Valdez Salmon Fishing

Pink salmon were running when we were in Valdez and people were catching many in a very short period of time.  The shoreline was just boiling with fish thrashing around. We did not really have the proper fishing tackle for such large fish, but Joe had to give it a try with his little lightweight telescoping backpacking rod.  He caught this one on the first cast.  It took both of us to land it, though.  His reel would not function under the weight of the salmon, so I waded out a ways and caught old of the line, pulling it in hand over hand while he reeled in easily with the weight off the reel.  We cleaned it and I cooked it on our little travel grill that night for dinner.