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ALASKA ALASKA
SPOR SPORTING ORTTI NG JJOURNAL OURNAL VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 3
A
www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER
James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Andy Walgamott EDITOR
Chris Cocoles ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Tom Reale WRITERS
Paul D. Atkins, Krystin Bablinskas, Christine Cunningham, Scott Haugen,Tiffany Haugen, Jeff Lund, Andy Martin, Bixler McClure, Steve Meyer, Dennis Musgraves,Tom Reale SALES MANAGER
Brian Lull ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Becca Ellingsworth, Shawna Flores-Cravens, Mamie Griffin, Mike Nelson, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS
Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Sonjia Kells PRODUCTION MANAGER
John Rusnak CIRCULATION MANAGER
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Alaskan hunter Paul Atkins (left) was joined by three Lower 48 friends on a productive hunt in the Alaskan tundra, where large caribou herds were everywhere and allowed all the hunters to tag some large bulls. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
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CONTENTS
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VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 3
FEATURES 15
61
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Midnight Sun Baseball College baseball players flock from the Lower 48 to participate each summer in the Alaskan Baseball League. We sent longtime Cleveland Indians fanatic and Anchorage’s own, Tom Reale, out to the yard to chat up the ballplayers and share some of their experiences enjoying the Alaskan outdoors when not at the park. No Snagging For This Angler Krystin Bablinskas was fishing for king salmon in the Seward Lagoon, and while other anglers were attemping to snag their way into big fish, Krystin went for the more traditional way to catch a Chinook.
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Roughin’ It On The High Seas Brave soul Jeff Lund joined some friends on a deep-sea salmon trip off the coast of Southeast Alaska, where the seas can be a bit treacherous. But the rewards include catching some big fish.
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Tricking Trout - With A View The main attraction when Dennis Musgraves goes on an Alaskan fishing adventure is – wait for it – the fish. But the upper Susitna Valley provides quite a gorgeous backdrop: the majestic summit of North America’s tallest peak, Mt. McKinley.
125 Remembering A Special Hunt Scott Haugen, who along with his wife, Tiffany, show you how to kill it and grill it in their monthly Field to Fire column. Scott recalled one of his favorite hunts in the Haugens’ new installment.
13 25 29
The Editor’s Note When salmon fishermen run Scenes from this season at a Nushagak River fish camp 33 Meet the “Practical Prepper” of reality TV 45 A former Alaska State Trooper S.E.R.T. officer looks back at a plane crash salvaging in rocky terrain. 53 The Dishonor Roll: Bears steal summer camp lunchboxes 55 Massive halibut landed in Glacier Bay 83 Fishing “the edges” for anglers between salmon runs 100 Discovering the joys of fly fishing after years of ignoring it. 131 New column: No sympathy 135 Four shooting rules to remember and practice in the field 142 Loose Ends: Changing fishing conditions
SUCCESS ON BARREN GROUND Correspondent Paul Atkins (second from left), brought three friends from the South on an epic caribou hunt on Alaska's North Slope. The weather was rainy and windy, but as the evidence shows, herds of trophy bulls were everywhere, allowing the guys plenty of chances to use their rifles and bows. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues) or $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus tax. Copyright © 2014 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.
10 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Refuge Cove Island Property
Scott Hunt’s company, Practical Preppers, offers common sense tips for being prepared for emergencies of varying degrees, from natural disasters to financial and family crises. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
$839,000 didn’t know a lot about “preppers” before I talked to Scott Hunt, who consults and assesses the varied group of survivalists on the National Geographic show Doomsday Preppers. But I found myself nodding my head more than once when I chatted with Hunt, a busy man who wears many hats, including owning his own company, Practical Preppers, which helps people get ahead of the curve and not be scrambling when some kind of catastrophe strikes. Alaskans live in a rather rugged land, and as Hunt pointed out, some in remote areas “have to be preppers.” The state is earthquake country and susceptible to floods from spring ice melts. The recent Funny River Fire on the Kenai Peninsula was an eye-opener for homeowners to be prepared in the event of such an emergency. Though it was hardly from the same scale as far more deadly disasters in recent years – Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy and Irene, plus the devastating tornadoes throughout the Central Plains – I asked Hunt where I went wrong when I was totally unprepared for an ice storm that crippled Fayetteville, Ark., when I lived there in 2009. Ice-covered tree branches broke and knocked out power lines. My house was without power for about 48 hours – some in the area had no electricity for two or more weeks – and temperatures in the low 20s and high teens and no hot water made for a challenge to stay warm. My poor dog’s teeth were chattering it was so cold on my hardwood floors. I didn’t exactly have Arctic gear when I attempted to dress in layers. “If you don’t have any heat and you are unprepared, I call it hording heat. You find one of the smaller rooms in the home and start enclosing it and insulating yourself within an area,” Hunt said.“You do not have to have a heater in most places – and I’m not talking about Alaska – to stay warm and keep your family warm. And then use furniture to basically box yourself to give you the ability to stay warm.” “Morale goes down when you’re not able to stay warm, not able to stay clean or stay fed.You and your dog were shivering in that house, but there’s so much you can do to stay warm – things like heating soapstone or having a backup kerosene heater. I tell people to store food, store water and store heat. You don’t want to be caught in a situation where you can’t help yourself.” I don’t expect to be building any bomb shelters or stowing away a gas mask in my closet. But Scott Hunt convinced me it’s wise to expect the unexpected and be“prepped”next time. -Chris Cocoles
I
INTEGRITY
KNOWLEDGE
RESULTS
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AUGUST 2014
ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 13
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Members of the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks college summer baseball team got away from the diamond to visit Flattop Mountain in Anchorage. One of the perks of these players participating in the Alaskan Baseball League is the scenery. (LANCE PHILLIPS)
ALASKA’S BOYS OF SUMMER COLLEGE BASEBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS GET GLIMPSE OF ALASKAN OUTDOORS
BY TOM REALE
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hen you think big-time sports in Alaska, which ones spring to mind? For most of us, the list probably begins and ends with hockey and dog mushing. However, since 1893, baseball has been a significant part of the state’s sporting landscape. That was the year in which the Roaring Gimlets managed to sneak past the Pig-Stickers by the basketball-sized score of 62-49. Details of that long-ago game include the facts that it was played in December, on the ice, and at a game-
time temperature of a somewhat chilly minus 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Since then, the game has progressed considerably up here. When gold prospectors, lumbermen, commercial fishermen and military contingents came north over the years, they brought along their love of the game and their desire to keep alive this little bit of home in their new and often hostile environment. Looking through state photo archives shows evidence of uniformed teams playing in Douglas (near Juneau) in 1904, in Juneau in 1914, and in Sitka in 1913. During World War II, American
servicemen continued the tradition while stationed here, and St. Louis Cardinals and Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Stan Musial visited the Aleutians on a USO tour in 1943. Since then, the path of organized baseball has been a bit uneven. The most recent incarnation of organized ball in Alaska began in the 1980s, when the Anchorage Adult Baseball League merged with the Alaska Baseball League (alaskabaseballleague.com). The current ABL hosts college baseball players in one of many summer prospect leagues around the country. AUGUST 2014
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Alaska Baseball League alumni include Mark McGwire and many other ex-Major League standouts. (TOM REALE)
The current configuration of the league consists of six teams – two from Anchorage and one each from Fairbanks, the Kenai Peninsula, Chugiak, and the Mat-Su Valley. Along the way, ABL teams have competed against teams from Hawaii, Korea, Russia, and even against the Colorado Silver Bullets, the women’s professional team that was managed by former major leaguer Phil Niekro. And speaking of major leaguers, the list of MLB players who have stopped over in Alaska early in their careers is quite impressive. There have been scores, if not hundreds, of big leaguers who have graced the rosters of Alaska Baseball League teams. From Aaron Boone to Jacoby Ellsbury, Wally Joyner to Jeff Kent, Mark McGwire, Tom Seaver, Randy Johnson, and Barry Bonds – the list goes on and on. 16 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
Summer in Alaska Nowadays, the ABL is composed of players who must have played at least one year of college baseball and have remaining eligibility. While in Alaska, they stay with local host families and travel to their games in much the same manner as minor leaguers, via buses. They also use wood/wood composite bats, a transition from the composite aluminum bats used in most NCAA-sanctioned play. Their work/play schedule is similar to the routine of most minor league ballplayers – up early for lifting and workouts, travel by bus to afternoon and evening games, then home and to bed, and up again the next day for more of the same. The season runs from early June through July, and players generally get about one day a week off to see parts of Alaska that aren’t ball fields. If they’re lucky and their
team takes the ABL championship, they’ll travel to the National Baseball Congress World Series in August. I had a chance recently to talk to a few members of the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks while they were in town for a game against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots. Lance Phillips is a right-handed submarine-sidearm pitcher and a senior at the University of Arkansas of the powerful Southeastern Conference who majors in small business administration. This is his second year playing in Alaska, which makes him one of the grizzled veterans on the team. His reasons for playing in the ABL include playing for the Athletes In Action squad, the level of competition in the league, and just having the Alaska experience. As far as his non-baseball activities, Phillips was able to go fishing last year and
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ALASKAN REUNION FOR COACHES ollege baseball coaches are a pretty tight fraternity. I learned this firsthand being a college baseball beat writer at two newspapers, the Los Angeles Daily News and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Baseball coaches are rivals when they are in opposing dugouts and have every intention of beating the guy on the other side of the diamond, but unlike other college sports like football or basketball, feuds are rare. They get to know each other at conventions, camps, the recruiting trail, and in outposts like Alaska. In 2009, Arkansas was scheduled to meet Cal State Fullerton in their opening game of the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. It was a reunion of then Arkansas assistant coach Todd Butler and Cal State
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18 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
Fullerton head coach Dave Serrano. The two were once young coaches who worked together on staffs in the Alaska Baseball League in the 1990s. Both grew up about as far away from the Last Frontier as you can get: Butler in Louisiana, Serrano in Southern California. “It’s 20 hours of daylight and four hours of darkness,” Butler said that day in Omaha, just before he caught up a little bit with his fellow Alaskan alum, Serrano. “I remember when I flew into Kenai in 1991, we went to the field and we had no lights. How were we going to play night games? They said it’s never dark.” Butler, who’s now the head coach at Wichita State University, quickly adapted to the summer in Alaska routine. After coaching a 6 p.m. game, he’d
head out to the Kenai River and cast for sockeye in 10 p.m. summer sunlight. Butler’s Arkansas Razorbacks got the best of Serrano’s Cal State Fullerton Titans in Omaha, but they enjoyed meeting up again. Serrano is currently the head coach at Tennessee, where his son Kyle, a pitcher, just finished his freshman season for the Volunteers. The Alaskan connection has gone full circle; Kyle Serrano spent this summer playing with the ABL’s Matsu Miners. “I was kind of leery going to Alaska,” Serrano told me back in 2009. “What am I going into? You hear Alaska and you think snow and think igloos. I left Alaska feeling like everybody in the world should experience Alaska one time in their life. It’s a beautiful part of the country.” –Chris Cocoles
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All You Have To Do With The New Brad’s Super Bait Cut Plugs Is Load Your Favorite Scent And Let Her Roll!
AUGUST 2014
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plans a whitewater rafting trip this summer. He’s done a bit of hiking, including hiking up Mt. Baldy in the Matanuska Valley and Flattop Mountain in Anchorage.
Small schools, big talent For Kyle Conkle, this year was his first to play in the ABL. He’d heard about the Chinooks from a friend and applied for the team, and is thoroughly enjoying his first Alaska adventure. He’s been very impressed by the high level of the competition here. “We’re playing against guys who are all potential draft picks, and the talent level is similar to what you’d find in the minors,” says Conkle, who attends the University of North Alabama and is from Fort Payne, Ala. It’s been quite a transition for a smallschool player like Conkle to be in a league that features players from top major college baseball conferences like Phillips’ SEC, the Atlantic Coast, Big West and Pacific 12. “You go from being a big fish in a
20 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
small pond to a small fish in a big pond,” says Conkle, who excelled in both pitching (4-3, 3.28 earned-run average) and hitting (.328, 2 home runs, 37 RBI) at North Alabama in 2014 as a junior. He was batting .225 with 11 RBI for the Chinooks in mid-July. His host family is very outdoorsy, and he’s been able to get out for some hiking trips. “We did a hike to Mt. Baldy and had a moose walk up to within 50 yards of us! I was even able to get some video of it – very impressive,” he says. He’s also been able to spend some time at the family cabin near Talkeetna. “There’s no electricity, no cell phone coverage, no running water, and an outhouse,” Conkle says. “It’s important to get away from everyday society, away from all of the modern conveniences and to just clear your mind once in a while.” Shane Armstrong is a right-handed pitcher from Hillsdale College in Michigan, which, like Conkle’s North Alabama team, is a Division II school. He’s also impressed by the talent level in the ABL.
Lance Phillips is a pitcher for the SEC’s Arkansas Razorbacks and made his second consecutive appearance in the Alaska league. He’s had a chance to land some salmon during his two summers in the Last Frontier. (LANCE PHILLIPS)
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ALASKA AVIATION ADVENTURE DIRECTORY
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Kyle Conkle takes a swing during a game in Anchorage. The college players who participated this summer ranged from traditional NCAA Division I powers like Florida State, LSU, Stanford and UC Irvine, to small schools such as Point Loma Nazarene, University of Puget Sound and Conkle’s North Alabama Lions. (TOM REALE)
“This is definitely the best league I’ve ever played in. It’s not common for guys from D-II schools to be able to play against players from the SEC and other
D-I schools,” he says. Armstrong’s been salmon fishing on the Kenai River and Russian River once apiece this summer. “We caught one fish,
and we’re still working on eating it,” he says. He’s also gotten out to go hiking on Baldy and Flattop, and learned on a hike on the Matanuska Glacier that “shorts and tennis shoes aren’t the best gear for hiking on ice.” Armstrong’s ultimate dream is to get drafted and to catch on with a team in Major League Baseball. Even if that doesn’t come to pass, he plans on staying involved in the game in some capacity, either as a coach or player. Unfortunately, the Chinooks aren’t having the best of seasons; at this writing, they were in last place in their league with a 4-18 record. However, the experience gained by the players by competing at such a high level, combined with the pure adventure of spending a summer in Alaska, will serve them well in their baseball careers. Plus, they’ll be continuing the long tradition of Alaska baseball, carrying on the legacy of the MLB players who have gone before them, not to mention the Roaring Gimlets and the Pig-Stickers. ASJ
TAQUAN AIR ALASKA Welcome to Taquan Air, Ketchikan’s finest float plane operation. Our fleet of eight De Havilland Beavers and one Cessna Caravan provide service from Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tours to daily scheduled service to the bush communities of Southeast Alaska. Whatever your needs are let our staff at Taquan help you realize your Alaskan adventure. Taquan Air is committed to having the nicest fleet of De Havilland aircraft in commercial operation while maintaining the highest level of safety in ground and flight operations. The goal begins with aircraft maintenance and aesthetics. The company’s comprehensive maintenance program is staffed by a highly trained and experienced team of aviation professionals working in a state-of-the-art facility. The company’s safety plan has been expanded to include participation in the nationally acclaimed Medallion Program and FAA’s Capstone Program, and Taquan continues to be Ketchikan’s only 5 Star Medallion Shield Carrier. www.taquanair.com • 907-225-8800 22 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
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ALASKA AVIATION ADVENTURE DIRECTORY
MAGNUSON AIRWAYS Barney Anselment is the owner and pilot of Magnuson Airways. He is a third generation bush pilot born and raised in Alaska, specializing in off airport flying. With a life-long knowledge of bush Alaska, he has the experience to fly you to places the average pilot would never think of landing. For more information, call (907) 2982223, email anselment@yahoo.com or go to his website at www.magnusonairways.com.
