| For many fishermen, fishing in Alaska means | | | | quite good to eat.The fishing is by no means |
| one thing....Halibut.I love | | | | easy today, and we have to work to catch our |
| Halibut.Especially steamed and grilled, with | | | | fish. It seems we are always just missing the |
| a tasty baked potato and an ice cold | | | | optimum tides and reaching our new fishing |
| beverage!As far as fishing for Halibut, well, | | | | spots either at full flood or completely void |
| that is a different story, mainly because I | | | | of current.Still, we all catch some twenty |
| had never done it.Now, most people I had | | | | pounders and add ling cod, rockfish,dog |
| talked to that had ventured out to sea to | | | | shark, and some silvers to our Alaskan |
| catch Halibut, have likened the experience to | | | | sampler plate.The belt and the shotgun remain |
| reeling in a "barn door" from the ocean | | | | unused.For those of you unfamiliar with |
| floor, which doesn't exactly conjour up | | | | Halibut fishing, you are probably scratching |
| thoughts of epic battles with leaping Marlin. | | | | your head wondering "what the heck does a |
| For me, I somehow had the vision of wrestling | | | | shotgun have to do with Halibut |
| with an oversized mattress up a narrow flight | | | | fishing?"Although, Halibut don't put up much |
| of stairs.A lot of colorful language and | | | | of a fight when first rousted from their |
| struggling.With their sizes ranging anywhere | | | | couch potato existence,when they are tossed |
| from fifteen pound "chickens" to four hundred | | | | into a boat things change.Suddenly, when |
| pound--or better-- behemoths, the "door" | | | | brought aboard a boat after being hoisted |
| selection was more varied than the | | | | from the sea--usually by gaff-- the Halibut |
| homebuilding section at the Home Depot.Still, | | | | begin to thrash and kick about, as if someone |
| Greg and I were in Alaska, and to pass up a | | | | has stole their Cheetoh bag, or the remote |
| Halibut trip out of the self-proclaimed | | | | control has dropped to the floor.NOW, there |
| Halibut capital of the world- Homer-- would | | | | is reason to fight!!With the smaller fish it |
| be like traveling to China and not seeing the | | | | usually is not a problem, but after the |
| great wall.Our trip was booked well in | | | | Halibut reaches about one hundred pounds, the |
| advance, back in June, and was set up with | | | | thrashing and flopping has been known to |
| Captain Scott.I know what your thinking, and | | | | break legs,knock people down and wreak |
| NO he did not have a first mate named | | | | general havoc and chaos aboard a boat. Thus, |
| Spock,Kirk or Zulu!!When we arrived at the | | | | the handy shotgun, usually a .410 or a .22 |
| docks, I was somewhat disappointed to find | | | | caliber rifle, is used to put an early end to |
| that our thirty foot, twin dieseled cabin | | | | the thrashing.Preferably in the water.Of |
| cruiser was not named the ss Enterprise, and | | | | course, there have been some on board |
| that the "Mako" was the boats given name. | | | | shootings that have taken place, which as a |
| This would certainly mess up my plans to | | | | general rule have a tendancy to cause more |
| spend the day asking for Captain Scott to | | | | damage to the boat then harm to the |
| "give us more power Scotty".Probably just as | | | | Halibut.Things get pretty slow for awhile and |
| well.When it comes to ocean fishing-- size | | | | it looks like it will be a pretty slim day. |
| matters, and for my taste--smaller is | | | | Captain Scott is getting a little frustrated |
| better.I know, go figure, but if I have a | | | | and tired of re-baiting and untangling |
| choice between fishing on a cattle boat or | | | | crossed lines and begins to look like a guy |
| something like the "Mako"--which basically | | | | who is thinking of football plays. Finally, I |
| holds six fishermen-- I'll take the smaller | | | | hook and land a thirty five pound fish that |
| boat every time. Unless of course we are | | | | at least puts a small bend in the re-bar rod. |
| heading hundreds of miles out to sea and | | | | Then after a few more small fish caught by |
