wonderfully. They come insulated, uninsulated, and in steel toed (for the crabbers and other occupations where your feet may get crushed). There are three styles: above the calf, mid calf, and the low cut "Alaska Sneaker." Cost? Not bad. They come in around $80 and unlike cheap rubber boots you can get many, many years out of them.

When a person jumps in my boat and they're wearing these boots I know that I'm dealing with an Alaskan. Only once in all my years has someone fished with me wearing Xtratufs and they weren't an Alaskan. Mike Hoops, who is master brewmeister in Minnesota, wears these boots for work. I believe Mike worked in Alaska years ago so he's kind of an Alaskan, and that's where he was introduced to Xtratufs.

Before I go I'll tell you about an Xtratuf moment that Jane and I had a couple of years ago. One of my guide friends was married in the middle of the summer. The ceremony was held at a lodge just down the road from us. It was a nice intimate setting on a perfect day. Part way through the vows I leaned over to Jane and whispered to her, "is the minister wearing Xtratufs?" Sure enough he was.

2011 Board of Fisheries Adjourns

Fish politics.

On Saturday, after 14 days of meetings and public testimonies, the 2011 Board of Fisheries adjourned. This seven member panel meets every three years to review and possibly change the allocation of the finfish found in the Upper Cook Inlet. The competing interest include sportfishing, commercial fishing, personal use fishing, and subsistence fishing.

I'm glad to inform you that after 211 proposals sportfishing and personal use fishing will remain relatively unscathed for the next three years. On the other hand, commercial fisherman will see a reduction in their times alloted for fishing. Alaska's fishery is managed for "maximum sustained yield" and the times have been a changin' for the commercial fisherman in the Upper Cook Inlet. There's no doubt there has been an emphasis placed on sportfishing/tourism and rightfully so. Within the state of Alaska over 70% of sportfishing effort occurs in the Upper Cook Inlet. This is because of the quality of the fishery and accessibility via a road system. On the flip side, of the entire commercial fishing harvest in the state only 3% comes from the Upper Cook Inlet. It only makes sense who should have priority in the fishery and if you're reading this blog I know which side you favor.

Tight lines until 2014!