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Posts: 384
Location: Eagle River, Alaska | Everyone here is saturated with musky so I will give you a little dose of Alaskan king salmon........maybe recalibrate your gray matter a bit....but not likely.
Wednesday morning my work schedule fell completely apart so I decided to head up to one of the local rivers to assuage my pain and perhaps catch a rainbow or two as consellation for missing a fun packed day doing root canals (you guys know you want one). Coincidentally my fishing gear “just” happened to be in the car so I was ready to go….imagine that….gives deep meaning to the boy scout motto, “Be Prepared”. While driving north on the Parks Hwy the weather was fabulous…..was nearly 60 degrees….like a tropical heat wave here in Alaska this time of year. My car windows were rolled down to celebrate the beautiful morning. As I pulled into the parking space, and with great taste, accessorized myself for the river..... a guide whom I know, was just coming back from the fishing the mouth of this river and when asked, told me he hadn’t had much action. This was not to deter me….after all I really had nothing else to do.
So armed with my trusty Loomis 5wt fly rod I headed down to the confluence of the two rivers I was by. No one around at all….looking directly north, hanging over the Big Susitna River, was a beautiful, and rare due to weather, view of Mt. McKinley. As I made the first few casts with my weighted sculpin visions of 25” rainbows danced in my head (which, according to my wife, contains a tiny, four-lobed brain just like the fish). But rainbows were not to be. As a matter-of-fact, my fishing day lasted exactly 6 casts. When the 6th was cast I let the fly quarter downstream and as I did some very minor, but sharp, stripping the fly locked solidly onto something. Of course, there is lots of wood in this stretch of water but this thing bolted like a racehorse downstream. My initial reaction was “YEAH”….big bow…..but about halfway into my backing I realized this was much larger. A few seconds later, a mighty jump and my suspicions were confirmed….my first king salmon of the year! Having fished hard over more than the last 4 decades I assessed the situation rapidly……..and knew I didn’t have a hope in heck of landing this fish on the gear I was using….5wt with 10 lbs tippet (which, because I’m an idiot, I had not even retied from my previous trip).
After 20 minutes, a few more spectacular jumps, I had actually gained half of my line back and had managed to keep this fish out the submerged logs hidden everywhere. But about this time my recently reconstructed rod holding shoulder was burning, getting numb and quickly becoming useless (which the wife says about me frequently). I kept switching hands just to give it a break. Finally at the 30 minute mark I allowed myself to actually believe this behemoth might be mine as I had worked her into shallow water. She made a couple of massive wallows in the skinny water and I was finally able to beach her….I dropped the rod, rushed down and carried her onto the bank…..yeah baby!!
She measured in at 42 inches and nearly 40 lbs. Of course I may have to cancel the next few days of work due to an inoperable shoulder BUT it was worth it. Thanks for indulging an old man.
[img]http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Kashkingwrod.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Kashkinghoriz-1.jpg[/img]
Brian
Attachments
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 Kashkingwrod.jpg (293KB - 142 downloads)
Kashkinghoriz.jpg (284KB - 162 downloads)
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Posts: 468
Location: Not where I wanna be! | incredible......
very nice!!! |
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Posts: 51
Location: MI | that is one nice catch |
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Posts: 1504
Location: Oregon | Wow, what a beautiful fish.
RM
Edited by RiverMan 5/25/2008 5:59 AM
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Posts: 1529
| a reel beauty. i used to fish kings. if i switched back now. i would have slime withdrawls. oooh that smell. |
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Posts: 909
| You told that story so well, I felt like I was right beside you in that river! Great job and gorgeous fish! 
congrats...Brian Gilmore |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | Wow Doc, that's amazing...and on a 5 wt. no less. Truly an accomplishment.
S. |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Doc, great job on a very light outfit. Absolutely beautiful fish!
Great story, too. |
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| Very nice work. Unbelievable catch on a 5wt. I like the cork on your rod as well, looks sweet! |
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Posts: 956
Location: Home of the 2016 World Series Champion Cubs | 42#'s, 40"s AND a clear view of Mt McKinley at the same time.......I'm sure you can smell my jealousy all the way from here. I've been up that way once and cant wait to do it again. Surely one of the most beautiful places on earth. Nice catch and certainly exciting on a 5 wt.
Karl |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Nice fish and on a fly rod none the less, cool! |
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Posts: 107
Location: milwaukee | I don't think your dentist would approve of that rod holding technique...
Nice story and catch. |
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Posts: 431
| Nice fish. Can't wait to get back up there. That's a good fresh fish. I'm surprised it only took 30 minutes. Who made that rod? That grip is awesome. |
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| That is great...I am getting ready to have my first full season of fly fishing for trout here in CO, big change from muskies...I have a 5wt rod and cannot imagine the fight you had with that King...congrats! |
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Posts: 384
Location: Eagle River, Alaska | Momuskie....thanks for the comments on the rod....it is one I made about 13 years ago...my first experiment with checkerboard inlays. The rings in the cork are also made of rosewood.
Brian |
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Posts: 2361
| I'm still waiting for that rod you promised. I know you are a man of your word. Surely that rod is on the way. |
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Posts: 384
Location: Eagle River, Alaska | Jay....believe it or not I am just about finished with it....sorry for the untolerable delays. The trimar thread I began wrapping it with I ran out of and so did everyone else for nearly 10 months. Of course, now I have a hundred spools from all the places I back ordered from. Send me an address to send it to.....you can PM me....thanks for the patience.
Brian |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | You are going to love that rod. Doc builds art to fish with. |
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Posts: 2361
| I am expecting you to sign it Sworrall.
added,
BTW, as I PM'd Brian, I was able to get one of the PURPLE 5600's to go on this thing. It should look kind of blingy out there, I'll have to wear my clean t shirt to fish with it.
Edited by firstsixfeet 5/27/2008 7:23 PM
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| Doc, Nice King! I have not been back up to Alaska since the early 60's,use to work the Salmon Trawling Boats from LaPush,WA when I was a teen.
But I do get out to Washington State from NY State each September for the Skagit River Silver & King run,and drift the river with my brother David in his drift boat. I also use a 5 wgt Fly Rod,but use small Dick Nite spoons in 1/2 crome--1/2 brass,best day 14 Coho's(one 16 lbs) and 3 Kings(loose more Kings).
Ever want to drop down to Washington State in September,my brother has a house near the Stilligwamish River near Arlington,WA,he would put us up.
Capt. Larry D. Jones
www.mostlymuskies.com
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Location: Green Bay, WI | Great catch on light tackle! But hey, I think I fished that river! We lived up there for a year back in the 90s, and I fished a few of those places--though now I couldn't tell you where they were. I also hung out in a few of the local bars on the Kenai Peninsula (played in a R&R band...).
But reading your story I kept expecting the part where the big mean Grizzly Bear came running out of the woods to steal your catch!
TB |
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| What? Someone can post that they caught a 40 pounder and not get called a cheatin' lyin' nogood child abusin' SOB. I don't get it. There is no way that fish weighs 40lbs, maybe 35 
Great story along with great pics. Stories like that keep me dreaming about the Alaskan trip I plan on making..........someday. 
Bigfish |
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