Silvers running strong on the Kenai River

August 21, 2009|by John Carpenter

Silvers are plentiful on the Kenai River. (Eric Sowl/KTUU-DT)

LOWER KENAI RIVER, Alaska — August on the Kenai River is a month where sunny days are the exception, but silvers are the rule.

On this day while fishing with Jimmie Jack of Jimmie Jack's Fishing, we're treated to both.

For Kenai silvers, a sardine wrap on a kwik fish is an especially deadly combination.

"If you get them in there, you get a fresh one in there and they're swimming up, and they just happen to put their nose on it right when you get it fresh, it's over," Jimmie said.

Usually bravado like that is taken with a grain of salt, but not today.

"The trick is to see if we can get all the rods out before we catch one," Jimmie said.

I love a confident guide. I love it even more when the confident guide makes good on his promises. Less than five minutes into our adventure, Jimmie does.

We're barely back in the water when I hook up again -- even though I don't exactly know it. That's how poor a fisherman I really am.

The limit on Kenai silvers is two per day, so now I go from angler to spectator while I wait for the rest of the boat to limit out.

And when photographer Eric Sowl hooks up, I even volunteer my services as "camera boy."

Our adventure is over fairly quickly -- six fish in the box in less than three hours.

But for the run of silvers, they're just getting started.

"You can probably fish as long as you can handle the cold," Jimmie said. "I've fished into the beginning of October. I mean, I know guys who've fished to the end of October. It's just as good, but you've got to have your bunny boots on."

Today bunny boots weren't a necessity, however a camera was.

Contact John Carpenter at jcarpenter@ktuu.com

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