Valdez Fishing Report Update

Here’s the “Fishing Report” update to our stay in Valdez. After a couple weeks fishing for salmon with no fish willing to show up and take on the challenge of Greg vs. Fish, I turned to halibut fishing. That post has already been made. At the time of that trip aboard “Outlaw” with Captain Scotty, I reported that I hit the derby leader board with a halibut of 116 pounds. The next day I was still up top. The following day I was still up top. Then I WASN'T. Two ladies, a mother and daughter team, from Arkansas, a place not known for its halibut fishing, knocked me off the board entirely with two fish MUCH BIGGER than mine. The daughter produced a 266 pound halibut- more than doubling the weight of mine. All I can say is…Boooo Hoooo. Since then, a 274 pounder has taken over the top spot. Hey, it was good while it lasted! All of these bigger fish were taken aboard six pack vessel “No Excuses.”

Then, after long hours fishing all the high tides from either the city dock or Allison Point, the salmon (PINK SALMON, also know as “Humpies”) began to show up to do battle. I think we kept 8 fish in the freezer, ate a few more (delicious) and released (some would call it “LOST”) a hundred more. If anyone ever tells you that landing a salmon from a fishing pier without a net is easy, just laugh right in their face. Pictorial proof of the catches to follow.

It’s been a very nice, for the most part, three weeks in Valdez. A few problems back at the barn, so to speak, took some time we hated to lose, but life goes on, and sailing, while it’s a fun thing to do, is not always “smooth” or so they say, them that know.

One caution worth noting if you’re coming to Valdez, the town, rebuilt on higher ground after it was wiped out by an earthquake and ensuing tidal waves quite a few years back , is still considered to be prone to Tsunamis, so signs like the one below are reminders of this all over town, and evacuation routes are clearly marked.

The silver salmon and the king salmon, did NOT make it into town during our stay. But I’m willing to bet they’ll be here next week!!! Maybe I can "send them a line" from Anchorage.
The young man in the pictures above and below is Mike, whose mother brought him to Alaska for the summer on a fishing trip. How special is that? He's a neat kid in his own right, goes to a performing arts school specializing in drama, which he loves equally well with fishing. He's bright, personable and eager to learn, and we really enjoyed fishing with him on a number of occasions. He's also a dead ringer for my son Derek when he was that age so it was extra nice in that it really got me excited about seeing Derek in Seattle when we leave Alaska at the end of the summer. I have high hopes that we'll have some time to fish together as well.

Above, Abby loves hanging out on the pier and checking out the salmon; says to tell you she likes it far better than tuna fish as a late night snack....