Shelter Cove - 7/16 - 7/18/20

Dr. Fektavious and I on Thursday got a couple salmon - heard of two others caught by the fleet, so we were stoked. Then Friday Elvin and I scratched hard for one salmon hookup that had Elvin on a thrill ride before it spit the hooks - heard of one landed by the fleet.  Salmon Fever running high!

Day 2 with Elvin: the forecast for Saturday looked appealing - like, flat and calm... They're called "forecasts" for a reason.

Elvin is 69 years young. He contacted me wanting to learn about not just fishing from his new Hobie Outback but also safety, gear, forecasts and tolerances - like, how big of a swell will it be safe for him to go out in. On Friday's trip we had water that was a bit sloppy but totally fishable. We'd managed the slop and fog well on day one, and I enjoyed getting to know Elvin while also focusing on his abilities on the water. He's retired career Army, and I was feeling cranky from burning myself down all week, so I probably could've gone a bit overboard on my order barking! Elvin is not only in great shape and highly capable - he has a wonderful attitude about life. He's a cancer survivor, and now he can add another title to his resume': highly proficient offshore kayak angler.

Right off the bat yesterday we heard the charter captains on the VHF talking about how chunky the water was on the outside, and when we made our way through thick fog, past the moorings and around the point we found that the forecast was off - it was straight up snotty out there with confused west swell and an occasional 10' set moving under us. What I'd seen Elvin do Friday in slightly rough but less challenging conditions had me confident and ready - we would look for another hot hookup out front like he'd had the previous day, and my guest was only interested in harvesting salmon or halibut. An early rare catch and several fat black rockfish were put back in good condition, as we sought a 'pumper'. Domenic fished with us for a good part of the session, and when the three of us were dealing with the brunt of the 'washing machine' at Bread and Butter, hoping for a salmon bite, an unexpected gear issue came up - Elvin's Hobie seat came loose from its housing, and his ability to balance and pedal was impaired. We quickly made the decision to get back around the point and to the launch so that we could correct the situation, and Elvin did great to deal with the compromised performance of his gear. The value of a 2 day trip really showed itself here, as I wouldn't have been able to take my guest into those conditions without having established on day 1 that he was ready for it.

After getting everything properly situated at the launch and snacking up, we made our way back out to the inshore area for some halibut prospecting as the salmon bite for the entire fleet was very slow. The halibut weren't finding our baits either, and now the fog was lifting. A salmon or two got picked up by the powerboaters, so we headed back out for washing machine part 2 where beautiful brown water showed up west of the Bell, but the fish just weren't around. I can get a bit disappointed when the bite is funky, but Elvin's attitude of appreciation and gratitude kept me smiling all afternoon. With nothing hooked for the last couple of hours, my guest was enjoying documenting his experience with some photos and video, and when we landed he announced that he was extremely satisfied with the two days, what he'd learned and how he'd checked off everything on his list regarding learning about safely kayaking offshore. When he asked me if I felt that he was ready to hookup with experienced kayak anglers from NCKA I wholeheartedly confirmed it and encouraged him to pursue such goals with confidence. He is ready, and I, once again, was able to achieve a level of reflection and appreciation for what I'm so fortunate to be doing out there. It was Elvin's attitude that helped me focus on the true success of the trip. Getting the bite that you're after is only a small part of the adventure, while realizing and embracing the significance of fulfilling a set of goals is actually the key to success and enjoyment.

Thank you, Elvin, for helping me avoid the tunnel vision and inevitable feelings of failure that can come from being too focused on the repetition of catching the right fish. I am very thankful to be guiding others in their pursuit of experiences that they desire, and it is not lost on me that through this work I am guiding myself to a better way too. We are living life out there.

 

Day 1 with Elvin:

Day 2 with Elvin:

Very nice writeup and pictures!

Thanks for sharing your adventures.

"Elvin's attitude"

ATTITUDE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Thanks for the report.

Elvin, thank you for your lifetime of service.

That picture of the mini-ling was great. I got one of those in Alaska in 2017, about the same size. Gosh they think they are so tough

Another amazing report. Thank you Eric.

as always I love your style of writing Eric, and a new found appreciation is the titles you give your photos, they tell a whole second story, love it man, keep living the dream.

   Man,,, We had the weather  !     Awesome meeting y'all too..   

Thanks for another awesome report and pictures Eric.

Great reading your reports as always...thanks for the fish porn too!