Scratch Year of the Elk, It is Year of the Salmon!

So if you have read my blog before, you know that in February of this year I threw down the proverbial gauntlet by saying that this would be the year I finally go elk hunting after planning and canceling numerous trips over the last several years for various reasons.  Well, again I am canceling my plans to go elk hunting this fall.  There are several reasons, including the recent development of a knee injury and the fact that my work schedule only allows me to travel during the first week of the season before the bulls really go into rut and begin bugling. When I made this decision, I still wanted to undertake some sort of outdoor adventure, so I began to research other ideas that would fit into my budget and schedule.

For the past several years, my hunting/fishing buddy (and best friend) has faithfully invited me to Alaska to go salmon fishing (he works it into a business trip each summer) and each year I had to decline due to my work schedule.  I began to wonder if I could make a trip like this work given my limited budget and restrictive schedule.  My initial research was a bit disheartening.  It appears that, not only is everything bigger and wilder in Alaska, it is also more expensive. Guided trips, hotels, flights, car rentals are all really, really expensive during the "peak" tourist season.  But I would not be deterred!  During one of my extensive searches of information on the web, I came across a random fishing forum that mentioned a book called "Alaska Fishing On A Budget" where a fellow in the U.K. had decided to make the trip and he utilized this book as his planning resource had good success.

Link to Alaska Fishing On A Budget

I was intrigued by the mention of the book.  I looked it up on Amazon, it was only $14.95, so I ordered it, and upon receiving it in the mail, I absolutely consumed the information.  I read the entire book in one evening!  This was exactly the information that I needed.  The author, Bernard Rosenberg, outlines how he himself makes a trip every other year to Alaska to fish for salmon and does so on a low cost budget!

Armed with this information, I have been busy planning my trip.  My work schedule has one window of opportunity in the summer that happens to fall during the prime time of a few different salmon runs, so the timing works!  Bernard recommends utilizing a "camping van" (a van that has been converted inside to become more like an RV to allow camping) and he recommended a specific van rental company in Anchorage that would pick you up directly from the airport.  I found the web site of the company, but when I called them, it said the number was disconnected.  I researched further and found that they had actually gone out of business.  I thought to myself, no problem, I will find another camper van rental company.  Well that wasn't so easy.  There are plenty of car rental agencies and there are also RV and pickup camper rentals, but these are really expensive.  I found one camper van company that rents old Volkswagen vans that are set up for camping, but the disclaimer that said "they can't be held responsible for mechanical breakdowns of these old vans" made me nervous.  I finally stumbled across a small "mom & pop" rental agency in a town north of Anchorage called Wasilla that does rent the exact kind of "camper van" that I am looking for, but the town is an hour away from Anchorage (Houston we have a problem).  Well I gave them a call anyway and they just happened to have one van available during the my targeted window of opportunity and they agreed to come to Anchorage to pick me up from the airport!  Upon reserving the van, I also made my flight reservations.  I now have transportation and a place to sleep!  This is really going to happen!

Next I need to decide where I am going to drive my "camping van".  I have three options as Bernard describes it.  Option #1, I can go North and then East on the "Glenn and Richardson" highways.  This path has the lightest pressure, but provides fewer fishing opportunities.   Option #2, I could go North up the "George Parks" highway.  This path provides lots of fishing opportunities, medium fishing pressure, and views of Mount Mckinley or as the locals call it, Denali.  Option #4, is to go South to the Kenai peninsula.  This boasts some fantastic fishing, but it comes with the highest level of fishing pressure and crowds.

Option 1 was eliminated since I don't have that much time.  I am tempted by Option 2 because I want to visit Denali park, but Option 3 would allow me to fish for sockeye salmon or "reds" as their known along the famous banks of the Russian river.   I can't pass that up, Option 3 it is!

Next on the list is establishing where I can park my camping van overnight without being evicted.  I need to find a campground.  Well it just so happens that there is a campground on the Russian river, but it is very popular.  I had to immediately book a spot before they were all taken.  The prime spots were all gone, but I am just happy to have a reservation.  This is the first campground that I have ever reserved that required me to first read the rules around potential danger from bears!  This will be very interesting.

Well it's official!  I going to Alaska to fish for salmon and I will be sleeping in a van down by the river (that is a joke for all you Chris Farley fans from Saturday Night Live)!  I still have a lot of planning to do since I need to get all my fishing gear in order and there are still some logistics I need to work out.  I am not disclosing the exact timing of my trip because I am paranoid about letting the world know when I am away from my family, so you will hear about the trip after I return.  I also have tons of research to do around how to catch salmon, so I am sure I will be posting more about the planning in the near future.  Wish me luck!

Red Fish Remembered "A Treasure Discovered In The Freezer!"

