| "FISH ON!!"I yelled, as my seven weight fly rod bent | | | | your life.I looked at my fish, I looked at Allen, and I |
| over and the line played it's magical tune of "zinging in | | | | looked at that Grizzly, and thought to myself; "Great, |
| the rain". It was hard to tell just how big the fish was | | | | I have three other fishermen on this boat and they |
| or if it was a Rainbow or big Dolly Varden.Hooking a | | | | all match the criteria that I had required to fish with |
| big upper Kenai river trout in fast water doesn't leave | | | | in bear country. They are all bigger and slower and at |
| much time for species identification."Hang on to it-we'll | | | | this point- between me and the bear!!" BUT, if we |
| chase it and go land it in some calmer water." said | | | | had to go overboard-I sure wasn't confident that I |
| Allen, who was behind the sticks of our 20 foot Willie | | | | could outswim these guys. Plus, I had a rod in my |
| drift boat.We had just entered the Canyon section | | | | hand, a fish on the line, and a natural fishermen's |
| of the upper Kenai river and while my three other | | | | instinct- to not want to lose my trout!! The bear |
| compadres fishing with me on the boat had already | | | | would certainly pick me, because he would get the |
| hooked some BIG Rainbows and Dollies, I had yet to | | | | bonus of having a trout for dessert after having his |
| catch what I will call a "quality" upper Kenai fish. That | | | | "Fisherman ala Gore-Tex" entree. I guess I shouldn't |
| of course means insulting every trout on every other | | | | have been too worried,afterall, Allen wouldn't have |
| river in North America, since the eighteen inch | | | | wanted to return to the lodge without his |
| Rainbows and twenty inch Dolly Vardens I had | | | | "guests"--too much paperwork!!Right?Allen frantically |
| already caught were hardly chopped liver!! It's just | | | | grabbed at the anchor rope, while "mama" thrashed |
| that I had watched numerous twenty-four inch fish | | | | about in the water. Meanwhile the rest of us had |
| caught in the morning and listened to Allen comment | | | | that "deer in the headlights" look, waiting for either |
| on how this was the best morning of fly fishing he | | | | instructions from Allen-or the voice of God- to tell us |
| had had on the upper Kenai this year. Again, don't | | | | what to do next."I think we'll fight this fish |
| get me wrong-I was catching my share of fish- but | | | | somewhere else." Allen said, while grabbing the oars |
| this was the kind of fish I was waiting | | | | and pulling us away with Herculean strength.That- is |
| for.Ziiiiinnnnggggg.I stood up in the front of the boat, | | | | what they call an understatement. Somewhere else |
| and Allen gave chase in our wide bellied river pursuit | | | | indeed!How about Pennsylvania?Mama had done what |
| vehicle. | | | | she had intended, danger to cub-gone, fishermen |
| I held my rod high and reeled to keep a tight line on | | | | white as ghosts, and Brown bear Peace and |
| the fish.As we drifted towards the "river right" bank, | | | | tranquility restored to the right bank.MISSION |
| we heard some crashing in the trees. In my | | | | ACCOMPLISHED!She turned, and splashed back to |
| peripheral vision I saw some movement, but kept my | | | | the shore...I don't know if it was the lowering of the |
| eyes fixed on my pulsating rod tip. Allen nonchalantly | | | | anchor that had startled her, or the banging of the |
| mentioned that we had a Brown bear over on our | | | | boat, or the splashing of my Rainbow, but we had |
| right, kind of like a guy mentions seeing a 1957 | | | | just witnessed -first hand- how the Grizzly bear |
| Chevy.It's neat-but nothing to get to crazy | | | | protects her cubs in the wild.Pretty much by going |
| about.Keep fishing.Now, I don't know about you, but | | | | NUTS!!We drifted over to "river left", downstream |
| when I pass within twenty yards of meat eating | | | | about another 100 yards, and finally landed an |
| carnivores-I like to give them more than just a | | | | exhausted 23 inch FAT Rainbow trout. Of course, |
