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Energy round table: Positives attract
North Carolina's energy industry is growing. It employs more than 39,000 people, which is almost 10% more than in 2010, according to Cary-based Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Inc., and it is second in U.S. solar installation, helping it gain attention on the domestic and global stages. Business North Carolina magazine recently assembled a panel of energy experts to discuss what makes the industry such a powerful force and what it needs to stay charged.
The discussion was moderated by David Doctor, president and CEO of Charlotte-based trade group E4 Carolinas. UNC Charlotte's EPIC (Energy Production & Infrastructure Center) hosted it, and North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Central Piedmont Community College and Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster provided support. The transcript was edited for brevity and clarity.
How strong is North Carolina's energy industry?
Urlaub: More than 26,000 North Carolinians were employed in clean energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, smart grid and electric vehicles in 2015. They generated almost $7 billion in revenue. The state has seen more than $6.3 billion of renewable-energy investment and a total economic impact of more than $12 billion since 2007.
Baldwin: The state's energy industry positions it to compete for large-scale industry and projects. Those bring capital investment and better jobs, which help the entire economy. Growth is the lifeblood of utilities, and our communities won't grow without a strong energy industry. Energy is a large percentage of manufacturers' operating costs. North Carolina is an oasis of low energy prices. Manufacturers know that. The state uses it as an economic-development tool.
Bennett: Energy costs in North Carolina are about 20% less than the national average. Utilities helped recruit $1.2 billion of capital investment and more than 3,000 jobs to the state in 2015. Duke has connected more than 1.4 gigawatts of solar in North Carolina. That attracts companies, too.
How is the energy sector seen outside North Carolina?
Campen: Duke Energy Corp., the country's largest utility, is headquartered in Charlotte, and it is about to diversify with the addition of Piedmont Natural Gas. North Carolina is No. 3 in the country in installed solar capacity, and it's predicted it'll be No. 2 by year's end. Other states are seeing what's happening in North Carolina and realizing that they need to respond because investment dollars and jobs are coming here.
Baldwin: Those outside North Carolina also notice our internal collaboration. That has served the state and industry well. Our associations lead by example, and their membership follows.
Bosser: There's a lot of research and development underway because North Carolina has the right players: research universities, software developers and big companies. Several of the partners in Duke's Mount Holly lab, where distribution technologies are tested, are based in North Carolina. That wasn't necessarily Duke Energy's intention. It wanted the best partners. It's unique for a region or state to have everything. We find that while marketing the Cleantech Cluster, which consists of companies and researchers working on technology that maximizes resource use. Many communities are trying to find the right partners, and we can say they're all here. You don't need to attend a big conference to meet them. Come to North Carolina, and we'll introduce you.
Why have domestic and foreign energy companies clustered here?
Enslin: North Carolina has great universities and laboratories and a deep knowledge base. They spark innovation. A lot of it will be needed over the next 20 years to lower costs and develop the analytics associated with managing highly distributed generation assets such as solar. That will grow the economy and provide solutions that can be used worldwide.
Urlaub: Since 2010, clean-energy companies have opened offices in 63 counties, and 75% of renewable-energy investment occurred in rural counties that are economically distressed. We have many nonprofit and job centers, including the national Solar Ready Vets program at Fayetteville Technical Community College, which helps place skilled military veterans in the solar-energy industry. Those connections have introduced the energy industry to many people.
Bennett: We serve customers statewide. We have plans to modernize service in the state's western counties. They include about 50 megawatts of solar generation and storage. Those customers want clean energy, but sometimes policy and technology have to evolve before those demands can be fulfilled. You need to balance those three. We engage with national groups such as Washington, D.C.-based Energy Storage Association. It held its annual conference in Charlotte in April. About 300 people attended its 2010 conference, and there were 1,500 people here. People from Italy attended the latest conference because they are doing some interesting things with energy storage.
Potter: The general public lacks a true understanding of the energy industry's economic importance and the well-paying careers it generates. Community colleges are doing a better job of explaining to students the job options they have with a high-school diploma or a certificate or associate degree from a community college. Parents also need to understand the opportunities for their children that exist within the energy industry, whether they're at Duke Energy, an advanced manufacturer or a wind or solar farm. They're jobs that don't require racking up thousands of dollars in school loans.
Do policymakers understand the industry's importance?
Baldwin: I would say yes, with a qualifier. It's hard to make good policy. It's based on current technologies, societal views and customer choice. As those evolve, so does policy. That requires a great deal of education and conversations. When policy changes for the better, we have to let its creators know instead of pointing out problems.
Campen: Businesses want consistent rules so they can plan to grow. I'm afraid the clean-energy industry is facing too much uncertainly from proposed changes, such as allowing tax credits to expire. This sector needs time to flourish further. There's a lot at stake. The Southeast's first wind farm is under construction in northeastern North Carolina. There are 240 people building 104 wind turbines for [Seattle-based] Amazon.com Inc. on a 22,000-acre site. The Pasquotank County Commission chairman recently told me he was driving by an Elizabeth City hotel and noticed it was full. He stopped and talked to its manager. The guests were construction workers for the wind farm. That's just one piece of that farm's economic impact. A supplier is bringing in trainloads of aggregate for road reinforcement. Everybody — the restaurants, the hotels, the portable- toilet leasing companies — is benefiting. Its taxes will be greater than what's paid by the top six taxpayers combined. It's bumping former farmland into a higher tax rate and then putting $15 million of solar equipment on it. People have asked how to help rural North Carolina counties for many years. Renewable energy has done more for rural North Carolina recently than any other industry.
How does the energy industry tell its story?
Urlaub: We need to invite business leaders and decision-makers to the manufacturing and construction sites to meet investors, owners, workers and the folks in the community. Two-thirds of our legislators started in 2011. It takes time to develop an appreciation and policy vision. When we connect our decision-makers with what's on the ground in the places and spaces they know and love, they go from espousing misinformed perceptions to asking the questions that need to be asked.
Potter: Energy is a complicated field. We constantly breathe, live and eat it, so we take many things for granted. It's on us to educate the general public. [Portland, Ore.-based] NuScale Power, which has an office in Charlotte, is developing a small modular nuclear reactor. There's an opportunity to build it in North Carolina, once the design is licensed. But people have to get together and decide to have a state energy strategy that says what we're going to do and what we need to implement it. We need people thinking in a much broader context and a longer range.
Bennett: We lock arms with county and city leaders wherever we develop a solar farm. Our lobbyists educate legislators. We help the developers reach energy companies and colleagues. We do ribbon cuttings, which announce our commitment to this important resource. Duke has always worked to deliver energy at the least cost. Cleaner energy technologies aren't always less expensive, at least at first. The costs of energy storage, for example, are declining but need to fall further. That's a struggle from a policy perspective because our first job is delivering affordable, reliable service. We're working to solve that.
Bosser: Millennials and younger generations care about sustainability. That will create economic growth. It's a story in the Research Triangle, where there's a clean-tech project in every county. How do we leverage that to the state's advantage? The Cleantech Cluster tells the aggregate's story in a way individuals can't. The region has seen 17% job growth, the second-largest of any other benchmark community that we've weighed ourselves against. That's significant. Those facts need to be touted locally, nationally and internationally.
Urlaub: I recently sat on a panel with a Duke Energy executive who said 40% to 50% of the utility's employees will retire within 10 years. We've done a good job of giving young adults coming into the energy industry a strong foundation, filled with new technologies at various stages of price, accessibility and maturation. We've done that without pressuring electricity rates. That needs to continue. We need to work together to create a high-quality and affordable place to work and live.
What will shape the state's energy industry in the next five years?
Baldwin: Natural-gas prices dropped about 25% over the last 10 years. It has stimulated manufacturers' interest in natural gas, not only for traditional uses, such as heat, but as a raw material for developing chemicals and products. Natural gas's future is bright, though there are workforce issues, such as replacing retirees and training for new technologies. We're no longer seeking the type of workers that we recruited
a few years ago. Utility mergers and additional natural gas-powered generation is restructuring the industry. Distributed generation opportunities may emerge down the road. Test labs in other states are coupling natural gas with other technologies. What they uncover may not work here, but we can learn from it.
Campen: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which is being built and managed in part by soon-to-be-merged Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas and will transport natural gas from West Virginia to customers in Virginia and North Carolina, will be an economic boon for eastern counties.
Enslin: We are continuously evolving the service and manufacturing sides of the industry. Many changes are happening, and we're in the right position to capitalize on them. Research and workforce skills development are linked. When one steps forward, so does the other. We're training engineers and technicians for jobs that are five or 10 years away and have yet to be defined. Nobody knew about energy analytics 20 years ago. Now, it drives the industry. University research needs to be relevant at the fundamental and applied levels. It's not always like that. Sometimes it's ahead of needs.
