A tale of a short adventure vacation in Alaska![]() We've got 5 days. Priority #1: Salmon and halibut fishing. Priority #2: Hiking and seeing wildlife. Priority #3: No cruise needed. How do we make this happen? Answer: Ketchikan, Alaska! ![]() Just a 2 hour non-stop flight from Seattle makes it the most easily accessible town in Alaska from the continental U.S. We started our travel day at 7:00am from the Reno airport and were walking the historic streets of Ketchikan by lunchtime! Afternoon entertainment in town included walking the famous boardwalk at Creek Street and driving down the Tongass Highway south to Herring Cove to look for bears and eagles where the creek empties into the sea. Have you heard the call of bald eagles before? It’s not like the movies where they seem to use a hawk-like screech. Bald eagles have more of a lyrical chirp, a pretty darn loud chirp! Guided FishingWe signed up for a 3-day fishing special with Captain Rick Dale and Big Fish Charters. Rick and his family have lived in Ketchikan for 100 years and after the first day of fishing with Captain Rick he felt like an old friend. As the only clients on the boat, Amanda Rae, we set a goal each day and Rick and his able deckhand, Pat, made it happen. Rick entertained us with stories from his decades as a fishing and hunting guide in Alaska and he and Pat were both patient, professional, and easy-going with us and our 12-year old avid angler. When the weather cooperated, we were farther out fishing for halibut. We explored the inlets while trolling for salmon and were treated to many wildlife sightings, including a pod of whales one day! When fishing was slow, we set crab pots. Every day was a success! It was very relaxing being out on our Alaska fishing adventure watching the salmon jump all around and seeing bald eagles and Sitka black-tailed deer on shore. Of course, all this relaxing was punctuated by the thrill of getting a fish on the hook and landing them in the boat. We came home with plenty of fish - yum! Fishing On Our OwnWe had a day off in between days with Rick and we made the decision to rent a boat out of Knudson Cove and fish on our own. Things I learned from this experience:
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Kerry Stendell Archives
November 2019
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