| "FISH ON!!"I yelled, as my seven weight fly rod bent | | | | looked at that Grizzly, and thought to myself; "Great, I |
| over and the line played it's magical tune of "zinging in | | | | have three other fishermen on this boat and they all |
| the rain". It was hard to tell just how big the fish was or | | | | match the criteria that I had required to fish with in bear |
| if it was a Rainbow or big Dolly Varden.Hooking a big | | | | country. They are all bigger and slower and at this |
| upper Kenai river trout in fast water doesn't leave | | | | point- between me and the bear!!" BUT, if we had to |
| much time for species identification."Hang on to it-we'll | | | | go overboard-I sure wasn't confident that I could |
| chase it and go land it in some calmer water." said | | | | outswim these guys. Plus, I had a rod in my hand, a fish |
| Allen, who was behind the sticks of our 20 foot Willie | | | | on the line, and a natural fishermen's instinct- to not |
| drift boat.We had just entered the Canyon section of | | | | want to lose my trout!! The bear would certainly pick |
| the upper Kenai river and while my three other | | | | me, because he would get the bonus of having a trout |
| compadres fishing with me on the boat had already | | | | for dessert after having his "Fisherman ala Gore-Tex" |
| hooked some BIG Rainbows and Dollies, I had yet to | | | | entree. I guess I shouldn't have been too |
| catch what I will call a "quality" upper Kenai fish. That | | | | worried,afterall, Allen wouldn't have wanted to return to |
| of course means insulting every trout on every other | | | | the lodge without his "guests"--too much |
| river in North America, since the eighteen inch | | | | paperwork!!Right?Allen frantically grabbed at the |
| Rainbows and twenty inch Dolly Vardens I had already | | | | anchor rope, while "mama" thrashed about in the |
| caught were hardly chopped liver!! It's just that I had | | | | water. Meanwhile the rest of us had that "deer in the |
| watched numerous twenty-four inch fish caught in the | | | | headlights" look, waiting for either instructions from |
| morning and listened to Allen comment on how this | | | | Allen-or the voice of God- to tell us what to do next."I |
| was the best morning of fly fishing he had had on the | | | | think we'll fight this fish somewhere else." Allen said, |
| upper Kenai this year. Again, don't get me wrong-I was | | | | while grabbing the oars and pulling us away with |
| catching my share of fish- but this was the kind of fish | | | | Herculean strength.That- is what they call an |
| I was waiting for.Ziiiiinnnnggggg.I stood up in the front of | | | | understatement. Somewhere else indeed!How about |
| the boat, and Allen gave chase in our wide bellied river | | | | Pennsylvania?Mama had done what she had intended, |
| pursuit vehicle. | | | | danger to cub-gone, fishermen white as ghosts, and |
| I held my rod high and reeled to keep a tight line on | | | | Brown bear Peace and tranquility restored to the right |
| the fish.As we drifted towards the "river right" bank, | | | | bank.MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!She turned, and |
| we heard some crashing in the trees. In my peripheral | | | | splashed back to the shore...I don't know if it was the |
| vision I saw some movement, but kept my eyes fixed | | | | lowering of the anchor that had startled her, or the |
| on my pulsating rod tip. Allen nonchalantly mentioned | | | | banging of the boat, or the splashing of my Rainbow, |
| that we had a Brown bear over on our right, kind of | | | | but we had just witnessed -first hand- how the Grizzly |
| like a guy mentions seeing a 1957 Chevy.It's neat-but | | | | bear protects her cubs in the wild.Pretty much by |
| nothing to get to crazy about.Keep fishing.Now, I don't | | | | going NUTS!!We drifted over to "river left", |
| know about you, but when I pass within twenty yards | | | | downstream about another 100 yards, and finally |
| of meat eating carnivores-I like to give them more than | | | | landed an exhausted 23 inch FAT Rainbow trout. Of |
| just a passing glance.Especially, since most of us on | | | | course, the fish seemed an after thought now as all |