ISLAND AIR EXPRESS Island Air Express operates Cessna 208 and Cessna 206 aircraft throughout Southeast Alaska. Providing the only scheduled IFR service between Prince of Wales Island and Ketchikan, Island Air delivers the most reliable, ontime service available. Exclusive amphib and wheel-plane charter service is also available throughout Southeast Alaska at a moment’s notice. Operating Cessna 208 Caravans with the trustworthy Honeywell 850 & 950 hp jet-prop engine conversions makes their aircraft the fastest turbine aircraft available in their class. Island Air Express provides scheduled passenger and freight services and in addition is the sole provider of mail to both Craig and Klawock, located on Prince of Wales Island. Island Air Express has been granted full FAA and USDOT authorization as a certified Air Carrier. Operating IFR (in or above the clouds), day or night with the onboard advanced Synthetic Flight Vision navigation system makes these modern aircraft the safest, most reliable fleet in Alaska. Island Air Express is owned and operated by Scott Van Valin, Alaskan born and raised. Island Air was created in 2008 with one Cessna 208 amphib and a Cessna 206 floatplane in order to support El Capitan Lodge (www.elcapitanlodge.com), a premier fishing destination for the past 28 years located on Prince of Wales Island owned by Scott and wife Heidi. In 2010 Island Air Express expanded its service and became the first carrier to bring year-round scheduled IFR service to Prince of Wales Island. In 2011 they added a second Cessna 208 to the fleet and again in 2014 they added a third Cessna 208 to the fleet, becoming the preferred carrier of the US Postal Service as well as the primary carrier for passengers and freight in the region. islandairx.com/ (888) 387-8989
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Plenty of anglers took a break from the early spring fishing opportunities in Southeast Alaska to participate in the Prince of Wales International Marathon. (SHANNON VAUGHN)
WHEN SALMON ANGLERS RUN FISHERMEN HIT THE PAVEMENT IN HALF MARATHON BY JEFF LUND hen the salmon are running, fishermen chase them. When the fishermen are running, well, that sounds strange. The figurative language about salmon doing what they cannot sounds perfectly reasonable when compared to the literal running, on actual legs, fisherman sometimes do. Though I prefer the salmon running more than running myself, a distance race which cut through my hometown is appealing. So along with over 350 other participants, I spend the morning of May 24 running in the 15th Annual Prince of Wales International Marathon (powmarathon.org). There are marathon runners, half-marathon runners and relay
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teams made up of jean-wearing dudes with beards, high school cross country teams and elementary kids in tie-dye shirts. As one would expect from a race on an Alaskan island, all aspects of the fishing world are present. The race is staffed with fishermen who probably volunteered long before they knew the weather would be warm, calm, beautiful, and that king salmon were starting to show up. When we’d cross the finish line, king salmon specialist Rob Jackson would stop to record our official time. Steps later we’d receive the participation medal – a wooden square with a polished glass fish in the middle. Kerrie Carl and Kelli Larson would be
It’s Southeast Alaska, so of course the coveted medals runners always look for at the finish line come with a rather fishy theme. (SHANNON VAUGHN)
manning the grills at the post-race meal. The menu? Salmon, of course. Both of their husbands are fanatical ocean fishermen with big kings on their resumes. Fish. Fish. Fish. But first, the race.
The Run At the pasta feed the night before the race, charter guide Rafael Ramirez-Ruiz tells me he had done a swim and a 2.5-mile run. That is the entirety of his training. We share a laugh. He’s a charter guide, not a AUGUST 2014
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Corby Weyhmiller’s (front) primary job is as a middle school teacher. But in the summer he works aboard his family’s power troller. He is a durable runner too, running the full marathon on this lovely spring day. (SHANNON VAUGHN)
runner, but the event is too tempting. The guest speaker, a seasoned marathoner who was the youngest in history to run a marathon in all 50 states, tells us to remember all our hours of training. I think of Rafael and wonder if he’ll be remembering those dozens of dedicated minutes. Two of my college buddies from our alma mater, the University of Arizona in their home in Tucson, are in town to run the half marathon with me. Though we have trained, we figure to be in the same boat (get the fishing pun?) with Rafael. I’m in better shape than previous half marathons, but fishing for steelhead, trout, or salmon always seems more interesting than long training runs on Saturday mornings. We break quickly, but the clock tells we are slow out of the starting line. That doesn’t bother us much. We are there for the experiences like this: A fourth grader races ahead, full-sprint, at the encouraging of bystanders. The energy fades, he begins to walk and when a pod of girls catches him, he starts jogging again to keep pace with them. Smart kid. Our group changes pretty much every mile. Kyle has a bad knee, so rather than pull back on the downhill stretches, he rockets down them because he says it’s easier. He shoots out ahead of Adam and me, and then we catch him when things flatten. Over the first 6 miles we’ve run with a local student who washes dishes at a fishing lodge; a recent graduate with a hunger 26 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
for catching trout and salmon; Rafael the under-prepared fishing guide (who was ahead of us for 10 of the 13 miles); a police officer, who naturally was once an ocean guide. My buddies and I finish together, each taking small leads on the final tenth of a mile, but crossing simultaneously. The salmon won’t be ready for another hour, so we walk around, congratulating others, stretching and attacking the pretzel bowl.
Part of a lifestyle One has to figure that life in Alaska isn’t exactly like it is on television. There has to be some free time, right? People can’t fish, hunt or gather every minute of every day. What do Alaskans do when they aren’t catching fish, building igloos or milking penguins? Corby Weyhmiller is a middle school teacher at Klawock School; he supplements his income working on the family power troller during the summer. He sport fishes when the commercial season ends, plays Frisbee golf when he gets a chance and runs (he finished two hours after us, but ran twice as far). Weyhmiller might get grief from charter guides or locals for being a troller during the summer, but there is a mutual understanding and respect for the most part though each type of fisherman might think he has the moral high ground. That makes events like a marathon with a fishy
motif fun, and without fish politics. Many people who visit to Alaska don’t venture out from the comfort of the allinclusive lodges to get an idea of what life in Alaskan towns is like. Many locals say they are not only missing out, but such efforts would go a long way to helping the tourist/local relationship, which at times can be strained. It is at events like the POW International Marathon that one gets a true glimpse of what Alaska life is like. It’s stereotypical yet diverse, hardcore yet tender. It can be what you see on TV, but for the most part it’s really not. Most people return from Alaska with boxes of fish. Some return with stories of people handing out water and Gatorade wearing presidential masks, in addition to king salmon, halibut and yelloweye. That’s more than just a bonus.
More to come After the awards ceremony (I won a fish tank in the raffle), race participants gather and mingle with more locals at the Hill Bar in Craig, the local watering hole. There is ‘80s music blaring, dancing, the celebration of personal bests and recommending of runs across the country. Some visitors ask about places to river fish and I give them some generic tips because it takes more than distance run camaraderie and Alaska Summer Ale to coax secrets out of me. A few people leave early - they have fishing charters in the morning. The three of us decide to leave just before midnight because I had a nice little spot to catch cutthroat trout on dry flies I want to show my buddies the next day. The spot produces because that’s what it does, and a day later the guys return to the sweltering Arizona desert. You might not be the distance-running type, but chances are thiscsummer there are plenty of fun runs and festivities which will enhance your Alaskan experience. What makes a trip isn’t what you expect; it’s what happens in addition to what you pay for. That’s what “all-inclusive” is really about. ASJ
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A Summer On The
NUSHAGAK PHOTOS AND TEXT BY BRIAN LULL
very year I am granted a furlough from my duties as general manager of Alaska Sporting Journal to work as a guide on the Nushagak River in Alaska's Bristol Bay for Jake's Nushagak Salmon Camp (jakesnushagaksalmon.com). Here is my, as they say in the military, "after action report:"
E
Fishing was, for the most part, slow by Nushagak standards. While slow, it was still better than many rivers in Alaska and certainly a bit better than king salmon fisheries in the Lower 48. The weather was amazing. I only put on my raingear twice the entire time I was there. Mosquitoes also were strangely absent – not that any living creature with red blood cells missed them. All in all, it was a great season. And everyone came home with some tasty red Bristol Bay bounty. With pictures being worth more than words, here are some:
A young moose enjoyed what was outstanding, mostly mosquito-free weather.
One theory why the fishing wasn’t as outstanding as most years: the fish came early. While setting up camp, many guides reported seeing subsistence nets full of big kings in May and early June. Jim Matlock of Astoria, Ore. (left) managed a nice Nushagak king fishing with the author (right).
Bay Air is the one who gets us there! From Dillingham, pilot Tom Schlagel has flied us and our gear out to camp from town and back every year for many years. AUGUST 2014
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Another theory on the slower-than-normal fishing: The 4-year age class for this year’s run was missing. In 2010, the Nushagak closed early due to poor escapement. The parents of this year's 4-year-olds didn't have much success.
Through these Dillingham airport doors walk eager sport anglers and their guides, headed to great rivers like the Nushagak and the Togiak, plus the Wood-Tikchik State Park, and all the rest of many Bristol Bay destinations.
Jake’s Nushagak Salmon Camp, operated by Eli Huffman, is a popular destination for salmon seekers. As the Jake’s website (jakesnushagaksalmoncamp.com) says, “There’s one reason why over 90 percent of our anglers return, they catch fish!” It’s tough to beat pulling in a Nushagak salmon on a sunny summer afternoon. Fishing on the Nushagak is a Bristol Bay area rite of passage.
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Ready for the end of the world? The men and women of the National Geographic Channel show, Doomsday Preppers, are preparing themselves for various forms of possible chaos. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
PREPPING FOR DOOMSDAY REALITY SHOW’S ‘PRACTICAL PREPPER’ ON BEING READY FOR ANYTHING
BY CHRIS COCOLES
ichard Dean Anderson is an accomplished TV actor, having starred for a decade in the successful sci-fi hit Stargate SG-1. But to many, he’ll always be MacGyver, that 1980s secret agent who, says the website macgyveronline.com, at different points in the 141-episode ABC show, could use a gum wrapper as fishing tackle, make a hot air signal balloon from paper mache and a ball, and build a baby crib
R
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Scott Hunt operates his own prepper company, Practical Preppers, and is one of the professional consultant experts on Doomsday Preppers. “Preparedness can be for anything. People talk things like the apocalypse or EMP’s (a nuclear electromagnetic pulse), but people in general are not prepared for life,” he says. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
Scott Hunt has no interest in building a bomb out of a paper clip, but as a survivalist prepper, Hunt savors the idea of being somewhat of a MacGyver-type. That’s what I do,” says Hunt a professional prepper who is a mentor to the survivalists preparing for the worst on the National Geographic Channel series, Doomsday Preppers. “If you came here the last two days and watched me, I spent that time tweaking a centrifuge – not for nuclear material, just want to make that clear – for making black diesel. I took wasted motor oil and transmission fluid, and we made our own fuel that we could pour into my Volkswagen. And we drove in it.” Hunt is among the growing number of Americans who want to be expected to thrive when the unexpected happens. Alaskans have endured crises like the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, which registered a massive 9.2 magnitude killing 139 and causing severe damage in Anchorage and surrounding areas. Coastal areas located along the dangerous Ring of Fire are susceptible to another major tremor. That’s where Hunt’s company he started three years ago, Practical Preppers (864-915-1855; practicalpreppers.com), hopes to get people started on having a plan in place in the event of a calamity like, and Alaskans know these are very possible, earthquakes or fires. Hunt’s videos available on his company’s
34 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
website or his Practical Preppers YouTube website (www.youtube.com/ user/engineer775) that show him working with enough gadgets to keep James Bond comfortable if one of the villains he’s battling actually does succeed with world destruction. Hunt has an intriguing resume: he earned a master’s degree in engineering from the prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y) and worked as a product development engineer with Michelin Tire for a decade; he spent 10 years as a senior pastor and operates a successful cattle/livestock business. But prepping for the worst and using his creative energy to figure out how to survive is a passion. Assisting those preppers on the National Geographic show has opened the eyes of viewers one way or the other. “Doomsday Preppers has really helped me. I live in the middle of nowhere so how do I get my name out there? The show helps, the Internet helps like social media,” says Hunt, who just finished writing a book, Practical Preppers: A Guide to Disaster Preparedness. We caught up with Hunt from his rural South Carolina property where he talked about not losing balance when your life is turned upside down.
Scott Hunt [laughs] I do a variety of things and try to keep it simple; just throwing up (videos) of every possible thing that I can come up with to help people be prepared for whatever they’re preparing for. The shows that have come out, like Doomsday Preppers, you have a variety of people: a mixture of preppers, some survivalists, and you have some that do both. And we recommend learning both. But from a preparedness standpoint, we think building community and not just heading out into the hills is the way to go. But my part in is I’m trying to promote a preparedness lifestyle, something where you’re not as dependent on the system. But you’re also not hiding under a rock somewhere. But if there is a crisis: a tornado, a hurricane, or something, that you’re part of the solution and not the problem. CC So how did you get involved in prepping with your diverse background?
SH It’s all kind of come together. I had a good education in mechanical engineering and robotics. And I was a pastor who traveled and did missionary work and helped a lot of people that way. So prepping is a way to combine both of these for me, using the skills I’ve learned. It’s kind of a weird way to get where I am, but a long path. It’s been a great match and just makes sense.
CC Tell me about your experience on Doomsday Preppers. SH I was on the pilot episode. We got back to the production company, Sharp Entertainment, when the show was sold to Nat Geo. We were assessed, but we said, ‘How could somebody from downtown Manhattan assess our preparedness. We challenged them; they asked us if we wanted to be on season one. We said no, but ‘what if we do the assessment part of the show’. We just finished (shooting) season four. CC What’s it been like assess this cast of characters appearing on the show?
Chris Cocoles In watching some of your
SH There are what I call true preppers
videos, what you do seems pretty complicated to a non-expert like me, but is it a pretty simple process for you?
that are very cynical and do not like the show because it’s sensationalizing the prepper movement to some degree. But
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I tell them that you’re just getting a 15minute snapshot of a person who has worked 20 years on what he does. It’s not fair. But if you look at this objectively, you can pick up something from each one. I’ve talked to hundreds of people and I always pick up something. I finally talked to the production company and said, ‘Would
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you let me to talk to the prepper?’ I could talk their language so to speak and I could see what they’re preparing and how they’re preparing and what they’re preparing for. Get me on the phone with them for at least a half hour and I can get what this person is doing. I’ve learned a lot from what they’re good at for their climate and conditions, and
their possible national disasters. That could give me another idea and project to work on. It’s been nothing but awesome to talk to different preppers. There are some who probably shouldn’t have been on the show. But overall, it’s been very positive for me to be a part of Doomsday Preppers.
CC Was there a time earlier in your life Scott Hunt is proud to be compared to the main character of the 1980s TV show cult hit MacGyver for his creative approach to solving problems, like using pedal power as a “bicycle generator.” (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
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where you were unprepared for something and it convinced you to become a prepper? SH Not necessarily, but seeing other people suffer and paying attention to that as a pastor for a church, I saw people who lost a job or had health concerns. They weren’t ready for that. Maybe a spouse is addicted to a drug and it completely wipes out the family. Preparedness can be for anything. People talk things like the apocalypse or EMP’s (a nuclear electromagnetic pulse), but people in general are not prepared for life. I spent 10 years pastoring people who were wiped out in their life. You can’t prepare for everything. But it’s nice to prepare at some level and to
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be help others in those situations. CC When you see the aftermath of a disaster I think we all say “Wow, we could have been more prepared to handle this.” But did it hit home for you even more when you saw what went on after Hurricane Katrina or Superstorm Sandy? SH You see people like a mother that can’t give her child an asthma rescue. There are simple things when you say, “Oh my goodness, I have the solution for that.” People suffer because they don’t prepare. When something like Sandy hits, you know there are people that are going to be wiped out. (Hurricane) Irene in Vermont (in 2011) and people stranded. Katrina was awful, of course. So storms continue to get stronger and more violent. Simple things like that being in Oklahoma and not having a tornado shelter, it’s just not wise. And being able to get away from a wildfire, a tornado or flooding, those are not things that require you to spend a life savings to do. A lot of times you just need to leave where you’re at, and people sometimes aren’t
38 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
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even prepared to do that. FEMA can’t come and rescue everybody. You can’t imagine what’s going to happen.
CC I grew up in the San Francisco area, where, of course, there’s always a threat of earthquakes. And when we had a quake we’d watch the news, which would always tell us to be prepared and have emergency supplies stored. And my family and I always thought that we need to do this, and we sort of did it, but really we never did. And I think that’s the mentality a lot of families have. But like you preach, you should more than prepared for that, right? SH Exactly. If people just followed the government’s guidelines at ready.gov, we would be way better off. People do not follow it. They are now going more towards a week’s worth of preparedness. Because help is not always going to get to you for a period of seven days, so why not have enough simple water, food, shelter, and those things on hand. We’re not talking about amassing an arsenal and trying to protect your community. No matter what
the scenario there could be a breakdown and social chaos. Humans become animals within a few days when they don’t have food or water. Being exposed to the elements in some climates is brutal. A lot of reality shows in Alaska, those people have to be preppers. They have to or they die. But most people in the Lower 48 don’t have to prepare like that and survive on a daily basis. They become dependent on food, water and medicine being available or delivered. The communication system is always working. It’s a very fragile, high-tech society. I understand the technology, but I also like old, simpler ways to fall back on. It can fail and it has failed in pockets in different ways. Why not have simple ways to stay warm, cook your food, take care of your family and have some potable water so nobody gets sick.