Bennett: We'll see more convergence of distributed generation resources, storage and electric vehicles. Duke created an organization to focus on those. The ultimate opportunity is bringing those pieces together with today's energy such as natural gas. Global brands, such as [Cupertino, Calif.-based] Apple Inc., have significant goals regarding switching to clean energy and reducing carbon-dioxide emissions. Retail customers are pulling for that change, even if they don't have clean energy at home. That will continue. We have to assemble a plan to continue growing that sector of the industry with new technologies.
Potter: Education is the key. We're starting to see retirements, especially in operation, maintenance and generation. We're doing a better job over the last few years of educating people about the opportunities to really create careers in the industry that have longevity and sustainability.


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CHCH Morning Live: Businesses Adapting to COVID-19
CHCH Morning Live dropped by for a hockey-stick-length visit with some businesses downtown adapting to COVID-19.
Our Mentions
Being a member of this amazing community is why we will be supporting local. @MiltonDowntown @OakvilleDwntown… https://t.co/skLPiBnz3X
May 27, 2020
RT @burlingtoncofc: Across #BurlOn, businesses of all shapes and sizes have shown great resilience by overcoming the challenges that COVID-…

subset: commoncrawl


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Straight in…..no messin'…..
#10) Retro Stefson – The Hope, Brighton
I think this was my fourth or fifth time seeing the Icelandic dance-pop-rock-funk-world-metal-r&b'ers. Normally that array of words together in a sentence would send me fleeing for the hills but, since I first saw these a few years back, I've been absolutely hooked and have spread the good word Stefson high and low. Flamenco dance-offs and directional jumping at a gig are not something I generally participate in. I'm happy to say, however, that three members of the Bang were in attendance and all of us were flinging ourselves around like knobs.
#9) The Fall – Clapham Grand
A big tick off the list to finally see the genius of M.E.S live. Couldn't make out a single word he said all night and spent a great deal of time chuckling as he stalked round the stage turning amps up and down, hanging his coat over drum microphones and generally arsing about. A birthday pressie from Bangman Rhodesy and a great evening out all round. I even 'strawpedoed' a Smirnoff Ice. Something I haven't done for a good 10 years. Good pub opposite The Grand too.
#8) Everything Everything/Dutch Uncles – Portsmouth Pyramids
Birthday related fun once again (this time from the wondrous Mrs W…). Dutch Uncles were on ace form (I particularly enjoyed the midi glockenspiel and 'interesting' dance moves from singer Duncan…). Everything Everything have certainly come a long way since seeing them at The Fat Fox pub a few years ago. Thought they were great earlier in the year (or was it last year?) at The Wedgewood Rooms and they just seem to get better every time I see them. Stadia beckon soon I reckon. A total treat to see my favourite ditty 'Nasa is on Your Side' performed live as well.
#7) Lanterns on the Lake – Southampon Joiners/Southsea's Pie & Vinyl
Couldn't really separate these two performances though they were a few months apart. I was on sound duty for the P&V one and it was probably my favourite instore performance they've had in there so far (…even though my shitty old mixing desk broke meaning the band were without reverb….not ideal for LotL…sorry…).Hazel, though, has a stunning voice which carried things along nicely and the close proximity in P&V really suited the intimate, dreamy atmosphere. The gig at The Joiners meant that the slightly heavier, more up-tempo songs on the new album could sound as big as intended and they were very friendly folks too which is always a bonus.
#6) The National – Alexandra Palace, London
I've technically 'seen' The National once before at the incredible ATP festival they curated last year. However…it was at the end of my stag do. Three very…er…'powerful' days forever etched in the mind (for good and bad reasons…I'm not sure I'll ever recover…). Physically and mentally fatigued as I was, I perhaps didn't fully enjoy the wonder of them live that first time round. For this one though, I made sure I was in full and rude health. They didn't disappoint at all and the songs from the new album 'Trouble Will Find Me' really come in to their own live. Everyone seems to moan about Ally Pally as a venue as well but I really enjoyed and thought the sound was great inside.
#5) Olafur Arnalds/Douglas Dare – Brighton All Saints Church
A funny old gig for a couple of reasons. Firstly – it came at the end of a day xmas shopping in Brighton whereby we had all our newly purchased presses nicked whilst helping a cyclist after she'd had a horrible crash. PEOPLE. The gig itself though was in a spectacular setting and the calming music of piano, cello and violin, often in almost complete darkness, was incredible…UNTIL…utter dickheads with iPhones aloft, flashes on, and annoying camera sounds clicking away almost ruined every moment you felt like you could completely drift away. Could have been number one gig of the year otherwise. PEOPLE. WHAT A BUNCH OF BASTARDS.
#4) John Grant/Asgeir Trausti – Cambridge Junction
After discovering Icelander (I know….just for a change…) Asgeir Trausti last year, I was overjoyed to see that he was the support for the splendid John Grant on his UK tour. Turns out, John assisted in translating Asgeir's debut album Dýrð í dauðaþögn (which is absolutely ace) into English for worldwide release next year. Both artists were amazing, chatty between songs and on top form (and I always enjoy a visit to Cambridge…mainly for Fopp and Nana Mexico's). I am also everso partial to Mr Grant's little shimmy betwixt synth and mic on the dancier songs.
#3) David Byrne & St Vincent – End of the Road
Lots of great performances at this cracking festival. David Byrne's announcement over the PA prior to taking to the stage asking people not to take loads of photos or videos and to enjoy the music 'in the moment' (see Olafur above…) was a brilliant touch that i'm hoping will catch on. Annie Clark of St Vincent is one of my fave guitarists (and people in general) so to see her solo stuff combined with classic Talking Heads numbers, all played by a choreographed brass band is something to behold indeed. Electric.
#2) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Brighton Dome/Optimus Primavera
It's Nick Cave for fucks sake.
#1) Danny Elfman/The BBC Symphonic Orchestra – Royal Albert Hall
I never thought I'd see the day. One of the greatest living composers (to my mind anyway) responsible for some of the most iconic film and TV music of recent times performing live. With a full orchestra. Themes from Edward Scissorhands, BeetleJuice, Batman, Corpse Bride and a host of others all played out in the beautiful surroundings of the Albert Hall. Simple images of concept drawings and early sketches displayed behind added to the uniqueness of the performance (though I heard one idiot complain afterwards that 'the visuals could have been better'…WATCH THE ORCHESTRA YOU CLUNGE!). Even Helena Bonham Carter popped up to belt out a rendition of Sally's Song from Nightmare Before Xmas to rapturous applause and Tim Burton said a few moving words about Danny at the end. Incredible.
Special mentions go to the following gigs:
* At our local legendary venue The Wedge – British Sea Power, Villagers, Johnny Marr and Willy Mason
* Efterklang, Sigur Ros (both of whom are only not in the top ten cos I've seen them before play better gigs), MONEY, Bo Ningen & PINS all at the amazing End of the Road (maybe my favourite UK festival)
* Deerhunter ('we are a PROFESSIONAL ROCK OUTFIT'), Explosions in the Sky and Blur at Optimus Primavera (a shining example of why foreign festivals are often much better than our own)
* Snorri Helgason – KEX Hostel, Iceland
So there you have it. Albums of the year done. Gigs of the year done. What would your choices be?


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I recently discovered dried fruit & vegetable powders, and blackberry powder has this amazing magenta colour. I also had an old pink tie-dye shirt lying around, and because chocolate/food is always on my mind, I ended up with this↑! It was one of those rare times where the vision in my head actually worked out in real life hah Continue reading
Category Archives: Recipes
Pecan pie gingerbread cookies
These were inspired by American Thanksgiving, and pie, and Christmas, and gingerbread, and the holidays. You could say they are like the perfect holiday cookie! Plus they're refined sugar free and you can easily make them gluten free using GF oats. But all that matters is they are delicious ~ ☆ ☆ ☆ Continue reading
Acai bowl
Acai bowls are delicious, healthy, and you can make them look extremely instagrammable with all the toppings~so hot right now~ This is how I make mine! Continue reading
Almond coconut cookie sandwiches
Raw raspberry & chocolate thumprint cookies
These babies are inspired by This Rawesome Vegan Life, the Mecca blog for raw desserts.
Speaking of raw desserts, I'm so into them at the moment! They're so delicious and nutritious at the same time. I'm now finding myself wanting a little raw treat rather than a floury/sugary dessert, and less sweet stuff in general, which is greeeat for my waistline 😉 Continue reading
Italian eggplant bake with cashew parmesan
First let me say that since discovering cashew parmesan my life as changed forever. It's probably not amazingly similar to dairy cheese, but it does have a really (not-gross) cheesy flavour! It's so delicious as it's own cool thing anyway. I LOVE IT. And it literally takes 5 minutes to make.
