Snagging With My Homies

We are in Homer, Alaska now and I am loving it.  As you will soon find out, this post is all about me and my crazed obsession with fishing (which I no doubt inherited from my Mother).  We have an oceanfront spot with a totally unobstructed view of the ocean, mountains and glaciers.  We bought a fishing pole in Florida and have been carrying it around since then without much use.  It's been a running joke because it is long so every place we go it sits outside and while we are driving it lays on the bed...the only place to carry it and keep it out of the way.  Well, it finally got some use.  When we arrived I was watching a few people fishing in the bay in front of the RV.  So we took the pole to a bait shop, had it restrung and got the hooks we needed.  It's called "snagging" because the silver salmon aren't eating because they are spawning.  They come by in schools back and forth along the shore.  I generally have the patience of 7 year old, but not now.  After I got my first fish (which a neighbor filleted for us so we could eat it for dinner) I have been out there for hours and hours.  I ended up catching four Coho (silver) salmon, two 6.5 pound, an 8.2 pound and a 4.5 pound.  I wasn't sure I would be able to do the necessary end of life procedures that involved a rock, a knife and a stringer... but my primal instincts kicked in and I was able to do it all.  We took the other three to a local fish processor and we now have well over ten pounds of vacuum packed salmon fillets in our freezer.  In between my time on the beach fishing we went for a drive to the scenic overlook, the pictures speak for themselves.  We are leaving the spit today and heading back up the Kenai Peninsula.

This was my first fish.  People were fishing in full waders and all kinds of fishing gear.  I was definitely the only person in hiking shoes and blue capris!  After our first day, I did invest in a $22 pair of rubber boots.  The first time I wore them the tide was coming in and I wasn't paying attention and the water came right over the tops of my boots.  This happened about 20 minutes in to my time fishing.  I got a better system the longer I fished. 

At the Salty Dog Saloon people post notes on dollar bills and tack them on the walls.  We would go there for a drink while our fish were being processed.  Chris did amend mine to 4 last night.

View of the Homer Spit from the overlook.  We were camping about half way out.

 Picture I took out the window of the RV at about 10:00 pm.