Spooled: A Fishing Blog

Although much of what our society refers to as "summer vacation" is spent going on adventures to far-reaching lands, a much greater portion of it is spent sitting on the couch in your underwear. Noisy, unpleasant fans feebly flap at the blistering heat that has permeated every inch of your being while reruns of tasteless sitcoms drone in the background. It's a miserable existence for someone without money or a working car. Fortunately, there is hope. Fishing can still be had in the dog days of summer, as the beautiful and pristine Bethany Pond is only minutes away from where I live! Okay, maybe not beautiful and pristine. By this time of year, it would be better described as "cholera ridden" and "a toxic wasteland." Despite the faint sewage smell and popularity among local drug dealers due to the heavy shoreline cover and lack of sufficient nighttime illumination, the lake is a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of sitting on the couch in

Despite all of the odds stacked against me, the time finally came to go to Alaska. We were to spend a week on Kodiak Island's Kodiak Legends Lodge in early August. I was ecstatic, and spent hours drooling over the pictures of large salmon and halibut on their website. However, I spent an equally unhealthy amount of time worrying about the unlikely possibility of getting skunked. I would be the laughingstock of the fishing community if I got skunked in Alaska of all places, and this thought was heavy on my mind as we packed our things in the car and drove to the airport. We flew with Delta, but this post is about ALASKA.  Immediately, things began to go wrong. The PDX airport had changed their carpet since the last time I was there. I realized that I forgot my suitcase at home and had to buy clothing for the week at a Columbia store at the airport. While going through security, I was randomly selected for a "minimally invasive" pat down procedure that got a little