Pistachio ice cream sandwiches
For some reason I had pistachios on my mind the whole time I was studying at the end of this semester. I dunno… I'm weird. But I finished for the year and after 2 or 3 days of sleeping I made these! Continue reading


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AWEA Windpower 2019
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For more information:
|(202) 383-2500


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There's nothing we like better than seeing good friends of ours with great fish. Kathy and Bryan Whiting deliver.
Our silver salmon fishery at Alaska West is very numbers-oriented. Doubles are very, very common.
We think it's pretty cool, though, when a family – like the Whitings pictured above – pulls off a quad. From the looks on their faces they seem to agree!
More on Silver Salmon at Alaska West
Family Fishing Trips – Why and How
Doing what we do, we get to meet some pretty amazing people. There's something about high quality experiences in remote locations that just attracts good folks.
We're really lucky to have gotten to know Bryan, Kathy, Jason and Eric Whiting through their trips to Alaska West, starting in 2004. Bryan was kind enough to put together some background on why and how their family decided to go fishing in Alaska.
We have a ton of respect for Bryan and Kathy, and the decisions they've made about the impact that trips like these would have on their family. As you'll see below, there was much more to the process than "we thought it'd be fun to go fishing together"!
Much More Than Catching Fish
From the moment our children were born, it was the goal of Kathy and I to focus on providing them with activities and experiences as opposed to transient "fad" products. From an early age we had them involved in the out of doors, fishing, athletics, group activities and associating with adults. We felt this type of experience was the best way for them to acquire the manners and values we wished them to possess as adults.
From the time they could get into a backpack they were on the water experiencing weather, seeing animals, throwing their shoes in the river and soon reeling in and touching fish. I grew up outside Yellowstone. Consequently, we spent 2-3 weeks hiking, camping and fishing each summer throughout Yellowstone where our kids saw and learned about nature, and soon doing their share of the work involved. As they grew older, Kathy and I wanted to expand their experience through exposure to different parts of the Rocky Mountains and cultures.
The first was spring break fishing trips to Lees Ferry. The boys helped develop the budget associated with this trip. They contributed to the trip by earning money which we hoped would help develop personal responsibility, the value of work, and a work ethic as well. Through all these experiences, we also established parameters where if our family values and manners were not met, whether it be on a trip, in school, in athletics or just at the movies, it affected their ability to participate in the next experience.
Kathy and I also wanted them to learn about developing and accomplishing long term goals. Jason was immediately interested in fly fishing in Alaska. He found Alaska videos on the internet, Alaska shows on TV, Alaska articles in magazines. Kathy and I felt Alaska would be a great "once in a lifetime" experience for our family and especially our boys. We all were soon absorbed by the prospect of Alaska, but it seemed so far away in many ways in addition to mileage.
Each winter we went to a fly fishing show in Denver and saw videos, gathered brochures and talked to numerous Alaska camps and lodges. All this just served to further expand our desire to go to Alaska, but the cost just seemed beyond what we could make happen. The winter of 2003-04, we were again at the fly fishing show and talking even more fervently with the camps and lodges in attendance. All of them sounded great, but when we asked them if we could bring the boys, who would be 14 and 15 that summer, they all said "sure, we take kids", but it was easy to tell by their attitude and the manner in which they said those words, that they would prefer to deal with adults. One camp even said they boys could come along and watch Kathy and I catch fish – not exactly the experience we were looking for.
Thankfully, Alaska West was in attendance that year. When we talked to them, they immediately showed great interest in the boys to the point where they began to just talk to them. In addition to the great fishing they talked about going up river in a jet boat, having fish catching contests, seeing eagles, having a salmon lunch on the river and other things of interest to teen aged boys. It was obvious Alaska West was the place, but as Kathy and I drove home, with the boys asleep in the back, it was somewhat disappointing because such a trip still seemed far away given our family budget as high school teachers and kids' college in the future.
Regardless, the boys took over the planning. They not only determined what they needed to take and stay under the 50 lb airline limit, but planned the logistics of such a trip from plane tickets to motel rooms; from specialized fly fishing equipment to waterproof coats. We developed a budget but to their credit, the boys knew it would be hard to bring to execution.
One month later, Alaska West called me after school in my classroom and basically enabled our "trip of a lifetime" to happen in 2004. My wife was the real hero. We could make it work only if everyone didn't go. The trip was so important to her that she decided the boys and I should make the trip and she would stay home.
The 2004 trip was even more than we had hoped. The boys spotted animals on the plane flight in; we caught more silver salmon on the first day than I thought we would catch the entire week; the boys talked with anglers from England, Russia and Italy; they saw the culture and life of the Yupik natives. They saw how hard a guide works each and every day and talked to them about fishing in South America, Kamchatka and Canada. The boys helped the guides haul the day's equipment to the Arolik River boats and experienced the primitive isolation of the Arolik. The guides had fun with the boys. They had rock skipping contests, started a fire after a rain storm, explored hidden channels, spotted and then caught large rainbows with mouse flies, and learned how to barbecue a salmon on a gravel bar.
As strange as it may sound, my highlight as a Dad, occurred on the trip home. As we sat in the airport, the boys decided their #1 priority was to get their mother to Alaska. Before we were off the runway and airborne, they were working on a budget to get everyone back to Alaska West in 2006. They were going to use their next two summer's earnings as well as eliminate some planned purchases on their part as their contribution to the cause.
Our second "once in a lifetime" trip occurred in 2006. The bet was how loud their mom was going to scream the first time she caught a silver salmon.
We now have had four "trips of a lifetime" with a trip for King Salmon in 2008 and another trip for silvers in 2010. Jason is now 22 and 6'4", Eric 23 and 6'2. Eric has graduated from U of Wyoming and is a marketing director. Jason is a Senior at Humboldt State University in California, playing baseball and studying both fisheries and natural resource economics. They have grown both physically but more importantly gone from boys to men. My wife and I will always be grateful for the part Alaska West played in that process.
More on Fishing with Kids
Family Fishing in Alaska Part Six – What We Learned
Today we conclude our series from Bryan Whiting on his family's trips to Alaska West. Bryan has made 3 fishing trips to Alaska with his family, and was gracious enough to write a 6-part series for us on the trips. Thanks so much, Brian!
This last chapter is focused on what Brian and his family learned about the fishing in Alaska.
- Strike like you mean it; this isn't 6x Frying Pan fishing. Both strip and rod strike at the same time. You will be using tippet that can handle your strike. Our first trip, the guide our first day, after we had lost a couple of fish, told us "strike like you were mad and closing the door."
- Have both your salmon rod and your trout rod rigged at the start of the day; you will switch often
- Check the regulations. In many places in Alaska you cannot fish with two flies at the same time.
- We improved our ability to play very large fish which has even helped us back at home.
- If the salmon jumps, extend your arm and point your rod at the fish. Bowing is too slow and doesn't provide enough slack out by the fish
- If the fish is running, again point your rod at the fish. Don't make the fish pull the line out of the reel over the circumference of the rod. It increases the chance the line will catch even momentarily on something and your fish will be gone.
- If your fish has 150 yards of line out and you need to recover line, put the tip of your rod straight down directly in line with your fish then reel. The fish will follow like a dog on a leash. After he gets up to you he may take off again, but that's ok. That's the fun. This is easier to do if you are in a boat in the river, but if you are on shore just wade out into the river and it will still work. I had never seen this technique before we went to Alaska. It has saved me innumerable large fish back home that went way downstream in heavy current and I typically lost.
- Don't be afraid to adjust your drag many times playing one fish.
- If a salmon is going under your boat, stick the tip of the rod in the water and literally spin the drag back. It's faster than trying to strip line off by hand and will place less stress on your rod.
- Keep the fulcrum of the rod at the base of the rod, virtually under your hand. Not only does that utilize the full power of the rod to fatigue the fish, but rods tend to break when the fulcrum rises up the rod toward the tip. To see what I mean, take your rod outside, have a friend hold your line 10 yards or so away from you. Hold your rod at a 45 degree angle to the ground and have them pull on the line. Notice how the rod bends but the force of the pull is absorbed in the base. Now have your friend give you slack, raise and pull the tip of the rod up and back to where the rod is at 110-120 degrees from the ground. Again, have the friend pull on the line slowly. Notice how the fulcrum of the rod is up close to the tip probably close to the joint between the 3rd and 4th section, or 2nd and 3rd section in a three piece. Up there the rod has little strength and the force of the pull is absorbed in the thinnest part of the rod. If your friend jerked on the line right now your rod will break regardless of where you have the drag set. Even the best drag won't typically react fast enough because there is too much friction around the curve of the rod. You might say, I never let my rod get there, but watch people land fish sometime and almost everyone has a tendency to get their rod in that position. At home with a 14" trout it doesn't matter, but in Alaska if you are landing a 15 pound silver or the silver all of a sudden decides to take off it can cost you a rod.
