The Lodge at Whale Pass Season Highlights- A Photo Essay

The Lodge at Whale Pass Season Highlights- A Photo Essay

This is the roundup of the Lodge at Whale Pass season.

No surprise- the season was awesome! Some highlights include:

-Capt. Julian getting a 300 plus pound halibut;

This is the halibut Tyler caught and released.

-Capt. Kurt getting a 30 plus pound king salmon;

John Michael and Christie with a nice fat king salmon.

-Andy Wilson getting six silver salmon on fly in an hour with me;

Andy could catch them. Holding them afterwards was another story.

-all those folks who got their first fish, or their first fish on fly;

Aiden’s pink salmon was his first fish on a fly rod.

Fishing at the Cable Hole.

A soggy King family, with a limit of halibut.

-whales; and

The whale is preparing to slap again.

Thar she blows!

-every glacier trip;

Jeanne Richards kayaking at the glacier.

For the iceberg fans- they get pretty darned big!

Let’s be silly!

…and the water explodes.

Nearing the glacier in the Blashke, maneuvering through the ice.

Wining and dining at the Le Conte glacier.

-Pete’s cooking;

-and more!

Petersburg fishing boats headed out.

Leroy the sea lion and his harem.

As far as fishing the last week of the season, on Sunday Jim and Tyler Juliano accompanied me to the Cable Hole to fly fish for salmon. When we got there we found three fly fishers already there. Two of them had several pinks strung up. I asked them what they intended to do with the fish. They said they were going to eat them. I asked if they had ever eaten river pinks before. They answered in the affirmative. I asked how they were. The guy from Jackson Hole said, “They taste better than mule deer.”

River pinks may be fun to catch, but they are soft, mushy, and not very good eating. Doesn’t say much for mule deer.

Jim and Tyler, who had never fly fished before, each got several salmon. The pool had a couple thousand fish in it.

The Richards family came in on Wednesday. Julian and I took them out for halibut. Tyler hooked a monster ‘but we estimated at over 200 pounds and fought it to the boat- twice. Longer than the below 42 inch and shorter than the 78 inch reverse slot, we left it in the water, unhooked it, and watched it rocket back into the depths. Awesome. Tyler said he was done. Then he kept fishing. As a group our catch included three keeper halibut and two Pacific cod, not a bad take for a three hour trip.

Friday the Richards and I made my last LaConte glacier trip of the year. The glacier was, as always, spectacular. I would like to camp there for several days just to watch and photograph, and do such hiking and climbing as I am still capable of. I am thinking about the end of the 2016 season, should God (and Susan!) be so kind as to allow me another summer in Alaska.

And that, dear readers, is the 2015 Whale Pass Roundup and photo essay from Spotted Tail and the Lodge at Whale Pass.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2015. All rights are reserved.