Alaska July 2025

[Ham]

12 hours ago, Phil Lilley said:

Maybe we can have an OAF Alaskafest week next summer...

I second that emotion

[BilletHead]

Back to fishing sometime midday. You totally lose track of time. When you have nowhere to be at any certain time the clock seems to mean nothing at all. Only time you pick up your phone is to take a picture. We went back to the steep bank sockeye flossing spot. Keep working on getting salmon for fresh eating and taking home. Work on them we all did. First set of pictures were Dave, Duane and me. We had three on at the same time. It was like a fire drill as we fought the fish. Pat and Mike were on the bottom end ready with the net. Bottom man with fish on Dave in this instance worked his way down to the netters when his fish was netted next man worked down. We all worked like a well-oiled machine. No one hogged a spot and everyone helped each other. 

   I present to you the Kvichak cowboy Duane riding his jet motor fighting a sockeye! Talent right there  .

 

   Mike with a nice one,

        What we caught on that outing,

        When you have fish to clean you get after it. I really enjoyed filleting the salmon. Duane kept the knives sharp. Everyone worked either on the fillet table or shuttling the fillets up the bank to the baggers and vac sealing machine. 

             Fish waste was put in buckets and taken across the river to be dumped back into the river. We took those buckets across to dump to try to keep the island bear named Jeff off the island. Jeff the bear is a young male coastal brown bear (Grizzly) that needs to find a home. Duane calls him nothing but a pest just being a big racoon.  Jeff was constantly being hazed trying to get him to leave.  The other place on the island were not hauling across the river thus fish carcasses would just go down the bank and roll around the corner below where we were staying and end up on a sand bar where Jeff and seagulls and eagles enjoyed the local all you can eat buffet. Jeff had a bed right on the edge of the corner in the grass where he could nap digesting his meals. More on Jeff coming up.

  Another note. This day we all were all layered up looking like a bunch of doughboys and girls. Cool and rain off and on. highest I had seen on the thermometer was 67. Long underwear was worn all day just about every day.  Bugs were off the charts somedays actually most days. When the wing died down the bugs were out. Days you could get away with a buff over a ballcap. Some days a full head net was used. Quickly learning to embrace the suck wearing or putting up with the insects. Alaskan sabertoothed blackflies (white socks) and big thirsty bloodsucking mosquitos. "Embrace the suck". Worth every minute. 

[ness]

I didn't know Brown Bear and Grizzly were the same species! Coastal brown bear and Inland Grizzly Bear. 

[BilletHead]

2 minutes ago, ness said:

I didn't know Brown Bear and Grizzly were the same species! 

 Yes and what I understand there are two types. The largest is the coastal while the inland are a bit smaller. 

[ness]

3 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

 Yes and what I understand there are two types. The largest is the coastal while the inland are a bit smaller. 

Oh, and Kodiak too. 

Might finish reading up on this when I retire! Duty calls!

[BilletHead]

Brown Bear Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

 

[Foghorn]

Not to sure about that bear's name.

[BilletHead]

3 hours ago, Foghorn said:

Not to sure about that bear's name.

Could be you or Jeff quillback. Just for your information I didn't name it. I think Louie would be better. 

[Johnsfolly]

Great report so far Marty!

I need to get Sue on a sockeye so she can complete the NA pacific salmon species. I still need chinook, sockeye and chum salmon.

[BilletHead]

2 hours ago, Johnsfolly said:

Great report so far Marty!

I need to get Sue on a sockeye so she can complete the NA pacific salmon species. I still need chinook, sockeye and chum salmon.

More to come!