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This picture was taken 9 1/2 weeks after major surgery on one arm, and both feet, at the same time. I got three casts removed 10 days prior, and was still in an electric wheelchair part-time, but was wearing my AFOs (knee braces), and a wrist brace for fishing. My husband and I went out in our charter boat, the M/V Silver Lady, to fish the annual King Salmon Derby. We hadn't been out long, when my bent down and I grabbed it and set the hook. Problem was, I had just had a 5 or 6 inch metal rod put in my left arm, so I couldn't put much strain on it to hold my pole, and if you let the tip down, you'll lose your fish. I was forced to lay my left arm brace across the tops of the downriggers and hold the pole, then I layed over the top of the reel to hold it still, while I reeled as fast as I could with my right hand. I got him in, after the 15 minute show he put on, and took him to be weighed in. My biggest King so far, 30.8 lbs---not huge, but respectable. Amazing what you can do with braces, a couple of pain pills and a little determination. Lorita Leighton October 19, 2002
Rae Attaway
March 30, 2001
Sandra
July 17, 2001
Paula Morton
August 17, 2001
Call it luck, call it skill, then throw in the experience of a dedicated river guide and that's how my wife Denise Steinbrenner landed her first Smith River Salmon on 12/4/02 while fishing with guide John Klar. After a battle of about 45 min. to a hour up and down the river, without any help, Denise brought the 52# Salmon to the net. Randall Steinbrenner
December 25, 2002
Leslie Woolsey
November 20, 2001
Debi Joranco-Arellano
December 26, 2001
Janet Thompson
February 22, 2002
My Klamath Salmon October 19, 2002
On a September 2002 morning I caught this chinook
salmon on the Klamath River in northern California. I
was fishing about 4.5 miles from the mouth on Blake's
riffle with my small Shimano graphite rod with
10-pound test line and a pink yarn glow bug. Once
hooked, the large, silver-bright salmon flipped once
out of the water and then began to swim downstream.
The large fish started taking line and darted around a
large tree stump in the middle of the riffle. These
king salmon, fresh into the river mouth from the
ocean, have tremendous strength. Unfortunately for me
I wasn't experienced enough to keep the fish on my
line and swim around the stump. I had to turn my rod
over to my angling partner Kenny Priest.
Kenny with water up to his shoulders managed to get
the line above the tree stump, swim through the
riffle's current and slowly stepped back into the
shallows. He handed the rod back to me and chinook
continued to make short, dogged runs up and down
stream. After about a fifteen minute fight, I could
feel this one was starting to tire.
Finally, we could see its silver side as he bumped
over some small rocks. Kenny started to get out the
camera equipment. "Pull! Pull!" Kenny shouted, hoping
I could keep the fish out of the current. I managed to
coax it back to shore. Kenny quickly grabbed the
leader and the salmon was photographed and later
released. What fun! My first 20 pounder.
Tracy McCormack of Alameda, CA
This picture was taken 9 1/2 weeks after major surgery on one arm, and both feet, at the same time. I got three casts removed 10 days prior, and was still in an electric wheelchair part-time, but was wearing my AFOs (knee braces), and a wrist brace for fishing. My husband and I went out in our charter boat, the M/V Silver Lady, to fish the annual King Salmon Derby. We hadn't been out long, when my bent down and I grabbed it and set the hook. Problem was, I had just had a 5 or 6 inch metal rod put in my left arm, so I couldn't put much strain on it to hold my pole, and if you let the tip down, you'll lose your fish. I was forced to lay my left arm brace across the tops of the downriggers and hold the pole, then I layed over the top of the reel to hold it still, while I reeled as fast as I could with my right hand. I got him in, after the 15 minute show he put on, and took him to be weighed in. My biggest King so far, 30.8 lbs---not huge, but respectable. Amazing what you can do with braces, a couple of pain pills and a little determination. 