CC But it’s not just about natural calamities, it can be losing a job or a family member or having a sick family member you should prep for just in case, correct?
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SH You do see that in some of the prepper groups: they run their groups through scenarios. “Today, Joe lost his job.” It’s hard to simulate what you’re saying with a job loss. Butit’sgoodtomakepeoplethatyouknowor work with to think through that scenario. You don’t know what people will do until they’re putinthatsituation,orcourse.Sosometimes it’s good to maybe throw the breaker or turn the power off. The family doesn’t appreciate it, but it’s a good test to see how we are addicted to our cell phones, our tablets, everything. There will be severe psychological trauma if the Internet goes down. I’m just as bad as anyone else because I live in a very rural area. I could not do what I do without it. From job loss to that huge disaster, you don’t know what people are going to do and how they’re going to behave. CC Have you been told by people, “Hey, you guys are eccentric, you’re nuts, you overdo it?” SH [laughs] All the time. But then when something happens, “Maybe Scott wasn’t that crazy.” I’ve always done this; I don’t golf,
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Having some kind of a kit on hand with basic tools and food is common sense for the beginning prepper. Scott Hunt says to start with having water on hand. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)
I don’t hunt. I like to do what I do and help to give people ideas on how to prepare. It helps me to be prepared because I build these things and install them. I’m going all over the place to install solutions that I d sign. So it doesn’t bother me that people
think I’m crazy. And a lot of people who used to think I’m crazy are totally on board. The light bulb went off and “now I get it.” But some extremists or nutjobs can ruin it. “If that’s prepping I don’t want anything to do it,” and I understand that. We need food,
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water and shelter, and that’s all I’m talking about. I tell people a little bit about electricity goes a long way. If the grid goes down for a week can you generate a little bit of power? It can be generators, solar panels or windworks in your area or maybe you have a creek that works for hydro. I don’t care if it’s human power up to very complicated hybrid power systems. But start simple. The Amish are laughing at us; they are prepared and don’t need our technology.
CC You have quite the impressive resume, and you’re an intelligent person. And you have to be a little creative and think outside the box in what you do. SH You do. I think my goal when I bought this small piece of property, my hobby was could I live off it and be self-sufficient. What do I have? I have wood, I have water. And from that I have done crazy things and it’s been fun. It just keeps going. The more people that could be prepared, it’ll pay off. People that have gone through the hurricanes, a lot of those people say, “I will never do this
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again.’ I get a lot of calls from people in Florida who have gone through multiple hurricanes. They ask me, “What do I need to have water?” I start with water; I don’t care what your political bent is; everybody needs good water. When I start off with the Doomsday Preppers, I ask them to tell me about their water supply. How do they get it? What’s their long-term solution? A lot of people don’t have one. I make suggestions. Water opens the door for me to talk to everybody. I don’t start with, “How many guns do you have?” That turns off a lot of people.
CC There are a couple of great quotes on your website from two men I admire: Benjamin Franklin (“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”), and Henry Ford (“Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice.”). What do those two quotes mean to you? Because I see Franklin and Ford as geniuses. SH Absolutely. You had almost a scientist of course in Ben Franklin, and more
of an engineer in Henry Ford. Where I grew up in upstate New York, everywhere you went you were using and getting wood. Though I despised it as a teenager I love it now and use it for everything. But yes, they’re awesome guys. I’d put Michael Faraday and (Albert) Einstein in there. They’re just creative out-of-the-box men; I enjoy that.
CC What’s one message you hope Doomsday Preppers can send to a people like me who would like to be more prepared but probably aren’t? SH The first thought that comes to my mind is “wake up.” They kind of put every person in the show as what are they preparing for? A lot of people say they are preparing for everything. And the show does a good job of spreading it out: “You’re preparing an EMP, you’re preparing for a wildfire, you’re preparing for a job loss.” Doomsday Preppers gets it out there that, “It could happen to me. We need to do something about it. That person showed me what I could do.” Some people spend crazy amounts of money, but there are some good and practical solutions to protect yourself and your family and maybe even your community. So kind of the message is to wake up to the reality of how fragile our society is.
CC So about that MacGyver comparison… SH I have 300-plus videos of MacGyverlike stuff. My shop is a disaster. I have 50 projects going on. It’s a lot of fun. I have a couple young guys that I’m training. So I said, “Come on guys: let’s build this.” I have so many gadgets and gizmos. This was my dream that I could be, for lack of a better word, a MacGyver and be able to share that. I’m having a blast; I need to get more sleep [laughs]. ASJ Editor’s note: For more information on Scott Hunt’s company, Practical Preppers, go to his website, practicalpreppers.com, or call (864) 915-1855. His book, The Practical Preppers Complete Guide to Disaster Preparedness (Thomas Dunne Books) is on sale Aug. 5, and is the comprehensive guide for all experience levels for preparing for any disaster and building a more sustainable lifestyle. New episodes of Doomsday Preppers are currently airing on the National Geographic Channel. 42 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
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RESPONDING TO THE
CHALLENGE RECALLING A S.E.R.T. PLANE CRASH SALVAGE ASSIGNMENT BY STEVE MEYER
“
D
id you hear about the plane crash in Lake Clark Pass?”
Those were the first words out of Alaska State Troopers’ Special Emergency Response Team (S.E.R.T.) Sgt. Dan Donaldson’s mouth when I answered my cell phone one August morning. “I heard it augured into one of those rock faces in the pass and the two occupants were presumed dead,” I replied. Dan said, “Yeah, and the plane is teetering on a rock cliff and no one wants to go recover the bodies; I’ve got a helicopter meeting us at Kenai Aviation in 20 minutes; bring your survival suit, I’ll see you there.” Dan and I shared a passion for adventure and believed we could do anything and delighted at every opportunity to prove it. The National Transportation Safety Board had flown over the crash site and deemed it too dangerous to attempt investigating or recovering the deceased. We figured it was worth a try for the families of the victims.
HELICOPTER INSERTIONS WERE common in our business, and yet, the prospect of going on the helicopter never got old and always promised an out-of-the ordinary day. In lieu of tactical gear, we loaded body bags and some climbing gear into the chopper, and off we went. Entering Lake Clark Pass, a rugged
Traveling by helicopter to crime scenes and, in this case, a plane crash site in rugged and dangerous terrain, is the norm for Special Emergency Response Team members. (SGT. JIM TRUESDELL/ALASKA STATE TROOPERS)
AUGUST 2014
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stretch of landscape sided by steep rock cliffs, the helicopter climbed up and over a jutting ridgeline covered with spruce trees. A couple of the treetops were broken off where the pilot of the downed plane apparently misjudged or perhaps was unable to see as he flew through the pass. The results were a striking contrast to the rest of the landscape: a multi-colored pile of twisted aluminum perched on the edge of a rock cliff, some 700 feet above the bottom. The wreckage was shrouded in mist from the glacial-fed stream that cascaded directly down on the plane. The need for survival suits on a mountain in the summer became strikingly clear. With no safe way to deposit us close to the plane, the pilot found a ledge to set one strut down on while we clambered off with our gear. Climbing and crawling our way up to the plane took 20 minutes; sweat was pouring down by the time we got to the task at hand. The sound of the water roaring down coupled with a stiff wind turned conversation into shouting matches. Coming onto these types of scenes is always a bit sobering and certainly sad, but time and experience seemed to take over as we started pulling apart the wreckage.
THE PLANE HAD gone in nose
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Members of the author’s SERT team were always ready to perform beyond the normal tactical duties of the team. In reaching the wreckage of a fatal plane crash, the SERT officers were pounded by glacial rocks loosened by the summer melt, but still did their job. (ALASKA STATE TROOPERS/ARCTIC
first at about a 45-degree WARRIORS) angle and slid down the rock chute to rest with the engine jutting out over the cliff. The pilot and passenger seated side by side had become part of the dash. The seats to the rear were mangled and crammed into the back of the front seats. As the wreckage was dismantled, the plane would 46 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
teeter and threaten to go over the edge. To minimize the possibility of losing the plane (and one or both of us), we tied it to a large rock close enough for our rope to reach. It wouldn’t hold the entire weight but it would at least slow the process and give us time to get clear if it did go. Working
along we were pelted with glacial rocks loosened from the melt. With no helmets we escaped with only some minor cuts and bumps to our evidently hard heads. An hour later we had removed the passenger victim and placed her on the upside of some rocks where the bag
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wouldn’t slide down the cliff. We had a couple of multi-tools used for entry work that were used to pry away the torn and crushed aluminum required to extract the victims. The seat behind the pilot seat, which needed to be removed, did not cooperate. After two hours of tearing, cutting and swearing we hadn’t made much progress. Sometimes there is value in stepping away from a difficult task to clear the head and catch the breath. This was one of those times. Taking a break would be a generous description as we stood away from the wreckage with the glacial water hammering our bodies and the rocks continuing to indiscriminately smack us as gravity worked its magic. We laughed and joked about our circumstances but never considered giving up, one of the terrific aspects of working with folks dedicated to a mission. It is what it is, and when it’s over it’s over, so keep a smile and an easy laugh and life stays pretty darn good no matter what happens. We radioed the helicopter waiting on flat land far below to come in with a sling and pick up the first victim. Catching the sling took a bit of fancy footwork to get a hold of it and keep balance as the wind and the helicopter wash twisted and turned the seemingly live 40-foot piece of nylon. While the helicopter was hovering we could hear the dislodged rocks smacking the sides of it. There was nothing to be done except hope like hell one didn’t hit a rotor and drop the whole works in our laps. But we got the bag hooked up and sent
Th
2
The plane had crashed in the Lake Clark Pass, located in the mountainous terrain that encompasses Lake Clark National Park, which can only be accessed via the air. Lake Clark Pass is the primary air route between Southcentral and Western Alaska. (NATIONAL PARK SERVICE)
10
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on its way to safety below. With a fresh start we clambered around the other side of the wreckage and found a weak spot in that stubborn seat; we were finally able to get it out of the way. An hour later we called for the helicopter and the second victim was sent down the mountain. The helicopter had staged the victims on the flat below and returned quickly to extract us from the original drop point. Getting back to dry and flat ground we loaded the victims and headed to Kenai. About 15 minutes into the flight back the helicopter pilot was notified by the investigating team, which was still on the ground below the wreckage, that the plane had slid off the ledge and cartwheeled down the rock face. There are times when being lucky is much better than being good, and this was one of those times.
OVER THE YEARS folks have often said to us, “Well, if you’re going to be stupid, you better be tough.” This is an understandable sentiment from those who have never succeeded in the pleasure of defying the odds and winning the hard-fought battles. We never thought of it as being stupid but rather blessed with opportunities to live life to its fullest. Members of our SERT team were always ready to perform beyond the normal tactical duties of the team. It kept us sharp and provided more opportunities to work together and dig into the treasure chest of memories that followed. ASJ Editor’s note: The author, a regular contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal, is now retired from his job as a SERT team leader.
50 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
Alaska State Trooper officers like Andy Gorn (above) and the author, have been told over the years, "If you're going to to be stupid, you better be tough." There is no task too difficult for these officers. (ALASKA STATE TROOPERS/ARCTIC WARRIORS)
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By Chris Cocoles
THE GREAT BEAR CAPER Normally, this space is devoted to those anglers and hunters or just people in general who do something foolish or knowingly break the laws set forth by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. But we present the case of the camp bully bears. When you were a kid, you probably knew someone at recess or lunchtime who tried to con another student out of a cupcake or your milk money via force. The uniqueness of Alaska, even in its largest city, means a four-legged grifter can be on the prowl for your snack packs. In Anchorage, a children’s day camp was the scene of black bear lunchbox theft. A sow and two cubs were casing the area around the Alaska Pacific University campus, invaded the soccer pitch and found a cafeteria-style smorgasbord: the boxed lunches of summer day-camp students attending Camp Si-La-Meo. “All that was left in their lunches were snacks for later in the afternoon,” camp program manager Katie Adrian told the Anchorage Daily News. “(The bears) were sort of wandering in and out. They did not show any aggression at all.” Tell that to the kid who lost out on his or her bag of trail mix that
Black bears were impromptu summer visitors in Anchorage and helped themselves to campers’ boxed lunches. (RACHEL DUNHAM/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE)
was heisted! The bears formed their own lunch brigade, carried the lunch boxes out to the woods adjacent to the soccer fields and had an impromptu picnic. On a serious note, bears can be a menace in metropolitan areas with so many food sources available, but Dave Battle of the ADFG told the Daily News the animals weren’t showing any major signs of aggressiveness, and that urban bears that are relocated to the wild could pose a threat to wilderness bears. “We are hoping that people are responsible, stay back from them, secure their garbage and don’t leave food unattended,” Battle said. Perhaps detention after school is in order to make these bears think about their actions. The Upper Sustina Valley features several creeks and streams full of rainbow trout, Arctic grayling and Dolly Varden, among other sportfishing options. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS AUGUST Aug. 1 Opening of deer season in several game management units (adfg.alaska.gov) Aug. 1 Opening of elk season in Game Management Unit 1 (Southeast Mainland) Aug. 1-Aug. 15 Hope Pink Salmon Derby, Hope, (907) 7823268 Aug. 1-Aug. 31 Silver Salmon Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com
Aug. 8-10 Golden North Salmon Derby, Juneau, goldennorthsalmonderby.org Aug. 9 Women’s Silver Salmon Fish Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com Aug. 10-18 Silver Salmon Derby, Seward, sewardchamber.org Aug. 20 Opening of moose season in Game Management Unit 7 (Seward) Aug. 20 Opening of goat season in Game Management Units 6A and 6B (North Gulf Coast and Prince William Sound) Aug. 20 Opening of goat season in Game Management Unit 8 (Kodiak Island) AUGUST 2014
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HUGE HALIBUT LANDED IN GLACIER BAY CALIFORNIAN’S CATCH NEARS 500 POUNDS BY ANDY MARTIN
A
Southern California man caught a giant Pacific halibut in Southeast Alaska last month that rivals the sport fishing world record. Jack McGuire of Anaheim was fishing with Capt. Rye Phillips aboard the Icy Rose on July 3 when he hooked and landed a 95inch, 482-pound halibut near the mouth of Glacier Bay. The barndoor halibut would likely challenge the 459-pound International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record caught in 1996 by Jack Tragis if it had not been shot and harpooned. McGuire, 77, was fishing out of Alaskan Anglers Inn (866-510-2800; alaskasportfish.net) in Gustavus for the Fourth of July holiday week. Phillips took McGuire and three other passengers aboard his charter boat to one of his favorite big-fish spots in Icy Strait near Lemesurier Island; they fished in about 130 feet of water. The giant halibut hit an octopus fished just off of the bottom. It took off on a long run after the size 16/0 Eagle Claw circle hook dug in before McGuire was able to ease it off the ocean floor, thanks mainly to the two-speed Shimano TLD II 30 twospeed reel he was using. After a 30-minute give-and-take battle, Phillips spotted the halibut below the boat and let McGuire know it was legal size. In Southeast Alaska, anglers on charter boats can keep one halibut per day as long as it is less than 44 inches, or more than 76 inches.
