Into Alaska - Alaska and Points North: Tips and Tales from the Road - page 113

who wanted to stay in Alaska. Many of their long-term employees had married local wo-
men and did not want to return to Russia. So the village has an interesting Russian Ortho-
dox/Native American vibe to it. Pretty and picturesque, Ninilchik is set on a bluff with a
breathtaking view of the spectacular Chigmit Mountains towering over Cook Inlet.
Evening found us at Isaac Walton State Recreation Site. Situated at the confluence of the
Moose River and the Kenai River this was an interesting choice because the fisher-people
were out in full force. We walked 20 feet to the river, popped open our chairs and spent the
evening watching them cast out over the river. The salmon were spawning which means,
apparently, that they don't eat. The objective is to physically snag them with a hook for the
sport of it, then release.
Thisdidseemtowork.Don'tknowifitwasskillorgoodluck.Goodluckforthefisherman
that is. Right in front of us, one fellow pulled in a 30-pound “King” as they call them here
(we'd call it a Chinook down south).