This morning I woke up and began to wonder what kind of dish I should make this weekend from the two whitetail bucks I had taken this fall during bow season.  I went down to my freezer and began to take an inventory the different cuts of meat I had available and as I was lifting up some back-strap steaks, I found a lone frozen fillet of Red Fish!  Immediately my thoughts turned to lunch possibilities (mmm, fish).  I pulled the fillet from the sub-zero depths of the deep freeze where it had been deposited since this past summer.  The fish was encased in ice inside of a ziploc bag, so I need to get it into some warm water to thaw it out in time for lunch.  I located a large bowl and began the thawing process.

As the fish lay there thawing, I began to think back about the trip when I caught this fish.  Since I now live in the DFW area, I don't get to saltwater fish as often as I did when I lived on the Texas coast.  So I had arranged to travel to Port Aransas and kayak fish the grass flats near the Light House Lakes for a weekend in late July.  It is a great area to kayak fish because the water is very shallow and propeller powered boats are prohibited because they damage the sea grass.  Red Fish move into these shallow flats on high tide to forage for bait fish, shrimp, and small crabs.  You can spot red fish feeding as the tips of their tails will often stick out of the water as they forage.  This was my second trip to Port Aransas, so I knew where to launch my kayak and where the fish would likely be if the weather cooperated.  As I said, it was late July and temperatures climb quickly, so the fishing takes place in the morning.  

This trip I focused on the east side of Light House Lakes area.  I was on the water before the sun was up and had paddled to my spot by the time the sun peaked over the horizon.  I love being out early in the morning, as the water just begins to move after high tide.  The environment was alive with activity.  Small bait fish and shrimp are erupting from the surface as they attempt to escape the larger fish below, looking to make a meal out of anything that isn't fast enough.  I paddle into the first cove and immediately I spot a couple tails near the mangroves on the other side of the small shallow lake.  I stealthily paddle within casting range.  My gold spoon lure lands on target as I now work it into the path of the Red Fish.  Stealth is the name of the game in these waters.  Because of the sea grass, the water clarity is about like a swimming pool.  If I can see them and they can see me, so you can't get to close.  My lure is on a collision course with the feeding Reds.  It passes by them and nothing happens.  I casted again, but this time my lure landed to close to their location and they were spooked.  I was dejected.  I had drifted across this small opening of water and I was about to paddle back out to the larger South Bay area when I saw another red feeding within my casting range.  I quickly put my gold spoon in  his effective range.  He spotted what he thought was a bait fish and as he quickly swam toward my lure.  The water swelled like a submarine was traveling beneath the surface at ramming speed.  Then BAM, he inhaled the lure!  The reason I love catching Reds is because they are great to eat and they are STRONG!  This fish is two feet long and full of muscle.  You should always loosen your drag when fishing for Reds because they will run and take your line with them.  If you don't, he will break your line and be gone.  This fish was no different.  Immediately my reel was screaming as the fish pulled out the line as he went on a run.  You have to play the fish and not try to horse him in.  I allow the line to run out and then reel him in as he turns.  As I bring him closer to the Kayak, he then becomes aware of my presence and again goes on another run.  Finally he begins to tire out and I ready my net.  I get him in the kayak and have to admire this majestic fish.  Red fish are actually a bronze color and normally have one black spot on their tail.  This is to confuse other fish so they don't know which end is the head (or so I have been told).  Sometimes they have more spots than just the on the tail and, as you can tell from my pic, he had six.  

It was a great weekend as I caught several fish each day, had the pleasure of paddling in beautiful waters and staying in a small "efficiency" cabin (that is code for one room) right on the coast.  I fished during the mornings, napped in the afternoons and enjoyed visiting with the locals about their fishing stories. 

Back to my lunch, the fish was thawed by 11:30 so I assembled my ingredients.  I intended to grill the fish because this is a no hassle, no mess way to cook fish.  I place two sheets of aluminum foil on the counter.  They need to be big enough to fold over the fish and then wrap the edges so that it creates a sealed packet.  I take a pat of butter and cut into tiny pieces to be placed under and on top of the fish.  I then grab some Cajun spice mix that I like and liberally apply to the fillet.  Any kind of seasoning will work.  I have used Italian seasoning as well and had great results.  Seal up the foil packet and place it on the grill for 8-10 minutes then turn it over and cook it about another 5-8 minutes (depending upon the size and thickness of the fillet).  I then grabbed it from the grill and open the foil.  The sweet aroma of fresh grilled fish is awesome.  Add a side of ranch style beans and you have lunch fit for a king.

All thawed out and ready to go!

Special Seasoning

Apply liberally and add butter

Low to medium heat, turning once after about 8 minutes, then another 8 to go

Can't you smell it?

Add Ranch Style Beans and Dr. Pepper, now that is a meal!

If you ever find yourself on the Texas coast, I would highly recommend a fishing trip.  Kayak fishing has really become popular over the last decade and many fishing guides now offer complete kayak fishing trips with everything provided (kayak and gear).  Below I have posted the links to the Light House Lakes and a map of the area if you ever want to try your hand catching a Red in the grass flats.

Lighthouse Lakes Information

Satellite Map of Lighthouse Lakes with paddling routes