- Keep your rod low and to the side when fighting a fish. It can't get too low. This not only activates the full strength of the rod, but also makes it even easier to keep the fulcrum of the rod low as we just discussed.
- Don't be concerned if you lose a fish or miss a strike. The next cast or two will probably produce another fish.
- It's a waste of time to count fish. A lot is a lot. The last day of our second trip, the guide was curious as to how many silver salmon the two of us would catch before lunch. We beached the boat at 8:15 am, fished the same location until 12:30 pm. The number was 61 landed and released. As you can see, why bother.
- At least once during your trip do a shore lunch. It's ok to pause to eat a salmon you caught 15 minutes before. You will remember it a lot more than a PB and J. The only trouble is you may never order salmon in a restaurant again.
- Fishing magazines, books, photos, DVDs and the Saturday morning fishing shows do not do justice to the strength, power and explosiveness of the silver salmon or any fresh salmon for that matter. Over the years we have been fortunate enough to catch many significant trout whether it be a five pound cutthroat in Wyoming, the 10 pound rainbow in Colorado or Gray's Reef , or the 15 pound brown in Yellowstone. Without exception and with no disrespect to the trout we love, a comparable salmon runs farther, jumps higher, fights longer and has more strength and power. Even a 6 pound pink salmon would literally beat up the toughest 6 pound brown. My words are equally insufficient. No matter the level of your expectation, salmon will exceed it.
- When stripping along the river bottom, most silver salmon and most other salmon will not savagely strike your fly and take off; your fly will just stop. It will feel similar to when your fly hooks a sunken log. Don't wait, strike. Even the take of most king salmon is far more subtle than you would imagine. If you are swinging a fly, it can often be just like nymphing in that you will just see your line hesitate.
- Chum salmon will try and rip the rod out of your hand, take off like a dragster and head for the next county.
- Salmon enter the river and travel as the tide rises. They rest in the river as the tide drops. Amazingly this tends to hold true even if they are 30 miles from the ocean.
- Salmon will school up and cruise the ocean in the area close to the mouth of the river as the tide is dropping and they wait for the tide to turn. This is a great place to catch salmon with a fly rod from shore, because they typically will be cruising around close to the surface.
- Each species of salmon not only enters the fresh water at a different time of the summer, but travels in a different part of the river, rests in a different part of the river, spawns in a different part of the river from every other species of salmon.
- In regard to salmon, bears eat what we prefer last. It's interesting to watch a bear initially hold down the tail of a salmon with one of its paws, while peeling back the skin and eating it. After that the bear will use its claws to crack open the top of the salmon's head and eat its brains. Then the guts are ingested and lastly the meat, the filets. Many times we saw the bear eat the skin, brains, guts and throw or carry the skeleton with the meat to their cubs. Occasionally, if they were surrounded by hundreds of salmon, the bear would just disgard the salmon after they had eaten the skin, brains, guts.
- Everything eats salmon: bears, wolves, fox, eagles, hawks, ravens, bluejays, mice, voles, rainbows, dolly varden, insects and people.
Family Fishing in Alaska Part Five – What We Learned
Today we hear from Bryan Whiting on what he and his family learned on their trips to Alaska West in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Today's post is all about strategies for the trip – we'll have a follow-up post on what they learned about the fishing. As you can see…they learned a lot!
- A non-stop flight is the best choice to Anchorage: it decreases but doesn't eliminate the chance for lost luggage. It also minimizes flight time and maximizes fun time.
- Fly at night so you have more daylight hours to fish.
- Reserve everything: plane, hotel, cabin, car, camper, guides, camps, lodges, virtually everything you need. Alaska is very busy in the summer and very expensive. You can also save by reserving early, and early means before January 1.
- Make your plane reservations as soon as you know the dates you will be flying. Not only do flights fill fast, if you want to use your "miles" the number of seats available for use by "miles" is even more limited than normal. You may also have to take the night flights because most view them as least desirable, but that is what you want to do anyway. You can sleep on the plane and fish the next day while others are flying in.
- If you need connections from Anchorage to a intermediary town (Bethel, Dillingham, King Salmon, just to name a few) in order to get to your fishing location or camp, making those reservations early is even more crucial because there are fewer flights and the schedule with your camp may be less flexible
- Airlines will accept reservations 330 days ahead. If your dates are set, figure out when 330 days is and contact the airline that day.
- Preweigh your luggage. The limit is 50 pounds and the overweight fee is significant. A lot of the fancy week long luggage carriers one can find in the catalogs weigh around 20 pounds themselves before you put one thing in them. Alaska airlines has customer weigh stations you can utilize before you get to the counter. If you don't you may be frantically moving items from one luggage piece to another, at the counter, trying to get them all under 50 pounds. This pretty much messes up your highly planned and organized luggage.
- The best luggage ID is a golf course name tag. They are far more durable and noticeable than the typical. You will be surprised at the number of little airline tags that are lost and how many bags look just like yours. All the fly shops and catalogs carry the same brands. Even if you don't golf, just go to your local course, tell them what you are doing and they will be glad to make you as many as you need.
- Have rollers on any piece of luggage with any size to it at all. If you are trying to carry one or two 50 pound bags, you will be amazed how much longer the security line feels and how much farther it is to the gate compared to your last business trip with a carryon.
- If you don't want to spend money on specific fishing luggage/bags and actually want to save over 10 pounds, a hard golf club travel case works extraordinarily well. Our first trip we couldn't afford to buy any new fishing trip type luggage so we used our golf hard travel cases out of necessity. They worked great. They only weight 5 pounds and we packed our stuff in gym bags (small duffles) which when full, were about the same diameter as the case. Each golf case held 3-4 gym bags. We separated items according to when we would need them. Consequently, when we were in Anchorage and fishing on the Kenai before we went to the Alaska West camp we didn't have to unpack and repack everything each night. When we got to Bethel (which was our intermediary point) and had to transfer our stuff to the small prop plane to fly to the camp (when the hard case would not work well), the air charter company took the gym bags out, threw them in the plane and kept the hard cases in their office awaiting our return. The air charter people liked that approach better than the big fishing luggage because they could stuff the smaller bags in corners, etc. (Just make sure you have an ID tag on each small bag).
- Don't lock your luggage. TSA will cut off your locks or break them open as they go through checked baggage and your baggage will not be locked. Instead use the plastic zip ties you can buy in any hardware store. TSA will just cut them, do their searching and put on new zip ties. Your luggage will be locked and you will know which bags TSA looked through.
- Don't put your rods in a separate rod carrier if you are going to check it as baggage and not carry it on. A friend who works for Frontier says the small 4-5 inch diameter of a rod carrier is easily caught in the baggage moving equipment and you might as well put a sign on your carrier which says "thousands of dollars here." Carry them on or check them in your luggage. Most of the fishing trip luggage is big enough to handle such. The golf travel case worked well for us because it is long and the rod cases slipped right beside the athletic bags. My Frontier friend also said the golf case idea is good because they obviously think it's a set of clubs and it's hard for the dishonest types to quickly snatch a whole set of clubs. Also most clubs now have serial numbers which makes them harder for a thief to market compared to a fly rod on ebay.
- You can save some money on your car rental if you do so away from the airport. Several of the name rental companies also have offices proximate to the airport hotels and also downtown. Most of the hotels have 24 hour shuttles that can pick you up. Then if there is a rental car office nearby you can either walk, or in some case they will come get you. Not only is the rental fee somewhat less expensive away from the airport, you also avoid all the airport facility and use taxes which can add up fast.
- The independent car rental offices are even one notch cheaper, but can be harder to reserve ahead of time and their offices tend to be open less hours.
- One the days we were in Anchorage we found it handy to stay in one of the many hotels within 5 minutes of the airport. There is quite a variety in both style and cost. If you are a little late because of traffic or whatever, from going to the baseball game, going to the Alaska Heritage Museum, the Saturday market or some other activity downtown, it's not a big deal. If you are late to your flight out to your fishing camp or home, that is not so good. You are on vacation. Eliminate the possibility of the stress associated with the airport. Most have 24 hour shuttles which will take you 5 minutes to get to the airport.
