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| "Waiting for summer" |
Welcome back to the Great Alaska Adventure Blog! Summer is coming quickly! Not sure if time actually moves faster every year, or if every year I have more time to compare it with, but I know that it seems to come faster and faster every year. I may have spent my last day in the mountains sking in the cascades, and to get over that depressing bit of news is by thinking about my home during the summer, on the mighty Kenai river. As the last of the snow melts, the swans have begun nesting on the Moose river just upstream of the lodge (as well as just below Skilak Lake) and the bears have begun to dig out of their winter dens. That must mean it's time for us to begin to dig all the gear out of hibernation! The riverboats have shed their blanket of white, and the last snow may have fallen. (Or not....apparently it snowed in Kodiak yesterday so we'll see....!
In the "ask not for whom the bell tolls" department, I'll be spending next week in Soldotna, Alaska at the Kenai River Guide academy. The Kenai river is one of the most cherished resources in Alaska, and also the most regulated...all Kenai river guides have to complete a mandatory 5 day course and before they can be licensed for the coming season. With my first license being issued in '84, I was able to successfully put the class off for 5 years, but to guide in 2011, each and every Kenai River guide must have completed the course. The course includes information from biologists, Alaska State Parks, Fish and Game, Wildlife Refuge and of course veteran guides. It is truly a cooperative effort from the Kenai River Professional Guides association and many government agencies, and I look forward to the chance to learn more about the river I love so much, and to see some folks I have not seen since last summer. It also reminds me that even after guiding on this river and peninsula for 27 years I am excited about what the new season will bring. Many of the folks who fish with us have been coming for years, and for much of the year it's more like fishing with friends than clients!
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| The Stellar prior to retro-fit in Resurrection Bay |
Our latest project is retro fitting and re-powering one of our offshore boats. The Stellar has gone from an inboard mercruiser 350 /Bravo II configuration (a combination that left the boat sitting on it's trailer for the past 2 seasons while our 23' Willy Boat "Raptor" fished for halibut in Cook Inlet!) to a pair of counter rotating Yamaha HPDI 150's. The boat is at Mike's Welding- the best shop on the peninsula and a friend of Great Alaska for many years. The original mercruiser was inefficient, unreliable and topped out at 24 knots- I'm estimating that with the twin 150's we'll be looking at a top speed of mid thirties, which will gain us more fishing time and also alow the Stellar to keep up with our other offshore sportfishing boat, the Fair Chase. We'll also gain a ton of deck space, improve our fuel efficiency and provide a back up motor in the case of an emergency. By creating the stern bracket, we've added 3 feet to the "prop to bow" length which will help with heavy seas and overall handling. We'll target Halibut and King Salmon in Cook Inlet during May, June and early July, and then move to Seward to target the amazing silver salmon fishing in late July and August.
Well that's it for now. My next post will have some pictures of the lodge and the guide academy class, and even a bit of video, so stay tuned!
Well that's it for now. My next post will have some pictures of the lodge and the guide academy class, and even a bit of video, so stay tuned!
