"What's the weather going to be out there today?" one asked.
"Believe me, you don't want to hear it," I replied. "But... I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"
"Hit us with the bad first," one grudgingly said.
"Ok, bad news it is supposed to be blowing gale 35 knot winds today!"
I hear a big groan from all three of them. There was supposed to be a fourth but he looked out the window of the lodge and opted to stay in the warm and dry, instead of brave the wild rain soaked big waves of the north pacific ocean. Smart man, I must admit.
A guide is never looking forward to a bad weather day. The decisions you have to make can mean life or death. Big, nasty ocean is nothing to play with. I would much prefer to just take the day off, but that is not an option when clients have flown all the way to Alaska to fish for only three days. I must take them somewhere and try to catch something.
"Ok, the good news is that I had a friend tell me where we might get some King Salmon if we can just get there." Want to try for them? It will not be pleasant," I say the understatement of the day.
"Let's do it" they chime in.
I am needing to get to Bird Island where I have heard of some kings, but just past the end of the airport runway we hit blasting winds and a big lump of an ocean.
I battle the waves to Vitskari Rocks and decide on stopping and fishing there. I have three other lodge boats with me so we lean on each other for finding fish quickly.
We all run up wind and make a trolling pass with the blasting wind pushing us troll speed without a motor running. No bites at all.
I call Casey and C.J. to learn that they have not had a bite either.
"Ok, guys, put on your big boy pants. We are heading to Bird Island to see if we can even make a pass there," I tell the clients as I stow the down riggers and the rods.
It is a very nasty ride getting to Bird Island. The waves grow from six feet to a towering ten. My little 25 foot boat rides up and down like a little duck.
Behind Bird Island we take a breather in flat calm water.
"Let's fish here," one client comments.
"I would, but there are no fish here. The Kings are just on the outside of the island," I answer.
''Hang on, here we go," I say as I throttle up for a short mile ride.
That mile takes a long long time. Everyone on board is white knuckled as the big rollers pound the boat. Spray from the thirty knot wind crashes over the boat in blinding sheets. I drive more by electronics than by sight.
As soon as my depth finder drops to a deeper depth I throttle back and race outside to get the kicker motor running.
The wind is shrieking through the fishing rods on the top of the boat, making a dreadful moaning sound.
I quickly get the lines on the down riggers and get them down to fishing depth.
"Fish on!" I shout as a line pops out of the down rigger clip.
I help the client to the rod to make sure he does not take a fall in the mountainous waves.
He battles a big king to the net and we have our first fish on board. Two more to go.
The fishing is great. In no time at all we have three nice Kings on the boat and I ease back through the monster waves to Bird Island.
"We did it!" We high five each other and take pictures.
We are back to the dock by 10:00 a.m. with limit of Kings on a very nasty storm day.
I send happy but wet clients back to a dry lodge for hot showers and relaxing in front of a TV with their golf channel.
The guys back at the dock with their Kings
