Chasing the elusive KING SALMON!

This morning I was up bright and early at 2:00 AM to meet my guide at Homer Spit at 3:30. OK, early might be right, but I wasn't too bright or I would have still been asleep. Arriving at the specified location in the pre dawn twilight, I could already see a few fishermen trying to catch the big one. Soon after my guide, Gary Sinnhuber arrived and we started fishing. He showed me how it's done on Homer Spit, and it was a bit different than other fishing I've done. Over the years, I've learned that the locals have some odd ways of catching fish, and they do it that way because it works.

Shortly after I had my lesson and was fishing as I was told, two other fishermen joined us who had been with Gary on an up Kenai river yesterday. The three of us fished steadily for over three hours with nary a bite. By this time there were more than a dozen fisherman at this partiular area and we saw no one catch anything. From time to time a school of frenzied salmon would swim by, chased by a sea lion, but they were too keen on staying ahead of the sea lion to consider stopping for a bite. Every once in a while a king salmon of about 20 to 25 pounds would leap out of the water, giving us a shot of adrenalin and two shots of hope, but it was to no avail. When I could no longer hold the rod in my hand, I chose to quit.

So far, Alaska fishing is a long way from living up to the dream or my expectations. Fishing the Florida Keys from my Jonboat is looking better. Temperatures of air and water in the 80s. Going barefoot and wearing just a bathing suit. AAAHHHHHH.