On July 1st, we headed South through Anchorage on the Seward Highway for the Kenai Peninsula. Driving along Turnagain Arm, presents some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Alaska. This beauty continues after Kenai Lake while following the Kenai River to its confluence with the Russian River. This was our destination. We remembered the scene at the Russian River Ferry when we were last there in 2008. Not only was it great Sockeye fishing, but almost impossible to find a parking spot near the ferry. For those of you who followed us then, you'll remember the woman in hip boots. We found quite a different scene on this visit. Finding a parking place was not an issue, although we did eventually have some interesting neighbors. One fellow told us about having attended high school in the Boston area and that he had just been back to his class reunion. However, when we asked more, he couldn't remember the name of his high school or the town he had lived in! He did remember first coming to Alaska in 1969 and then moving here permanently the next year. Evidently, he later sustained some sort of memory loss due to his lifestyle. This seems to be epidemic up here, primarily among men. Our fishing was nonproductive, but not for lack of effort. For me personally, it was a victory. In 2008, I was too intimidated by the strength of the current to venture far enough out to fish. Now, with fewer people and more options of where to wade, I was successful in getting myself where the fish were. My shoulders and ribcage are still feeling the affects of repeated Kenai style casts. Bucky did land what was described to us as a Russian River hen which was tasty that night on the grill. We were advised by a pretty young Fish and Wildlife officer of the new regulations for the area of having your belongings on or within 3 feet. The reason being the presence of a sow and two cubs. In 2008, we saw one bear shot and several on the same bank we were fishing. While Bucky and I wore or carried what we had brought across, food, cameras, rain gear and tackle, I was a little fearful for Fisher who remained on shore as bear bait. She has proven to be a wonderful fishing companion, enjoying laying on the bank watching fish being caught and never making a sound. We decided that she was aptly named by Carlisle.
On July 1st, we headed South through Anchorage on the Seward Highway for the Kenai Peninsula. Driving along Turnagain Arm, presents some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Alaska. This beauty continues after Kenai Lake while following the Kenai River to its confluence with the Russian River. This was our destination. We remembered the scene at the Russian River Ferry when we were last there in 2008. Not only was it great Sockeye fishing, but almost impossible to find a parking spot near the ferry. For those of you who followed us then, you'll remember the woman in hip boots. We found quite a different scene on this visit. Finding a parking place was not an issue, although we did eventually have some interesting neighbors. One fellow told us about having attended high school in the Boston area and that he had just been back to his class reunion. However, when we asked more, he couldn't remember the name of his high school or the town he had lived in! He did remember first coming to Alaska in 1969 and then moving here permanently the next year. Evidently, he later sustained some sort of memory loss due to his lifestyle. This seems to be epidemic up here, primarily among men. Our fishing was nonproductive, but not for lack of effort. For me personally, it was a victory. In 2008, I was too intimidated by the strength of the current to venture far enough out to fish. Now, with fewer people and more options of where to wade, I was successful in getting myself where the fish were. My shoulders and ribcage are still feeling the affects of repeated Kenai style casts. Bucky did land what was described to us as a Russian River hen which was tasty that night on the grill. We were advised by a pretty young Fish and Wildlife officer of the new regulations for the area of having your belongings on or within 3 feet. The reason being the presence of a sow and two cubs. In 2008, we saw one bear shot and several on the same bank we were fishing. While Bucky and I wore or carried what we had brought across, food, cameras, rain gear and tackle, I was a little fearful for Fisher who remained on shore as bear bait. She has proven to be a wonderful fishing companion, enjoying laying on the bank watching fish being caught and never making a sound. We decided that she was aptly named by Carlisle.