Sam And Saundra's Year Long Adventure - Part 155

Sam And Saundra’s Year Long Adventure – Part 155

Alaska

7/16/09-8/8/09 - Kenai River, Soldotna, Alaska

That completes the review of our fishing spots on the Kenai River, but it’s not the end of fishing.  Oh no – no – no!

The Upstream Toss

Fishing technique:  The following is a description of the ‘how’ to fish for Sockeye Salmon.  Sam wants to be sure that you know that he knows nothing about this technique – he just does it naturally. 

Once you get all dressed up in the appropriate fishing wear, have your pole (hopefully light weight and color coordinated) and have it rigged up with the right hook, swivel, sinker and most importantly - color.  Once you have done that, you must decide on which fishing hole on the Kenai River will give you the best chance of catching your limit for that day. Then the real challenge begins.  None of that stuff will do you any good unless you have honed your fishing technique. 

First, you wade into the water in your nice comfy body boots.  Then you get into your best self-defense stance.  Feet spread shoulder length, one foot a little ahead of the other.  Test your stability (I am sooo ready for this.) Once you have mastered standing up in the surges of power that the river throws at you when you least expect it, and are standing somewhat upright, then you unravel a goodly amount of line from your reel.  You do not cast anything anywhere.  Instead you develop a looping toss, where the color on your hook casually flits by your head, hopefully missing those around you, and kerplunking it into the river on the up-stream side of things.  If you accidentally ‘cast’ your rigged up line, it will cut into the water at a smooth angle and will look good, but not hit the bottom of the river and bounce appropriately, thereby irritating the fish no end.  So you may want to practice the art of kerplunking.  Women do it better. Having a sense of rhythm, with a sense of purpose, is helpful. Pull that line in with one hand, twirl the pole around and whip that sinker out in an arc, kerplunking it into the river – body motion counts. Get an attitude going and a good snappy tune in your head (preferably one that has a good beat and is easy to dance to)  then … you are getting close. Since the fish are not hungry, irritating them is the only way to get their full attention.  Bouncing that sinker on the rocks on the bottom of the river as the water forces it downstream really bugs them ... they will try to nudge it away if you get it smack dab in their face. When you get their full, irritated attention and that hook is right there  – whap!!!!! The fish is caught. Reel them in. My job is done until it is time to eat it.