Here Fishy Fishy

I'm back!  Sorry for the long absence but between family visiting, work, and fishing there has not been a lot of time to blog!  Jason and I have had a great time with Grandpa & Grandma Kottsick, Roger, Krista, Dory, and Kevin visiting.

It is fishing season here in Alaska and we have been busy getting our fish for the year.  Jason was able to dipnet most of our fish this year but we also were able to do some lining on the Kenai River.  Lining is much more fun than dipnetting!  For those of you who are not familiar with this, let me explain.  Salmon are moving up river to their breeding grounds.  As they travel, they have little else on their mind but their final destination.  For this reason, they do not eat and will not bite bait (disclaimer: I am not a biologist.  This may not be true of all salmon species and locations).  Therefore, to catch them you must line them.  This involves some skill but mostly luck.  You cast a line upstream into the river and allow it to float with the water.  As it drifts, you pray for it to float into a gaping salmon mouth.  After your line has drifted downstream a ways, you pull the line to set the hook into what is hopefully said salmon mouth.  A lot of times you end up with the hook in a fin or body of the salmon.  While this makes for a more exciting reeling process, you cannot keep these fish.  I seem to have a singular talent for lining salmon anywhere but the mouth :)  About my eighth salmon, I finally got a keeper.  Here are some pictures from our trip.  CAUTION: Some pictures contain images of dismembered fish and fish blood.  I doubt any of my readers will mind but here is your warning.

To my good fortune, I often get to travel with a talented fish filleter.  Here he is in action!

We had absolutely beautiful weather!  It was so sunny that I actually got a sunburn.  I wasn't the only one enjoying the weather though . . .

On our way back to Eagle River, Jason and I were able to get some pictures of the wildlife and scenery.  Thankfully I married a eagle-eyed zoologist who not only spotted most of these birds but also knew what they were!

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane

Juvenile Mew Gull ("seagull" for us non-zoologists)

Arctic Tern, this guy swooped and tried to poop on me so not a very good pic :(

Trumpeter Swan

After enjoying the great outdoors of Alaska, I also came home to some beauty!

Peoni

Until next time!

Alaska Fun Fact: A salmon can detect one drop of water from its home stream mixed up in 250 gallons of sea water. Salmon will follow this faint scent trail back to their home stream to spawn.