Fishing

Fishing

July is the season for Salmon fishing! We got spoiled this year because we knew about which spots to fish at during the right time. It still doesn't make it easy. These fish fight hard. We spent eight hours at the Russian River and pulled in two Red Salmon. They were about 12-15 pounds each. You lose track of time as you hook them, fight them, and generally lose them. The guys fishing next to me were really helping me out because they were almost at their limit and I couldn't pull one in the whole way. Once I tripped while pulling one in and not only ended up losing my fish, but I filled those waders full of freezing cold river water too. My whoop could have been heard in Utah when I finally pulled one in all the way. Aaron mostly stayed out of the way until I caught my first fish and then he took over the golden spot and caught his much faster. 

Portage fishing spot for Silver Salmon, we spotted about twenty Beluga Whales catching them in the ocean so we knew they were close to running up the rivers.

Trout fishing at the side of the road

Aaron's Rainbow Trout

Aaron's first Red Salmon

My first Red Salmon

Merganser birds headed up the river

Aaron's fish

Both of my fishies

Aaron filleting our fish. I did it once and it was too gross for me.

We spotted a whole bunch of King Salmon swimming when we were out checking for Pink's. Aaron hooked this guy and it took us fifteen minutes of both of us reeling him in and having him take line before I pulled him in all the way. It took both of us switching spots and handing the pole over to pull him in somewhere safe enough that he wouldn't get away. It was about 30 pounds and spawning so it would have died within the next couple of weeks.

Aaron holding it. As soon as we let it go Kodi chased it through the river for a few minutes.

Pinks are in

Good haul of Pinks

Aaron loved dipnetting the year before so we borrowed some poles (they are super heavy five foot hoop nets with metal handles) and went to Kenai to dipnet. The idea is to walk out, situate your heavy net, and then as soon as the current flushes a fish into your net-you drop your handle so the net is flush with the ground and drag it to the shore. Getting soaking wet the whole time. Plus it was pouring rain the day we went so it was freezing cold. Not exactly my idea of a great time. It was really fun to see how big the fish we caught were. Aaron pulled in two fish at once one time, and we snagged seven fish in only two hours. A hot shower was much needed after this fishing trip.

Checking out our fish

We got about 15 pounds of fillets from dipnetting and you could potentially get 35 fish per head of household plus an additional 10 per member of household so you can really get your freezer stalked full of fish. Great season of fishing for us!