- If you intend to bring salmon home from your camp/lodge there are two ways to go: your own cooler or their waxed boxes. Your cooler should have wheels and it will keep salmon frozen for at least 48 hours, usually enough time for you to get back home. Three caveats regarding the cooler: 1- it will seem like a hassle hauling it around on the way in; 2- make sure it isn't so big that when filled with frozen salmon it weighs over 50 pounds; 3- bring straps to secure the lid(s) or you may get home with an empty cooler. The boxes supplied by camps/lodges/guides hold exactly 50 pounds, are waxed, are reasonably durable and they will tape them closed. The only drawbacks: salmon on the edges will begin defrosting in 12 hours and TSA may open your box and not retape it. Our solution: on our second trip we brought straps for the boxes and took old neoprene waders which we didn't use anymore, cut them up and duct taped the pieces into the exact shape and size of the inside of the box. Everything was solidly frozen when we pulled into our home 24 hours later. If you haven't been there before, ask them the dimensions of their boxes.
- Buy your fishing licenses online before you leave. It's more fun to fish than look for a place to buy a license.
- Bring more batteries than you think you will need for your camera.
- Predetermine some pictures you want to take. On our first trip we were so engrossed in fishing and absorbing the newness of Alaska we didn't get a lot of the pictures we would have liked. The second trip we made a list of certain pictures we wanted and our photo album CD is a great representation of our trip.
- Bring an extra camera.
- Leave your briefcase at home. Whatever "need" you are meeting by this trip, doing quality work isn't one of them. Creating wonderful memories and returning refreshed and raring to do great work can be.
- If you can make the time, decide to see the real Alaska whether it be a commercial fishing town, a native village, or something off the typical tourist path.
- If you buy souvenirs buy something from "native" Alaska. This can be hard to determine. There are State of Alaska certified native made items which carry small silver symbol. Be careful because some items will have a symbol which is very similar to the authentic one. You can buy everything from Alaska trinkets made in Taiwan to Alaskan items made by natives who may have never been to Anchorage. I actually bought my wife a necklace made from Wooly Mammoth ivory and saw a coat made from Wolly Mammoth hide.
- Have a weight of rod which is sufficient for the size of fish you are going to pursue. Your ego in this regard will only succeed in getting our favorite eastern water 3 weight broken into four pieces by a 30+" rainbow; your favorite western water 6 weight trashed by a silver salmon. Again refer to the Alaska West web site.
- Bring a spare rod if you can afford it, borrow it and have room for it. Even experts break rods in Alaska.
- The popular fast action rod may not be the best choice for you especially in the higher weights. Casting a stiff, 9 or 10 weight with a 500 grain sink tip for 10 hours a day for a week can be extremely tiring especially if your daily rod at home is a more flexible 5 weight throwing dry flies. At the Alaska West camp a significant percentage of the group asked to borrow one of the camp's medium to medium fast rods during the trip. The fact they could feel the flex helped them cast heavier lines and flies farther and with less effort.
- Your everyday trout reel probably isn't going to cut it. On our first day in Alaska, my 25+ year old Orvis CFO reel, which I had used to catch trout up into the 15-20 lb. category in Colorado, literally blew up as a 6 pound pink salmon took off on a 100 yard run. It wasn't the reel's fault. It was mine. I didn't realize the difference between a Rocky Mountain trout and a salmon. I was asking it to do something which it wasn't designed to do. You need a high quality drag that not only won't overheat and quit working during a 200 yard run from a silver or king salmon, but will handle that all day long. It has to be a reel that has the capacity for 200 yards of backing and will handle the centrifugal forces generated as this 200 yards screams off your reel. Alaska taught me to appreciate a quality reel and also taught me how to use one to my benefit in playing larger trout back home.
- Even if you have a salt water resistant reel, if you fish in the ocean, in the tidewater affected part of the river, or even close, rinse your reel at the end of the day. The guides at our camp said, rinse it off and then even leave it outside in the rain as you sleep to get an even deeper cleaning. Most reels don't require lubrication and so the rain doesn't hurt the drag. If it does require lubrication, doing so right at the start of the day is the best time anyway.
- Leave your trout sized pliers, hemostats or whatever you call your hook removal tool at home. They are too small, too fragile and consequently too hard on you and the fish when you are handling a size 2 hook embedded in the mouth of a silver salmon. Get a good pair of the heavy duty "Abel or Ross" type pliers with a sheath you can put on your wader belt. You won't regret it. It's all I use now. I found it easier to use, easier to hang on to as well as fulfill a number of other uses even back home.
- Get a hook sharpener and use it often.
- Use heavier leaders and tippet than you anticipated. At home we use 5x, 6x and maybe 4x with a streamer. I bought 2x and 3x for our first trip. The result: two lost flies on the first two 10 pound silver salmon we hooked. Thankfully, the Alaska West guide was well prepared with 0x and 15 lb. test Maxima leader. Salmon are so much stronger than a similar size trout. It felt quite strange using 0x tippet for rainbows, but they were not leader shy at all.
- Use a WF floating line for all your fishing, except kings and sometimes then depending on the river. Most brands now have Steelhead or Salmon tapers custom designed for what you need to do. Because Kings travel in the deepest, fastest part of the river, you will need a floating head with a 30 foot sink tip in a variety of weights.
- Practice casting this weighted sink tip. It's much more difficult to get up and going out of the water, harder to keep control of in your backcast and get moving forward in the direction you desire. The good news is that when you do, the weight will shoot your line as far as you will need.
- On our first trip we each brought our vest from home. On the second trip we brought none. You don't need 10 boxes of 100 different flies. On any given day you will only need basic salmon patterns, or a few bead eggs, flesh flies and mouse patterns for rainbows and a couple of dry flies/nymphs for grayling. Add to that a couple spools of tippet, an extra leader, a couple indicators, 10 split shot and you are good to go. On our second trip we either used a small fanny pack attached to our wader belt or just the pockets in our rain jackets. That was plenty of space. The guides at Alaska West are going to have plenty of anything you need anyway. It's just nice to have some flies so you can rerig yourself and don't have to wait for the guide who may be 200 yards upstream with your partner or cooking lunch.
- The warm capilene or underarmour type socks are worth the money.
- Bring at least two pairs of wader underwear. Your fellow fishermen will appreciate it. You can even rinse them in the river or I found the best way was to hang them in the rain overnight. The rain did a great job washing and refreshing them.
- Wash/renew your Gore-tex waders; replace your felt soles if needed. It's easier to do at home than in Alaska. Also bring a wader patch kit. Also bring a few small balloons. They take no room and can serve as a great indicator as well as an "on the river patch" for a hole in your waders.
- If you are going to be in a boat to travel or fish, bring a small dry bag for extra clothes, camera, rain jacket, lunch etc.
- Invest in quality raingear. If you don't fish in the rain you won't be fishing many days in Alaska. One of the best pieces of advice I received, from our local fly shop, before our first trip was raingear. He knew I was a golfer and told me "your waterproof golf rain jacket isn't going to cut it in Alaska. You will soaked in an hour." The golf jacket was great for a sunny day or a sprinkle, but when it started to rain you need the full bore waterproof fishing jacket. You will need a good cap to keep the rain out of your eyes or off your glasses. Most hats won't fit under the hood of your raincoat. A good pair of fingerless fishing gloves are also a great investment. I know it's summer, but it can be quite cold in Alaska and the water is always cold. In addition the gloves will save you blisters if you aren't used to casting and playing fish 10 hours a day for a week. They are also great when grabbing branches, rocks as you bushwhack to a more remote spot. With good raingear, it got to the point where the rain didn't bother us or affect our fishing at all. In fact, we didn't even notice it. Besides, the fishing was always better in the rain. Back home, after going to Alaska, I find myself not shying away from but rather welcoming the rain because the fishing will be great and there will be fewer people on the local rivers.
- Your waders will handle the lower half of your body while fishing, but do bring a pair of golf rain pants or something similar. In the time it takes to walk 150 yards from the terminal to a small plane, from the plane to a boat, sit in the boat for a 30 minute ride to camp, or even walk 50 yards to the dining tent, you can be soaked to the skin in Alaska. If you plan to not let the weather keep you from enjoying any of those non-fishing activities previously mentioned you will need the waterproof pants.
- Put your rain gear inside the top of your luggage. Again, if it's pouring as you move from terminal to plane, plane to boat, boat to camp or whatever transportation is being utilized, you want to be able to access it quickly and easily.
- If you are going into a lodge/camp for a week, fish for a day or two around Anchorage before you go in. It will let you relax and decompress after a long plane trip; it will get you focused; it will let you adjust your fishing technique; it will provide early success. If the airline has lost some or all your luggage you have some time for them to find it and get it to you before you go into the camp.
- If you plan to do any of the non-fishing activities mentioned in the "questions to ask yourself" section, it's best to do those before you go in. If you wait until after your main trip, you will just be so tired from all the fish you have been catching and the hours you have been fishing you won't be able to enjoy these other activities as much as you should.
