Today was King Salmon fishing. King Salmon is catch and release only on the Kenai. Steve our guide had the boat set up for four: Barry and I, and Bo and Joe, a father-son pair from California. This was Bo's present to Joe for high school graduation.It was a chilly, beautiful morning. We went up river a few miles and then set up at one of Steve's favorite spots. He set us up with different lures, and coordinated getting all the lines in the water so no tangles. No sooner did the lures hit the water than yours truly caught the first fish. Steve guided me through reeling it in, then carefully arranged for the photo so the fish was
not harmed.
Barry was next to catch one of these beauties. We each caught 2, and I think each lost 2 during the day.
The big story of the day occurred after a few hours. Our lines were in the water trailing behind the boat. I have a photo of my lure...Barry's was slightly longer...maybe 5 inches, about the same colors. Steve suddenly pointed out a young eagle flying down the river right by us. We were all so mesmerized by the sight that we didn't discern his intent until too late. The eagle swooped in and grabbed Barry's lure, somehow tangling or hooking himself.
Steve did a great job keeping all calm. Three of us reeled in our lines. The eagle swam/floundered toward shore. On Steve's request, I got his coat from under the seat and the large net ready. Steve slowly moved the boat to shore, instructing Barry how to keep his line. When we made it to shore, Steve put on his gloves, put his pliers in pocket, and grabbed the net. The eagle was thrashing around trying to free itself. Just as Steve managed to net him, the eagle either got free or the line/hook was knocked off by the net...and off our errant eagle flew.
And, if you are wondering what Joe was doing...he instantly had his phone out and recorded the incident. He trimmed off the initial boat maneuvering, and if you are interested in seeing it (he did a great job!), here's the link: Eagle Video
No comments:
Post a Comment