I went to the cabin this weekend to get it cleaned and ready for guests coming from Bolivar in a few weeks. I’d put a patch on the leak earlier in the week, and was glad to see it looked like the Splash Zone had firmed up and was well-bonded.
I wanted to fish for salmon, so had to go to the Sea Lion boat to get my license. When I got there, it was a minus tide, and I’d lost a cannonball at the dock, so thought I’d see if I could see it. As I walked down the finger, I noticed a landing net, a pile of line, and a small outboard bracket. Wow. I borrowed a pike pole from a fisherman working on his gear. First I pulled up the pile of line, which was a skate of stuck long line gear. What a find. I gave it to the fisherman who lent me the pole. Then the landing net – in good shape, too, so now I would have one for both boats. I couldn’t reach the outboard bracket nor could I find the cannon ball, so I returned the pike pole, got my license and headed to the boat ramp at the other end of the Douglas road and launched the skiff.
On the way over, I saw a buoy floating in the middle of Stephens Passage out of place, near where I’ve picked up a gas can for an outboard, two crab pots drifting because they had not enough weight,a long line contraption, and a crab pot with no buoy at low tide on the beach during trapping season. This buoy looked brand new. When I pulled up to it, I saw it was not tied to anything, and had no name on it. I threw it in the boat by the newly found landing net.
As I proceeded the rest of the way over, I had to detour around a couple humpbacks that looked to be feeding right in the middle, I fished near the cabin both days, but no fish. Didn’t look like there was any bait in there, as I didn’t see any murellets or other fish birds. Just the usual flock of scoters. I did do some beach combing, and found a pail on Admiralty and a length of hauser line on my cabin island.
Got the cabin cleaned. Dishes done. Sheets changed. Magazines in place. And hauled out a load of fishing poles, fishing gear, and an old gun case with a piece of duct tape with my mom’s handwriting showing my address at Wood River Lodge, where I worked in my early 20’s. Must have been when Dad came out and brought the case with him, maybe with a gun in it over 25 years ago.
Didn’t hear any hooters, but there have been a few heard here in town so it shouldn’t be long. Getting excited planning a trip here, then a trip in mid-May to Sierra Leone.
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Mark Stopha
Alaska Wild Salmon Company
4455 N. Douglas Hwy
Juneau, AK 99801
www.GoodSalmon.com