- Be honest with your guide about your fishing skills. This will assure he doesn't ask you to do something on Day 1 you cannot do. He would be glad teach you a skill you don't possess, so you enjoy that experience later on. Control your ego, he is going to know the truth in one cast anyway.
- Give a camera to your guide and tell him to take all the pictures he wants. He isn't fishing and he is working in Alaska every day so he isn't so occupied with the nature of Alaska. In addition, he will notice things beyond in obvious which will make great pictures.
- Don't be hesitant about telling the guide what you want to do, where you want to go. They all want to please, but they aren't mind readers. The good ones will ask, so be honest when they do. Don't hesitate to tell them if your desires change during the day.
- Learn and respect the native culture. They were here before us, they live here now and in many cases we fish here at their pleasure.
- Let yourself sleep. The days are so long and the fishing so good it can be tempting to fish until midnight. Remember you have another day tomorrow and you want to be able to experience and enjoy it fully. If you want to fish extra late, make it the last night before you go home. Then you can sleep on the plane.
- Don't be overly focused on just the fishing. Activate all your senses and use them during the trip to help you recall it. Remembering some of these sensations and images can be more vivid and memorable than photographs. For us a few examples were:
– the sight of our first silver salmon as it jumped three feet into the air;
– the feel of the rain in our face as we went upriver in the jet boat;
– the sound of our sons when they hooked their first salmon in Alaska;
– the smell of decomposing salmon;
– the feel of air conditioned wind from a glacier;
– the sight of the visible wake of silver salmon as they moved up river, and the sight of that wake changing direction toward my fly;
– the feel of a silver salmon strike;
– the taste of shore cooked salmon which 15 minutes before was swimming in the river;
– the sound of a bear eating a salmon;
– the sight of a monster rainbow that broad jumped a huge snag and was gone;
– the feel of the cold water as I inadvertently stepped into a king salmon spawning bed and realized they were three feet deep;
– the satisfaction of finally catching the rainbow which had refused five previous flies.
Family Fishing in Alaska Part Four – When and Where to Go
We continue our series from Bryan Whiting on his family's fishing trips to Alaska West, with his thoughts on making your decision of when and where to go.
Family Fishing in Alaska Part Three – The Report
Bryan Whiting has been checking in with some posts about the trips he's taken with his family to Alaska West. Today we get the full report, via an article he wrote about his family's first trip.
Did the 2004 trip to Alaska West meet our personal need?
Beyond our wildest expectations.
The following article, which appeared in the Denver Post and other Rocky Mountain area periodicals hopefully describes just how well.
On the Kanektok River, Alaska
"Your gear is already in your tent."
"You've got 15 minutes to grab your fly rods and get wadered up."
"We're going fishing for Silvers."
That's all it took. With those magic words from Cameron, our guide, my sons, Eric, 16 and Jason, 14, were at full sprint.
Thirty minutes earlier, after flying over hundreds of small lakes and creeks the color of bad coffee, we glimpsed our destination: the crystal-clear Kanektok River. It appeared much as a vision in a dream. In my case, that August day was the culmination of a dream.
After landing on a smooth spot between the river and the ocean, we were no more than five steps off the plane when Cameron introduced himself with "I'm Cameron and you must be the Whitings. Jump in my boat. Camp is 20 minutes."
Our minds and eyes were awash with Alaska. The river that seemed to be 10 feet below tundra level; the dense green vegetation on the bank opposite every gravel bar; the casual glance of the bear as we disturbed his quiet salmon lunch; the movement of the boat as it wound its way upriver; and the fish. The river was full of fish.
I had not expected our fishing to begin until the next day, but it was approaching 2:30 p.m. as Eric and Jason, fly rods in hand, bolted from their tent for Cameron's jet boat. They were hollering "Hurry up, Dad" as Cameron started the engine.
Five minutes back downriver and we were approaching Two Dog Bar. Cam had already tied 2-inch pink streamers with silver lead eyes on the boys' 8-weights as they had waited for their old man to get to the boat. Consequently, they were halfway out of the boat as we coasted to a stop.
"Jason, you go upstream. Eric, you go downstream. Cast to the edge of the current, let it sink, strip it in," were Cam's instructions. I took a deep breath. We were fishing in Alaska.
Cam was selecting a fly for me as I watched Eric make his second cast. Eric's strike and shriek of joy occurred simultaneously, followed by the sight of our first silver salmon as it cleared the gentle current by three feet. As Cam laid down my rod, grabbed the net and headed toward Eric, I couldn't help but smile and give thanks. A father's dream had come true.
After releasing Eric's silver, Cam was walking back to the boat to continue with my fly when "Got one" echoed from the other side of the boat as Jason's rod bent at a ridiculous angle.
After dutifully netting Jason's silver, Cam again was returning when we both noticed Eric in full pursuit as line screamed off his reel. Cam tossed me a fly on the way by. "You better tie this on yourself if you want to fish today."
The next three hours we fought, caught, landed and lost more silver salmon than I had envisioned we would during our entire trip.
Neither pictures nor Saturday morning fishing shows, not to mention my words, do justice to the silver salmon. Their aerial gyrations and dashing runs are more frequent and more powerful than one can imagine, let alone anticipate. Our many years of catching trout were not adequate preparation for the strength of 15 pounds of silver salmon.
At 6 p.m. we were back at camp. As we changed out of our waders in preparation for our first dinner in Alaska, Jason could only comment, "Dad, can you believe we have six more days of this?"
At 7:00 a.m. the next morning, Cam announced, "We're going wake fishing." A mile up from the ocean, the "wake" was created as the next wave of incoming silvers came around the corner and proceeded upstream in 3 feet of water. With a floating pink popper fly now attached to his line, Cameron instructed Jason: "Four feet past and four feet in front of the first wake." "Now strip like crazy." Much to our amazement the wake turned and followed. Jason's difficulty was maintaining self-control until the wake engulfed the fly.
"Eric, run downstream and intercept the next wake," was Cam's next command as he moved to net Jason's fish. We spent the morning rotating down and then back up the gravel bar meeting, casting, chasing and catching fresh silvers.
It was approaching 1:00 p.m. when Cam administered the coup de grace' to an Eric silver. "No sandwiches today guys. We're grilling fresh salmon." As we thanked Cam for our sumptuous lunch at Café' Streamside, he issued the orders for the afternoon. "Back in the boat boys, we're heading upriver."
Ten miles above camp, each run, gravel riffle and side channel held king, chum and sockeye salmon, respectively that had entered the river in June and the first half of July. Now, the second week of August, they either were spawning, dying or dead; no longer in prime condition for us to catch or eat. They were, however, perfect for attracting "leopard" rainbows. With a dominant red stripe and black spots covering every inch, these "leopards" didn't waste their time with insects. They were on an all-protein diet of eggs and salmon flesh, punctuated by the occasional mouse.
Eric and I were "nymphing" bead egg imitations behind the few remaining spawning kings taking turns netting 18-22 inch rainbows. With the addition of a floating mouse fly, Jason and Cam were 100 yards upstream kneeling in a foot of water opposite a snag-filled grassy bank. "Cast up and on the grass, pull it off, mend down stream and swim it" were Cam's instructions. In ever elevating octaves Jason's "Here he comes" announced anticipated success. Cam's next words told us all we needed to know. "We'll have better luck if you wait to strike until he actually hits your mouse."
Over the next two hours we shared Jason's experience. As our mice would "swim" the subsequent rainbow attacks were so swift and visual as to make "exciting" an understatement.
Our heartbeats were gradually returning to normal when Cam began changing our mouse flies and beads to these 2-inch concoctions of white, pink and a tinge of brown. His response to our quizzical expressions was "20 inchers eat eggs, the beasts eat flesh." The "30-inchers" lurked in the deepwater dropoffs where the current was their conveyor belt for chunk after chunk of decaying salmon.
One broad-jumped a 4-foot snag and was gone. A lost fish, but an image I never will lose. We did land a few that were so large and stuffed as to be nearly as heavy as the salmon of the morning.
Go to Alaska. Take someone special with you not only for unforgettable fishing, but to create special memories. I cannot put a price tag on the ever-present smiles of my sons as each new day brought a new adventure. Even now a new smile is generated as our trip re-emerges in everyday conversation or memory as we remember fulfilling a father's Alaska dream.
Family Fishing in Alaska Part Two
We continue our series from Bryan Whiting on planning a family fishing trip to Alaska. For 3 of the past 5 years, Bryan has brought various members of his family to Alaska West to fish for silvers and kings. Today we learn about getting 'over the hump' and making the decision to just go!
