Before I could remember, I was in the river with my dad and granddad fishing away until the sun set and beyond. Some days we would get up before the rooster and start preparing our bait and tackle. I’d drink a glass of cool milk while my forebears warmed up their blood and bones on coffee. I didn’t take to coffee much until I was older, but I sure did love the smell of their roasting beans as I pretended that my foamy white substitute was steaming and injecting me with the same type of energy that I already had coursing through my young veins. These are the fondest and earliest recollections of my time growing up and bonding with my loved ones and with nature by way of Alaska River Fishing.
We would hit the Kenai River bright and early when the sun was starting to lift the dew drops up into the air from around us. I remember on slower days wishing that the sun would lift a fish right up into my hand, and no sooner than finishing that thought, I’d catch a tug on my line. The energy of Alaska River Fishing lives on in me to this day, just as it coursed through me the first time I felt that tug. After patiently preparing and waiting for so long for a hit, then getting that tug, followed by the enthusiasm and encouragement of the ones I most looked up to… well, it’s really hard to describe the overwhelming sense of adrenaline, pride, emotion and excitement that swells up at that moment.
Then, the biggest thrill spills over when you pull up the line and hold up your catch. I wish I could describe the feeling further, but I rather recommend you get an Alaska River Fishing trip in under your belt and discover that feeling on your own. Trust me, you’ll love it every bit as much as I first did and always do!
