Sockeye! Sockeye! & Combat Fishing! UPDATED!!!

In the past few weeks, we have braved the Artic Circle, trugged across the wild tundra, confronted ferocious bears, canoed forbidden lakes, cruised the Fjords, hiked on a magnificant glacier, kayaked Ressurection Bay in gail force winds and five foot seas.................

But now we get to witness and experience first hand one of Alaska's most talked about adventures...COMBAT FISHING!!!

So, you're asking yourself, just what is this dangerous sport "Combat Fishing" and why do "they" call it that? It all starts with a "hot tip" from a local about a remote "secret" fishin' hole on the Kenai River that "not many tourist have heard of". So, you drive down a few back roads, hike through the back of a stretch of woods, and find the "secluded path". Ah,Ha...this is starting to look a bit "fishy" already....

A few hundred yards farther and your visions of an isolated, quiet spot on the River are replaced with suspicions that the fellow who gave you that great tip is laughing while drinking a beer at the local bar about "yeh, I sent another one of them tourist to the secret hole"!

As you step down from the "oilfield grade" welded aluminum steps and platform into the water and look down to your right, your suspicions are confirmed...it's a Combat Fishing Zone!

But before long, the guy next to you makes a little room and you're in their swinging your line, pitching your lure with the rest. First thing you know a buddy upstream yells "fish on", everyone moves aside, you grab the closest landing net (no matter who's it is) and another fish is landed.
At the end of a few hours, with a little luck, a sore shoulder and lots of persistance you hold up the reward...three nice "Reds"....yep, three's the limit here.

So, after your first day out there you realize that all those folks wearing polarized sunglasses to "see the fish" and large hats to "keep off the sun" have actually prepared themselves for combat...that is, flying lures & hooks from excited fishermen!