We had finally decided that we had the need to go. At the time, I felt these selfishness, need, planning issues were something unique to myself. But I soon determined such was not the case. Upon our return from our first trip, a local TU chapter requested I give a slideshow and talk about our trip. At this very first TU presentation, just in an attempt to get a feel for my audience, I asked 'how many had been to Alaska?' Out of the 85 people present 6 had gone. I asked 'how many would like to go?' As one would imagine, everyone else raised their hand. I asked why haven't you gone and the same two reasons popped up. How do I justify the money and time? How do I make good choices when I don't even know the decisions I need to make? This led to an impromptu 15 minute discussion before I went to slide #2.
Each of my subsequent Alaska presentations has mirrored the first in this regard. People don't need to be convinced that going to Alaska would be a great trip. They need to be able to develop significant justification in their mind, beyond catching big fish, and feel comfortable that they know what to do to plan a successful trip.
Developing Your Personal Need to go
I would recommend you do the same thing. Develop a personal need to go which is so important you can justify delaying the meeting of the other needs of your household and life.
This approach has seemed to click in people's minds. Many, many people have shared with us the specific personal need they developed and these needs are as varied as the people themselves. The most common reason is similar to ours: provide an experience for someone special. This isn't limited to dad/son/daughter/wife/inlaw. One gentleman did a three generation trip. Another took the childhood neighbor who had introduced him to fly fishing 30 years before. Another took two key employees. We all have significant people in our lives.
This developed need isn't always people-related. The key is that the need was personally developed- individually valid for each person. A few others which people have utilized:
- learn about/experience a different culture
- teach the kids how to budget, save
- learn and use a new fishing technique
- do something they had never done
- see something they hadn't seen
- experience life again without phone, no TV, no internet
- forget about work for a while
- recharge creative batteries
- experience isolation, seclusion, wilderness
- experience a float plane
- be surprised at something regarding fishing
There were also a few very unique, yet valid personal needs: experience Alaska before its uniqueness is gone because of global warming, mining, pollution, or before the air travel necessary is impractical due to terrorism.
One gentleman had gone to his 30 year high school reunion and realize how many had passed away…


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Club House Roma
Read more about this Hotel
Renovated in 2005, this air-conditioned city hotel comprises a total of 110 rooms, a garden and a terrace. Facilities include a lobby with a 24-hour reception, a safe, a café, a TV room and restaurant. In addition, the hotel provides room service, as well as a car park and garage for those arriving by car.


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30 September 2012
the sound of the Suburbs
Went to a wee burn on the outskirts of Livingstone, it flows through parkland by housing estates and in parts through heath-land . When i first laid eyes on the water i thought i'd made a bad decision, as there appeared to be quite a bit extra water in, but there was enough clarity, so itwas a day of fishing the slack water at the edges behind boulders etc, my flies i picked were the stimulator and good old glister bug.
My fears were put to bed when my stimulator dipped as a fish nailed the glister bug.
It was a reoccuring theme throughout the afternoon, with plenty modest sized brownies from this magic wooded burn.
As the afternoon wore on there seemed to be a bit more interest to the stimulator. Why that should be ive no idea .
This will be my last trip to the burns for almost six months with the close season looming. Good to finish on a positive note.
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Labels: Brown trout, burns
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The only thing I love more than photographing a newborn, is photographing one with red hair! Isn't he
[featured…Lemonade and Lenses] dallas ft worth newborn photographer
My session with sweet baby Brady was featured in January's edition of "Lemonade and Lenses". This
[tiny….] fort worth newborn photography
A few images from my session with tiny baby Fiona. I love how small she looks juxtaposed with the grand windows in
[little garden gnome…] dallas fort worth newborn photography
This sweet little man was possibly the easiest newborn I have every worked with. Love his beautiful skin and sweet
[look who's a big brother now..] southlake baby photographer
Who could forget this adorable little guy? I will always remember how cute he looked and how fast he managed to
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I never tire of photographing brand new babies. They each have their own unique look and personality. This little
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Little Capri weighing in at a tiny five pounds… See her parents beautiful maternity session here. Her Mommy is
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I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalms
[baby Rosalind…six days old] dallas/fort worth newborn studio photography
Meet pretty Miss Rosalind, six days old at her session. The pretty rosettes were her mommy's idea..I think it


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Excellent post! The events in Paris sadden me.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Paris and the victims of yet another Terrorist attack.
Printing satirical stories and cartoons depicting religious figures, in one way or another, has been going on for hundreds of years. They have always been used to point out the absurdities of extreme and pathetic, yes pathetic views, such as those displayed by barbaric, militant Islamic extremists.
No one has ever been killed or shot by the pen or the written word, and anyone who loves God and his prophets have never thought such satire damaging to the religious icons they worship.
Western journalists must not stop having a sense of humour, free speech, or the right to express themselves. Western governments must not be cowed by these Islamic extremists, dictating what can be written and drawn on paper in democratic and free thinking nations, who they see as soft targets.
Is it not bad enough that Islamist extremists are killing, kidnapping, enslaving, and decapitating those who wish to have the freedom to think and to express their views, in the middle east and Africa? We watch from afar, not quite understanding just how horrific this must be for millions of people under attack every day. Well guess what, we are also under attack, here in the West. An attack on France is an attack on all of us. Other countries in the West have already raised the terror threat and I doubt that will go down any time soon.
We should never be ashamed to express views. If we all gave in to those who threaten our right to speak and put pen to paper, we would never be able to openly discuss politics, music, books, religion, or anything else that we as human beings, call, "talking points".
We should be proud that we have something these terrorists want and are desperate to take from us…the power to think, feel, and speak, as and when we wish.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me."


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Welcome to the The Christmas Blog Hop! I wait ALL year for this post. For those coming over from my dear friend Summer Adams Designs, welcome! Can you believe how beautiful her new PNW home is? Summer's home is less than 2 weeks old and it's all decorated in Winter white! I'm happy to be sharing my recent kitchen renovation and how to cook up an inviting festive kitchen ready for Christmas entertaining.
Christmas season is in full swing and there's no better way to entertain than with an updated kitchen. As I mentioned in my last post, we host Christmas Eve for my family every year. Yep, that's 45 family members for a sit-down dinner and full out holiday celebration that includes, a gift exchange, silly photo booth, a big family portrait and a four course meal that rivals any 5-star restaurant.
Gather Round
Our home is a California ranch with very few rooms but big open multi functional spaces. This layout is conducive for some serious entertaining. We have tall 11-foot ceilings and a big southern exposure wall of windows but the kitchen always seemed to be a bit on the dark side. A few months ago we decided to lighten things up with new countertops, lighting, new kitchen sink, faucet, and backsplash tile. The renovation was finished the day before Thanksgiving and now our kitchen is the perfect place to gather and make memories.
The first thing we swapped out were the dated undersize glass island pendants for new wood and hammer tin oversized pendants from HomeGoods. Now these bright lights add rustic charm and bring your eye up to the center tray ceiling.
Everything Including the Kitchen Sink
The next change was removing the dark laminate counters and replacing with Misty Carrera quartz counters, an extra deep single bowl stainless steel sink, and a Trinsic Pro Single Handle Pull-Down Spring Spout Kitchen Faucet with Touch2O® Technology . The kitchen was now becoming the dream space I envisioned.
For years now I've wanted to take our kitchen from cookie-cutter to an innovative Pinterest worthy gathering space. I've always admired industrial faucets and clean lines. After putting several touch technology faucets in client's homes it was time for myself to be the lucky recipient. With it's shiny chrome finish this tall faucet commands deserving attention. The light lets us know the temperature at initial touch. The Delta Trinsic Pro was the five star upgrade we've been waiting for!
Pops Of Color
Next we addressed the backsplash and changed out the off-white backsplash to a bright white classic gloss subway tile. Previously, I had used a contrasting grout to accentuate the design but this time I wanted it all to blend. My accessories, cookware, and appliances would add color. I dressed up the cooktop area with my favorite bottlebrush trees and a Joy to the World cutting board.
Also new to the kitchen is a fabulous floorcloth from Ladder 34. This is the most durable for floor cloth I've ever seen. it's made from reclaimed fire hoses! The red and white stripes reminds me of a candy cane.
Counter Intuitive
I never like to clutter up counters but to satisfy my family's sweet tooth there's always either cookies, cakes, or some sweet concoction set out for the taking.
My favorite sunny corner of the kitchen is an area where two windows meet. This area gets sun all day and my plants thrive there all year round. This year I move the plants to my husband's office and replaced them with a 4.5 flocked Christmas tree. I decorated this "sweet" artificial tree with my favorite food related ornaments. I'm partial to the flying saucer, how about you? Under the tree is my daughter's dream car and the best smelling balsam pine candle from Agape Candles.
