The Third Cast

                                  The Third Cast

    

Corey, successfully harvesting a King Salmon.

It was the third cast. I flung the spinner high over me and winged it as far as the old line would allow.  Wait for it, wait for it, ....as the lure sunk towards the bottom I began my retrieve.  The action of the lure I was using was fickle today.   In the name of conservation, ADF&G announced that single hooks only could be used.  The standard treble-hook was more balanced, and made the whole thing spin better.  The rules had changed.  Oh well.

    In addition, retention of the coveted King Salmon would only be allowed on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Okay.

     The Deshka River had gone the other way with it’s regs.  Reaching their escapement goal early-on, Fish and Game opened the Deshka King fishery to treble hooks and even bait.  My common anecdote for the Deshka River King Salmon fishery goes as follows:  10oo fishermen on 300 boats casting for 100 kings.  I chuckle to myself each time I drive by the mouth of the Deshka.  Boat after God-forsaken boat pack the mouth like a true riverboat version of combat fishing.  

      A familiar tug pulled down on my rod and I knew what was in store.  Before I could even announce my success or play-it-cool by not announcing it,  another fished jumped into the air.  Tamra had one on too.  Holy shit!  There we were fishing by ourselves, without another boat in sight, and we both had one on.  Hazelee was in attendance and can bare witness to said story because she was in charge of the landing net.  “Haze, grab the net!”  Tamra barked at her.

     “ I am, it’s stuck on my boot.”  

     Meanwhile, as Hazelee was untangling herself from the dipnet Tamra and I were playing nice Kings on either side of the boat.  One would peel drag in a panicked frenzy as the other one seemed to be losing ground.  Hazelee was fumbling with the net along with a canister of Planters salted peanuts.  Just then, a third King jumped nearby.

   “ Here Haze, take the pole.”  I saw the handwriting on the wall and quickly decided that action must be taken.  Haze took the fishing pole and immediately felt the strong pull from the King on the other end.  Feelings and words of self-doubt threatened to get the better of Haze as the fight continued.   I got the net over to Tamra who swiftly guided her fish into it. After another minute or two I was able to land Hazelee’s fish too.

    “Whoo-hooo!”  said Hazelee as she sat down on the boat’s bench to take a breather.  Two bright silvery Kings flopped around on the bottom of the boat. They were just as surprised as we were.

All said and done, the King Salmon Hazelee caught received only a fraction of the attention of Hoppy Hopperton, the frog I found for her out by the outhouse, much to the chagrin of Hoppy himself.