| harpooning Sperm whales, in which case give | | | | Greg, I hook into a fish that actually makes |
| me the Queen Mary every time.It is early | | | | a small run and feels much bigger. I keep |
| morning, and Captain Scott arrives at the | | | | reeling and pulling up as sweat begins to |
| boat toteing various boxes of herring for | | | | spew.Definite barn door.One of the gals asks |
| bait. If he'd brought crackers and some sour | | | | if I need the "belt" and not knowing whether |
| cream I might have sampled the bait myself | | | | I have a tire or a big fish I say "not yet." |
| just to get the day started right.We met our | | | | I'm getting a little tired, but still the |
| other fellow fishermen, and women for the | | | | fish is making some progress as he goes into |
| day. A couple from Ohio who have fished with | | | | door mode. We see the fish coming to the |
| Captain Scott before, and some acquaintences | | | | surface and he is much bigger than all the |
| of his from Fairbanks. They have come to the | | | | other fish we have been catching. Everybody |
| coast to get out of the smoke and fires that | | | | gets pretty excited and the usual helpful |
| are burning in the interior. They have also | | | | instructions of "easy now", "get him over |
| fished with the good Captain before. This is | | | | here" , "don't lose 'em", and "maybe that |
| a good sign, since I always figure that | | | | mattress will fit if you stand it on end" are |
| "guides from hell" don't get much repeat | | | | shouted about the boat.Thanks for the |
| business!!It doesn't take long before we are | | | | advice.Captain Scott tells me to hang on a |
| out of the harbor and on our way.The weather | | | | second and he goes to fetch the shotgun--hmmm |
| forecast is for a beautiful day and it is | | | | must be close to one hundred pounds. Either |
| starting out that way. Captain Scott pulls | | | | that, or he has taken a supreme dislike to |
| out his Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby ticket | | | | me.One shot and the fish is properly |
| book and gets us all entered into the five | | | | assassinated and ready to be gaffed and |
| month contest that gives out some healthy | | | | hoisted onto the boat.Whew.Turns out the fish |
| cash prizes. He doesn't exactly threaten to | | | | is only seventy two pounds--but that is |
| throw us overboard if we don't enter, but one | | | | enough for me, I can't imagine what a three |
| does not want to upset the Captain so | | | | hundred pound fish would feel like. I'm |
| early.Especially when he has a shotgun over | | | | pretty sure if I hooked a fish that big it |
| in the corner.We travel about an hour out of | | | | would probably out live me, because halfway |
| Homer. The ride and scenery is of course | | | | through the battle I would croak and be |
| spectacular. Captain Scott gives us some | | | | tossed into the ocean to make room for the |
| history and geography lessons on the Kachemak | | | | fish.I just can't imagine what a 450 pound |
| bay area as well as talking about how the | | | | fish--the Alaskan state record-- would feel |
| fishing has been going, telling us how many | | | | like, I'm just glad it wasn't me that had to |
| years he has been fishing for Halibut and | | | | haul it in.Our day is quickly coming to an |
| some other interesting Homeresque tid | | | | end, and Captain Scott starts talking about a |
| bits.Things like: he is coaching his son in | | | | quick trip to the "7-11" to pick up a few |
| football, (which he says is the last thing he | | | | more chickens. I look around and see nothing |
| ever expected to be doing);how he moved here | | | | but water so I am a bit perplexed--but when |
| over twenty years ago from California, and | | | | he motors into a well known area that is |
| talking about people and places around Homer | | | | fully stocked with twenty pound fish and |
| which brings a touch of personalization that | | | | cattle boats, I know what he means. We get |
| makes you feel like he knows every citizen in | | | | there, drop our lines into the water, spend a |
| Alaska. This of course is a stark contrast to | | | | quick five or ten minutes in a fast fury |
| "Oscar"- the Silver fishing guide from hell- | | | | catching four or five more chickens, and it |
