Soldotna, on the Kenai River

Me at the Visitor Center in Soldotna

The world-famous Kenai River runs right through the town of Soldotna.  Twenty percent of all sport fishing in Alaska occurs on the Kenai River, and we were here to be a part of that count.  At the Visitor Center I posed with this carved caricature of Les Anderson, holder of the world record for the 97 1/4 # King Salmon

he caught  in Soldotna. His fish is on display inside the Center. He won $500 in a fishing derby and brought the world record home to the Kenai River. (Les died in 2003 and his record still stands!)

The fishing boardwalk right behind the Visitor Center, in the middle of town.

We followed our friends Peg and Craig to a free camping site close to the Kenai River.  Craig was "a friend of a friend".. of a man who allowed his "fishing friends" to park on his property. What a break for us.  The site was close to the river and close enough to town so that we did not worry about the gas costs going into town for supplies or for internet connection. 

The RVs were lined up like a parking lot.  Some people had extra tents and smokers set up so that it had the feel of a hunting camp.  From the lot we could see Mount Redoubt off in the distance. We stayed here for two weeks, free of charge.

Our campsite for our two weeks on the Kenai River.

The camping lot with Mount Redoubt in the background.

David and Craig and a gazillon other fishermen lined the shore of the Kenai River and floated their hooks in an arc in front of them..... over and over and over again ..... until some unsuspecting fish got hooked. The sockeye are not looking for food, they are intent on spawning.  People call this "catching" rather than "fishing", since there is not alot of skill involved. If you snag them on their sides or fins you have to release them, but if you are lucky enough to "catch" them in or near the mouth, you can keep them.  The limit is 3 fish a day, and the experienced fishermen had no trouble catching their limit day after day after day.

David, fishing the famous Kenai River.

However, he was not alone!

On the advise of a neighboring camper, David tried fishing from a location further along the river.  There were fewer people there, so it was not so hectic. It did not take him long to land two good sized fish.

Two beauties!

While we were there, a family of four came in and landed their limit within an hour. You can see David out in the water... as they cleaned their catch.  It is difficult for me to reconcile this way of fishing.  However, knowing that the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife control the waters helps.  After all, the fish die in the end anyway.

Four fishermen catching 3 fish each equals 12 fish a day!

Our freezer was full of the halibut David caught in Homer, so we borrowed a smoker from a neighboring RVer, and smoked the last 4 sockeye that David caught. It was yummy!

David, tending to the smoker.

It smelled soooooo good!

A gourmet meal!

While we were in Soldotna we were parked next to Peg and Craig.  It was fun to share this wild and crazy fishing experience with them. Since we are full-timing in the RV, I do miss our family and  friends, so meeting up with a couple we both jived with was wonderful fun.  Peg and I had some good "girly talks" which every gal needs now and then, and the guys shared fishing stories for 2 weeks. Friendships enrich our lives, that is for sure!