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Salmon Fishing on the Nushagak River in Alaska

Let me know if any of you see a photo that you want; I'll email you the untouched photo at full resolution size, which will be more than suitable for framing if printed on photo paper

Also, be sure to look at the video clips at the bottom; move your mouse over the clip to activate it.  The videos take a while to download, so be patient and mouse over the black screen when it appears.

Best fishing trip of my life.  Thanks Don, Joe and Oregro!

--Chris

Before we get to the trip photos, I think it's necessary to honor our Chief Guide and owner of Alaska River Pros, Charlie Weaver.  Charlie passed away Thursday, July 27th at the age of 39 in a tragic drowning accident.  I believe that his sudden passing is still a shock to all of us who had the great pleasure of knowing him.  Even though I only knew him for a week, he had the personality and charisma that made you feel as though he were an old friend.  I think that many of us fondly recall his funny, giggling laugh, that we all tried to imitate.  I remember that while on the river, when we would see one of the other boats off in the distance, it would be hard to make out which boat it was.  But then we'd hear Charlie's laugh and instantly know it was him.  I am personally very grateful to have had the chance to know Charlie and to fish with him.  I have no doubt that Charlie is now catching the big 80 lb Kings in a place where there are no bag limits or mosquitoes.  You'll be missed, Charlie, but not forgotten.

Joe sent this photo, taken on the last day of fishing, I believe, in the evening.  I think that's Merk, cleaning his sockeyes (the tent in the foreground probably still smells like salmon).  This is a perfect photo of Charlie; always up for a little silliness, but taking care of business with his daily fish tally.  I'd like to think it's more than just chance that the photo was snapped with two eagles flying over.

"And now," as Paul Harvey says, "for the rest of the story..."

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Boarding the Pilatus in Anchorage, bound for Kaliganek	Tim and Joe, making sure their parachutes are on (Don is in the copilot seat)	Outside of Anchorage	Starting to fly over mountainous region	Volcanic crater	Flying over volcanic crater
Mountain with glacier	Past the mountains, into the tundra	Numerous streams and lakes from glacial melt	Just overflown runway in Kaliganek, population 160. That's the village in the distance.	Nushagak River, just before landing in Kaliganek	Just landed on gravel runway in Kaliganek, watching helicopter move mining equipment.
		The only truck in town, used to haul our gear down to the boats. Held together by rubber straps.	Joe and Jeff headed upriver to camp in Jim's boat	Tim getting his first taste of "it's chilly," and Chris Merk, one of the guides	Jeff with First Fish, from the bank at camp before lunch
Chris' first fish, a monster sculpin (had to be a whopping 3 inches)	Jeff with first of many this size, on Jim's boat	About 11:00 or so that night, we were visited by the local Kaliganek Welcoming Committee.

 

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Cow and calf moose across from camp			Everyone getting a shot	Turned around and took this of camp from same spot as last photo
Jeremy demonstrating how a North Carolina fisherman looks	Whoops, didn't mean to catch a rainbow		First keeper for me. 26 lb female King Salmon. Guide Charlie giving his "you call that a fish?" face
Charlie's hoping she'll slip out of my hands and back to freedom	Jeremy fighting the good fight	This and the next couple of photos are scenes replayed many times throughout the week
A nice rainbow for Jeremy	As you see, if you hold your fish delicately, it will bring you good luck	Going up a new section of river to check out another spot	Eagles were everywhere
Moose on the bank
Grady, Jeff, Don and Chris with great keepers from the second day fishing	Uh-oh, Grady got tired from holding his fish up for so long		Jeremy and Russell, camp hands, cleaning my chromie, full of eggs to be used for tomorrow's bait
This is why you don't lip salmon like a big bass	Look at those fillets	Wish they had made it home with me

 

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Jeremy fighting a good one from the bank	Good one	You can't beat this with a stick. I think they were taking bets on which shore rod would get a fish next	Grady watching while Jim unhooks a keeper	Cow and calf moose swimming river

 

Friday, June 30, 2006

The big one of the week: 40 lb King Salmon	Guide Jim with shot for boat pride	The reason I went to Alaska		Chum Salmon
			Sea gull chasing bald eagle; something's not right about that
		Coming back to camp on last day of fishing
Don with two great fish; didn't know both of his arms were that strong	Sockeye salmon, caught by the camp hands	Yeah, I'm posing with someone else's fish	Me and Joe with what had to be the best boat of fish	Yes, they were heavy and slick
	Proof of weight			At a loss for words
Another great boat of fish

 

Saturday, July 1, 2006

Photo taken after midnight Thursday night	The sockeye bank, after a midnight fishing trip	Results from the midnight sockeye trip, taken on a fly rod	Jeremy with the last fish of the week, sometime around 1:00 a.m.	The plane ride back to Anchorage
		The black mound with no snow in the distance is an active volcano, with steam vent on the side

 

Sunday, July 2, 2006

World record grizzly, in Anchorage airport at my terminal	View from Anchorage airport	From Boeing jet, leaving Alaska.

 

Video Clips--move your mouse over the clip to watch it.  The videos take a while to download, so be patient and mouse over the black screen when it appears.

This moose cow and calf just swam across the river and the calf was trying to make it up over steep bank

 

Joe fighting a fish--Part 1

 

Joe fighting a fish--Part 2--The release

 

Rotating view of camp

 

Tour of kitchen and dining tent

 

Tour of sleeping tent

 

Tour of shower

 

Tour to latrine