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A Fishing Story - 1989 the f/v My Colleen
by C. C. Crow photos by author
Perhaps the all time hard luck fishing story. We work all winter
building a fishing boat, risking life and limb (they don't call it Yukatat for nothing)
to get there, only to find the season was on hold due to oil contamination in the
fish. Les joined the class-action suit which was initially rewarded $5 billion in
punitive damages, now cut in half to $2.5 billion, of which Exxon has yet to pay a
dime 18 years later. Les is in line to receive $880,000. Deckhands get 5 percent.
If Les had not already hired Rob I would been the deckhand- Instead I have this neat
story to tell. Worth about $44k don't you think? Les passed away in December of 2006
due to cancer, and never received a nickel of the settlement. Exxon's profits for 2006
were 39 billion dollars!!! Profit. Big Oil at it's greasiest!
Back to Kenai
A test fishery looking for oil contamination
They found it
NOT a happy fisherman
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7-6 THUR
We all sleep in. At about 11 we move over to Homer. Jon gives the
word, still no fishing Friday or Monday. Exxon has a claims office
where the skippers go and collect $10,000. Les exclaims that will
pay for the insurance. It's grim. We decided to go further back,
to Kechakan Bay and spend the night in Bear Cove. We have fun at
dinner, table two.
7-7 FRI
BEAR COVE was a nice enough spot but we decide to go back to
Kenai. The run up Cook Inlet is like a pond. The auto pilot still
acts poorly so we mess around with it trying out different
settings. Seems best, though not good, if everything is set to
minimum. I suspect it is the boat's instability in following seas-
though these were the best conditions. Who knows. We arrive in
KENAI, shower and go see Ghost Busters II. Laughs in
the net loft.
7-8 SAT
I buy a hat, we go to Seldotna Moose Ranch, look in bushes for
moose (see none), then go to grocery store and I prepare to
depart. Say good-bye to everyone.
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Last sunset in Kenai
My journey is only half over. I'll fly over to Anchorage and
catch the train to Denali National Park, camp out for six days, then ride the train
back down to Seward and pick up my motorcycle for the solo tour home.
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Fishing with Les Index