| passing glance.Especially, since most of us on the | | | | the fish seemed an after thought now as all five of |
| boat were seeing our first Brown/Grizzly bear in our | | | | us checked our waders for "brown spots", but after |
| lives, and not everyone gets to see a Grizzly when | | | | all that, it would have made us cry to lose that |
| they come to Alaska. Not to mention that any one | | | | fish.We all "high fived" each other and still couldn't help |
| of us would make a delicious mid day snack for a | | | | but looking back upstream--just to make sure |
| bear with the munchies.Allen, trying to be the | | | | "mama" wasn't still angry. Allen said that it was the |
| consumate Alaskan fishing guide, was trying to pass | | | | first time he had seen a Brown bear jump into the |
| it off as an everyday occurence and make you feel | | | | water like that.Really.Then we sat there and all gave |
| like -"Heck, most of us guides sleep with bears"--but | | | | our accounts of how the scene "went down". It was |
| you could tell by his watchful back and forth | | | | great to hear everyones reaction and different |
| looks--that he didn't get to see bears that often.As | | | | version of the "thirty five seconds of drama".We |
| Allen lowered the boat anchor in a nice back eddy, I | | | | took a picture of that fish- which will be forever on |
| turned toward the fish and got back to the task at | | | | be referred to as the "Bear Fish", and even though it |
| hand. Pump, reel down, pump, reel down.About that | | | | wasn't the biggest fish on that float--it will certainly |
| time, I started to hear some more commotion from | | | | be the one most remembered.There was no picture |
| the bank, and about the same time as my fish | | | | of the bear-since everyone was riveted on the real |
| revealed his Rainbow identity by making an acrobatic | | | | bear on not the Kodak moment.When we got back |
| leap into the air, I turned to see a bear clawing it's | | | | to our lodge, Allen told the story of our Alaskan |
| way up a tree.Good, that's what I like to see from | | | | experience and some of the older guides looked at |
| man eating carnivores!I turned back at the fish--and | | | | him "sideways" like he might be working on a good |
| then did a double take on the bear.OH @%$+ IT | | | | fish story or nickname.I could see it now... "Who you |
| WAS A CUB...... and we're not talking the kind that | | | | going out with today? Grizzly Gillette? Allen the Bear |
| play in Chicago!!Faster then I could get the words " | | | | Slayer?... Of course there were four witnesses that |
| it's a cub" out of my mouth, mama bear went into | | | | were ready to back him up and it wasn't exactly like |
| protection mode. We all heard brush being knocked | | | | we had said we had seen "bigfoot" or "aliens" for |
| down like tackling dummies at the Chicago Bears | | | | heavens sake!!All in all, I would say we got the true |
| training camp and then we saw "Mamas" round | | | | Alaskan experience that day. Nice fat upper Kenai |
| face,shoulders hunched, claws digging in as she made | | | | Rainbow trout and Dolly Vardens on a fly, false |
| a charge at us towards the bank.We all looked over | | | | charged by a Grizzly mom and an unforgettable day |
| at the same time,and for a brief second, my first | | | | in incredible scenery.As the years go on--I am sure |
| thought was: "Oh great, why does this have to | | | | the"Bear Fish"will get bigger, the bear will get |
| happen when I have a nice Rainbow on? I hope I | | | | closer(maybe even into the boat!!) and the legend of |
| don't lose this fish." Of course, sitting twenty yards | | | | "Grizzly Gillette" will grow tall.But not nearly as tall as |
| away in a boat- in the water- gives one a sense of | | | | that BEAR!!A.J. Klott |
| security.A false sense of security.That bear took to | | | | Author, writer of fishing humor,and "fly tack" |
| the sky like "superwoman". Paws out and legs flying- | | | | peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and |
| without even breaking stride- she was IN THE | | | | modern day events that surround the fishing world. |
| WATER.You never saw ten eyeballs get so large in | | | | His first book is due out in December of 2005. |