As I write this I am finishing up my fishing trip in Ketchikan, AK. Eight years ago my parents bought a commercial troller and named it the Suzi Q (after my aunt’s dog). They put a lot of work into their boat, with the intention to use it as a semi-retirement activity that makes a bit of side income. This is their idea of fun: 14-hour days with little rest, pulling fish, cleaning fish, icing fish, maintaining the boat, maintaining the gear, etc. I have never had such carpal tunnel. It wakes me up at 4:00am every morning. All that said, it actually is fun. Hard work, but fun. Beautiful scenery, wildlife, and time spent with my parents.
This is the second year I have come up to work on the boat. The intention was to troll for chums (dog salmon), but when the chums began to dwindle, we hauled in our gear and decided to fish cohos instead. It was a blast. A change of scenery, beautiful fish, and more excitement. The only downside was that in addition to catching the fish, I had to gut and clean them all – while still fishing. On our last three-day voyage, I did not rest between roughly 4:30am and 8:30pm every day. I stopped only to eat. I cleaned close to 500 fish in 3 days!
During our brief times ashore, I took the opportunity to photograph eagles and other wildlife (very abundant at my parents’ house). So the photos posted here include those pictures, pictures from the boat, iphone pictures, etc. Enjoy!
Also, make sure and check out other Alaska Pics from previous trips. Prints are available for special order at good prices.
Michael Rauwolf Photography 