| the boat were seeing our first Brown/Grizzly bear in | | | | five of us checked our waders for "brown spots", but |
| our lives, and not everyone gets to see a Grizzly | | | | after all that, it would have made us cry to lose that |
| when they come to Alaska. Not to mention that any | | | | fish.We all "high fived" each other and still couldn't help |
| one of us would make a delicious mid day snack for a | | | | but looking back upstream--just to make sure "mama" |
| bear with the munchies.Allen, trying to be the | | | | wasn't still angry. Allen said that it was the first time he |
| consumate Alaskan fishing guide, was trying to pass it | | | | had seen a Brown bear jump into the water like |
| off as an everyday occurence and make you feel like | | | | that.Really.Then we sat there and all gave our |
| -"Heck, most of us guides sleep with bears"--but you | | | | accounts of how the scene "went down". It was great |
| could tell by his watchful back and forth looks--that he | | | | to hear everyones reaction and different version of |
| didn't get to see bears that often.As Allen lowered the | | | | the "thirty five seconds of drama".We took a picture |
| boat anchor in a nice back eddy, I turned toward the | | | | of that fish- which will be forever on be referred to as |
| fish and got back to the task at hand. Pump, reel | | | | the "Bear Fish", and even though it wasn't the biggest |
| down, pump, reel down.About that time, I started to | | | | fish on that float--it will certainly be the one most |
| hear some more commotion from the bank, and about | | | | remembered.There was no picture of the bear-since |
| the same time as my fish revealed his Rainbow | | | | everyone was riveted on the real bear on not the |
| identity by making an acrobatic leap into the air, I turned | | | | Kodak moment.When we got back to our lodge, Allen |
| to see a bear clawing it's way up a tree.Good, that's | | | | told the story of our Alaskan experience and some of |
| what I like to see from man eating carnivores!I turned | | | | the older guides looked at him "sideways" like he might |
| back at the fish--and then did a double take on the | | | | be working on a good fish story or nickname.I could |
| bear.OH @%$+ IT WAS A CUB...... and we're not | | | | see it now... "Who you going out with today? Grizzly |
| talking the kind that play in Chicago!!Faster then I could | | | | Gillette? Allen the Bear Slayer?... Of course there were |
| get the words " it's a cub" out of my mouth, mama | | | | four witnesses that were ready to back him up and it |
| bear went into protection mode. We all heard brush | | | | wasn't exactly like we had said we had seen "bigfoot" |
| being knocked down like tackling dummies at the | | | | or "aliens" for heavens sake!!All in all, I would say we |
| Chicago Bears training camp and then we saw | | | | got the true Alaskan experience that day. Nice fat |
| "Mamas" round face,shoulders hunched, claws digging | | | | upper Kenai Rainbow trout and Dolly Vardens on a fly, |
| in as she made a charge at us towards the bank.We | | | | false charged by a Grizzly mom and an unforgettable |
| all looked over at the same time,and for a brief | | | | day in incredible scenery.As the years go on--I am |
| second, my first thought was: "Oh great, why does this | | | | sure the"Bear Fish"will get bigger, the bear will get |
| have to happen when I have a nice Rainbow on? I | | | | closer(maybe even into the boat!!) and the legend of |
| hope I don't lose this fish." Of course, sitting twenty | | | | "Grizzly Gillette" will grow tall.But not nearly as tall as |
| yards away in a boat- in the water- gives one a | | | | that BEAR!!A.J. Klott |
| sense of security.A false sense of security.That bear | | | | Author, writer of fishing humor,and "fly tack" |
| took to the sky like "superwoman". Paws out and legs | | | | peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and |
| flying- without even breaking stride- she was IN THE | | | | modern day events that surround the fishing world. His |
| WATER.You never saw ten eyeballs get so large in | | | | first book is due out in December of 2005. |
| your life.I looked at my fish, I looked at Allen, and I | | | | |