After a great week with Brian, it was time to be a lone ranger again for a bit. People often ask me what it's like being up there alone. Where do you sleep? Where do you cook? What do you do? Do you get bored? The list is never ending, and sometimes pretty entertaining.
The easy answers are that I do whatever I want, sleep laying down, cook where I am when I get hungry, and fish, a lot. The target species of fish I'm after in Alaska move with the weather and the salmon, so being flexible and mobile opens up opportunities. I often get asked how I catch so many fish.....the best advice I can give on how to catch fish, is to fish where there are fish.
Whenever I get time alone, I like to bounce around and scout. I had a few days to kill before Dad was flying in, so it was a good time to get a re-assessment of some rivers and current conditions. That included getting out in the Watermaster, some time on foot, some time driving, and lots of time standing in the rain.
I always make a point to drive a vehicle up there with flat folding rear seats -- it turns it into a mini RV, with plenty of room to sleep, and dry out gear while driving, or fit a raft frame and rolled raft in the back of a rig vs on the roof. Did I mention how wet it was this year? Some of the only times to dry gear was while driving and cranking the heater. Doesn't always smell the best, but gets the job done, kind of...
It was a good few days, wet, but relaxing. Soon Dad would arrive, and we'd get a change of scenery, head over to Katmai National Park, and catch up with a friend at Brooks Lodge.
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