I just didn't see how things could have been much better.
I was in Alaska in late May with my 21-year old son, Hampton, and he'd just landed a 20 lb.-plus king salmon. The smile on his face wrote a story that words couldn't touch. A cool, gentle wind lapped the waters of the Lynn Canal, part of this state's inter-island passageway. The snow-covered peaks of Admiralty Island - which hosts the highest density of brown bears in North America - provided An awesome backdrop. I simply drank in the joy of my son's accomplishment, the beauty of our surroundings and the fun of being out with Capt. Rick Bierman. This combination was nothing less than a great dream fulfilled.
Rick owns and operates Whales Eye Lodge on Shelter Island, a few miles north of Juneau, AK. He's also a licensed charter captain, operating a custom-made boat named Desire. Rick specializes on salmon and halibut fishing, and we'd booked him for the day. He'd explained that the season was too early for halibut, and the king salmon run was just beginning. Still, if we wanted to try our luck, he was game, and that's how we came to share this day.
Backing up, Hampton is between his junior and senior year in college, and he wanted to spend the summer working in the 49th state. He found a job leading sea kayak tours for cruise boat tourists out of Juneau. I decided to accompany him on his trip north, and we planned to arrive a few days before he started to work. This would give us a great father/son experience of fishing and poking around Juneau before he clocked in.
A few weeks prior to leaving Tennessee, I called a friend in Juneau and asked for a lead on a fishing charter, and he recommended Rick Bierman. "He's an excellent captain, and he will provide you a real Alaskan experience," my friend explained. He was right on the money.
Rick's Whale's Eye Lodge is a wonderful, unique place. (Check out the web site:
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) His lodge operation is 14 years old, and it's self-contained. He and his wife Karen heat with and cook on wood-burning stoves. They utilize wind and solar-generated electricity. Their gourmet guest meals frequently feature the bounty of the surrounding waters - salmon, king crab, etc. (They also have telephone service and satellite Internet for keeping in touch with the world outside.) Rick is a master raconteur, keeping guests enthralled with his knowledge and stories of Alaskan backcountry living. (Unlike many island residents, he and Karen stay put in the winter, enduring deep snows, short days and the frigid isolation of the wilderness.)
Weather in this region is unpredictable, but our day with Rick and deckhand Lauren De Paepe was gorgeous. The sky was a mix of sunshine and clouds. The breeze was light. The air had just enough chill to call for light jackets. The aura of the place was one of freshness and cleanliness and wonder.
On the way to Rick's fishing spot, we saw humpback whales and sea lions. We spotted the first school of killer whales (orcas) he'd seen this season. We had an escort of dolphins swimming and playing beside our boat. Bald eagles soared over the shallows and shore, looking for a meal.
When we got to Rick's fishing hole (where the current from Icy Strait butts into Admiralty Island), he rigged 4 trolling lines with packaged baitfish - 2 on downriggers and 2 on flat lines. Then he put the boat in gear and began idling parallel to the rugged coastline, all the while watching his sonar for balls of baitfish that hopefully would attract salmon.
We hadn't gone far when line began whirring off one of the reels. We prevailed on Lauren, who recently graduated from the University of Southern California, to take this fish. Ladies first! She quickly boated a beautiful chum salmon of close to 10 pounds.
And hour or so later, we had another hit, and this one was Hampton's. He fought a large fish - under much duress - for several minutes. He then landed a beautiful king salmon which measured well over the 20-inch size minimum for keeper fish. We'd eat well that night!
The third - and final - fish was mine, another king that measured just shy of the keeper length. I watched with more than a little chagrin as Rick carefully unhooked the fish and released it into the 600-foot deep water.
I don't know when I've been more relaxed. I don't know when Hampton and I have relished each other's company to a greater degree. This was one of those special benchmark days I'll never forget, and I don't think he will either. It's also a trip I'd recommend to anyone looking for quality time in a beautiful place with some fantastic company. When I left Rick Bierman late that afternoon, I felt like I was saying goodbye to an old and dear friend.
Hampton and I headed to a local Juneau grocery and bought vegetables, spices, paper plates, charcoal and other necessities for grilling salmon fillets. Rick had told us where we could find a recreation area on Auke Bay that had grills and picnic tables. Hampton did the cooking while I kicked back and thought how fortunate I was to have a great son and an opportunity to share a day like this with him.
Soon I'd be heading back home, and he'd stay behind to work. But today was about pure pleasure, a simple time, one of the best days of my life. When Hampton brought me a plate of fresh-caught "blackened salmon," I dug in and wondered, how can life get any better than this?
