Hooked on Fishing

by William Realon
(as published 3 years ago in MVP)

“Give a man a fish and he will live for a day; teach a man in Alaska how to fish and he will drink beer and fish all day,”  a bumper sticker that makes a mockery of an old adage, done in humor but rings a bit of truth among diehard fishermen in Alaska.

In a place where more than half of the year is cold dark winter and spring and fall are just ephemeral intervals of the seasons, people eagerly yearn for the coming of the long days of a rather very short summer.  But summer seems to have skipped in 2008.  Marked with mostly wet and chilly days, this year’s summer maybe one of the coldest ever recorded.  Yet, for the diehard outdoorsmen ‘wannabes’ as we are, deprived of sunlight during the long winter, the weather nor the expensive gasoline did not prevent us from driving to our favorite fishing holes and camping grounds some 250 miles away.  Driving the dangerous but scenic Alaskan highway, weaving through the crowds at the sandy beach, we find the same spot where we camp out every year since arriving in Alaska a decade ago.  There, along with friends from our hometown, we fish, mine for onolicious clams, drive ATV’s (All-terrain vehicles) or simply sit around a campfire sharing a laugh over some mild spirits.

Seward highway is the gateway to the best fishing places in South Central Alaska.  It is one of the most scenic highways in the US but is also one of the state's most dangerous because of reckless drivers.

The low lying clouds in early July that drift over Turnagain Pass along Seward highway show no signs of warm weather.

Some outsiders may wonder why we do such a thing – taking that long drive repeatedly in the summer just to go fishing, sometimes coming home tired and empty handed.  There must be something mystical with the Alaskan outdoors particularly the well-maintained campgrounds and waters that make fishing just as addictive as caffeine, or activities we just love to do.  Perhaps, it’s the exhilaration from an adrenalin rush when we feel something snags the end of our fishing lines or for dip netters, the sudden tug of a large fish trapped inside the net.  Whatever the reason maybe, someone cloaked under the darkness of a long cold winter rightfully deserves to enjoy the pleasures of Alaskan outdoors in the summer.

A huddle during a rainy outing at Whiskey gulch after a day of clamming and four-wheeling.

Im-imasen tay napugpugan nga ugsa nga naanupan da Benjie nga kailian ken Manong Ben nga taga-Bantay, Ilocos Sur.  Uray no ag-bagbagyo, naganas latta!

My first Alaskan fishing trip was in 1998 in downtown Anchorage Ship Creek, a famous fishing hole for king salmon.  It was an unpleasant experience that showed my novice ability in the water when I got swept by the strong current losing an expensive fishing pole and my cheap army glasses.  Somehow, I kept going back until I first hooked my first king that I never landed because of my inexperience. (You suppose to gradually reel in the king, playing with it until it gets tired then quickly reel it in.  Pulling in a fish such as kings when just hooked will most likely break your fishing line, or break a cheap fishing pole like mine.)

Manong Dennis and daughter Geri proudly display their catch, a chinook commonly known as king salmon.

Manong Dennis catching a Sockeye, also known as red salmon.

Later that summer, a relative and her husband introduced me to the confluence of the magnificent Kenai and Russian rivers, a shallow gin-clear water tributary known for its Sockeye salmon two and half hours away.  What was once a leisure fishing trip became an addiction, sometimes even going there on a ‘suicide run,’ a term we used for the mad drive to our favorite fishing holes after work  and return right back the next morning just in time for our early morning run at 6 AM.  Never mind the sleep deprivation or the encounters with grizzlies that prowl in the rivers.  I always felt safe with my army buddies and the person who introduced me to the Russian river knowing that he always had that powerful sidearm snugly concealed under his fishing vest.

Jack enjoys an Alaskan summer at the beach begging for a treat from his master, a retired military officer.

Since then many of my friends who came from the same town I’m from (Magsingal) have returned to the same place numerous times each year but have discovered that farther yonder there are other places where fish are more abundant, quieter and where there’s plenty of  space that allows many outdoor activities.  Over the years, others have discovered our favorite spots.  They have now become a Mecca for different cultures who come to fish.  The crowd now seems to outnumber the schools of fish, yet we continue to come to the same place as if a religious ritual several times during the summer.  And yes, with friends around and beer in the hand, fishing is always more fun.  And, no matter what the cost; no matter what the weather, you’ll find the boys in the water during summer.  Fish On!

Taking a break from fishing during low tide but too early for Heineken.

They did not come to fish but looks like they're having some fun.

When the tide rolls in, the fish comes and the dipnetters start crowding in - the fun begins.

Hard work begins when you arrive home from fishing and you realize that the amount of work to do is directly proportional to the number of fish you caught.

Planning for next summer's fishing during a winter indoor activity with fishing and camping buddy, Benjie.