Jack McGuire, 77, of Anaheim, Calif., stands next to the 95-inch, 482-pound halibut he caught July 3 near Gustavus, Alaska, while fishing with Captain Rye Phillips of Alaskan Anglers Inn. (ALASKAN ANGLERS INN) AUGUST 2014
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56 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
“It was giant,” Phillips said. “We knew right away it was over 76 inches, but we didn’t know it was going to be bigger than the world record.” Like he does with all big halibut that anglers decide to keep, Phillips subdued the fish with a .410 shotgun and harpooned it. Most guides kill the giant halibut before bringing them onto their boats because of how dangerous they are if they are flopping on the deck. Some anglers have been seriously injured by trophy-size halibut. Phillips and two of the other customers used gaff hooks to pull the mammoth halibut over the side of the boat. At first the fish’s gills got stuck on the rail, but after a second attempt they were able to Capt. Rye Phillips said the giant fish that had to be shot drag the halibut aboard. Phillips immediately and harpooned for safety reasons would have challenged the all-time record for halibut, but it would be ineligible for measured the fish, letting consideration because the gun and harpoon were used to him know it was a poten- land it. (ALASKAN ANGLERS INN) tial world record. Unfortunately, the fish would not qualify because it spot. It typically has the largest average size was shot and harpooned. Phillips also asof halibut caught in Alaska, according to sisted McGuire by grabbing the line and liftAlaska Department of Fish and Game stats, ing on the rod during the battle. and the small charter fleet fishing out of the McGuire caught the halibut on 100Gustavus dock brings in dozens of 200pound-test TUF Line and a 240-pound plus-pound fish each season. Steve Brown, nylon leader. Phillips had rigged the rods owner of Alaskan Anglers Inn, said each with heavy gear because he was targeting week many customers catch halibut toptrophy-size fish that day. ping 100 pounds. Last year, when anglers The fish drew quite a crowd at the Guscould keep halibut 68 inches or bigger, tavus dock. Dozens of people gathered to which weigh roughly 165 pounds or more, see the fish hoisted up for photographs beanglers fishing at his lodge landed more fore Phillips filleted it for McGuire. The halthan 50 of the trophy-size fish. More than ibut yielded nearly 200 pounds of boneless, two dozen of those were over 200 pounds, skinless fillets. including five over 300 pounds. ASJ Just a week earlier, Phillips, who played Editor’s note: Andy Martin also operates Wild baseball at Western Oregon University and Rivers Fishing (541-813-1082; wildriversfishlives in Brookings, Ore., during the winter, ing.com) guide service in Brookings, Ore. For got a customer into a 275-pound halibut. more information, contact him at wildriversGustavus, located 45 miles west of fishing@yahoo.com. Juneau, is a relatively unknown halibut hot
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SITKA ALASKA OUTFITTERS Specializing in amazing outdoor excursions. ATV riding: www.sitkaalaskaoutfitters.com/Alaska_ATV_Ride.php Wildlife viewing: www.sitkaalaskaoutfitters.com/Alaska_Whales_Sea_Otters.php Fly fishing: www.sitkaalaskaoutfitters.com/Guided_Fly_Fishing.php Hiking: www.sitkaalaskaoutfitters.com/Volcano_Hike.php Ocean rafting: www.sitkaalaskaoutfitters.com/Volcano_Coast_Tour.php Camping: www.sitkaalaskaoutfitters.com/Volcano_coast_camp.html Alaska is an incredible place with countless natural wonders and wild places to explore. Sitka Alaska Outfitters has the experience and equipment necessary to take you on an excursion into the wilderness of Alaska. An excellent selection of day trips, tours and multi-day excursions are available to fit your interests, schedule and budget. You can choose from a variety of packaged tours and excursions or customize an Alaskan vacation that provides for a variety of experiences and focuses on what interests you most. Join a prescheduled excursion or schedule one exclusively for your party, options are available. Guided or self guided — you can do it and Sitka Alaska Outfitters is the place to start.
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Anglers fish in the midnight sun around the Seward Lagoon. The system isn’t as popular as adjacent rivers like the Russian or Kenai, but the king salmon fishing here can be outstanding. (BIXLER MCCLURE)
THE NEW
LAGOON SEWARD WATERWAY UNDERRATED FOR CHINOOK BY KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS
I
t seemed like an unlikely spot. The drainage from the Seward Lagoon is only a scant few hundred feet long. It lacks the beauty of the Russian River or the might of the Kenai. It is often overlooked by locals and tourists alike.
Both king and sockeye salmon are readily landed in the waters around the Seward Lagoon. Pixie and Vibrax lures are the best weapon for enticing a fat Chinook to bite. (BIXLER MCCLURE)
However, this creek contains a secret. Every year, the lagoon is silently stocked with salmon smolt with hopes of a large return for the sport fishery. Among the smolt seeded in the lagoon are the largest and most elusive of Pacific salmon: the Chinook. Though Alaska is home to five salmon species, the most prized is the king. These fish grow to immense proportions for a salmon and make some of the longest runs in the world. A king heading up the Yukon River will find its spawning grounds in Canada. Many of the wild runs are protected, but the state has several stocked runs AUGUST 2014
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where anglers can find some action – as long as you can find them.
I FIRST HEARD about the king run in Seward while reading the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Sport Fishing Report on their website (adfg.alaska.gov). My elbow ached from snagging red salmon and I was in need of a local alternative. Snagging is legal in saltwater in Resurrection Bay and is the preferred method to catch salmon, especially red salmon (sockeye), which usually don’t bite lures. However, a week of “snag, limit, process, repeat” on the red salmon run had taken its toll on me, and I was looking for a more traditional fishing method. I figured I would give the king run a try, with a good old lure. We headed over to the Fish House (907-224-3674; thefishhouse.net), Seward’s local fishing emporium, to buy more lures. Dressed in chest waders and rain gear, my fishing partner, Bixler McClure, and I weaved our way through people sporting the same garb. He wanted to continue snagging, so he loaded up on snagging hooks: a treble hook with a weight molded around it. I headed to the Pixie and Vibrax aisle, which was filled with men puffing out their chests like roosters loudly retelling fishing stories. They had succeeded in cleaning out the larger No. 6 Vibraxes and were the processes of stripping out the blue and green No. 5 Vibraxes. I settled on a handful of No. 5 pink Vibraxes (I don’t think men would be caught dead with them) and a herring-like Pixie for good measure. I threw in some split shot in the mix, in case the fish were deeper. Bixler dropped me off at the lagoon outfall and headed to the other side of the bay to continue snagging reds. I wished him luck and negotiated the rocky shoreline to the stream mouth. Fishing in this area is allowed downstream of the little bridge and in the ocean; a regulatory marker marks the spot. The 1964 earthquake had left debris everywhere that requires a certain degree of balance, and after anchoring my feet I was able to cast. I rigged up a Vibrax with a split shot and spent most of the time pulling seaweed 64 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
IF YOU GO Where The Seward Lagoon outfall is just one location available to anglers looking to catch king salmon from shore. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Sport Fishing Report website (adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishingReports /index.cfm?ADFG=main.home) offers both tips and locations for shore-based saltwater king salmon fishing on the road system. Also try Whittier or Homer, both productive salmon fisheries.
When Depending on the location, king salmon run can start in late May or as late as August. Fish an hour before the flood tide until an hour after. Most of the kings try to make a run up the rivers at this time.
HOW A good stout salmon rod with 20- or 30-pound-test monofilament line is needed to battle the mighty king. Most anglers use spinning reels, but some swear by conventional reels. Try using No. 5 or No. 6 Vibraxes, large Pixies, or other salmon spoons. Cast out far and reel in as slowly as possible while maintaining vibration on the lure. Keep the tip of the rod down, but pull it up when you feel a fish on. Smart use of drag control is a must to avoid the fish from snapping line. A net is also recommended if you plan on fishing rocky shorelines to land fish.
Regulations King salmon regulations are strict, so be sure to check with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (adfg.alaska.gov) before venturing out king fishing. Emergency orders may close a fishery at any time, especially for wild kings. Additionally, anglers must have a king stamp on their license, which will be an added cost to a fishing license. Be sure to ask for a king stamp when purchasing your license if you plan on fishing for kings. -KB
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off the lure. Being midweek, the crowd count was light. Another couple was on the north side and left just before the high tide. I was alone, and the wind began to pick up from the north, so I switched to the north side and continued to cast. A friendly crowd arrived: a talkative local kid who was stationed across from on the south side of the stream (snagging, though he had a quiver of rods); another lone woman next to him (also snagging); a Minnesotan couple vacationing just south of them on the beach (with Vibraxes). We all chatted and cast without much luck. My split shot was driving me crazy as it collected seaweed, and I contemplated taking it off. I pulled it in and began to fiddle with it balanced on the rocky shoreline. Out of the corner of my eye, something moved in the water. I shouted to the kid across from me that I thought I saw some fish. Immediately, he snagged a king and wrestled the monster ashore. The woman did the same. Immediately, my mood changed from relaxed to frantic. I grabbed my knife and cut the Vibrax and split shot off completely. In my small bag I had a single snagging hook that I quickly rigged up. Apparently, the kings weren’t biting my lure. I quickly cast into the ocean and snagged a king immediately. Fighting reds was one thing, but fighting a king snagged in its back was another. The fish felt like a tank on the end of my rod as I tried to drag it towards the rocky shore. As I got closer, it shook the hook. I cast again and hooked up to a second king. This time I dragged it into the stream to find a more even shore. As I got it up onto a rock, my line snapped. Both the king and my hook were gone. Fuming, I reached back for my pink Vibrax and said good-bye to the split shot. As I was rigging up the lure, I called Bixler and told him to get over to where I was, stat. The fishing was hot! He was almost limited out on reds and said to keep him posted on the situation. I hung up and cast out again. This time I felt a gentle tug instead of a violent thrash. A king had taken my lure in its mouth. I was thrilled, and I loosened the drag and let it run to tire out the fish. When it stopped I reeled in. I had tired it 66 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
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B.C. SALMON, HALIBUT, COD & STEELHEAD THE DOES IT ALL
Fishmyster
ny patron of the “angling arts” will tell you that the supreme measurement of any professional fishing guide comes down to a singular question: how does that experienced, skilled guide make you feel about yourself? It is a tougher question than one might think — given the broad horizon of potential answers. For Allan Pearson, an earnest 26-year-old surf school manager from Tofino, B.C., fishing with Ken “The Fishmyster” Myers proved to be a remarkable experience. “Ken makes me feel like I’m a good fisherman,” Allan recently confirmed while surveying a fish hold loaded with limits of Chinook salmon, halibut and cod. His comments came at the end of an outstanding day of fishing with Ken in the Barkley Sound region off the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. “Ken’s passion is amazing,” Allan continued. “He is so open to sharing information. He answers all questions — even the dumb ones! Ken explains where we’re fishing, why we’re there, all details including methods and tactics. Honestly, I didn’t know fishing guides like Ken even existed!” High praise indeed, but not at all surprising given Ken’s extensive experience. Born and raised in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island and based in Ucluelet, Ken has spent the past 25 years as a professional tidal and freshwater guide. Unlike most of his contemporaries, however, Ken provides his guide services 12 months of the year. Spring and summer months are spent on the Pacific Ocean chasing trophy kings, “barndoor” halibut and monster cod — all from his luxurious, state-of-theKen “The Fishmyster” Myers (left) put Alex Morrow on this 27-pound king salmon. art fishing machine: a Fountain 38IX powered by three (that’s right- three) 300hp Mercury Verado engines. When the fall months roll around Ken treats his guests to some of the world’s finest steelhead fisheries. “I have been fishing these Vancouver Island rivers since I was a kid — and I know them as well as anybody. Just because the tidal opportunities tail off by October is no reason to stop fishing. Many of my clients fish with me in both summer and winter. Different methods, different fisheries, but still great fishing,” explains Ken. Allan and his friends who joined him on this trip represent the new generation of anglers; young, fit and up for everything. The fact that these young men and women — children of the ‘baby boomer’ generation — are so keen bodes well for the future of West Coast fisheries. All five species of Pacific salmon — Chinook (kings), coho (silvers), pink, sockeye and chum-travel the tidal waters in the Barkley Sound region, and creel surveys indicate that many of these runs are once again on the rise. Likewise, Allan and his friends are prepared to provide the stewardship that is required to ensure these magnificent salmon runs remain vibrant for future generations. Ken’s boat, the MV Overkill, is fully loaded with cutting-edge navigation systems; personal floatation; life raft; stabilizers (for added comfort while trolling); an Espar furnace (for those chilly Pacific Northwest mornings); a fully functioning head and loads of deck space. Ken also treats his guests to “nothing but the best” when it comes to fishing gear: Islander Reels and Sage rods, and an array of tackle that would humble any Wes Hartman hoists a 74-pound halibut while Jeff tackle store. Morrow (left) and Ken “The Fishmyster” Myers “The Overkill just adds to the complete experience. It is an unbelievable fishing (right) soak up the experience. machine — amazing to fish from because there is so much space and it is so solid on the water. Of course, having 900hp on the back is just so cool. Getting to and from the fishing grounds is a snap!” Allan gushed. Ken is currently booking his September tidal excursions and winter steelheading. Prime dates for the 2015 tidal season are still available, but they quickly book up.
A
Contact Ken directly on his cell at (250) 720-5118, email him at fishmyster@shaw.ca. or visit his website at fishmyster.com.
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out enough that I was able to drag it up through the maze of rocks and gill. A crowd was amassing and I called Bixler again, who was on his way. I headed back to my spot, balanced on the rocks, and cast again. The five of us had amassed quite a crowd of spectators, offering cheap entertainment, including a friend who owns a fishing charter. The kid across from me had switched to what looked like an 8-weight fly rod. The other woman had limited out. The Minnesota couple each hooked up and lost several kings. I was dead serious on catching another to reach my limit. My fishing was only interrupted by the frantic texting from Bixler. “Are you still there? Is it still hot? Do I need to buy lures?” Just as he arrived, I hooked up again. This king was much bigger and less willing to be pulled ashore. As I got it on the rocks, I started to weave it through the rocky maze, but I lost my balance. I fell hard and the fish snapped my line. I was out of lures and done. The bite turned off.
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CEDAR-PLANKED GRILLED KING SALMON This incredibly easy recipe works with any form of salmon fillets, but in this case we used a “jack” king (a young king that returns early to its natal stream) cooked whole. Jack kings are great whole because they actually fit on the grill (unlike bigger kings) and cook more evenly without drying out. You can also use this recipe for whole trout. Cedar adds an amazing aroma and flavor to the fish. Also, the wood helps to keep the moisture in the fish.
Ingredients 1 cedar plank Garlic salt Pepper Lemon or lime juice
Soak cedar plank in water, following instructions, to ensure an even smolder without it burning up.
For fillets: leave skin on and season with garlic salt, pepper, and a dash of lemon or lime juice.
For a whole fish: gut, gill, and butterfly the fish open and rub liberally inside and out with seasonings. Place cedar plank on grill and immediately put fish on the plank. Cook until done, without turning it over. -Bixler McClure
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BIXLER RETURNED LATER that night to fish the 2 a.m. tide. Our charter friend who had been spectating was now fishing, and the Minnesotans were back in their usual spot. All of them expressed concern for my hard fall on the rocks. Our friend figured I was OK, because when he asked about if I was hurt all I responded was, “I lost the fish.” I later returned with my pink No. 5 Vibrax to a much less exciting crowd, all of whom were snagging. The fish seemed to avoid the “plop” of the snagging hook with grace because I managed to pull and land a huge king, lure in mouth, and this time without falling. ASJ Editor’s note: Author Krystin Bablinskas and photographer Bixler McClure live in Seward. Check out more of their adventures on their blog, alaskagraphy.wordpress.com.
The author, despite slipping at one point on the slippery rocks, still managed to land several kings in the Seward Lagoon. (BIXLER MCCLURE)
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70 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
GWIN’S LODGE The historic Gwin’s Lodge is located in the middle of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, known as Alaska’s Playground. It’s the closest restaurant and lodging to the confluence of two world-class salmon streams - the Kenai River and the Russian River - and is a favorite among fishers who frequent those waters. We are nestled at the base of the majestic Kenai Mountains across from the Kenai River in the Chugach National Forest bordering the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Our central location makes all recreational activities in nearby towns (Seward, Soldotna, Ninilchik, Clam Gulch, Kenai, Homer, etc.) easily accessible. At Gwin’s Lodge, we strive to provide you exceptional service. We have 15 cabins that can each accommodate four to six guests and two cottage houses that can accommodate six to 10 guests. Our cabins have been remodeled with new Sealy Presidential pillow-top mattresses, bed linens, and furnishings. We also have a tackle shop where you can buy fishing licenses, fishing tackle and equipment, snacks, drinks, sunglasses, hats, and Alaska souvenirs and gifts. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you book guided fishing trips, sight-seeing trips, whitewater rafting, fly-in bear viewing, Kenai Fjords Cruises, Alaska Railroad trips, and many other excursions at no additional charge. We only work with well-qualified and reputable guides and excursion companies and our staff are happy to help you plan and organize your trip. (907) 595-1266 | reservation@gwinslodge.com | gwinslodge.com
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WHEN THE SEA GETS ROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF OCEAN FISHING IN FOUL WEATHER BY JEFF LUND
Y
es, it’s awesome, but let’s be honest: it kind of sucks too. You know Alaska is a beautifully colorful place, yet a bleak grey has taken
hold. The ocean is colored grey, the sky is grey and closing in, making the spruce trees on the shore tall grey figures. If the wind had a color, it would be grey too. It doesn’t, but it does kick up the grey water into a sloppy mess.
