The Big Fish Day

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Well, we skipped a blog yesterday because we hardly did anything, and only took a couple of pictures. But today we have the big fish day, and lots of pictures.

The charter boat was leaving at 6:30, so they were to report in at 5:30.

ready to dish up - this is for Jacob - we never had this meal when he was with us

Last night at our pot roast, mashed potato and salad dinner we talked about setting an alarm for the early risers. Fred and Wilma each have an alarm clock beside the bed, so we decided to set them for 4:45. Wilma set hers for 4:50, forgetting the clock is still set on mountain time. So it went off an hour earlier than necessary this morning! Inept in setting an alarm too! Oh well, a funny start for the day.

We hushed around to creep out of the campground at 5:20. Yeah, right. Like you can quietly creep out of the campground with a diesel truck! And two of them at that. We are in two different loops, but while Betty and Barney can slip right out because they are the last site, Fred and Wilma got to wake up about two thirds of their loop!

Early morning marina

After seeing the guys off to the boat, Wilma and Betty went up to the overlook to watch them go by. It was slightly foggy and very dark, but we did see them go by. We stayed for a while and then went back to camp and crashed. Around 10:30 we went back out to the overlook to watch for them. The pelicans are fun to watch anyway.

on the way back

 

the boat's total catch

going by our usual river side fishing hole

From the boat going past the viewpoint

It was about noon when Fred called and said they were closing in, so we got our cameras ready and waited. Betty saw them coming around the point and we started snapping pictures. Got a real good close up, but they didn't wave.

this was not them!

Then Betty saw another boat right behind them, but it was really them and not the first boat. We didn't get near as good of pictures of the real them! Wilma is really inept with a camera too!

the real them

back at the marina

at the marina

So we headed down to the Warrenton marina, and watched them come in and unload. This charter worked differently than others we are aware of. They let you catch as many as you could until the boat limit was reached. So Fred says he didn't really catch any, but everyone on the charter took home two of the total boat catch. Barney says Fred got one, Fred says Barney let him reel in his second fish. But Barney got a really really nice Chinook (King salmon). In the ocean you can keep anything you catch, wild or not, Chinook or Coho.

Barney's Beauty!!!

We watched while everyone assembled for a group picture and the distributing of fish, then went over and had them processed and packaged for the freezer.

Concentrating so they stay dry

If we had known how the fish were distributed, Wilma might have wanted to go out also. Wouldn't have had to fish (another inept area for her) but could have come home with two more fish. Barney and Fred said the ride out and back was really nice. No rain, and fairly calm water. No one on the boat got sick.

After relaxing a while we took one last drive into Astoria to the Bowpicker and had fish and chips for dinner.
We will miss the place.

We will be leaving and heading straight home tomorrow morning. Barney thinks the alternator on the Rubble mobile is bad, and is going to try to get home before replacing it. All the shops here are booked for weeks.