Last month my wife sent me and my buddy off on a fishing trip to Alaska in celebration of my 50th birthday. There off the Ketchikan coast I caught my first King salmon. Now, about 4 weeks later, we're on our annual "famn damily" road trip through Glacier Nat'l Park and back down through the Sawtooth Nat'l Forest in central Idaho. I brought along some spinning rigs for the kids and I to do some fishing while camped along the middle fork of the Salmon river.

I was using 6# test and a Rooster Tail jig, catching small trout and releasing all except two, which we ate. On the morning of the 2nd day, I was casting across the river (just 10 feet outside of our campsite) and noticed a firm "thump." I set the hook and within a few moments the fish of my lifetime was breeching out of the water and peeling off my line!

I tightened the drag as much as I dared and watched it breech another 5 or 6 times until I had it next to the shore. My youngest daughter got into the river with the net and was ready to scoop it up, but the fish was still too green and it took off again like a raped ape!

It crossed the river, returning to the spot where I had cast into. I thought I was stuck on a river rock, but kept tension on the line and just waited... Finally, I felt a little slack and started to reel it in again. This time I told my daughter (who is 10 years old) to just stand in the river and I'll bring the fish to her. She waited, and right when she was ready to scoop it up I made the bad decision to lift the head slightly to help her work it into the net. SNAP!!! I yelled, "Scoop that thing!!" Within less than a blink of an eye, she muscled that fish out of the water and saved the day!





This was a full-sized adult Chinook measuring 38", having traveled about 860 miles from the Pacific ocean, navigating through the Columbian, Snake and Salmon rivers on it's way to the State hatchery (about 10 miles up river). The fight lasted almost 20 minutes and I had about a half dozen people watching me from both sides of the river bank. It was a bitter-sweet moment when I finally had to release it, but at least I have a few pictures to tell the story and a life-experience that my daughter and I will never forget.

That evening I took the family up to the hatchery and watched the returning salmon leaping over the gates into the breeding troughs. Salmon do not feed once they leave the Pacific ocean and loose about 50% of their body mass while making their long journey home. I learned from one of the wildlife biologists there that my lure was not considered food but rather an "annoyance" that these salmon grab with their mouth and move to another place in the river before spitting them out. I can only imagine how fat that baby was when it left the Pacific ocean!

Sorry for the long-winded post but I thought it was important to share in not only the experience but knowledge of these magnificent fish!

-- Brian

Spent many a day wadeing around in that river. One of my dads best friends was from Chaliss (SP)ID. Jim Jackman took me out fishing that river so many times I can't even guess. One thing for sure that river breads memories! Glad you have a good one too.
MM

Brian,

Congrats on the fish...what an experience, not only for you but your daughter as well. The whole life cycle of Salmon is pretty amazing when you really think about it. I'm glad that you got to make it up to Alaska to fish, everyone should do it atleast once in their lifetime...

I am haunted by waters....(now you are too)