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A Fishing Story - 1989 the f/v My Colleen
by C. C. Crow photos by author
After arriving in Kenai, we move over to Snug Harbor near the
mouth of Cook Inlet for the opening of fishing. Inside the harbor is an inactive
cannery where fish are collected. Meanwhile we get to enjoy the natural beauty of
this quite santuary.
Off to Snug Harbor
Snug Harbor cannery
the boys take a shower in the snowfed waterfalls
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7-1 SAT
We pull out at 5 a.m. Les complains Rob, the all time greatest deck hand that he
is, is sleeping beauty again- it really bothers Les but he doesn't
know how to deal with it. I enable it by taking on his duties. We go
out and fish for halibut but no luck. Run into SNUG HARBOR, a tiny
finger inlet on the north coast of Cook Inlet's mouth. Meet up
with Dr. Phil and Jeb in the North Cape, a small wooden boat like
Les' old one. We drop crab pots, fish and play. We catch a couple
of flounders for dinner, no crab. We go over to the old cannery
for showers, HD ice cream and a look around. Cool old place. Can
imagine what it once was. Play trick on Harry, put "Sorry Charlie"
note on his fishing line. Very nice afternoon and evening. The
gulls just love to harass the bald eagles.
7-2 SUN
Wake up early for clam tide. We go up harbor and around corner
into thin water, anchor and take the skiff into shore, run aground
early and have to wade in. We decide we are shy of good digging so
we go back out and swing over to the spot- and start digging. Tons
of razor clams! We pull four large buckets out in less than an
hour. Some are as big as you hand. Four float planes have landed
and are digging clams too. The tide turns as we are tired and
certainly have enough clams. We quit and go back to My Colleen and
then back to anchor. We board Helen B and go on The Bear Hunt. Up
the inlet again but turn the other way, following the narrowing
channel. First we see a sow and two cubs. They are brown. The
three cubs on the glacier, black. We see ten in all. We circle
back and see huge bear prints in the river bottom below us! A big
brown male hangs out in the grass. He could careless about us. We
go back to anchor and clean our clams. Clean more clams, and more.
Dr. Phil cooks the sauce and I cook spaghetti noodles and we have
a big clam chow down. Lori and I take the skiff over to the
cannery for a shower. Meet the fish hippies, some set netters
(nets that are anchored to shore). We pull up to shore and find it
had full of water, the plug came out. We run back, Rob, "I'll do
the dishes" is over at the Denali. Others want to dump the skiff
in Les. So we will have to hang around and miss the good tide
while it is loaded. Les is pissed but takes it. Lori and I clean
up the deck. When Rob returns we make him clean the dishes. He
didn't want to. Play cribbage, Denali ties.
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we gathered these razor clams in less than an hour
Of course you've got to clean them
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7-3 MON
Dr. Phil whistles over, you're dragging anchor! It's 5 a.m. I
let out more line and we catch. Spend next hour keeping one eye
open to make sure we are still there. About six we are drifting
again. I wake Les so we can move closer to shore. About nine we
wake and now we are almost on shore. So it is time to pull anchor- move
to see Denali, pull halibut line- get two. Drag race back to
cannery, we pull away. Top end is about the same but we get up to
speed quicker. We drop anchor at cannery and everyone ties to us
and go in to shower. Decide it is too rough to cross Cook Inlet,
we'll wait till evening. Cook bacon and eggs for breakfast. Hang
out in boat. I go to shore to do some laundry. Old washers, run
back and forth. Wind kicks up. I talk to Rangers from Clake Lake
National Park. Les calls, I gather wet laundry and row back to
boat. We leave Snug for Seldovia, it's a rough crossing. The
window leaks in buckets. Rock and roll. We pull in and cook
halibut. Helen B's stove acts up so they us ours, talk and drink.
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7-4 TUE
FOURTH OF JULY Everyone comes to SELDOVIA for the celebration.
Well, really none do but it's a fun little party. A few boats we
know roll in. We go up and watch the parade that consists of Coast
Guard honor guard, a fire engine, kids dressed up on their
decorated bikes, pipe and drum core, two (wild) horses, a mule
drawn wagon and some oil spill protesters. That's it. We said wow
and went back to the boat where we had a good view of the log
rolling contest. Chris and Jeb entered and did pretty good until
he fell in the second round. The water was 52 degrees! Then there was a
canoe joust. Some kids in a dory prowls around shooting off boom-
booms and bottle rockets. Rob drinks all day. I cook clam
fritters. We go up to bar, stay till 3 a.m.
7-5 WED
We move over to HALIBUT COVE, a small artist community on a nearby
island. We take a hike up over saddle mountain to see Grewicgk
Glacier. Seen one glacier, seen 'em all. It was fun. Then we move
over to cove. I cook carrot stew while the others take a walk
through town. They return and report that it was pretty nice so
after dinner Lori and I go there. The Edward's boys (Helen B)
follow along. We see tame ravens. Nice harbor and isthmus. I buy a
pitcher of Whatney's at the Sultry for $10, Lori beats me a crib.
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Fishing with Les Index