Do not adjust your eyes, as the open ocean off the Southeast Alaska coast can get mighty choppy. Veteran guides recommend plenty of Dramamine or Bonine, but that’s no guarantee you won’t feel nauseous. (JEFF LUND) 74 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
You don’t feel like you’re going to die, but you would like some assurance that things are going to be OK, and you’d really prefer that the fish cooperate so you can get back to the dock. You know it’s going to
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take at least a half-day to feel like you’re back on land anyway, so the sooner you can start that, the better. So we rolled, and rolled, and rolled some more. I grabbed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pretzels, bottled water and returned to the deck. The rain stopped and Abe and Chris were talking about getting seasick. They weren’t going to get sick, but the weather was nasty enough to make it a topic of discussion. If you calculate that in steady, quick rollers, you get waves every few seconds, so by the time you get a limit of salmon and halibut you have fought off tens of thousands of waves. It’s worth it,
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of course, but doing it day in, day out for an entire summer seems brutal. “Some days the guide boys earn their paychecks,” says Abe, who is not a guide. Chris, who was visiting from California, and I nod in agreement. ROLLERS GALORE It is not a secret that the best places to fish are “outside,” meaning drags along the outer coasts of Southeast Alaskan islands. With nothing to break the swell, winds can kick up serious waves and potentially ruin a day on the ocean. Fishing “inside” might be more enjoyable, but most times of the year the fish-
ing tends to be considerably slower. Troy Thain has been guiding for 10 years. He owns a boat and freelances for Prince of Wales Sportfishing (888-9434746; princeofwalessportfishing.com) out of Craig. Even after a decade as a guide Thain says it takes a bit to readjust to the water, and the first rough days in June can sour even his seasoned stomach. “I’m human, I get seasick,” he says. “I commercially fished for 14 years and I’d put a can of peaches in the fridge. People say, ‘Why peaches?’ And I say the peaches are cold, go down easy and come up easy.”
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He laughs. When it comes to clients, Thain takes the rough weather more seriously, knowing not only the potential danger of rough weather, but also that not everyone can puke and rally.
“We go through a whole debriefing,” he says. “We talk about getting in and out of the doors. (I) teach them how to hold the weight, land the fish, walk around on the deck and have a hand on something at all times.” But even preparation can’t keep down breakfast all the time. “Some people use the patch, some take medicine, but sometimes they take medicine and they’re nauseous as a side effect,” Thain says.
Daniel Peters is an ocean guide in Sitka and says roughly a quarter of his clients get sick in rough weather. He says his clients have found that Bonine can work well for motion sickness as well as Dramamine, but that Dramamine can make people drowsy. Sometimes though, neither the patch nor the pill, works. “I’m right there trying my best to help them and comfort them in any way I can (if they get sick), but at the same time I
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have three other clients on the boat and they want their fish; they paid their money too,” he says. “I have personally never been blamfor someone getting sick, it’s just something that happens to some people and most understand that. On the other hand, it’s on my shoulders when it comes to making a decision on whether or not the (open) ocean is a good idea.” Thain says that sometimes the best thing to do is just get it out. “I tell people to look out from the boat and don’t follow some-
thing that is in motion, so drink water and get a lot of fresh air,” says Thain. “If you feel that sick, get it out and maybe it will be better.” He laughs again, but not because it’s funny, rather since it’s just one of those things that he and everyone else know is a possibility when boats are on rolling water. “(If someone does get sick) I encourage them
as long as I can and look at the group and ask them what they think. Most of the time the group says let’s move in to someplace calmer. I’ve had a whole group look at me and say, ‘We’re done’.” But a trip shouldn’t be all about the weather, or all about the fish. Thain says the people who have the most fun are the ones who aren’t just about hero shots. “(Visitors should) enjoy the whole experience, not just catching the fish. Get to know the people, enjoy the town, the scenery. You can tell right away if the person is there just to catch the most fish, or if they saved up and this is their
Chris Barnes is smiling because he has a pair of giant king salmon, but he’s dealing with the reality of the unforgiving ocean conditions. (JEFF LUND) 78 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
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one trip and want to see the whales and everything else.” As a guide who coaches high school wrestling and teaches, Thain knows he’s not supposed to play favorites, but he can’t help but take special joy in certain people. “I like the people who enjoy the fish, the fishing and being with their friends. They’re all getting along and enjoying their friendship.” IN THE MOMENT Since Abe’s not a guide, he didn’t have to worry if Chris or I got sick. Instead, the three of us focused on enjoying the moment. Abe and I taught together this past year at the local high school. Chris and I taught the previous 10 years together in California before I moved. The fog encased us but relented. We saw an occasional boat, but we were otherwise completely alone. The weather called for a southwest wind and we were completely exposed to it, but at least it let us fish alone. It’s a pretty long
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Guide Daniel Peters (right) says about a quarter of his clients will get sick during deep sea trips. “It’s just something that happens to some people and most understand that,” he says. (DANIEL PETERS)
drag, but sometimes the encroachment of other boats in poor weather is worse than solitude in bad weather. Either way, not many people can do what the three of us did. People sometimes live through books or unfulfilled wishes. In the same way, I’ll probably never cast flies at bonefish in South America, but there are some who will never feel the line harden when a king
salmon takes off as we experienced. This all came down after a whale breached, an eagle screamed and a sea lion emerged with a catch of its own. It’s National Geographic and it’s the Discovery Channel, but for us it’s a memory, not an episode. It took us hours to get our limits in the rollers, but we got our fish. Abe and I would have plenty of time the rest of the summer to get into more fish, so we gave Chris all 47 pounds of the filets minus what Abe took home to his wife for dinner. The next day, Chris and I went to the river, and caught close to 100 trout and Dolly Varden in an all-day bonanza of fly fishing. It was nice to be on solid ground, but the wind blew and at times the rain reminded me of an Arizona monsoon – only colder of course. I couldn’t help but think of the guides like Daniel and Troy, taking thousands more waves but giving people the trip of their dreams. Hopefully they got their fish and kept their breakfast. ASJ
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LIVIN’ ON THE
E G ED
HOW ANGLERS TRANSITION FROM SEASON TO SEASON BY JEFF LUND
S
eason edges are the most emotionally compromising for anglers. It’s when any day things are going to start picking up and turn into a full-scale fishing bonanza. But it’s not there yet. Or is it? Sometimes what you thought was the edge, ended up being closer to the peak than you had anticipated. Inconsiderate fish. During steelhead season it’s easy to have low expectations because you’re steelhead fishing, but in that lull between steelhead and salmon comes the stress. There is the slight chance that a late steelhead is still milling around, but the focus is on the salmon. You don’t want to be the last one to know when they’re in. You want weeks to go by before anyone else notices. It’s like the wedding reception you arrive on-time to, and that meatball platter is the best you’ve ever tasted and no one else is on to it yet. So you keep going and going trying to be nonchalant as to not give away your discovery. If someone asks, then there’d be a moral
A smiling Kyle Cotner shows off an Alaskan cutthroat trout, which is a perfect species to target between the edges of steelhead and salmon seasons in Alaska. (JEFF LUND)
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Dolly Varden were plucked by the bunches out of the “Dolly Hole,” a Thorne River hot spot the author and his fishing buddies hit regularly when not chasing the more coveted salmon or steelhead during the fishing rush in summer and fall. (USFWS ALASKA)
dilemma about revealing the culinary excellence right under his or her nose. But if no one does, it’s all yours. If you’re not pursuing ocean king salmon in early summer, you transition to river trout and char while you wait for the salmon. You check the weather because you could be one tide and one rain away from the invasion. In the mean time, you feast on what is around, usually by yourself because there are fewer edgers than there ought to be. SPRING TO SUMMER The spot is called the “Dolly Hole,” because one early summer before the salmon had really hit the Thorne River a buddy and I stood in the same spot and caught Dolly Varden by the dozens. I know that’s what people who write or talk about fishing say all the time. The reader is conditioned to believe that if the writer says dozens, he or she means 13 because that’s technically working on a second dozen, making plural more accurate than a singular dozen. Yet that’s not an accurate representation of the truth. The term baker’s dozen is never used for precisely that reason. It’s too accurate. Ambiguity and hyperbole thrive on the river, especially when everyone else is just waiting around for things to start happening. You’re the true angler because you’re out there working the edge. Anyway, we didn’t bother to count because we didn’t expect it to be that good. 84 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
Sometimes when you decide to count you get stuck on three, and get upset that you had such high expectations. Other times you get to what you think is 10, and then it dawns on you that this would have been one of those times that an accurate tally would be impressive. Either way, during that summer the Dolly Hole was pretty loaded with edge fish, so once the steelhead run peaked this year I was again at the Dolly Hole. Cutthroat. Cutthroat. Dolly. Dolly. Dolly. Dolly. None longer than 16 inches, but each beautiful in its own right. I start to see what won’t catch them. Egg-sucking leech, orange scud, green scud, strip the scud, Prince Nymph, strip the Prince Nymph and strip in a Griffith’s Gnat; it doesn’t matter. I contemplate tying up a quick Beard-hair Caddis with some locks of the beard I’ve been growing for a month. I don’t, but I bet it would work. When a couple buddies of mine from Arizona came up, I told them it wasn’t time for salmon yet, but it was probably too late for steelhead. We had an unreal afternoon catching cutthroat trout up to 16 inches on dry flies – their first-ever fish on a fly rod. When people return from Alaska they don’t usually talk about cutthroats on dry flies, but it was an edge. My buddies understood and didn’t seem to care. THE SEASON A true minute is 60 seconds and a first-
semester college English class minute goes at an 80-second clip. When the salmon show up, an hour passes like a second. The frenetic excitement, throwing spinners, spoons, swinging flies, stripping coho poppers and accidentally getting into a dozen pink salmon while targeting silvers, is a whirlwind. Just as you get a grip on the speed of things, the silvers turn red, and the humps on the pinks get chapped and nothing in the river is worth keeping unless you’re a bear. SUMMER TO FALL Last year I didn’t visit the Dolly Hole after mid-July because the salmon were in and there are better spots to catch oceanbright fish. By October I wasn’t bothering with the Thorne River at all. Down the street from my house, the Klawock River was still thick with dark, ornery silver salmon. They were too dark to keep, so I just enjoyed the lingering good weather and released a few that were bright enough to keep, but my killing days were done. There was enough death in the form of rotting carcasses on the beach which had the bears out. The leaves, like the salmon, turn and die. You look back on the season that was, trying to get a few more days out of it. For those who have returned to the Lower 48 it’s time to chase rainbows with October caddis patterns in Northern California, or the salmon runs in Washington and Oregon. But you know as the days get
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shorter, the schools thin and Christmas decorations start coming out, things are winding down. Sure it’s only October and businesses have totally jumped the gun by displaying the Clark Griswold exterior illumination kits, but you get the hint. Winter is coming, and that’s the longest edge. In a few weeks there’d be no point in going to the river. With a deep breath you relax, walk to the safe and pull out the .270 for deer if you haven’t already. The rut is coming. Another edge passed, then the coming of steelhead season and the start of another annual cycle. LOOKING FORWARD On an ethical front, it’s morally wrong to wish away part of the year (which is also part of your life) so you can enjoy the peak steelhead, king salmon, river salmon, elk, moose, deer or bear seasons. A three-day hunting trip in Alaska is 3/365ths of a year. A five-day king salmon trip is only 48 hours better. That’s a lot of a year spent wishing. That’s why the more edges you
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The author wasn’t keeping the too-dark silver salmon in the Klawock River, so he mostly watched the black bears in the area. Edges create the anticipation anglers need to appreciate experiences. (JEFF LUND)
work, the better. Though the more seasons you involve yourself in make the days fall quickly, at least you’re living a greater percentage of the year. From a romantic perspective, edges create the anticipation that anglers need to appreciate experiences. Without them the norm would be so great, we wouldn’t appreciate what we have. We need those
weeks to build leader, tie flies, clean guns, repair reels, whatever we don’t get around to when things are hot. We need places like the Dolly Hole to remind us about the simple pleasure of being out. We need to remember days that aren’t the stuff of legend. The days that stay in our hearts and minds but would get a fraction of the social media “likes.” ASJ
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FISHING BY THE MIGHTY MOUNTAIN TROUT BOOM IN THE SHADOWS OF DENALI BY DENNIS MUSGRAVES
M
ount McKinley provides travelers with some amazing breathtaking views while driving the George Parks Highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The tallest peak in North America is best observed on cloudless days along a particular 100-mile paved stretch between the towns of Talkeetna and Cantwell. The roadway section skirts alongside the eastern border of the Denali Wilderness Pre-
serve and spans over several creeks, allowing anglers access to some spectacular rainbow trout fishing opportunities. Catching wild rainbow trout under the shadow of Denali is an experience most fishermen dream about; my friends and I find it an irresistible destination. Resident fish are plentiful and include Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden, and beautiful rainbow trout. A typical trip will produce a variety of the species normally in
the range of 10 to 14 inches in length, and a few fish reaching 20-plus inches. Water levels play a key role in angling productivity. Rainfall will quickly blow out the small skinny streams and create difficult conditions. Most roadside anglers fishing the Upper Susitna Valley region stay fairly tight-lipped about exact locations of favorite fishing spots. Their stories and photos of large majestic rainbow trout
Mount McKinley towers over the Susitna Valley, where creeks are filled with trophy rainbow trout, Arctic grayling and Dolly Varden. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES) AUGUST 2014
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Anglers in the area prefer to dead drift beads, which imitate drifting salmon eggs that are ubiquitous in Susitna Valley creeks. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW LOCATION The George Parks Highway allows easy access for anglers exploring the upper Susitna Valley from both Anchorage and Fairbanks. Several creeks flow under the highway between the Talkeetna Spur Highway turn-off (milepost 100) and the small town of Cantwell (milepost 210). All of the streams hold varying populations of resident species of fish. Popular locations include Rabideux Creek, Troublesome Creek, Byers Creek, Honolulu Creek, and the Chulitna’s East and Middle Forks. Arctic grayling, rainbow trout, and Dolly Varden can be found in goodfair numbers depending on seasonal timing of your trip and water levels. WHERE TO STAY Primitive camping is allowed at any one of the public accessible roadside tributaries; however, private property markers posted should be respected. There are also several improved camping and RV sites available by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation. A few of the sites can accommodate recreational vehicles up to 35 feet long. Consult the official website for additional information: dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspbro/charts/ matdenai.htm Modern comfortable accommodations and amenities, which will take you out of the elements, can be found at the Mt. 90 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge located just off the Parks Highway (mile post 133). Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge Mile Post 133 Parks Hwy Denali State Park, AK Phone: 907-733-2900 princesslodges.com WHAT TO BRING Fly fishing and conventional methods can both be productive. Resident fish stuff themselves with salmon eggs and decaying flesh. Drifting beads or flesh patterns with a fly rod is most favored method. Medium-action rods or 6- to 7-weight fly rods will be adequate tools for fishing the area. The area also gets plenty of rain during late summer. Wet-weather gear is a must to have, along with some good durable waders and wading boots. Having a catch-and-releasestyle landing net will assist to bring the fish in quickly, lessening the stress on fish being released. Strict rules apply for sportfishing and anglers should be aware of all the regulations before they cast a line. Current regulations, additional information and emergency orders can be found at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website (adfg.alaska.gov).–DM
are the stuff of legend, clouded in secrecy (much like the tall peak during most of the year). Anglers fear the least bit of information shared will spark outside interest or pressure the fragile resource. So fishermen normally remain discreet about their success in the Susitna Valley streams.
