Rev. 07/27/01

Alaska & beyond - continued 7/26 - 7/27

Valdez to Tok, back to Valdez

The day after the tour, I stopped to watch salmon spawning.  You can see the female digging a hole in the redd with her tail.  She'll deposit her eggs in it and the male, who is right next to her, will fertilize them.  Quite a sight to witness.

Then drove out toward the pipeline terminal to "Winnebago Point."  The real name of the point is Allison Point, but  its covered with RV's -- "Winnebago Point." Watched guys down at the foot of the bluff , just casting from shore and catching salmon.  Talk to a couple of guys.  My light weight spinning rod, with 4 pound test line, was great for grayling, but just wouldn't handle salmon.  So I left Valdez and headed back up to Tok.

All the rivers and streams north of Valdez were running thick with mud from the heavy rains of the last week or so -- blown out, no fishing.

Every once in awhile I do something stupid, real dumb.  My conversation with me, that evening, went something like this -- "So, your little light spinning rod won't handle salmon.  Dummy, what's the answer?  Buy a rod that will.  And go back where you know there are fish.  Come on, turn around, git going Graham!"

So the next morning, swallowed my pride, and headed back south to Valdez.

Part way down I came across two moose, a cow and her calf -- Mrs. Moose and Minnie Moose?

At Valdez I did buy a heavier spinning rod, more appropriate for salmon, with 12 pound test line.  And a bunch of lures that are "hot" right now.  That was after first making sure I had a place to camp.

Then drove over to "Winnebago Point," hiked down th bluff and started fishing.  The rockey shore line is covered with barnacles, muscles, and seaweed -- slippery.  And of course I slipped, sat down real hard on my rear.  Boy, is it sore.

During the afternoon -- caught five good size pink salmon.  Yep, I made the right decision.

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