Ketchikan Kayak fishing trip with Howard Mckim - SEPT 2 -6 '06

Mooch wants to hit this spot.

http://www.alaska-hobbithole.com/

Mooch, I feel sorrow for you.

I heard that you are moving to Alaska anyway. This push actually helps you to make the decision now. Just need to put things in right prospective.  

The Hobbit Hole is nestled in a key-hole bay at the very edge of an ocean wonderland, and completely surrounded by island wilderness.

That's definitely a prime mooch habitat 

Hey guys, this spot has been taken by Tim Kimmet. Sorry you won't make it Joel. There will certainly be more opportunities in the future. I was counting on your snoring to keep the bruins away though. They're coming out about now. Fished hard yesterday for halibut for nada, but we were sitting about 50 yd offshore in glassy seas and kept hearing heavy breathing/grunting coming from just inside the woods. It went on for quite awhile and all we could figure was that it was a bear digging for roots or something. Never saw it and it finally stopped.

Anyways sorry you can't make it but you will next time, even if you have to quit your job. You'll quit anyway after you come up here so you may as well do it ahead of time.

Howard

We are six again.

Howdy Tim..........

Pat

Hola Tim!!  Welcome to the adventure.

BTW, who's Tim?   

-Allen

Tim works with Dave at Ebay - I believe.

Howard....just make sure you don't take them to all your secret spots = leave some for me

Yeah.  Tim, Introduce yourself please..........otherwise, how will we know which of Joel's responsibilities you will need to shoulder..........

So Tim, we had already split up the camp duties and Mooch was going to take care of washing the dishes every day, as well as bringing us tubs of hot water to wash up with before bed and first thing in the morning.  As Mooch is very strong too, he had graciously volunteered for pulling the crab and shrimp pots.   And he was also supposed to paddle the kayak that had the load of beer in it as well as the extra sinkers we'll be bringing.  We're kind of glad he's not coming now because we didn't think he was pulling his weight with just these duties.  We're hopefull you'll take up the slack and do all this AND MORE.

-Allen

maybe I should change my handle to "Sherpa Joel" instead of "mooch".....hell, it sounds better than "the baggage handler" 

Welcome Tim!

Good to have you aboard.


Randy

Howard...If you could plan a trip during the summer...maybe we teachers could make it.  Hey, what's the best, cheapest way to get up there?

So Tim, we had already split up the camp duties and Mooch was going to take care of washing the dishes every day, as well as bringing us tubs of hot water to wash up with before bed and first thing in the morning.  As Mooch is very strong too, he had graciously volunteered for pulling the crab and shrimp pots.   And he was also supposed to paddle the kayak that had the load of beer in it as well as the extra sinkers we'll be bringing.  We're kind of glad he's not coming now because we didn't think he was pulling his weight with just these duties.  We're hopefull you'll take up the slack and do all this AND MORE.

-Allen

When I passed along the Mooch-vacancy to Tim I had the following in mind (in random wine-induced order):

• no hobbit feet
• an allergic reaction to bananas, especially when rubbing
• self-sufficiency (i.e. no mooching)
• little posting activity (esp. no cluttering with bizarre wannabe kayak designing posts)
• someone who's got a spouse, significant other, etc. (hey - I could end up sharing a tent with the Mooch replacement)
• favorite color must be other than yum-yum yellow
• I must be able to outfish him/her

I think Tim meets these qualifications with some doubt over the last bullet.

Allen, I think he'll be qualified for those 'special' Mooch-like duties, and now that Howard has confirmed Tim, I'll break the news to him.

Did I miss any Mooch-improvements (I shudder to ask)?

-- Dave

Damn, I didn't check Tim's snoring capacity...

But is snoring a good thing or a bad thing? 

I thought it might keep the bears away, but reading Howard's report on hearing heavy breathing/grunting I'm not sure.  Could attract bears looking for roots.

Then again, snoring isn't the only cause of such noises.     Nope, not gonna go there...

-- Dave

Hello everyone  ,

Sorry it took me so long to reply- I've been busy planning my other trip to Alaska. I will be going to Alaska in late July (father & son type deal) to fish, but it won't be in a yak because my dad is too old for that stuff. I can't believe it- I've never been to Alaska in my life and now I get to visit twice in a year! Yippee . I really don't know how my wife is letting me get away with this  .

Speaking of "Mooch-like duties", I think you have the definition all wrong. "Mooch" in my mind means "lived by mooching off friends", to "sneak", to "get something free of charge"... I think these definitions apply nicely to fishing  ! No, really the "Mooch" is a tough act to follow    and I will try my best to be a good pinch hitter. I'll bring an extra yak to carry all the extra goodies  . Better yet- I'll just bring an extra rope and tie the 'goodie yak' to Dave's yak when he's busy trying to un-snag his line from that thing he thought was a fish  .

Nope, I don’t snore, but now that you mention snoring a good memory comes to mind. While traveling in Europe, I stayed at a youth hostel in Winchester and slept in a room full of bunk beds. Two guys (French road-bikers) came into the room late at night and I wondered why they separated so far- one slept on the top bunk of my bed and the other slept across the room. I quickly found out why- the guy that was sleeping on my bunk snored like a chainsaw buzzing through an oak tree  !

So far Dave has out fished me, but this time I'm bringing in the secret sauce and my pre-trip in late July will give me some good practice  .

I can't wait to yell "Fish on!" for the first time! Or should we say "Huli Ka!" in memory of the "Mooch"?

-tim