DRIFTING AWAY THE DAY Dead drifting beads or “pegging” beads, while using a fly fishing rod, is one of the most productive techniques for catching hungry rainbows. Drifting beads has been and continues to be a very popular method among seasoned trout fishermen and professional fishing guides in Alaska. Fish are eagerly following the salmon and gorging themselves on deposited salmon eggs and rotting fish flesh floating in the current or along the streambed bottom. Beads simply imitate drifting salmon eggs. Beads are not a fly by definition in the Alaska fishing regulations; they are considered and defined as attractors. Though not considered flies, the angler is attempting to match the hatch by using a small, sphere-shaped object with a hole through the middle of it for pegging to a line, which replicates a salmon egg traveling downstream. Bead sizes I typically use for trout range in sizes from 6 mm to 8 mm, and 10 mm. Size considerations include what type of salmon are presently spawning, and flow speed of the water. Sockeye (red) salmon eggs are about equal in size to a 6-mm bead; pink and silver salmon eggs get slightly larger at about 8 mm, and the largest eggs are from the chum and king salmon, similar in size to approximately a 10-mm bead. Water speed will also affect the size best to use. Slower current allows for a smaller bead to be presented and allows a target to be picked up easier by a fish. Swift-running channels will have the target drifting much faster and be more difficult for a fish to sight in on, thus a larger bead will be more prudent to use. Bead color selection is closely tied to what eggs look like and are present when you’re fishing. Before I even cast a line, I survey the slack water areas for any signs
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of salmon eggs and do my best at matching the color pattern of the eggs already present in the water. Salmon eggs tend to be brighter when freshly deposited and get lighter in color as the stay in the water longer, turning mottled with uneven color tones, eventually fading turning a more solid in tone and color. If I can’t find any salmon eggs to match, I start fishing by
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using orange mottled or pink mottled tones of colored beads, which closely match fresher deposited eggs. If it’s late in the spawn I go with more faded solid colors. My preferred colors are tangerine and peach in mottled patterns, however, carrying a good selection is best choice.
The upper Susitna Valley features several creeks full of trophy-size rainbows. (DENNIS MUGRAVES)
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bead for dead drifting is fairly The rainbow trout caught here simple. Although there are a regularly measure out between couple different techniques 10 and 14 inches, but you can also land fish that top out at you can use when fixing a 20 or more inches. bead to the line, I keep things (DENNIS MUSGRAVES) simple and basic procedure I normally use. I like using a 10-pound-test fluorocarbon leader of between 7 and 9 feet in length. I begin by threading the selected bead on the leader running end and sliding it on the line. The next step is attaching an appropriate hook; I use short shank hooks in sizes 4, 6, and 8 matching the bead size, and I prefer using an improved clinch knot. Once the hook is secured to the end of the line, “peg� in the hole of the bead and lock the slide the bead into a position about 2 bead into a fixed position on the line. The inches just above the hook. Insert the tafinal step is cutting the excess remaining pered end of a toothpick into the bead toothpick outside the bead hole with a hole, pushing in on the pick, and wedge clipper so it appears flush. the line between the toothpick and bead Some companies have developed hole. This will secure the toothpick like a plastic pegging material that substitutes
94 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
for a toothpick. It does have certain advantages by being less abrasive on the leader and can also be colored to match the bead color. Carrying a few split shot may come in handy also, as small-sized split shot may be added as needed to the leader and assisting the bead to sink in the water column and provide a good drift in deeper holes. The use of an indicator on the line can also be useful, though not necessary. The concept for fishing the bead is to cast upstream at about a 45-degree angle from your target area, and mend the line to allow the bead to dead drift naturally in the current (very similar to executing a nymphing technique). Be patient and make sure
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Prince of Wales Island to run the bead more than a few times over your target area. The fish will strike hard and fast. Try to avoid letting the current put drag on the line, or swinging the line like a pendulum, and allow the current to “dead drift� your bead as naturally as possible. Changing the color and size of your bead may improve fishing also. Dead-drifting flesh patterns is another good choice for enticing rainbow trout to bite. The patterned streamers replicate the rotting salmon flesh being washed downstream from spawned-out salmon carcasses. Flesh patterns are sometimes tied in combination with a few beads, offering the rainbows a free combo meal upgrade they normally cannot resist.
THE BIG ONE GETS AWAY On a particular trip last season, while fishing one of the many productive upper Susitna Valley creeks, I spotted a huge fish holding out in the middle of the creek. It was sitting in a depth about waist deep, very close to the bottom. At first, the fish appeared to be a sockeye salmon. My eyes strained as I peered through polarized sunglasses trying to focus. I could not make a positive identification, so I decided to try and entice the fish to move a bit by drifting a bead. I began with a mottled tangerine-colored bead, casting it out upstream and out in front, letting the current bring it back towards the hefty fish to see if he would rise and strike. I drifted the bead several times near the fish without reac-
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Prince of Wales Island tion. The more I watched the bead pass right over the top of the fish’s head, the more frustrated I became. I figured it simply must be an uninterested sockeye sitting in the current resting. Just when I was about to move along, I got a short glimpse of the tail waving back and forth under the surface. The spotted pattern on the tail lobes caused me to reconsider. I immediately chose to change my bead for a large articulated flesh fly. I quickly took a knee on a nearby gravel bar, rapidly changed out bead for the fly, and retied. I anxiously returned to my previous position, and casted the flesh pattern about 6 feet in front of the hovering fish. Right as the water current steered the sinking articulated flesh pattern directly overhead, the fish aggressively rose up, opening its mouth, and tried to inhale the passing fly. My heart went to my throat. The rising fish exposed its identification and I clearly saw it was a giant rainbow. The trout appeared to be as fat as a full-size paper towel roll. I frantically gathered my line and recast for a second drift towards the beast. This time the fish came up open mouthed, sucking in the 3-inch flesh fly, making it disappear. Instinctively I raised my rod tip with a quick action and set the hook. The line tightened immediately, rod spine bent over, and the fish leaped straight out of the water 3 feet into the air. The size of the trout equaled the size of a large silver salmon. The acrobatic display continued with the fish making two more consecutive jumps out of the creek. Feeling the action of the rod continuing to bend, I started to apply some pressure to control the fish. My line unfortunately gave to the force, and boink, my rod suddenly went limp. The feeling of defeat was instantaneous. The trout was off my line faster than it took for me to yell, “Fish on,” and it was gone in a flash. My disappointment was followed by several expletives. Upon reeling in my line to inspect the flesh fly (which I thought was still attached) I discovered an unmistakable reason for losing my prize. The end of the line was curled like a pig tail, absent of any fly. In my haste of trading out the
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DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE BEARS Self-guided fishing in the upper Susitna Valley comes with certain wildlife hazards. Anglers must remain vigilant at all times due to a large population of bears. Evidence of their presence is fresh scat and paw prints decorating sandy banks. That evidence can be found along every creek. A potential encounter with aggressive or startled grizzly bears adds a certain degree of risk that some fishermen simply prefer to stay away from. Conquering the elements of mystery and danger found here can only be accomplished by actually putting wading boots in the water. I approach fishing in the area with equal amounts of excitement and concern. My pursuit for trophy trout must not overlook a need to be prepared. After all, I have no desire in becoming dinner for a big bruin. Situational awareness is the best tool I have in bear country. Making your presence known by making noise, and giving a
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Bear tracks are commonplace in this area, so anglers need to be aware of bruins that share the shoreline also on the lookout for fish. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
bear its space when encountered are both good defensive measures to employ. Bear spray and high-pitched whistles are popular items often carried for self-protection. My personal choice for backup is a 12gauge shotgun, loaded with bear slugs. Pondering over a worst-case scenario could easily convince some anglers to stay away from the creeks of the upper Su. However, the allure of fat feisty rainbows keeps my friends and me eager to hike into the dense alders, and wade in the swift clear water searching for the trout. – DM
bead for a flesh pattern I failed to retie a good secure knot. My line simply slipped the knot under the strain of the fish, and my articulated fly was probably still in the trout’s mouth. I felt the agony of defeat the rest of the day. Although I did not manage to land the large trout, I learned from the experience. The high-flying rainbow remains vivid in my memory, and I am restless to return to search for him again this year in the upper Susitna. Of course with a fly box full of beads and flesh, and a little more patience when tying my knots. The thrill of chasing untamed rainbow trout is what draws me to these bear-infested creeks of the upper Susitna Valley. Those who don’t understand why, probably never will. AJS Editor’s note: Author Dennis Musgraves spends more than 100 days a year sportfishing in Alaska. For more information, check out his and fellow fishing fanatics’ website, alaskansalmonslayers.com.
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The author was not exactly born to be a fly fisherman, but digging into the tackle box and finding a fly sparked a new interest in the sport. (STEVE MEYER)
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Learning To Fly A NEW MEMBER ADDED TO THE JOY OF FLY FISHING CLUB BY STEVE MEYER rad Pitt taught me to fly fish. Well not really, but I did see A River Runs Through It. Truthfully, I had seen fly fishing in magazines and books, mostly from the past when I was a kid and had some thoughts of someday learning to smoke a briar wood pipe, while making perfect casts of No. 22 dry flies to unsuspecting trout with a split bamboo fly rod. But we moved to Alaska and I quickly was swallowed up in the hardware and bait fishing that most everyone else does. Never being as much of a fisherman as a hunter, I just didn’t seem to have time to pursue this grand outdoor tradition. One July day several years ago my fishing partner and I, in an annual tradition, headed up to our favorite mountain lake for the opening of grayling season. We have a spot there that we fish and have always had no difficulty catching all the grayling we wanted using hardware – Mepps and Vibrax spinners, Rooster Tails, small Syclops and Pixies were all we ever needed. But that year, for reasons only known to the fish, was different. Our targets refused to cooperate and ignored everything we cast. The gin-clear water revealed hundreds of grayling, some rather large
B
ones, and the lures would go right by their noses without as much as a tail twitch in response. A couple hours of the fish snubbing their noses at our presentations were about all I could take. Desperation found me digging through the small tackle box I had and produced a fly of questionable origin. I don’t know what it was or what it was suppose to look like other than it resembled a ratty insect. I tied it on, put several split shot on the line of my small baitcasting outfit and let it fly. Two seconds later I hooked the first grayling of the day, and after that it was a matter of casting it out and waiting for the hit. My fishing partner and I took turns with that fly until we had enough and called it a day. Another angler and his son had shown up an hour earlier and were having the same luck we had before the fly stole the show. When we left I took the fly and some split shot and gave them to the two anglers. Before we left they had tied the fly on and were catching fish.
IN ALL TRUTH, I never really believed that fly fishing would be very successful. I thought it was more a novelty that, while very elegant, was probably more about the process than about catching fish. Now I don’t mean fly fishing in the sense of the use of spinning or baitcasting gear that is common here, especially for sockeye. This only resembles true fly fishing in that a hook with some form of ornamentation is used. I mean the fly fishing where you use a fly rod and reel, AUGUST 2014
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wish I still had it.
SO THE NEXT year
You never know what you may be sharing an Alaskan stream with, but there is something obsessive about casting flies and the tedious 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock casting and the selection of flies that draws the author back for more. (STEVE MEYER)
floating or sinking fly line with backing, a leader, a tippet and a fly. The kind of fly fishing that was epitomized in the aforementioned Brad Pitt-starred, Robert Redford-directed-and-narrated movie. The kind of fly fishing that when first attempted makes you look buffoonish and incompetent. Oh, it looks easy: just whip the rod back and forth while you feed out line until you have the right distance swirling back and forth by your head to drop the fly right where you want it – if you do everything right. If not, you’ll have knots in the leader and tippet; maybe you’re being choked out by the line that you thought went by and was actually around your neck; your fly, instead of settling on the water like the insect it is suppose to represent, makes a big splash, which means you may as well have thrown a rock. After that bit of success I decided it was time to become a real fly fisherman. I’ve pretty much always taken the view that all you need to be successful in new endeavors is to want to and get out and do it. So I ordered up a couple of complete fly-fishing outfits from Cabela’s and figured out the knots fly fishermen use to attach backing to fly line, leaders to tippets and loops for the fly. I read a couple of articles on fly fishing and loaded up on flies that were known to work best. I haven’t been able to find a duplicate of that first fly I used and 102 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
fairly gently. The explosion on the surface I expected didn’t happen. So I kept at it and, after about four or five decent presentations, a grayling hit and was on the run. We had chosen 5- to 6-weight rods, which were a bit heavy for grayling, but the 17-inch fish still put a nice bend in the rod and made for a grand struggle between man and fish, forever changing the way I would approach fishing. There is something about catching a fish on a fly rod that is unbelievably satisfying. Trying to explain the feeling would only taint it. It is one of those things that you have to do. Suffice to say, it gave new meaning to what was really happening on that river in that movie.
we found ourselves shrouded in the earlymorning mist covering our favorite mountain lake. There was not a hint of wind, although that would change soon as it always does in the mountains. My fishing partner got her gear set up first and was ready to try this new adventure. “WHAT THE HELL am I doing wrong?” was “Now what exactly is it I am supmy fishing partner’s comment on my posed to do,” she asked. I said, “Just do catching the first fish. I didn’t think she what they did in the movie.” Which was, had been doing anything wrong and sugof course, not the answer she was lookgested she switch to the pattern I was ing for, but me being just as much of a using, which she did. A short while later novice as she was, it was the best I had. she was fighting her first fish with the fly So with that she sallied forth and did rod and having a great time. what they did in the movie, sort of. After We didn’t spend much time fishing, a bit of struggling to get a rhythm, she maybe two hours’ worth. Usually by that soon had fly line singing back and forth time there are other people arriving and through the air. Winchester and we get out of the way to let others a Cheyenne, our four-legged companions, chance at the spot. But we spent enough sat to the side of her in rapt fascination time and caught enough grayling to of this bizarre behavior. But no fish were know we were hooked on this fly fishing coming to heed. She had tied on a Royal thing. It is sort of like upland bird huntCoachman simply because it was such ing with an English setter: even when a popular fly, and she had to start somethere are no birds, watching the beautiwhere. I decided to tie on a mosquito ful dog work is always worth the trip. Fly pattern after determining that was what the fish seemed to be sipping off the surface. Moving out from shore to allow some room for the backcasts, I peeled some line down and started whipping the rod back and forth from 10 o’clock, 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock, 2 o’clock. Maybe it was more like 9 o’clock, 3 o’clock, Fishing peaceful stretches of Alaskan waterways like but eventually I the Russian River conjures up cinematic memories of had enough line to director Robert Redford’s ode to fly fishing and family settle the mosquito relationships, A River Runs Through It. The author jokes that one of the film’s stars, the then rather unknown pattern on the water Brad Pitt, taught him to fly fish. (STEVE MEYER)
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aftermath of discovering something that just does it for you. It reminds me of waterfowl hunting (waterfowlers spend more money on equipment than any other segment of the hunting population), where every year you add more decoys, calls, guns, dogs, boats. It seems when passion for something hits we become a bit disabled in our ability to resist new stuff to try; it has been for me with fly fishing. Starting with a modest beginner’s setup a few years ago, I have quickly amassed a very respectable gallery of fly rods and reels. There were numerous fly boxes filled with delectable-looking flies, many that I would not be able to identify by name. Fly fishing in the traditional sense is a constantly evolving lesson. Every river is different, even from day to day. Every presentation must be tailored to the water on the day and one learns more about entomology than they ever thought they would need or want to know. Suddenly, the insects buzzing your head become a fascination, and the various forms of underwater creatures that heretofore had just been pesky bugs become a study in how they might be duplicated with some feathers, thread and a hook. No other form of fishing has been so mesmerizing, a kind of fishing where catching something is nearly secondary and yet, so successful. If you haven’t fly fishing, give it a shot and don’t worry, you cannot take your money with you when you die! ASJ AUGUST 2014
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When it comes to caribou, being in the right spot at the right time is the key to success. Research helps, but so does the ability of a good transporter who knows the area. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
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SUCCESS ON BARREN GROUND T
FRIENDS COME TOGETHER FOR CARIBOU HUNT BY PAUL D. ATKINS
he weather was terrible and our first night on the tundra was a sleepless one. Not from the normal excitement of what the morning would bring, but from the pouring rain and the strong wind, which were creating havoc with one of the tents.
The soft open tundra provided little to secure the stakes to, and the wind knew it. It was a never-ending struggle to keep the tent from blowing away or collapsing, plus it was full of water. The bright side was the string of caribou bulls we’d seen from the bush plane before we landed. They were close and heading our way. It was going to be a remarkable week.