| and helps to restore my faith in guides.At | | | | is time to head for the barn.We have our |
| least so far.Halibut fishing in these waters | | | | meat.The ride back to Homer has us all |
| is all about tides and currents, and today is | | | | basking in the late afternoon sunshine, |
| supposed to be some of the most radical tides | | | | discussing -yet again- the art of tipping |
| of the season.Figures!!Scott pulls out our | | | | your fishing guide, and how best to transport |
| rods, which basically feel like pieces of | | | | our bounty back to our homes.We offload at |
| re-bar, and have stout reels that have... | | | | the docks, and are told that the |
| like eight-thousand pound test on them with | | | | "buttwhackers" will be by shortly to grab our |
| thin rope for leaders.We're not fishing for | | | | fish and turn them into filet-o-fish. Just in |
| Grayling anymore!!The first spot is a bust, | | | | case you are wondering, The Buttwhackers are |
| and I begin to fear the "good weather-bad | | | | the fellas who "whack,stack and sack" your |
| fishing" jinx that so often happens in the | | | | fish so all you have to do is stand there and |
| fishing world.The next spot I hook what | | | | look like the great |
| appears to be a small Halibut, but lose the | | | | |
| small "cabinet" door, somewhere between the | | | | fish slayer that you are, while the fishing |
| bottom and the surface. Losing my first fish | | | | Paparazzi snap off memories of your |
| is what happened while Silver fishing, so I | | | | adventure. |
| get a little worried I might have a tough day | | | | |
| at sea. Not to worry though, because at our | | | | The boys make it look easy as they "ginsu" |
| next stop a couple of us hook up and land | | | | their way through over three hundred pounds |
| some small twenty pound "chickens" that help | | | | of fish in about the time it takes me to |
| us to get the skunk off the boat.Captain | | | | clean a half dozen trout.Then it is off to |
| Scott pulls out the "marlin" belt now that he | | | | Coal Point Seafoods for flash freezing and |
| is feeling more confident that we are going | | | | packing for the flight back home. While the |
| to find fish. Just in case we hook into one | | | | fish are being packed we have no choice but |
| of those three hundred pound derby | | | | to head to the legendary Salty Dawg Saloon, |
| fish.Halibut, are just about one of the | | | | to toast our trip and read the thousands of |
| goofiest looking fish you will find. | | | | "dollar bill" messages and names that are |
| Luckily,having a five year old daughter that | | | | tacked up on the walls. The "dawg", was one |
| plays with playdough all the time, makes it | | | | of the first buildings built in Homer-back in |
| look fairly normal to me. Now I realize she | | | | 1897- and has survived many changes, moves |
| is one of the youngest Halibut sculptors | | | | and different owners to now serve as one of |
| around, and the flattened "patty" like fish | | | | Homers modern day landmarks.The fish packers |
| with eyes both on one side makes perfect | | | | at Coal Point have got it down to a science |
| sense to me. You kind of get the feeling that | | | | and our fish are cut, packed and frozen with |
| these fish are like sea dwelling couch | | | | enough dry ice to make it home.Yes, it is |
| potatoes, laying on the bottom of the ocean, | | | | time to head home. Eleven different types of |
| not willing to get off their "butts" growing | | | | fish, one hundred pounds of fillets, and a |
| large in one direction.( Kinda makes me | | | | lfetime of memories from only one weeks worth |
| wonder what future x-box players will | | | | of fishing.A.J. KlottAuthor, writer of |
| "evolve" into??) It looks like if you glued | | | | fishing humor, and "fly tack" peddler. A.J. |
| two fish together on their flat sides, you | | | | writes about the people, characters, and |
| might have a fish that looked somewhat whole | | | | modern day events that surround the fishing |
| and normal.Nonetheless, they sure are tasty, | | | | world. His first book is due out in December |
| although I am told that once they go over | | | | of 2005. |
| seventy five to eighty pounds they are not | | | | |