Dipnetting on the Kenai

There are so many great things about living in Alaska. We get a check every year just for living here, we get to enjoy views most people only experience once in a life time, we get to watch wildlife in our backyard, and once a year for about 3 weeks we get to dipnet for the salmon for free, just because we are residents. Of course you have to have your fishing license but at this point of the summer who doesn't! :)
Paul and I decided to go join the masses and get some fresh reds. Just to give you a little idea of the craziness of it, the fred meyer in anchorage was completely out of permits for the Kenai, almost every other car going down the Sterling Highway had some sort of fishnet rigged up to it, and I had to wait in line for almost 10 minutes in the Fishing License ONLY line in Soldotna, which is usually vacant.
Undaunted we head to the beach to catch our fair share, and we waited, and we waited, and nothing happened. Well, there was a seal swimming around for a while...but nothing else. Then we saw some fish start to jump, and we felt confident it was our time, so we lengthened the pole and prepared ourselves for the slaughter...and waited...and waited. We actually ended up with 4 fish, but when the people around you are pulling out sled's full of fish you start to wonder. The woman who helped us jump our car this morning (another reason why you probably shouldn't leave a hyperactive dog in the car alone) told us that just before we got there everyone was slaying them, but she remembers that we came down at the end of the run...so that made us feel great! :)
Needless to say there is one more weekend...and we'll be there!