A random thought & fishing with pappy..

It is Sunday and I sit here listening to "I Need You," Tim McGraw. It is a great song.. thank goodness for great music or this life would be very lonely. I wonder if I would still be sane if I were back in the days without radio and single at age 30 (did they live that long 200 years ago?). Music is wonderful though and I thank god for it at least weekly...



Now for the initial reason I started this blog...

I can't say I go fishing too often - I typically go when I am backpacking, at Twin Lakes, or on the motorcycle trip with the men of the family. However, I am realizing that I probably should go fishing more often (with my dad that is). It all reminds me of this country song, I believe it is by Tim McGraw.. something about doing things before it gets too late (skydiving, fishing... I think I have explained this enough to move on). Friday my dad called me at work (he must not have enough to do at his job! :) - j/k paps). He told me that they were going fishing at 4AM the next day for salmon. Well, I decided I didn't have anything better to do and it would be fun to get out and on the boat so I called him back and threw a dime in the bucket, that is I agreed. We hit the water about 5 or 5:30 and roared up the Columbia for about 20 miles (almost to Vernita Bridge in Mattawa - we started at Ringold on the Pasco side of the river). The best way to describe the boat we were on is as a sled - a 28ft aluminum sled with an 8 liter engine, big boat. Dad's friend was also a guide so he had all the gear and took care of everything. I brought in the first "trash" fish - it was a jack chinook salmon, I will just say it was a pound. Dad pulled in a 35 lb Chinook a couple hours later... what a fish!! The guide made this comment to him, "You haven't got him in yet?" I guess the arms must be getting weak...

Above is another picture of the monster. We were out fishing from 5AM to 4PM - we were hot and burnt and ready to be back. We believe that the guide would have stayed out there forever if I wasn't showing, well, lack of interest at that point of being on the boat still and not pulling anymore fish in. He was very nice though and I am glad I had the chance to go.. what a fish. Below is the filets of my monster fish... I think my fish would like the "side" fin on his fish above...