BEING FROM THE South, it is always a welcome sight to see Southern friends getting off the big Alaska jet in Kotzebue. My good friend and longtime bow hunter, Marcus Casano, flew in from Mississippi in hopes taking a couple of
nice bulls and maybe a moose. Two more good friends, Jerry Banta and Mark Houser from Missouri, were up to take the challenge, all first-timers to the Last Frontier. It was early September and the color of fall had begun to show itself. The streams were cold and full of big Arctic char, and you could tell it was primetime for chasing big game. Caribou are the number one commodity this time of year and we had scheduled a five-day drop hunt to test our skills and hopefully surprise a herd that roamed too close. The thought of 350,000 caribou moving across the tundra is mind-boggling, and we knew if we could get into posi-
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tion, it would be a thrill a minute. The day we were dropped off was a bad one. We hired a transporter for our dropoff, but the weather was iffy at best. Matt Owen, our pilot and owner of Northern Air Trophy (907-2621091; northernairtrophy.com), called and cancelled on us. Matt is a tremendous pilot, but taking chances in marginal weather is not his or my idea of a great way to start a hunt. The next day was much better. It was cloudy with a few rain showers, but the visibility good. We were excited as we loaded our gear onto the plane and ultimately left the tarmac. I
Big bulls like these were a constant on the five-day trip. The hunters were able to approach them from a lot of directions and ultimately score close to camp. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
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thought my Southern friends, who had never flown like this before, were going to burst as we cleared the runway, but soon we were airborne and all eyes were glued to the rivers and tundra below. An hour later we landed on a small, flat hill with hardly any room to spare. The skill and ability of a veteran bush pilot is truly amazing, especially those who really know the area. The spot was barren, but in the distance you could see small bands of caribou slowly working their way towards us, making up for any concerns about the lack of cover. The rolling tundra would
provide plenty and spot and stalk is always more fun anyway. We made camp in an open windy spot next to the hill. We didn’t have much of a choice considering there wasn’t a sizable tree for a half-mile and only an occasional willow here and there. However, it was new country, and, according to Matt, nobody had hunted it before. The open windy conditions would do if we could get on some big caribou bulls.
THE TRIP STARTED out as a bow hunt, but we packed the rifles just in case the weather went bad or an unexpected
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bear decided to wander in. Alaska allows choice of weapon and it has been my experience that no matter your intent, it is better to have a rifle around that not have one. That first morning Marcus and I paired up and went north of camp. Marcus spotted three bulls bedded on a small rise with the
biggest being in the middle. There wasn’t much cover and Marcus would have to attempt the long stalk with his bow on his hands and knees. We figured he could get within 50 yards of the bedded bull before things would change. He made it 47. The bull stood as Marcus came to full draw. Surprised, the bull ran and then stopped as
they always do, looking back to see what was going on. Marcus dropped the string and his arrow went right between the bull’s antlers! I didn’t think the wind would push the arrow that far, but it did. The other two bulls joined him and headed for the next hill. I shot my bull 45 minutes later. After Marcus’ attempted archery kill, we were lucky enough
Camp was a little barren. With little cover and minimal protection, the weather played havoc on the tents. Luckily, caribou didn’t care. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
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The author (left) poses with Jerry Banta and the latter’s first Alaskan caribou. The bull wandered to close to camp, where Jerry was able to make a successful stalk and shot. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
to spot more caribou about a half-mile off. It seemed like we had bulls in every direction. With very little cover we moved slowly towards them, easing up and over a rise that separated us. I knew that trying to get within range with a bow would be next to impossible, but my .300 Win Mag stuffed into my pack would do nicely. The caribou were on the backside of the rise, so we kept out of sight by working our way through a small line of willows until we finally got below them. We eased up over the top. Marcus grabbed my shoulder and pointed. Against a cloudy sky I could see the heavy top of an antler swaying in the 114 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
wind. We continued to ease up the hill until we reached its highest point. The bull was in view and we could see that he was a great one: big-bodied and sporting a tremendous rack with a ton of points, lots of mass, and exceptional shovels and bez’s. As he worked slowly away from us I found a rest; the problem was I was too low and could only see from the top of his back to the middle of his ribcage. The terrain was becoming a problem, and as he continued to move away, my sight window was decreasing rapidly. I waited thinking he might turn left and come out of the hole he was in, but he didn’t. I knew I had to make a choice. I had
a good rest and I was shooting my old trusty .300, which I knew was dead on, or so I thought. Boom! Only I missed. I saw the dirt fly right in front of the bull. I knew it would be close, but not that close. I quickly got to my knees hoping to get a second shot. When I did I saw something that I didn’t expect to see. An entire herd of probably 50 caribou were down below the bull! There were antlers everywhere. In the mass confusion I found my bull. The rifle came up and I was trying to put the crosshair right where it needed to be when out of the corner of the Leupold a large tine stepped into view. I quickly followed it down to a dif-
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The heaviest and lightest load you will ever make on the tundra. After all, the meat is salvaged and packed in the antlers and cape before they make their way back to camp. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
ferent bull. “Huge,” I said to myself. Knowing that the first bull wasn’t hit I forgot all about him. My focus was entirely on the big one. Without even thinking, the scope settled and I felt the rifle slam into my shoulder. I had just killed the biggest caribou of my life. Quite a feat since I have killed a lot of caribou bulls over the years. Scoring right at 370 Boone & Crockett inches this bull is on the high end for the Western Arctic Herd, or any herd for that matter.
WHAT A DAY it had been. We skinned and quartered it and began the 1½ miles back to camp. The shortest route was through some of the deepest, most awful tundra you can ever imagine. It was torture, but we did it. With a last load tied to the framepack we arrived back in camp just before two very exhausted Missouri boys, both looking miserable, showed up. Jerry and Mark got their first taste of the Alaskan tundra too. It looks pretty
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in pictures, but it’s a terrible piece of property if you venture too far or have a half a caribou strapped to your shoulders. It’s a total workout. But we were all glad to be back at camp. That evening we were in the process of building a makeshift fire when we spotted caribou on a hill directly in front of camp. Marcus decided he would sneak up there and see if he could get one with a rifle. One of the bulls looked a little odd. His left antler was palmated, more like a moose antler than a caribou. Marcus said he wanted to get closer and have a look, maybe even take him. I sat on the camp cooler and watched the whole episode through my 10-by-42 Leicas. Marcus dropped to his knees just as the caribou crossed in front of him. Seconds later, I saw the bull drop long before I heard the shot. I made my over only to see a rejected Marcus sitting next to his first caribou. “Great bull,” I said. “Why do you look so down?” Then I saw it. One antler was
hanging. Marcus had shot the bull in the head. Stranger things have happened, but the bright side was Marcus had scored on a decent bull, and the meat would be well received back in Mississippi. The next day I voted that we stay at camp and wait for the caribou to funnel through again. Patience is a virtue, and when it comes to hunting caribou, even more so. Sure enough, that afternoon four big bulls with long white manes appeared. They looked majestic coming down the hill and we could tell they were old. Jerry decided he would make his way up there and give it a shot. Jerry is from Golden City, Mo., and has been one of my dearest friends through the years. When we hunt together it becomes more than just killing an animal. It’s time cherished with a good friend in pursuit of what we truly love to do. Jerry’s timing was perfect, stalking within a few yards to take his first caribou bull with a rifle. It was the exact
same spot that Marcus had the misfortunate head shot. The bull was old with distinct markings of age. He was beautiful and Jerry was ecstatic with his accomplishment. Mark scored also. He shot a small, but nice bull pretty close to where I killed mine. Four people and four bulls, so at least we wouldn’t go home empty handed, and everybody’s spirits were up.
THE NEXT MORNING I got up and cooked breakfast using a tarp to block the wind. With a two-bull limit, Jerry and Mark decided to walk north and see if there were any caribou behind camp. Marcus and I decided to make our way to a saddle that lay between two hills and wait, hoping that maybe a bull or two would wander through. As Marcus and I crossed a shallow creek that ran close to camp, we caught movement coming over a hill. Five caribou moving slowly were coming down in single file oblivious to the danger that awaited them. Rain had
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begun to fall, and it was getting tough to see through our binoculars and scopes, but we could tell the bulls were big. One of the bulls with extremely dark antlers stood out; we could tell he was especially big. We decided to make our way back to the creek, lay low and hopefully ambush him when he was within range. I decided the previous day that one bull was enough for me and didn’t need another. He was great and the meat would be more than enough to fill my freezer; besides, I wanted Marcus to get a chance a bigger bull. We made our way down the creek, and like clockwork the bulls turned and came right at us. There is something truly exciting about seeing caribou up close – any big game for that matter. It’s almost surreal. We made our way to a lone spruce tree and waited. At 25 yards the Sako 7mm pounded the big bull and he was down for the count. When we got to
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him our mouths dropped. I knew he was big, but not this big! A tremendous bull with close to 400 inches of antler lay on the ground before us. It was truly awesome! The rest of the caribou stood and watched until their nerves got the best of them, and they ran off. However, as luck would have it, they ran straight towards our camp. Unbeknownst to the caribou, Jerry and Mark were making their way back to camp, which was bad for the caribou! Jerry and Mark ran smack dab into the middle of them. I heard the shots and watched two really nice bulls drop not 100 yards from camp. The Southerners had three bulls down and filled their Alaskan caribou tags. What a day! After a couple of hours of hard labor we had the bulls quartered and transported back to camp. It was good timing too, as Matt arrived with his Cessna 180 about 30 minutes after we finished. We packed camp and were home by 8 p.m. It was an incredible a
hunt. But I was glad to be back in my own warm bed. Hunting caribou is a time-honored tradition here in Alaska. It can be one of the greatest and most fun-filled adventures you will ever experience. Flying to a remote location for a drop hunt in an area that is void of human activity is still very doable, and, with a little research, is still pretty reasonable for the do-it-yourself set. It can be full of obstacles too, like weather, location and, most importantly, timing. We were very fortunate on this hunt. Caribou seemed to be coming from everywhere, with luck playing a major role. I’ll take luck every time. In the end it truly was a hunt of a lifetime. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer in Kotzebue, Alaska. He has written hundreds of articles on big game hunting throughout North America and Africa. You can find him on Facebook and pauldatkins.com
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FIELD
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WHEN SPECIAL MOMENTS HAPPEN
FIRE
On one of his most special days ever afield, Scott Haugen witnessed hundreds of bull caribou swimming a river near where he hunted. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
RECOLLECTIONS OF A MEMORABLE CARIBOU HUNT BY SCOTT HAUGEN
A
s hunters, we know when a special moment in the field is about to happen. As it unfolds, it seems like a dream. Suddenly, it can be over as quickly as it began. Then again, that special moment may linger, allowing full appreciation to be had. That happened to me. Peeking over the willows lining a meandering creek, my breath was taken away at the sight of nearly 100 bull caribou fording the nearby Kokolik River, south of the remote village of Point Lay, Alaska. The hollow hair of the caribou caused their bodies to ride high in the water. Their oversized hooves that serve them so well on the soggy tundra splayed out, and used as paddles, propelled the animals swiftly and smoothly across the river. Hauling their soaked bodies from the stream, the caribou shook their drenched coats, casting a silver hue over the entire herd. Wasting no time, the bulls made
their way to a gravel bar lined with 7-foothigh willows. I stood only 150 yards away, then noticed a commotion in the brush behind where the caribou stood. The dense grove of willows was dancing to a beat all its own. The conditions were unseasonably warm and windless, a rarity encountered over my years of living in and hunting throughout the Arctic this time of year. Upon closer inspection, I watched in amazement as dozens of sets of caribou antlers scraped and thrashed the willows to rid the bony tissue of velvet. The willows in which I stood continued along the small creek, feeding into the Kokolik River, right where the bulls were. With a bit of stealth, I figured I could get in the middle of the herd without being noticed. Vowing not to look up until I hit the junction where the creek joined the river, I dropped down into the bottom of the creek bed. After 100 yards of crawling through willows, I finally made it to the mouth of the creek. Before me, hundreds of bull caribou
milled around. Just 25 feet away a bull punished a willow bush. I could see flaps of velvet glistening crimson as it peeled from the antlers and flung over the tops of his main beams. From behind me another bull ran by, head down, velvet free from his rack. To my left, a herd of a dozen bulls pulled themselves from the river and onto the gravel bar. Only a small patch of willows separated us. As the animals shook in unison, the sunlight reflected off the airborn mist, forming a captivating rainbow. Most of the herd continued to the willows, but one big bull lagged behind, his velvet already stripped. Suddenly, another bull bolted past me. He met the awaiting bull head-on at river’s edge, and an intense battle commenced. Fur and gravel flew as the mighty strength of the two bulls exploded in combat. I watched for nearly five minutes as the bulls fought less than 30 yards from me. At last, the subordinate bull finally tired and sauntered through the willows, bound for open tundra. Leisurely, as if by command, most of the bulls began heading to open tundra, most of them free of velvet. I figured I had AUGUST 2014
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better take a bull now since we were in need of meat. Just as I was ready to initiate a stalk on a small group of bulls, I heard rocks clacking behind me. Glancing through the vertical brush I could see a lone bull moving my way. I held my ground, heart pounding more intensely as the bull drew closer. Once he cleared a stand of willows all I had to do was hold the barrel out, brace it against my hip, and squeeze the trigger. The bull fell four steps from me. Knowing I could fit one more bull on my quad, I searched for another to shoot. I moved forward and lay prone on the tundra, resting the crosshairs behind a bull’s front shoulder. The bull humped up at the shot, turned a pirouette, and dropped 75 yards from me. Just like that, my wife and I had meat to get us through the start of winter. Simply getting the opportunity to see hundreds of bull caribou ford a river – along with a couple hundred cows and calves – was enthralling. Observing their behaviors and interactions with one an-
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Scott Haugen took this bull as it raked the velvet from its heavy rack. The shot came at 4 yards. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
other at such close range was a thrill that will be with me for eternity. For a moment in time I walked with the caribou. During those two magical hours I was mesmerized by the presence of so many elegant animals. On this day of collecting meat for the freezer, I saw more than just caribou on the tundra; I saw a river of antlers and fulfilled a lifelong dream that was better than I ever imagined. It’s moments like this that make me glad I hunt, for
the sights I’m often blessed to see would go unnoticed were it not for hunting that took me there. ASJ Editor’s note: Personally signed copies of Scott Haugen’s thrilling book, Hunting The Alaskan High Arctic, can be ordered by sending a check for $35 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box Walterville, OR 97489, or order at scotthaugen.com. Scott Haugen is the host of Trijicon’s The Hunt TV show, on the Sportsman Channel..
