Back from Alaska - What did I miss?

[Mark Hofman]

Here's the Reader's Digest version:



Stressed about making connecting flight in Chicago; Spent too much money on souveneirs; got skunked King Salmon fishing on our guided trip (which went 5 hours past end-time because the guide really wanted to put us on fish); saw Mt. McKinley from the Susitna River; hit a rock HARD in a tin boat (.375 in thickness on the aluminum hull); saw a glacier drop 100,000 tons of ice into Kenai Fjord; watched 4 humpback whales play in Kenai Fjord; rode the Alaska Railroad from Seward to Anchorage; got the foundation, floor and two walls up on the cabin; caught a stunning rainbow in Goose Creek; helped Charlie (5 years old) catch his first fish (also a rainbow); ran all kinds of fun power tools off a Honda generator; saw the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform; took the redeye home to St. Louis and got in at 11 am yesterday......



Oh, and took about 192 photos which have to be developed before I can post any of them.



So....in the midst of all that, I have to go back and catch up on what happened here while I was gone.



Trep: Sorry to hear about your dad. I did get to read that news.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Hey Mo! Hey Mo! Welcome back...Welcome back! You didn't miss much here except some grumpy fishermen because of this stupid weather...

TEE

 

[Mark Hofman]

Thanks, TEE! Yeah, we stepped off the plane in St. Louis and went GAGGGG because of the heat and humidity. And, boy, does it get DARK around here at night!



My wife was pretty grumpy about not catching any Kings. One guy in the boat did (nice fish, photo will be posted later), but we learned that the trick is to time your trip around the commercial fishing boats (who harvest a lot of fish that do not, consequently, make it up river into the sport fishing areas). Our guide also told us that it takes an average of 150 hours of fishing to catch one king salmon on a river. We would have done better taking a trip out onto the Pacific Ocean where the fish are still feeding. Once they get up into fresh water, they stop eating. "Spawn 'till you die."



Running in a glacier-fed river, where you can't see the bottom in 2 inches of water, at 35 miles per hour in a jet boat is an experience I can't even begin to describe. We grounded out once and my head hit the windshield. I'll post some photos when I can get them scanned.



I WANT TO GO BACK!!!!

 

[Bill Corrigal]

I asked Teri to marry me not Sam....But she still said no....

 

[Marke Cicero]

We tried to hook Teri up with Mini too....but that didn't happen either. She's very hard to get...LOL

 

[Kenny Lively]

All this d@#&n hot weather here Texas is what you missed. KENNY

 

[Bill McElroy]

I'll take you Teri!!! I've got 3 women around here now,....what's one more?!...The only other male around my place is the cat and he's under suspicion!!! Atleast I have muh boooaaatt!!! LOL

Mac

 

[Pierre Voisine]

I married Terri.

 

[Marc LeTourneau]

Your nose is getting longer Pierre ...

 

[Marke Cicero]

His nose aint the only....



That joke is too easy....I'll save that one for the ametures. Plus this is a family site...LOL

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Pierre Pinocchio?

Teri...I would look at somethin' else...

TEE

 

[Mark Hofman]

Teri: Forgive them, for they know not what they do.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Yes we do Mo:0.....Hey where is Teri lately?

TEE

 

[TrepMan]

MO - Thank for the note on my Dad.



Sounds like a GREAT Trip!!



How big was the Rainbow? Whatdyacatchiton???



Trep

 

[Staci Matheis]

Welcome home, Mark! Wow, do I envy you that trip! With all the fishing shows I've seen about king salmon fishing in Alaska, not one of them ever mentioned 150 hours to catch a fish - that's musky territory!



Did you hear that Fair St. Louis next year has been moved from the 4th of July to Memorial Day? Why, I have no idea. Unbelievable.



me!

 

[Staci Matheis]

Oh, yeah..... Laurie and the girls have a lady staying with them this summer from Spain. She's a teacher there and wanted to be immersed in the english language for a few months.

 

[Mark Hofman]

Trep, the rainbow was about 12 inches, but had the most brilliant colors I've ever seen on a trout. I caught and released it on Goose Creek in a pool that was only a couple of feet deep and four feet wide. We knew there wouldn't be any big fish, so I was using a 2-piece, 5'-6" ultralight and 4 lb. test. The lure was a silver spinner with a cupped blade.



On the day we left the cabin site, we stopped at Montana Creek and saw a big king behind a rock in mid-stream. But my license had expired and I didn't have a king salmon stamp for that 3-day license anyway(we did when we took the charter trip and had a one-day license). I can attest that king salmon are HUGE fish. Our guide's partner took a 46-pound king the day before we went out, and we were using rods with 60-pound braided line to throw big flatfish (Kiwifish), spoons and Wiggle Warts.



Me!, no I didn't hear about Fair St. Louis. That's wierd. The one guy in our boat (Ray) who did catch a king is a local resident who goes king fishing every year on the Susitna River basin. He hadn't caught a king in three years until the day we were out. I have to give credit to our guide; he really worked that day, spending time on the radio with other boat captains, taking us everywhere he knew including his "last resort" honey hole (which is where Ray finally landed his salmon).



It was hard to come home.