The final leg of the sockeye slam required finding and pulling a sockeye out of Lake Wenatchee. I was feeling good about my chances when the weather apps told me that Saturday morning would be calm with a gentle breeze to keep the skeeters away. So the alarm was set for 2:45am and I was on the road by 3am. But with the exception of the kayak not ripping off the roof, there was no smooth sailing on this trip... Sorry for all the text but the drama was all pre-fishing this time.
Not quite halfway to the lake, the low tire pressure light comes on. Nothing alarming but I figure its worth fixing before a blowout sends me tumbling down Steven's Pass. A couple gas stations without functioning compressors and I am already thinking dark thoughts. Fortunately, road rage is pretty harmless when you are the only one on the road. I finally ensure the tire stays round and continue on my merry way. Arrived at the north shore, pulled down the kayak, loaded it with gear and drug it to the access easement. I don't notice until I'm at the gate that the welcoming National Forest sign from two years ago has been replaced with a National Forest No Trespassing sign... a subtle but tragic distinction. Coupled with what is clearly a 20 mph wind and pine cone tossing gusts, I am getting very jealous of the hound sleeping soundly back home on his memory foam mattress.
I had scouted out a backup location so the kayak goes back up and I hustle the ten miles to the opposite side of the lake thinking I have already let two fish get away. The scouting was useful but I failed to bring enough cash to cover the day use fee... that d@#* compressor took the $1.50 I needed to be legal. So I pretended to be bad at math, put all of my spare change in an envelope and hoped for the best.
With vast relief I made it on the water and preceded to get it handed to me by the wind. With waves breaking over the bow it felt like heroic progress but a quick glance at my rods would reveal that my gear was hanging impotently straight down behind me. Eventually I made it to the head of the lake where the waves hadn't built up and was able to settle down to fish. Down lake the kite surfers were having a blast but nothing was going on for me.
Takes awhile to get everything sorted out in a kayak but right before I start actively fishing again, the second rod takes a hard dip! I can't believe my good luck and start fighting with a much larger fish. Turns out I had hooked into the downrigger of a passing boat and I am being towed in a very undignified manner. Eventually the knots were untangled and we went our separate ways. I lasted another hour without success but reeling in the rods showed that both sets of hooks were wrapped up in their respective lines. Managed to hold myself to one lone tear.
Back at home the fillets went into the smoker, the eggs were cured up for steelhead bait, and the carcass went into the freezer for crab bait. Its awesome how it all comes together (sometimes).
Not quite halfway to the lake, the low tire pressure light comes on. Nothing alarming but I figure its worth fixing before a blowout sends me tumbling down Steven's Pass. A couple gas stations without functioning compressors and I am already thinking dark thoughts. Fortunately, road rage is pretty harmless when you are the only one on the road. I finally ensure the tire stays round and continue on my merry way. Arrived at the north shore, pulled down the kayak, loaded it with gear and drug it to the access easement. I don't notice until I'm at the gate that the welcoming National Forest sign from two years ago has been replaced with a National Forest No Trespassing sign... a subtle but tragic distinction. Coupled with what is clearly a 20 mph wind and pine cone tossing gusts, I am getting very jealous of the hound sleeping soundly back home on his memory foam mattress.
I had scouted out a backup location so the kayak goes back up and I hustle the ten miles to the opposite side of the lake thinking I have already let two fish get away. The scouting was useful but I failed to bring enough cash to cover the day use fee... that d@#* compressor took the $1.50 I needed to be legal. So I pretended to be bad at math, put all of my spare change in an envelope and hoped for the best.
With vast relief I made it on the water and preceded to get it handed to me by the wind. With waves breaking over the bow it felt like heroic progress but a quick glance at my rods would reveal that my gear was hanging impotently straight down behind me. Eventually I made it to the head of the lake where the waves hadn't built up and was able to settle down to fish. Down lake the kite surfers were having a blast but nothing was going on for me.
The key was spotting someone else waving the universal fisherman's victory flag (a net). I figured I should follow that boat around for a little while. As I made my way over, the boat right next to my target also gets a fish on. I'm thinking to myself that its not a true double but the boats are close enough that it should count. As soon as that thought flashes in my mind, the second boat really gets a double hook up! Three fish on the line simultaneously after watching everyone strike out for an hour is a beautiful sign and sure enough within a minute of getting into the hot zone I also feel a new anchor tugging on the bare hooks and its my first Wenatchee sockeye!
Takes awhile to get everything sorted out in a kayak but right before I start actively fishing again, the second rod takes a hard dip! I can't believe my good luck and start fighting with a much larger fish. Turns out I had hooked into the downrigger of a passing boat and I am being towed in a very undignified manner. Eventually the knots were untangled and we went our separate ways. I lasted another hour without success but reeling in the rods showed that both sets of hooks were wrapped up in their respective lines. Managed to hold myself to one lone tear.
Back at home the fillets went into the smoker, the eggs were cured up for steelhead bait, and the carcass went into the freezer for crab bait. Its awesome how it all comes together (sometimes).
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| Not to scale and you'll need to use your imagination for the carcass |