Russian River- Day 4, BEARS!!!!

4 am.  They'll STILL be asleep when we get back from fishing!

Hooray for telephoto lenses!  What an amazing morning THIS was!!! 
Up early once again, Miles and I took on the nasty and congested "top of the sanctuary".  This tends to be the spot above where those bastard fish lay protected and waiting for their chance to dash up stream.  It's usually a bottleneck of fisherfolk, but we got there early enough to get decent spots.  But, of course, not a lot of fish coming up.  At least the people we fished next to where all very friendly and courteous.  One of my clients from work actually appeared on the bank across from where we were fishing and it was fun to bitch about lack of fish back and forth to each other. 
And then that humongous Grizzly sow and her cubs appeared.  Stealthily and almost soundlessly through the brush behind us and into the river.  Thanks the gawds that the people on the opposite bank saw them and yelled out.  The family of 3 headed up the river a bit and then crossed, engaging in some bear-like shenanigans-diving under water to find salmon carcases, gnawing on tree stumps and learning to share. We were all quickly dispatched further up the river when mama and cubs came back down river and crossed  again where we were fishing.  Miles had caught a nice red and we had to leave it sitting there in the water on it;'s leader as the bears approached.  We were sure they would find it and happily imbibe...  Man, was Miles bummed!  We stood watching them and taking photos as they got closer and closer to our fish.  Surprisingly, the old dead carcases seemed more appealing to the bears and they just bypassed Miles's fresh red altogether!  They were soon far enough away that we had our spots back in the river.  It was an awesome experience standing there in the rushing water, feeling it's strength, waiting for salmon, all while watching 3 grizzly bears go about their day. UNreal....

The rest of the day brought us heat and sun, fun, and more friends joining our camp.

FISHING SPOT:  Top of the sanctuary

FISH: 1 red, 1 trout

WEATHER:  Overcast in morning, GLORIOUS clear blue sky the rest of the day

DINNER:  Seafood night...halibut with lemon pesto, pan fried trout, coconut curry seafood stew-shrimp, calamari, muscels, clams, halibut....

Miles in action and one of my clients fishing the opposite side!

~sniff, sniff....mmmm fish tail!!!!

Omm nom nom nom!

Fishing and bear watching

A very alert eagle enjoying a salmon breakfast

Willa's Lego rendition on the Enterprise

OMG.  Naners stuffed with Peanut Butter Cups and marshmellows, then roasted by the fire!

Jack's ALIVE!

Banana boats gettin' melty!

Russian River- Day 3

An even earlier morning of fishing.  We got up at 4am and opted to hike down to the confluence to fish the Kenai River.  Our friends, Buzz and Leeann joined us.  It was nice to get there before the ferry started bringing over more fisherpeople from the other side of the river.  Not much going on in this river either.  We snagged quite a few but just weren't able to get them in.  Some foul hooks, too.  I did manage to catch a dolly varden that we snacked on later in the day.  Buzz and Leeann's day on the Kenai was cut short when he fell in and topped his waders trying to pull in a red.  And the damn thing got away...
Lot's of fun back at the camp though.  I took a snooze and Miles went back to the Kenai with some of the others to try again.  When I saw him returning I asked him if he limited out.  "Yeah.  On PATIENCE!" was his reply!  Oh, well, there's always beer and a jam sesh by the campfire...

FISHING SPOT:  The Kenai river

FISH:  1 Dolly

WEATHER:  Overcast

DINNER!:  Steak with blueberry chipotle sauce, fire roasted veggies and artichokes, roasted potatoes, and campfire bread.  'Smores.

The confluence of the Kenai and Russian rivers

Lovely carpet of wildflowers!

My dolly

Lola...Justin's other wonderful mutt

Nature Girl...her soul's food

Tying flies with Daddy

Dylan teaching Buzz to tie

Buzz's masterpiece

Hair washin' time!  COLD water!!

The musical entertainment attracted some campground neighbors.  Always a fun time at our site!

Willa trying out my bodhran

Buzz bangin' bongos

Wonder Twin powers ACTIVATE!!!!

Russian River- Day 2

Miles and I were awake and on the river by 5:30am.  Everyone else slept in and headed down around 11am when Miles and I were packing up for the day.  The combat fishing in that hole was the WORST I've experienced yet!  Some major ass-hats weaseling into an already uncomfortably small distance between fisherpeople... and some even fishing right over our heads!  NOT cool.  Or safe. The fishing was fairly hot at one point, though, and I caught my limit.  2 for Miles.
Dylan handed off Willa once we ran into that group and we headed back to chillax at camp.  Miles actually went back out after awhile to try and catch his 3rd red, but had no luck.  He DID capture a handsome black bear on his iphone and down on the Kenai, the late rising group found themselves in a close encounter with the mama grizzly and her 2 cubs from last summer.  All ended safely as they all made it back to camp with an excited barage of stories.

FISHING SPOT: Cottonwood hole
FISH:  5  
WEATHER: Sunny and hot, cool in the late evening
DINNER!: Pulled Kahlua pork over rice and kimchi

Woke up in the morn to find Justin's pups sleeping on Willa's fairy house.  ooops!

Combat fishing at it's finest

Late Rise group heading out to take on grizzlies!

Kahlua pork

Justin's dawg, Kona

Justin and the infamous Sky Chair.  What he went through to get that thing hung!

I MISS my dog....  It was nice to get in a good dog fix.

Kimchi on the fire and my AWESOME crocs.

Willa learning from an awesome chef

Dylan's woodland beauty shop

"They" say that Anchorage is the worst dressed city in the nation?  Well let them just GROOVE on the height of Alaska fashion...The Fish Skirt!!!   Twirls up nice!

1am-ish....goodnight....