Black Bear

[ken98k]

I had an interesting bear experience this weekend.

I was cruising up a tributary of the Yukon with a couple friends to try our luck at one of my favorite pike fishing holes, when I came upon a logjam.

As I slowed down I noticed a black bear on the bank. This was not unusual but the fact that this bear hung around for about 2 hours making a lot of noise was unusual. Black bears are usually silent.

We fished for a while there at the log jam and the bear was woofing and clawing at a dead spruce with just a couple bushes obscuring our view.

Then we picked and pulled on the jam, pulling logs free with the boat, but still the bear remained, making a lot of noise. I was really surprised he stayed around then because the boat has a 351 V-8 and makes a fair amount of noise.

Finally I decided I was going to find out what he was doing.

I pulled up to the bank about 75 yards below where the bear was and briskly, climbed up to his level but couldn’t see him. I drew my trusty 44 and went for a closer look but he was gone. I looked all around, even in the trees, where he had been but saw little evidence the bear had been there at all.

After returning to the boat, we continued fishing. About 2 minutes later I looked up and the bear was standing where I had just come from! I got a bead on him with the 44 at about 25 yards but decide not to shoot. The bear then went back to where he had been making all the noise before. It was then that I saw a cub climbing down from a tree.

He and mama the disappeared into the bush.

Glad I didn’t shoot!

 

PS. Didn’t catch a damm thing!

 

[Horsefly]

That was one heck ofva fishing trip,and you didn't even get fish stink on your hands.I'd of never dreamed you could go fishing in Alaska and not catch anything.Jerry

[ken98k]

That was one heck ofva fishing trip,and you didn't even get fish stink on your hands.I'd of never dreamed you could go fishing in Alaska and not catch anything.Jerry

 

That's a common misconception. There is a lot of world class fishing in Alaska, but not in the Interior.

I used to have a charter business that I gave up because people saw the fishing shows on television and expected to find that kind of fishing all over AK and were disappointed when they fished the interior with me.

The statewide average is 12 hours fishing per King Salmon caught.

 

One of my luckier clients

 

[Horsefly]

I'd gladly fish 12 hrs. for a fish like that.I was watching a travel show last night,and they were catching halibut in a derby or tournament in Homer,and I was wondering if you ever caught one of those.My twin brother done his overseas duty at Cold Bay,and a cousin and her husband were in Anchorage when they mustered out,but they got civilian jobs doing the same thing they done for the Air Force and stayed since I reckon '72 or '73.She recently passed away,and her husband moved back to Oklahoma.They had a lot of wonderful years up there,and the fishing is what they mostly talked about.My brother went back a couple years ago and done some fishing.Maybe someday!!!!!!! Jerry

[ken98k]

I'd gladly fish 12 hrs. for a fish like that.I was watching a travel show last night,and they were catching halibut in a derby or tournament in Homer,and I was wondering if you ever caught one of those.My twin brother done his overseas duty at Cold Bay,and a cousin and her husband were in Anchorage when they mustered out,but they got civilian jobs doing the same thing they done for the Air Force and stayed since I reckon '72 or '73.She recently passed away,and her husband moved back to Oklahoma.They had a lot of wonderful years up there,and the fishing is what they mostly talked about.My brother went back a couple years ago and done some fishing.Maybe someday!!!!!!! Jerry

 

Yes I've caught halibut. I never got one of the monsters, (they get them over 300lbs.) all mine have been under 60 lbs.

A popular, but accurate description is it's like pulling a 4X8 sheet of plywood up through the water, the flat way.

[FC]

Pretty neat.

I thought interior fishing would be good.