Field Notes from Jess ~ Rewilding in 2021 | Week 29/52 | Summer
Jul 11, 2021
Field notes from Jess ~ Rewilding in 2021 | Week 29 of 52
Part 2: The Victory
Chinook Salmon Fishing
Last week I reported “The Battle” from a long weekend of salmon fishing. I was humbled by nature and exhausted from the extremes of hard backpacking, ticks, squirrel bite, heat exhaustion, 3:30 am alarms to get our spot on the river, 10-hour/day casting, multiple injuries and returning home with no fish.
Today is a follow-up to share with you the victories! The journey to deeply engage the natural world is well-worth the hard work and challenges.
1. I caught my first salmon, a native Jack. This was a required release back to the river as we only keep those from the hatchery, but it was a thrill of an experience!
2. I got to use my new birthday present, A @lamiglasrods 8’6” pole and spinning reel, designed for salmon and steelhead.
3. I ate riverside smoked salmon made from a bushcraft-style smoker…
thanks to Scott with @silhouetteoutdoors who brilliantly filleted his catch, tenderized the fish, built the smoker, tended the fire and shared the abundance with comrades on the river.
4. I sipped Chardonnay with my left hand while using my right hand to scoop up the tender smoked Chinook from the skin…
thanks to me for brilliantly making the call to pack in wine and take on the extra weight.
5. I melted with delight over a late-night campfire dessert. A surprise treat from Scott consisting of peaches, blueberries and brown sugar baked in tin foil next to the coals.
6. I bathed in the river, letting the current twist and turn my hair, pretending I was a mermaid… who lived in cold rivers? 
7. I met wonderful people who love fishing.
8. Lots of camo sightings.
9. Caught another new species, a Whitefish! Also good eating.
10. I watched the sunrise every morning. Observed the sky shift from total darkness to the romantic hues of morning.
11. I stood on a rock and casted endlessly through the magic hour. Meditation in movement.
12. I ate the perfect cheeseburger and fries on the way home, a much revered moment after 4 days in the backcountry.
+8