Looking back to the right of the double ovens I grouped my favorite red and green vintage pottery. Little pops of red add to the festive mood. The black island grounds the space and is in stark contrast of the bright white additions.
Craigslist Score
If you've been following my blog for a while you'll know that I found the base of the sideboard on Craigslist for $200. The finish was quite damaged but I had big plans for this beauty. I constructed the top part and painted the entire piece with gray chalk paint. I then gave it an antique glaze and dressed her up with turquoise blue glass knobs. It helps me store my overflow of dinnerware. I added fresh pine garland on the top and little touches of Christmas decor.
New this year is a letter board. These fun message boards have been showing up recently on social media. Everyone is drawn to this vintage inspired sign. Coming up with catchy phrases, quotes and funny sayings has been a daily contest.
Coffee Central
In the morning room, I replaced the small vintage wooden chest with a concrete top round Epicenters Coffee Table from Raymour & Flanigan. The round top and wooden base complement the large oversized drum chandelier. This area is the spot where I have morning coffee, check my emails, and catch up on the days events. I also updated our large blue armoire by painting it navy blue. The dark rich color and weathered finish anchor the wall and balance out the black island.
I created a fresh pine bough and juniper limb arrangement for the coffee table and added pine cones and festive colored glass bulbs. If I keep it water it should last all month and the smell is heavenly!
To the right of the armoire I decorated my King of Christmas 7 1/2 foot slim pre-lit tree. There's nothing more beautiful than turning off all the lights at night and having the tree lit.
A Room With A View
As I mentioned earlier in the post our entire south facing wall of our home is windows. On any given day the light floods in. This was the perfect backdrop for my 12 foot farm table that I built with my father. To read the post on how we built it this one of a kind farmtable. This year, setting the table was all about plaid!
Taking center stage is an all green winter floral arrangement from Wisteria Flowers and Gifts. Flanking the arrangement are two plaid glass finials and green etched mercury glass candle votives.
Down the middle of the farm table is a red plaid table runner from HomeGoods. I used my bright green flatware and layered green plaids and stripes.
Making their holiday appearance were my hand painted water goblets. I placed a small fresh pine and cranberry arrangement on each place setting and tied a personalized name tag for all my guests.
Draping over each bistro chair is a red and green plaid linen napkins also from HomeGoods. Last year I began collecting plaids in all colors and styles. Layering and mixing the styles to create interesting pattern play became a favorite of mine. Are you decorating with plaid this year?
I finished accesorizing the table with deer antlers, whimsical animal sculptures and my favorite bottlebrush trees. Hanging from the curtain rod's are oversized papier-mâché harlequin bulbs.
Mixing high and low is my go-to for creating an inviting and unique tablescape. It's tough to tell the expensive china from the dollar store finds.
The table is set and we're now ready for the Holidays and entertaining! How will you decorate this year for Christmas? Do you host a big crew or intimate few?
Heart of The Home
Long after the Holidays end and family & friends leave we will be enjoying our new kitchen. Creating a welcoming and efficient kitchen was important to us. We are a family that all participate in creating family meals and the kitchen is used for more than just cooking. It's the gathering place of our home. We now look forward to hosting more holidays, gatherings, and countless family dinners. Thanks again for visiting and I'd love for you to stop by Gloribell's Know How She Does It home tour. Her Miami home decked out in warm woods and inviting natural decor will have you longing for warmer temperatures.
May you all have a blessed Christmas. I'm off to prepare for Christmas Eve! xox Amie
Make sure to visit our Christmas Kitchen Home Tours!
Amie @ Memehill | Gloribell @ Know How She Does It
Ashley @ Modern Glam | Kathleen @ Lindsay Hill Interiors
Sheila @ Maison de Cinq | Julie & Jodie @ The Design Twins
Kim & Lacey @ Styled with Lace | Janine @ Happy Happy Nester
Oscar @ Oscar Bravo Home | Mysha @ Remington Avenue
Martha @ Simple Cozy Charm | Joan @ 2 Ladies and a Chair |
Jackie @ Finding Lovely | Summer @ Summer Adams
Judy @ Life is Better at Home | Amy @ Crazy Chic Design
*I have received products from Delta Faucet in exchange for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% mine.
25 Comments on How to Cook Up an Inviting Festive Christmas Kitchen
Every detail is just so lovely! Enough inspiration for 10 posts and it's all packed in one! Wow!
Beautiful Amie! Love your kitchen choices. And the touches of Christmas are oh so lovely!
Where to begin!! I love the open concept you have going on! Everything is so festive and cozy!
Amie, your Christmas kitchen is perfection! I love your pops of color and can we talk about that adorable tree with the fun ornaments?! Seriously, I love your style! xoxo
You are incredible Amie!! Everything is so well thought out. A loving hom you've created, for sure.
Aimee your home always looks so cozy and colorful. I love your style my friend.
Oh Amie it looks fantastic and SO festive! Of course you know I LOVE all the plaid. The new navy paint on the armoire is a showstopper. Thanks for sharing all your details with us!
You totally crushed it with your new kitchen! Wow. It's amazing! I love that little tree with food ornaments too! I love your style! Happy holidays Amie! Cheers – Kristy
Amie this is amazing!!!! I went through it twice….I didn't want to miss a single beautiful detail!You are my inspiration!!!
Amie, what a gorgeous tour! I LOOOVE your bright new kitchen – so good! What a wonderful gathering space for you and your family!
Hope you have the best holiday season ever in this beautiful kitchen!
Gorgeous! Terrific ideas and wonderful cleanly styled Christmas decor. Absolutely love the all-green arrangement from Wisteria, as I'm partial to all-green florals but your coffee table fresh greens are another winner!
Love the new kitchen! Especially the faucet! The colors are so pretty. A warm, cozy spot for coffee in the morning and book club after the holidays! ❤
Holy Moly Amie! Love it all but that table!! The greens and plaids. It's got me studying every detail. Honestly, everything you do just WOWS me! Fabulous my friend. Thanks for always inspiring.
xoxo Jodie & Julie
I love the farm table.
Amie this is all so beautiful! Your kitchen looks amazing and the pops of color are just perfect. My favorite part of the tour was your dinning table. How incredible is its length and love the decorations you are using this year. Wishing you a blessed and Merry Christmas too!
I'm in love with your faucet, Amie!! Your kitchen cabinetry is so gorgeous and I love your hood. It is all decorated beautifully! Your table is jaw-droppingly gorgeous and that floral arrangement is just fabulous! You know how to keep things fun and festive around the holidays and beautiful at the same time. Merry Christmas my friend!
Amie everything is so festive! I love your kitchen details and your cheerful tablescape especially the centerpiece! So fun joining you on this tour..Happy Holidays! xx
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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn commenter will win a $50 Amazon gift certificate. You can see the other stops on the tour by clicking the tour banner.
A good Samaritan stops to help him, despite the danger he poses to her.
Laine Wheeler knows better than to stop for strangers on the rural Montana highway near her home, but her conscience won't allow her to leave an injured man behind.
What she doesn't know is the man is an undercover ATF agent tasked with infiltrating a domestic terrorist group. His cover has been blown and helping him will put her life in danger.
Though there is an instant attraction, Jack knows that beginning a romantic relationship with Laine would be both unfair and unwise. Yet the farther they run, the harder it gets to ignore the feelings that are surging between them.
Enjoy this excerpt:
Inch by inch, he trailed his tongue from her ankle to her knee. He continued until he was kneeling between her thighs, and her hushed gasps told him more than words could. Jack paused and looked at her, and a smile curved his mouth when she let out a moan. Her entire body was flushed and trembling, and when he nibbled the flesh of her inner thigh, she jumped. He made slow, lazy circles on her skin with his tongue, moving ever closer to his goal. Her leg muscles shook and her abdomen quivered. Her eyes were closed, her hands clenching and unclenching the bedcover, her breasts rising and falling with each rapid breath.
"Oh, Jack," she said in a hushed voice, "what are you doing to me?"
Instead of replying he covered her with his mouth. His tongue started a slow, deliberate massage of her most sensitive spot and she covered her mouth with her hands, as if she didn't want him to hear her. He teased her for several minutes, but when he increased the pressure, she squirmed and tried to scoot away from him. Jack planted his good hand on her belly to hold her still while he backed off just a little. She remained poised for flight, but he swirled his tongue lazily around that tender, fleshy button and she arched her back, her stomach muscles quivering. Her head thrashed back and forth on the bed, her hair like red ribbons on the white cover.
He sensed the tension in her, sensed her holding back, and kissed the inside of her thigh. "Don't fight it, Doc," he whispered. "You've taken care of me. Now it's my turn."
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