I've been extraordinarily lucky: Traveling to more than 50 countries, guiding for 10 years in Alaska and Oregon, living in Central Asia and experiencing quite a bit along the way. All while managing to develop a few good stories. In between teaching, a 2 year old and a wife in grad school - I also started a new direction by starting a career in art. Here is art, travels and other aspects of my life.

Everest panorama

Everest panorama

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Upper Nushagak - Crazy Fishing Continues

Amy was somehow the master of big fat silvers. She probably caught three of the five biggest silvers we boated.
The guy who saved the day. We got the Ekwok and they were not selling gas. We were hosed, but he came through and gave (yes gave) us 15 gallons of fuel to use to get to Koligenek. All we had to do was return with a full 15 gallons and his tank. What a great guy.
Great camps were the norm.
Enjoying our nightly, post-fishing cocktail in the sun. Not a bad way to end the day.
Doubles were certainly very common. Tag team smack-down.
















Indeed, that is a moo-moo. A long story.... The toughest guy in Alaska did not bring a pair of shorts up river (as it never gets hot in Alaska) so after spending a night in the teacher housing in the little village of Koliganek he located an "large" woman's skirt in the apartment and decided it would work. Apparently Jeff is comfortable with his feminine side.















I like to refer to this as the "greasy mitts" photo pose. I am guessing this is the proper way to hold a fish just prior to release.
















Yet another Nush Rainbow.














Don't mess with the master of the silvers.


The mayham continued:















Scouting the Kulutuspak River. After 15 years I managed to locate the microscopic river off one of the Nush braids. Hard to believe I was still possessed the "force" of the Nush.


Clearly it has been at least 3 - 4 minutes since the last fish was landed.
The unbelievable sight of crossing the bay with nary a wave. Typically a risky run across tide flats and shifting sands, it was easy with the glassy surface.

Should have brought the waterskis.
Last day from atop the mountain behind Jeff's house with Tikchik State Park behind us.

Up the Nush (or the Nuge...)





















































Thursday, August 7, 2008

Tickchik Wood State Park Fishing






Amy and I went back to the old stomping grounds - Wood Tikchik / the upper Nush with Jeff for 10 days or so. Jeff just got a new jet boat and has a 65 hp jet drive, so he was pretty excited to explore some spots. Between the two of us we had enough knowledge to get ourselves into some fish. After a June and July of abnormally cold weather, we were treated to 10 days of crazy (emphasize Crazy) warm and sunny weather. Barely a spot of rain. To top it off we found the bulk of the silver run - a few spots were simply silly in regards to the amount of fish we smacked.

Here is a sampling: