September trip to Alaska

A 15 LB SILVER SALMON I GOT RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE SHIP

 Moms wanted me to take a cruise now for sometime., and I just could not really get excited about it, thinking it was not for me. The idea of being stuck on a boat with people I don't know and otherwise would probably not want to, did not appeal to me. Then she said "How about Alaska?" Well that got my attention! I said OK but don't book anything til I find out more. I called some friends who had been there and one of them told me about ALL the creeks to go fish as he had been there 6 times and knew them very well.
Joe Fusco gave me all the info I needed to fish in all the places the ship stopped in and I will be forever grateful to him for that!  Mom and I flew to Seattle Washington then Boarded the Celebrity Infinity. This is an enormous ship 987ft long with 105ft beam. 14 decks and lots of incredible food,Pools filled with saltwater and heated as I later learned.I don't know how many Bars and Restaurants but you could probably eat and drink for weeks and not get board with this place. Its a hotel on the ocean! A really,really, BIG ONE!

A 9LB HUMPBACK SALMON ON TIABA CREEK  ICY POINT STRAGHT AK

 NOBODY OUT THERE BUT ME

So they shove off and we are on our way. I go to this outside Bar on one of the upper decks and have many 10 dollar martinis. And become VERY HAPPY to be on this trip. We sail for a day and a half, get to Ketchikan, AK. I get off the ship and its pouring rain, the wind is so strong I figure there's no way I can cast.  I see this bar, The Sourdough inn as I recall, and I go in. Its 730 am and the bartender says "you can have a drink at eight"So I get coffee like the other three guys are having and every couple mins another would come through the door, some with their own smoked salmon that they caught and smoked themselves. Today is Sunday and like in most towns they are in to watch the games and drink a few beers.right at eight they all order shots and beers and the moods brighten considerably. The guy next to me says, as he looks at my carry on bag "Ya stayin awhile?" I tell him, yeah, all day if I can get some fish. Then I explain that my bag has my fly gear in it.  you don't want to check that stuff through so some baggage handler can beat it around like they do.I have two pints of  local stout and around 900 the wind lets up a little so I go off to the car rental agent, get a car and go to Ward lake about 8 miles from town.

A RIVER OF ICE POURING DOWN THE TRACY ARM FIORD.  THIS PIC TAKEN BY ME STANDING ON OUR STATEROOM TERRACE. YOU CANT SEE HOW BLUE THAT CHUNK REALLY WAS

The best thing about September in Alaska is that like the Jersey Shore was 30 years ago Everybody goes home after Labor day. So you have these little towns all to yourself. Even the locals are more relaxed!   

I,m stringing up my eight wt rod wondering if the fish are up in out of the Sea. I look at the creek running into the lake just in time to see a hump back Salmon jump and I,m like YEAH!  I wade in make three casts and BANG! I,m on my first Alaskan Salmon, about an 8 lb hump back then I got another, then a Coho 10 lbs     
The lake is maybe 10 acres and it had to have hundreds of salmon in it.Mostly Humpback and Cohos with a few Chinook in with them. Salmon in Alaska are hungry ALL THE TIME! not like up in NY where you make sometimes 100 casts a fish. Its like they know how much it costs to get there and figure "lets have some fun!"
The clock spins real fast when your BUSY catching Salmon. I caught 12 before I stopped to have a smoke.  And it was time to get back to the ship way too soon. Oh well I thought, I have three more ports I should do ok. Little did I know how well I would! Juneau,Skagway then Icy straight point. I rent a car in Juneau but I don't go more than three miles from the ship and start fishing in the ocean right off a Jetty. Its so beautiful I don't know weather to fish or just look around and grin so I do both! Before I know it the line goes tight,real tight! I play this fish for 6 to 7 mins  it had to weigh 15 lbs its a really silver Coho Salmon and its Beautiful!
I catch three more cohos up to 12 lbs then take a ride to Peterson creek 28 miles up the road. There are 6 local guys fishing in a run that looks real good but I just sat on the bank and had a couple beers and watched them for the rest of the afternoon, ate a sandwich and just grinned!

Skagway is very small and has one little creek that was filled with dieing Hump backs. so I met Mom at the train and took the greatest ride up the mountains into Canada. The White pass railroad If you go there you MUST take this trip! It gives new meaning to the word AWESOME!

Icy straight point is a really remote place that has 740 people year round and an airport next to the Tiaba creek for 5 bucks you can get a taxi there or walk its only 1 mile. DON'T cross the runway, Walk around it to the creek. The day I was there it had more fish than water in it! I could not see for the tears of joy! As I put my rod together my hands were shaking like crazy! just like the other places I was fishing an egg pattern but just about anything that's pink will work. Make a cast, hook a salmon! I,m blowin snot bubbles over how many fish there are AND GRINNIN!