Tom Remington

Tom Remington

“This is Brooks Falls just upstream from where the Brooks River flows into Naknek Lake in the Katami National Monument, Alaska. Have you ever seen a Wolf fish for salmon?”

Real? Photo Shopped? Got any info?

Tom Remington

If you used every letter in the alphabet and put it in front of “Lucky!!!”, remove the “L”, that dog would come to you. Funny,
huh. She’d even come to “Car key”. It didn’t matter to her. Insults and lies will offend no dog. Especially Lucky. Food-whore from the very start. If you had something in your hands, she assumed it was food and she was entitled to it. Perfect for after-dinner clean up. Slip the plates down onto the floor and let her go. Lucky was in heaven.

By the beginning of July, if you haven’t gotten your line wet yet, what are you waiting for? Most of Alaska is in a hub-bub getting to the water. If you are unfortunate enough to still be sorting out all your gear from last year, you are not alone. Keep after it. It’ll make sense after a while. The tents set up in driveway aren’t staying there, they’ve just been water-proofed.

And Dan and Clyde arrived last night from Arizona. Clyde loves to fish and who doesn’t. Especially here. Land of the midnight sun. The most perfect campsite in the world. It doesn’t matter what time you start to get ready for fishing or what time it is when you leave or what time it is when you finally get there. The midnight sun is enough light to set up camp.

We rolled all the tents over to finish drying and I noticed Dan and Clyde over beside the garage. Looks like they’re bent over something or working on something together. “What’s that?”, I said. Clyde lifts her head, “salmon eggs”. Dan never moved. He was concentrating so hard. As I approached I saw they were trying to find a nice flat spot to set the 2 flats of freshly brined eggs. So they settled for an appropriate spot together.

They both seemed to enjoy each other’s company. And the eggs looked almost good enough to eat, but of course, do not!!!!!!!

As the day progresses, the gear that once lined the driveway has slowly been removed. By now, folks are beginning to wind-down for the day, after all it’s 11:00pm. It’s so easy to lose track of time. The television is on but no one listens. Company is wonderful; “Oh shit”!, says Clyde. “We left the eggs outside”! So, out the door they go to get the eggs and are right back just as quick.

I know Clyde is proud of all her work on those eggs. I can see it in her face. She looks at me and asked if I had moved the eggs………. Like I had. I said no and she’s not believing me, I can tell. After some discussion, everyone went outside to find the eggs. By the book, as they say, and still no eggs. Everyone is intrigued with the mystery.

We had to abandon the search until morning when daylight might reveal more. And it did. The best spot for the eggs was up on top of the snow machine trailer…. high enough to keep Lucky off. She’s so old, she struggles going up stairs and has to take a break on the way up. Evidence showed drag marks on the deck and the color was right. I decided to go find Lucky.

Perhaps she did get the eggs and if so, my God, she’ll die. Peering inside her mouth and around her gums didn’t help. Her gums were pink………. “Never fear”., I said. “Lucky will show us whether she ate the eggs or not…..later today or tomorrow, right, Lucky”?

Just like clock work, she showed us. Pink, pink, not so pink, everywhere you looked. “guilty as charged!”. She had eaten the 2 flats alright. Her stomach was growling long rolling grumbles. Passing gas was ongoing anyway but she really didn’t seem to be acting any differently. It was obvious she was hungry. I can’t figure out how she got on the trailer. Food whore.

Lucky came with the house. Indeed. The previous owners didn’t want her any more and would have taken her to the pound. Outdoors year round, house training was a long struggle and eventually she figured it out. At 5 or 6 yrs. old, training was slow. We replaced the front door as well as changed “the swing”. It took Lucky a couple of weeks to figure it out. A week and a half for BJ. I was lucky, I installed it.

So , Lucky has been lucky. However, I prefer to think of her as “fortunate”.

Posted by Tom Remington

It is my understanding this fishing opportunity is brought to you by Soldotna Hardware.

Tom Remington

On one of his trips, he had the opportunity to fish with some friends. He put together a little story with some pictures for your enjoyment. By the way, Milt is also a member of the coveted king salmon club. Here’s his story.

The three pictures are of King Salmon caught in the Kenai River from July 13th to the 26th.

The method of fishing is called back trolling. This is done by pointing your boat upstream and running your motor just fast enough to stay in one place on the river. The river is running to the sea at about 13 miles per hour.

Now you let your line out behind the boat with what ever you think the kings will bite onto. It might be a pretty “fly” or a “spin and glow “ with some bait behind it or any other rig you might think will do the trick.  If you get no bites, you slow the motor a bit and slowly lose ground on the river so you are always fishing a new place in hopes it will be the spot where the kings are resting up.

Now if all things are right you might get a tug on your line, set the hook and hang onto your fish pole for the fight of your life between you and a Mighty King.  About an hour later and 3 to 5 miles down stream and your luck holds out, you just might pull the Monster over the side of the boat in a large long-handled net.

The fight is over, photos are taken, the fish is weighed and if it is fifty pounds or over you can join the coveted “I caught a 50 lb. or over King Salmon Club”. You can then wear the special pin on your hat so the world knows that you are a Great Fisherman.

Hank Hertell and David Ring can now join the prestigious club but Tom Hertell must continue to fish.

I sure feel sorry for Tom as he lives on the Kenai River in Alaska! David and Hank live in Maine.

David Ring shows off his 52-lb. king salmon.

Tom Hertell is on the left and Hank Hertell is on the right. Tom is helping Hank hold up his 63-lb. king salmon.

Tom Hertell, although reluctant to reveal his “small” king salmon of only 40 lbs., poses for David for his picture.

Thank you, Milt! Great contribution.

Tom Remington

Tom Remington