Ray
Well-known member
On thursday I took Dave down to the Russian River to see if the rumors were true about the first run of sockeye salmon (reds) finally being in and in fishable numbers.
For the first time ever I took the ferry across the river and reviewed the combat fishing situation. Passed on it, and Dave and I went up the Russian to the spots that have been successful for me before without the crowds. No Joy. The river was pretty much empty even though the run count from the previous two days had said that there were up to 4,000 fish way up the river.
Dave and I stopped to check on some pieces of pocket water across the river that was not being fished. Sometimes the reds will hold in this stuff and rest up. There was a fresh cotton wood hanging down half way across the river and its top end was catching the fish carcasses being tossed into the current from the fishermen. There was a black bear coming down the hillside, walking out onto the trunk climbing down into the top end of the tree and plucking a fish spine/head up and taking it back to the top of the river canyon to enjoy. I know you are all asking for a photo of this, but I have just now discovered that my ISO setting was too low so my photo is just a blurry black thing on a blurry tree over a blurry river. However, I can still hear you guys all wanting a photo of any quality so here ya go. Dave will have to post up some of his shots when ever he gets near a computer again.
I did catch a nice rainbow from under that tree about 20 minutes before this shot was taken. But that is me and Kenai area rainbows - I only catch them when salmon fishing.
After not finding any fish I go to head back to the river bank and there is the cutest brown bear cub ever right where the steps are to climb out of the river. OH MY GOD ITS A BEAR CUB WHERE'S ITS MOMMA! My head was swiveling all around and Dave was wondering what we were going to since it was between us and the river bank where all the people were. Stay put is always a good option until you figure out where mom is. The little fella made its way around the bank and was looking for some of the carcasses when it figured out that there were carcasses on the log in front of us. It started coming towards us and I started backing up, but not too far since we would end up in the main river current in about 8 feet. The cub made it to the log and pulled a carcasse about the length of its front legs and made for shore not really giving a hoot about Dave and I. In 26 years of clean Alaska living, this was the first time I ever pulled out the bear mace. It is also the closest I have been to a live bear out side of a zoo. I don't take a pistol to this river since the bears are used to people and don't cause a problem as long as you give them room to fish or don't scare them in the dark. As it turns out there are at least three cubs this year (two 2 year olds, and one 1 year old) that no longer have mom's. Hopefully this little guy can make it to winter without mom and not end up being shot raiding a dumpster down river.
The log he pulled the fish off of is the broken spruce tree in the foreground - 10 to 12 feet from us. Dave may have a much cooler photo of the bear being closer.
After this we walked from one fishless hole to the next until we came to the end of the bank trail system, but not the end of the river. Kids were coming down with their three fish limits and tales of easy fishing where the fish were stacked up in the canyon. I have never walked up into the Russian River canyon and Dave was game so we started one of the most epic fishing hikes I have gone on since I was 18.
After about an hour we found a "hole" where some folks were leaving and the fish were stacking up. It took a while but Dave and I caught our three fish limits. I actually brought 6 fish on the bank, but kept loosing them once on the bank. Twice I fell on top of the fish and they still made it back into the river. Nothing can stop a determined red when it is out of the water. After I lost my second fish I looked over and saw Dave on the other side with his first red on the rod. Sorry for the "steamy" action shot. I had fallen in pretty deep slipping on a rock during the loss of my second fish and my camera lens was pretty damp.
And here is Dave 45 minutes later with a full limit of Russian River Sockeye salmon. Some of the hardest to get to, but most earned fish yet.
BTW - All of Dave's fish were bigger than mine.
For the first time ever I took the ferry across the river and reviewed the combat fishing situation. Passed on it, and Dave and I went up the Russian to the spots that have been successful for me before without the crowds. No Joy. The river was pretty much empty even though the run count from the previous two days had said that there were up to 4,000 fish way up the river.
Dave and I stopped to check on some pieces of pocket water across the river that was not being fished. Sometimes the reds will hold in this stuff and rest up. There was a fresh cotton wood hanging down half way across the river and its top end was catching the fish carcasses being tossed into the current from the fishermen. There was a black bear coming down the hillside, walking out onto the trunk climbing down into the top end of the tree and plucking a fish spine/head up and taking it back to the top of the river canyon to enjoy. I know you are all asking for a photo of this, but I have just now discovered that my ISO setting was too low so my photo is just a blurry black thing on a blurry tree over a blurry river. However, I can still hear you guys all wanting a photo of any quality so here ya go. Dave will have to post up some of his shots when ever he gets near a computer again.
I did catch a nice rainbow from under that tree about 20 minutes before this shot was taken. But that is me and Kenai area rainbows - I only catch them when salmon fishing.
After not finding any fish I go to head back to the river bank and there is the cutest brown bear cub ever right where the steps are to climb out of the river. OH MY GOD ITS A BEAR CUB WHERE'S ITS MOMMA! My head was swiveling all around and Dave was wondering what we were going to since it was between us and the river bank where all the people were. Stay put is always a good option until you figure out where mom is. The little fella made its way around the bank and was looking for some of the carcasses when it figured out that there were carcasses on the log in front of us. It started coming towards us and I started backing up, but not too far since we would end up in the main river current in about 8 feet. The cub made it to the log and pulled a carcasse about the length of its front legs and made for shore not really giving a hoot about Dave and I. In 26 years of clean Alaska living, this was the first time I ever pulled out the bear mace. It is also the closest I have been to a live bear out side of a zoo. I don't take a pistol to this river since the bears are used to people and don't cause a problem as long as you give them room to fish or don't scare them in the dark. As it turns out there are at least three cubs this year (two 2 year olds, and one 1 year old) that no longer have mom's. Hopefully this little guy can make it to winter without mom and not end up being shot raiding a dumpster down river.
The log he pulled the fish off of is the broken spruce tree in the foreground - 10 to 12 feet from us. Dave may have a much cooler photo of the bear being closer.
After this we walked from one fishless hole to the next until we came to the end of the bank trail system, but not the end of the river. Kids were coming down with their three fish limits and tales of easy fishing where the fish were stacked up in the canyon. I have never walked up into the Russian River canyon and Dave was game so we started one of the most epic fishing hikes I have gone on since I was 18.
After about an hour we found a "hole" where some folks were leaving and the fish were stacking up. It took a while but Dave and I caught our three fish limits. I actually brought 6 fish on the bank, but kept loosing them once on the bank. Twice I fell on top of the fish and they still made it back into the river. Nothing can stop a determined red when it is out of the water. After I lost my second fish I looked over and saw Dave on the other side with his first red on the rod. Sorry for the "steamy" action shot. I had fallen in pretty deep slipping on a rock during the loss of my second fish and my camera lens was pretty damp.
And here is Dave 45 minutes later with a full limit of Russian River Sockeye salmon. Some of the hardest to get to, but most earned fish yet.
BTW - All of Dave's fish were bigger than mine.
