another shoulder of woe!

[oldranger]

Good to go to alaska. Should be good to go for chuck and duck fishing for sockeye. I can reel just fine when there is no tension on the line but wondering what will happen when I actually have a fish on.

[rlown]

We'll just call you lefty.

[giantbrookie]

Oh dear. I'm very sorry to hear about this. Best wishes for fast healing.

[SSSdave]

The "day dreaming on the trail..." how did that cause your injury? Are you saying you were not paying attention and fell? Good luck healing up.

[oldranger]

The "day dreaming on the trail..." how did that cause your injury? Are you saying you were not paying attention and fell? Good luck healing up.

yes. Actually I wasn't paying attention and going too fast for my diminished abilities due to lack of coordination due to 3 damaged locations on my spinal cord. Unfortunately the onset of the damage was so slow and painless that by the time it was treated it was irreversible but hopefully stalled. Clearly my days of negotiating extensive talus fields and rock hoping when fishing are past. But I Will do my best to resume backpacking next year and day hiking in later this summer.

[happycamper0313]

Oh man that looks awful! Did you slip on some loose gravel? Loose gravel has been the cause of all slips and trips on trail for me, especially on downhill.

[Harlen]

oldranger:

I can reel just fine when there is no tension on the line but wondering what will happen when I actually have a fish on.

rlown:

How are you going to cast with that injury?

And how are you going to shove the bears out of the way to get to your fishing spot?
(We remember your photos from the last trip.)

Best wishes for a speedy recovery Mike.

[bobby49]

Around Naknek Lake and Brooks Falls, if you get a fish on, then that is good. However, if a bear approaches when you have that fish on, you are required to cut the line and move out of the way. How do you do that with a weak arm?

[oldranger]

Around Naknek Lake and Brooks Falls, if you get a fish on, then that is good. However, if a bear approaches when you have that fish on, you are required to cut the line and move out of the way. How do you do that with a weak arm?

Not an issue this year but last year I broke off when a bear shoed up by pointing the rod directly at the fish, tightly palming my fly reel and jerking straight back and snapping the line. Could have done the same this year.

Also intentionally broke off a couple times last year when a large fish went out to the middle of the river and decided to head back to Bristol Bay. ...this year they seemed determined to continue upstream even when hooked.

[bobby49]

when a large fish went out to the middle of the river and decided to head back to Bristol Bay.

That's a tough commute.