Today it is raining hard. I canceled my walking guided trip for tomorrow as the Anchor River is chocolate brown. There is 100 % chance of rain tomorrow, and 80 % for Saturday, with 60% for each of the following 4 days. Since the Anchor River Coho run is about 2.5 weeks long, and losing 5 days of clear water at the minimum, staying in my van, in the rain, is not a favorable option. Coopers Landing and Anchorage have rain the next couple of days, and maybe into next week. Fairbanks, a Grayling area, no rain for the next 5 days. Hmmmmm.
What about the Coho? Evidently they will be moving into the Kenai a little later, and into many rivers up here for weeks. I just have to find information on where one can wade and fish for Coho Salmon. Thankfully, I was reminded by Mike K. that I was mobile with my van. If fishing is poor for the next five days, I can be in Grayling water easily in 3 to 5 hours. I could even shoot up past Fairbanks and go along the Denali Highway, maybe only for 30 miles, with creeks full of Grayling.
At this point, money is almost irrelevant. Whether is takes me 6, 12, or 18 months to get out of debt, so be it. If I stayed in 140 dollar hotels as I got started on this trip, what is the bad point of taking a $350 charter, of 9 hours, to catch Halibut and Silver Salmon? Another extra week or two of paying off debt? Phshaw.
I ran into Anchor River Mike today, and told him I’m leaving. He thought it was a great idea and that there still was good fishing on the Kenai available. I’m in Soldotna right now (this is one of the few posts uploaded on the same day), and a 6 hour drive from Willow Creek, AK, the starting point for good Grayling fishing according to “the roadside AK fishing guide”. And then just 3 hours from there to Fairbanks, and all sorts of creeks, lakes, rivers, and roads I can get myself into trouble with. I need to be out of here in 6 weeks. Maybe it is time for a world wind tour to see as much as I can see my first time here in Alaska. I am certainly hopeful that I’ll be back again.
One week to hunt Grayling out of a 12 – 15 week trip isn’t too much. And I’ll get out of the rain, hopefully.
Tight Lines!