Sunday July 25

The rain beat down all night and was still pouring when I lifted my lids in the morning. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

When I woke around 10 I decided to head back to the fair in town and cash in on free hot dog and drink day for lunch.

Did a little scouting of possible put in’s and take out’s for my planned float of the Kenai. In the end, I decided to bag the idea. As it turns out, the Kenai would not be the desolate nature filled day I thought it would be. There were a ton of people fishing along the banks and a ton more people floating the river with guides. Time to hit the road.

My next stop was the little village of Hope. I’d heard that it was an idyllic little Alaskan village with some great fishing. When I arrived, I found it to be just that. Hope is at the end of Resurrection Creek where it empties into this giant bay called Turnagain Arm. The city of Anchorage is across the bay only about 20 miles away, but the road to get there is about 120 miles as it circles the bay.

Scouting the river I noticed that there were a ton of kids fishing……and they were having a ball, despite the rain. They were soaked, muddy, and slipping all over the place….and they were reeling in salmon. This one group of three kept their dad busy untangling lines etc. One of the kids had neoprene waders on with no shoes. His feet had zero traction in the mud and he was slipping around like crazy. His hair was soaked and his face was covered with mud. The three of them were having blast reeling in salmon, slipping around, falling down, fooling around, and making fun of each other. I wasn’t going to fish but the scene looked fun. People’s spirits were high and it inspired me to get out the rod and fish. I caught a bunch more humpies and called it a day. I have discovered that the combat style of fishing can be an extremely good time. While not so crowded, the crowd in Hope was pretty comical. Some people haven’t the slightest clue how to fish while others are experts. But…everyone gets along together, helps each other out and makes it fun. It’s like a social event or party. The atmosphere was filled with fish, mud, children, and laughter. It was one of my favorite moments on the trip so far.

I met this guy who's goal was to tell me his life story. He told me his first wife met her high school sweetheart at her 25^th high school reunion and never came home. His took his next girlfriend on a romantic getaway in Banff where she dumped him. I asked him which kids were his and he says, “The black ones.” He, at about age 60, adopted these 2 kids from a mom who was hooked on meth and basically gave them up. They were out there battling the fish and the weather like the rest of the kids. At one point I hook this fish that seems big, and if not big seemed pretty fiesty, not like the humpies everyone else was catching. I reel it in and the guy informs me that I’ve just caught the first silver salmon in my life. Pretty cool. (2 days later I show the picture of the fish to some guys in a fly shop. They say it's not a silver salmon. So I still am in search of the first silver.)

Drove 5 minutes out of Hope to camp for the night and ended up with at most scenic sleeping place so far on the trip. I was on the water, with nothing but the sea in front and snow capped mountains beyond and behind me……..in the rain.