California residents Eric Simoni, JT Thomson and Eric Smith were at the right place at the right time on Prince of Wales last week. Photo by Jeff Lund.

California residents Eric Simoni, JT Thomson and Eric Smith were at the right place at the right time on Prince of Wales last week. Photo by Jeff Lund.

Value the moment, even if it’s fishless

There is nothing new under the sun.

So really, there are no new fishing columns. Unless of course you’re talking about new technology, which I am not.

Fishing columns are about new friends, new water, old friends, old water. Fishing columns are about the time you caught the fish you shouldn’t have. They are about the time the fishing was incredible. They are about the time the fishing was awful, but you found a secret to life in a bird or tree leaf or something else and you write about it to make it seem like you weren’t fuming what you wanted to happen, didn’t.

Fishing columns are about remembering things just wrong enough to make for a story worth reading. But that doesn’t change certain facts.

Two years ago the fishing at the spot I take my California buddies was insane. In. Sane. The boys got spoiled. That’s a fact.

Last year at this time the fishing was slow.

This year the fishing was bad. Four dudes, fishing the same week they always had to river fish, returned to California with zero salmon. Zero. Fishing is fishing and if the fish aren’t there, the fish aren’t there. It’s nobody’s fault. It is what it is.

The fact was the fish were late but I’m not getting into theories. I’m not going to say it’s because of climate change or that the salmon were protesting the election of Donald Trump, because this July is not the first year on record fish have been late. If you start seeing everything through filters, well, you start seeing everything through filters.

Anyway, the next group benefitted from being a week later. The fish started to show, but only in limited numbers. There was standing. There was stress, but there were fish. Then it happened. Lots of fish happened, and then everything was right in the world. Well, as far as fishing goes.

Things are different for me since I live in Alaska so remembering the times the fish were late isn’t a big deal to me. For the dudes who returned to California fishless, it will be emblazoned in their memory. For the four with boxes of frozen salmon they’ll appreciate how delicate the whole fishing operation is, and will appreciate it on a level spoiled anglers don’t. You do have to take a second when it’s all happening, because they may end up to be the good ol’ days, in which case you’ll look back and put the proper valuation on the moment though you might be remembering it wrong. After all, you are a fisherman.

New fishing columns are rare. They are merely a combination of a place, the fish (there or not) and most importantly, the people you are with. That’s always a column worth writing and a story worth telling.


• Jeff Lund teaches and writes in Ketchikan.


More in Neighbors

The author getting ready to host a holiday dinner for her family in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Patty Schied)
Cooking For Pleasure: Stuffed with turkey sandwiches? Try stuffing turkey enchiladas

Now that you have eaten all the turkey sandwiches you want, all… Continue reading

Page Bridges of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Juneau. (Photo courtesy of Page Bridges)
Living and Growing: Heartbreak Hill

Trying to write about beauty and our need for it is hard.… Continue reading

(Juneau Empire File)
Community calendar of upcoming events

This is a calendar updated daily of upcoming local events during the… Continue reading

A public notice about one of several Thanksgiving proclamations President Abraham Lincoln issued during the Civil War. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum)
Living and Growing: Give thanks with a grateful heart

Happy Thanksgiving! Once again we celebrate what is a distinctively American holiday,… Continue reading

A female bear with her cubs: bears have direct-development life cycles, looking like bears from the time they are born. (Photo by Jos Bakker)
On the Trails: Animal life cycles

There are two basic life-cycle patterns among animals. Many animals have complex… Continue reading

(Jessica Spengler/CC BY 2.0 DEED)
Cooking For Pleasure: No trauma pie crust (that actually tastes good)

The secret is keeping all of the ingredients very cold.

Maj. Gina Halverson is co-leader of The Salvation Army Juneau Corps. (Robert DeBerry/The Salvation Army)
Living and Growing: Be thankful for the opportunity to care for ‘Others’

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, we are reminded of the importance of being… Continue reading

A springtail perches on a wood railing, perhaps to eat microalgae. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)
On the Trails: Early November sightings

An early November stroll on the dike trail was uneventful until I… Continue reading

Fred La Plante is the pastor of the Juneau Church of the Nazarene. (Courtesy / Fred La Plante)
Living and Growing: Having an attitude of gratitude

Our world is quickly enveloped in negativity, but that attitude doesn’t help… Continue reading

Devil’s Club Brewing Company brewer Trever Held accepts an award at the 2023 AK Beer Awards competition at Williwaw Social in Anchorage on Nov. 3. (Photo courtesy of Brewers Guild of Alaska)
Neighbors briefs

Juneau brewers win 10 medals at 2023 AK Beer Awards The Brewers… Continue reading

Juneau Veterans for Peace President Craig Wilson, left, watches a procession of fellow veterans and others ring the Liberty Bell replica in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Nov. 11, 2022, during an annual Armistice Day observation. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire File)
Three annual events honoring veterans scheduled Saturday

Armistice Day bell ringing at Capitol; Veterans Day events at Centennial Hall and EPH.

The flowers of enchanter’s nightshade are tiny and often self-pollinating. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)
On the Trails: Enchanter’s nightshade

Enchanter’s nightshade is a tiny perennial plant we commonly see (and walk… Continue reading