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CRUNCH AND MUNCH CARIBOU s summer winds down and fall begins making a presence, caribou season is in the air. Throughout most of the 1990s, Scott and I lived and worked as school teachers in two North Slope villages – Point Lay and Anaktuvuk Pass. During those years, caribou meat made up our daily meals. Though caribou is one of the most nutritionally rich wild game meats in the world, its lean nature can make it a challenge to cook with. A family favorite when it comes to any game meat, especially caribou, is the crunchy cutlet. Many different seasonings can be added to the flour so the possibilities are endless in this recipe. Top with your favorite gravy or use a simple dipping sauce and everyone will munch these down
A
1½ -pound caribou roast (or any venison) 2 cups buttermilk 2 teaspoons meat tenderizer (optional) 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 1 cup flour 2 eggs, well beaten 1 tablespoon cold water 2 cups cornflakes, crushed 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil Slice caribou into ½-inch cutlets/steaks. Between two layers of waxed paper, pound cutlets to ¼ inch. Soak meat in buttermilk three to six hours and keep refrigerated. Remove cutlets from buttermilk and discard buttermilk. Sprinkle cutlets with meat tenderizer and granulated garlic; let sit at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes. Prepare three shallow dishes for the three-step process. In the first dish, place flour (season or salt and pepper as desired). In the second dish, beat the eggs with the tablespoon of water. In the third 128 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
dish place crushed cornflakes. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. One at a time, coat cutlets with flour, dip into egg mixture and press into crushed cornflakes to completely coat, then add to hot oil. Fry cutlets, two to three minutes per side. Top with gravy or serve with dipping sauce. Editor’s note: For free recipes go to tiffanyhaugen.com. To order copies of Scott and Tiffany Haugen’s book, Cooking Big Game, go to scotthaugen.com, or send a check for $20 (includes S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489
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NO SYMPATHY
HUNTING THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY BY STEVE MEYER
I
grew up with the old-timers like Elmer Keith and Charlie Askins, outdoorsmen who were tough, said what they thought and didn’t make apologies. These guys were folk heroes of my time, and unfortunately we just don’t have that anymore. Everything is fairly canned, panders to something or someone, and, while that certainly has its place, I have always been able to evoke reaction and emotion in the circles I travel, saying or writing things that a lot of folks thinkbut won’t say. These are variables that don’t necessarily follow a trend. I think it will make a good monthly feature. As we made our way across the sucking mud of the tidal duck marsh, my hunting partner, Christine Cunningham, developed a mystery pain in her foot. A long dead cottonwood stump that had migrated its way onto the tidal flats pro-
vided a means out of the mud to check the offending foot. I found a spot of blood on her sock and pulled a small piece of glass from the area. With a wince Christine asked if I had a Band-Aid. I said, “Well, if a Band-Aid will fix it, you don’t
need a Band-Aid. Now get your boot back on or we’ll miss the evening flight.” Prior to our meeting, Christine had never fired a gun and had never gone hunting, but she loved the outdoors. She listened intently to stories of hunting I shared, and one day she asked if she could go duck hunting. Off to the range we went where Christine quickly picked up the subtleties of leading a clay pigeon with my Winchester 12-gauge over/under. The morning of that first hunt featured low overcast skies and drizzle, which in our world was perfect weather. “It’s raining,” she said. “Yeah, ducks love this weather,” I told her. We walked out towards a marsh and spotted some ducks sitting in a small
The author embodies old-school toughness and has not been afraid to speak his mind when out in the field. This is the debut for a column for what we’re calling “No Sympathy.” (STEVE MEYER)
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pond 400 yards away with no vegetation higher than 10 inches anywhere close. “We’ll have to get low,” I told her, “we’ll have to get on our knees, and then, it’ll be time to crawl.” She looked at me, looked at the spider web-covered marsh with the occasional rotting salmon carcass and replied, “Are you serious?” I explained to her that was how it was done. Off she went on her stomach, water filled her hip boots, and she was essentially soaked from head to toe. Christine is a fast crawler; I had to catch her and grab her boot to slow her down. “Slow down, they’ll hear you.” I whispered. She was worried about getting the shotgun wet and muddy, but I told her not to worry as that’s what duck guns are for. We had crawled to about 25 yards; the ducks were clearly starting to get nervous, sensing something wasn’t right. I whispered for her to stand up fast and they would be flying up and away. Nothing fell at the two shots. Opening the shotgun the ejectors fired the hulls into the marsh. I walked over and picked them up and held one to her nose. “This is what fall smells like to duck hunters.” Her reply evidenced all I needed to know: “I want my own duck gun.” We could have gone to any of several blinds and sat in relative comfort waiting for ducks to decoy, and several people have suggested I was a butthole for introducing Christine to duck hunting the way I did. But I wanted no part of that and was not going to promote the dumbed-down version of the outdoors that is often spoon-fed to prospective hunters. I grew up crawling stubble fields, sneaking up on snow geese long before I was old enough to carry a gun. I sat in cold sloughs in clothing and gear that most hunters in fancy gear would laugh at today. I donned bread sacks on my feet to ward off the inevitable water penetration of leaky boots, yet I loved every minute of it. Being a part of the process of predator and prey is essential to understanding why we hunt. Hardship – the breaking of the body – is the experience. What has been lost in the modern world is this: There are people who have the love of nature that allows them to suffer along with it. There is no way to define that by talking to a person or sizing up their physical makeup. It comes from within, and one either has it or they don’t, and there is little point in pandering to those who do not. The industrial food revolution has seen to it that no one need go hungry and one can live out his or her life with no concept of where their food comes from. The lion’s share of our country’s population does not hunt. That doesn’t mean they might not want to; but for a variety of reasons they may never have an opportunity. Remember to be sure of your target as well as your surroundings. I don’t think there is a better way to bring someone into the fold than just taking them hunting with no questions asked. Let them share the whistle of wigeons rocketing by in the predawn light, the hen mallard sitting by herself on the pond and talking hen talk to the decoys. Let them smell mountain flowers and berries brought on by the swirling winds, and, if good fortune abides, let them in the acrid smell of burnt gunpowder in the damp morning air. Share the gift of the outdoors you love in all of its glory and its tragedy. Take them to what seems the only place left in the world where there are many outcomes, but never failure, when you allow it to simply be what it is. ASJ
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SHOOTING RULES TO LIVE BY
REMEMBER THESE FOUR POINTS BY STEVE MEYER
B
eing shot was just one of those constant possibilities in the 20-plus-year span of my law enforcement career. Obviously such an occurrence would be best avoided, but sometimes that isn’t possible. The wonders of Kevlar body armor helped minimize the possibility of death from a hit in the chest, so it wasn’t something that was thought about much. The mindset was to simply be faster and shoot better than everyone else; the rest would take care of itself. Except for being shot deliberately while wearing body armor to see what it was like and know what to expect (it isn’t that bad), I managed to go through my career without being shot. The closest I have come was while instructing a women’s introduction to pistol shooting event a couple of years ago. Having been a professional firearms instructor virtually all of my adult life, I was well aware that sooner or later someone was going to disengage their brain, let
In Alaska, upland bird hunting sometimes requires negotiating difficult terrain and should be best done with an unloaded gun, thus maintaining muzzle control. (STEVE MEYER) AUGUST 2014
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go an errant shot and perhaps endanger someone on the firing line before I could do anything to stop it. I was volunteering for a group of women who wanted to learn about shooting pistols. We had been through the preliminary safety lectures and demonstrations on gun handling and had worked our way to shooting some closerange targets. Working with each person one on one, the offending party was an experienced hunter who had been to Africa trips on several occasions and was a frequent Alaska hunter. Perhaps knowing this in the back of my mind I let my guard down just a little. She was shooting and someone to my rear asked me something and, as I turned to answer the question, lost control. She also turned, pistol in hand, finger on the trigger and discharged a round into my foot. I thought, “Well, it’s finally happened” as I grabbed the pistol from her, cleared it and instructed everyone else not to move. Accessing the damage revealed I had not been shot, the bullet having impacted the concrete a ¼ inch from my boot, and it had been the shrapnel hitting my boot that caused the sensation. The shooter was clearly and visibly upset by the event and it was one of those things in life where bad as it was, it taught a lesson to all present how one moment’s indiscretion with a firearm can be catastrophic. Thanks primarily to volunteers in state-sponsored hunter education programs, the National Rifle Association and virtually every type of shooting sport out there, shooting and hunting remains one of the safest recreational pursuits to be enjoyed. The pursuit of safety in the shooting sports and the hunting fields by all of the various sponsoring bodies is relentless. That said, there are still plenty of people who have never participated in organized shooting sports or even shot at a gun club range. This is why, at least in this old hunter’s opinion, those of us who have, need to do our best to pass on the rules and practices associated with the safe handling of firearms.
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THERE ARE FOUR basic rules of firearms safety that, if adhered to, will keep all concerned in one piece and not require a lifetime of guilt for having negligently discharged a firearm and seriously injured or killed another person, maybe your hunting partner. I didn’t make up these rules. They have evolved through experience and knowl-
edge over many years. I remember in my hunter ed class back in 1968 there were 10 rules, covering a lot of ground but failing to really emphasize the critical aspects of firearms handling; they were also somewhat difficult to remember. The four rules as they have evolved, if followed, will absolutely keep one out of trouble when handling firearms:
Rule No. 1: All guns are always loaded. For some who are very analytical, this concept does not ring true. They know - and they are right - that guns are at times unloaded. This is a mindset rule, not a hard physical rule. One considers every firearm as a loaded firearm and conducts themselves accordingly is the point of the rule. Never take for granted a firearm is unloaded - never take anyone’s word for it, and have them show you or check for yourself before you commence cleaning or dry-firing or whatever the case may be. If you don’t know how to check and no one can assist you, leave it alone until you do. The statement“I didn’t think it was loaded” is common after a negligent discharge of a firearm and says more to this rule than anything I could add.
Rule No. 2: Never allow the muzzle to cover anything you are not willing to destroy. Personally, I have always thought this should be the number one rule. If you follow this rule, you will never have to apologize for a near miss, or worse, a tragedy that was easily prevented simply by always knowing where the muzzle of the gun you handle is pointed. The concept seems easy enough; the practice? Not so much. Muzzles get pointed A hunter education course is an informative outat folks in a variety of circumstances. Some let to get the proper etiquette for gun safety in of the time this is simply not thinking about the field. (STEVE MEYER) where the muzzle is pointed as one goes about a day in the field. Bending over with a slung firearm, be it standard muzzle up, American carry or muzzle down, African carry, the muzzle points fore or aft unless you physically control it otherwise. Your hunting partner in front or behind you is suddenly presented with a dark hole to look into. If you are at a rifle range and the line takes a break to change targets down range and you innocently enough start tinkering with your “unloaded” gun, how many people are you covering with that muzzle? Actions open, hands off is the standard for this situation. The terminology “Don’t point your gun at anyone” has confused the issue of muzzle control. It isn’t just about “pointing,” it is about always being fully aware of where your muzzle is directed. During a hunter ed class a couple of years ago one of the instructors picked up a shotgun, put it over his shoulder in a classic Elmer Fudd pose and repeatedly pointed the muzzle at every person in the class. He was demonstrating how this form of carry could be utilized. Even repeated attempts to get him to stop didn’t ring a bell. The point was, sometimes familiarity does breed contempt, and there is simply no place for that in the firearms arena.
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Rule No. 3: Keep your finger off the trigger until the sights are on the target and you have made the decision to shoot. This is perhaps the most vitheir balance and their musolated rule of all. Unless cles, including those that run trained otherwise, individuals the trigger finger contract will pick up a firearm and their guess what happens? finger immediately goes to the Overflow effect. This is trigger. Hollywood has conwhen a person grabs sometributed to this by the constant thing, like a tree branch or display of this broken rule on some other hand hold, and the the big and small screens. grasping causes an involuntary There is no need to place the grasping in the other hand. There is no need to place the finger on the trigger until the finger on the trigger until the Startle response. When firearm is brought to bear and pointed in at a specific target. firearm is brought to bear and something surprises you, your Film and television shows have created an illusion about pointed at a specific target. finger is on the trigger and you picking up a firearm and instantly placing the finger on the trigger. (STEVE MEYER) The seeming speed advanpress it. Think about being at tage to getting off a quick shot the range zeroing your rifle by having the finger on the trigger early it is time to shoot, and it will not fail you. from a bench rest position. You have the does not hold water. We have a saying in Some might think, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unless I press the trigcrosshairs lined up and are starting to the business: the trigger finger lives on the ger what difference does it make?â&#x20AC;? press the trigger when the guy on the next receiver and occasionally visits the trigHere are three answers: bench over touches off his .378 Weathger. Keep that trigger finger laid up above Postural instability. This is when erby Magnum. Without experience, you the trigger on the flat of the receiver until someone stumbles or otherwise loses may jerk the trigger.
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Rule No. 4: Be sure of your target as well as your surroundings. Another saying in the business is every bullet you send downrange has your name on it, and you cannot call it back. It doesn’t matter that you “thought” it was a moose, a bear, a caribou; if you mistake your hunting partner or another person for an animal, you own it. Michigan deer hunters are famous for their “sound” shots, where they shoot at noise. This would be funny if it were not so ridiculous and dangerous. Mistaken identity is one of the most common causes of hunting fatalities, but while they are comparatively rare, do you really want to be that guy? Every bullet has to terminate somewhere. If it passes through an animal, do you know where it will land? If you miss, what are the possibilities for collateral damage? What is behind that skylined moose, bear, or bird? Know the country you hunt, know the potential of your firearm and act accordingly. In Alaska, we are able to hunt in areas where there are no other hunters and it is easy to become complacent. There is never a guarantee that someone hasn’t come into your hunting area unbeknownst to you. Firearms-related injuries and deaths, aside from violent confrontation, are referred to as “accidents.” Firearms do not shoot themselves. Load one, lay it on a table and it will lay there for 1,000 years without threat to anyone. As soon as the human hand touches it that all changes, and if something goes wrong it isn’t an accident, it is negligence. Gun injuries and deaths are preventable simply by taking responsibility and conducting yourself accordingly. ASJ
REMEMBERING THE SAFETY Safeties are mechanical devices that can fail. Do not be lulled into complacency by counting on a safety to avoid disaster. Safeties get inadvertently bumped off in the field and sometimes will even cause the firearm to discharge when they are taken off. There are circumstances when a firearm needs to have a cartridge in the chamber as you hunt. Hunting birds over a flushing dog, jump-shooting ducks, following up wounded game, making a close stalk, etc., are all situations that are deliberate, and the hunter is or should be focused on the task at hand. At the same time, during the course of moving about in the field there are times when the gun should be unloaded. Climbing steep and difficult terrain, moving across wet rocks, simply walking on ice and sometimes wet snow all present circumstances where you are simply better off unloading the gun until you are back on firm ground. Experienced shooters sometimes get tired of hearing this barrage of safety advice, but we really can never have too much discussion of proper gun handling. Constant reminders are certainly part of what keeps the hunting/shooting activities amongst the safest of all pursuits. We can ill-afford to ever let up. –SM
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CONFLICTION WITH CONDITIONS BY CHRISTINE CUNNINGHAM
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t was 2 a.m. when we pulled into the parking lot at the Russian River. “Maybe the crowds won’t be so bad,” my fishing partner had said, and that sounded logical to me.
The only people awake at that hour are pastry chefs or night owls staggering out of bars. There might be a few of us fishermen dedicated enough to wake up in the night and slip away with our catch just as the morning light illuminates the river banks and trees in one of those Paris Salon images from the idealized world of romantic landscape paintings. These were my thoughts just before we turned into the parking lot and jerked to a stop behind twenty seven cars waiting to get in. “Must be the road construction,” I said. “Must have caused all the cars to back up.” Then I noticed that the cars weren’t running. When you are waiting for so long that it will save you money on gas to shut off your car and the guy two cars ahead of you has his bare feet sticking out the window while he reads War and Peace, you know it’s going to be a long wait. The guy who pulled in behind us got out of his car for a conference. He had come down from Anchorage. “No, there wasn’t any road construction,” he said. The guy was shirtless and his eyes were shifting around as he counted cars. “What we gotta do,” he said, “is sneak into overflow parking. I’ll walk the extra mile.” Then something tripped 142 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2014
his mental trigger and he took off in a run toward the fee shack. When I assessed my tactical situation that morning, I was unaware and unprepared. In combat conditions, this mindset is referred to as “Condition White.” In Condition White, a person drifts blissfully unaware. They spend their life savings on Paris Salon images for the parlor and smoke cigars. If anything serious happens, the first instinct is shock. My eyes focused on a teenager wearing pajama pants and carrying a garbage bag heavy with fish. “This can’t be happening,” I said. The color code for surviving combat fishing moves from one level of mindset to another, just like other emergency readiness systems. Without being alerted, my mindset went to Condition Yellow. I started to realize that the parking lot was potentially unfriendly. As the bare-chested man ran back to his car and drove past the line of cars to the overflow parking, I tried to relax. The man reading War and Peace dog-eared a page and put on a pair of slippers. “I’m willing to walk the extra mile,” he said. My heart rate was quickening. We needed to get a spot before War and Peace caught on to the overflow parking option and took the last space. My fishing partner was still in Condition
White. He was pondering a Plan B. There were other less-crowded fishing options to consider. But I had determined the threat. The engines of cars were starting up ahead of us in anticipation of a car exchange. The line was moving. We needed to act fast. I was shifting into red and he hadn’t shifted into drive. “Plan B,” he started to say, but I cut him off. My plan was to get parked in overflow parking before it filled up, and we better do it fast because cars were piling in behind us, and it was still two hours before the bars closed. We hadn’t even parked the car when I hit Condition Red. Catastrophic breakdown was sure to occur when I actually got to the river. People were unloading bicycles from the backs of trucks, entire families in helmets were whizzing by as I fumbled to tie a fly knot. My face was turning Condition Red as a guy with a baitcaster and 50-pound test loaded up his limit of fish. The war zone we were about to enter was ironically called the sanctuary. Instead of bullets, it was death by 99-cent sockeye flies being lobbed in every direction. So, instead of heading there, we headed up the trail to a hole upriver. But the crowds were everywhere, hiding in bushes cleaning fish or stacked four rows deep and up to their necks in water with children fishing from their shoulders. They were all flipping and practicing a style of fishing that was more like a dance move – the Kenai Twitch. By the end of the morning, before I usually even have coffee, we’d walked 8 miles in waders before we found a sparsely populated fishing hole. I was in no condition to fish. ASJ
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