Well, the Tanaku 07 trip to Elfin Cove is now history. For the first
time, I attended this "Alaskan Fishing Festival" at the Tanaku
Lodge for almost two weeks (July 6 - 19), as opposed to the regular 6
night / 5 day jaunt. Accompanying me for one week stay was my wonderful
better half, Cathie, and a contingent of 25 anglers from the NY / NJ
Metro and L.I. areas. Highlights were many, including:
- a one-of-a-kind / to die for ALASKA sunset on July 8th
- breaching humpback whale shows! (During my stay, I witnessed over twenty-five (25) breaches - AMAZING!!
- many, many...large to mombo-size halibut (largest weighed 279 lbs., caught by Rich Rosenka of Shoreham)
- jigging and mooching for a wide array of fish that included ling cod, king salmon, yellow eye, black sea bass, pink salmon, quillback, tiger rockfish, cohos, sockeye salmon, and others whose names escape me
- the usual "ho-hum" displays of otters, sea lion, eagles, puffin, muirs, and a cast of many others
- a masterful culinary production of scrumptious table fare led by the nearly famous chef from Idaho, Jessie Jenkins. Feasting on her coconut / wasabi Coho dish and macadamia-choco cake was an unforgettable experience!
- 12-year-old Hayden Meier's capture of a 180 lb., halibut. I was witness to the feat and this kid got absolutely no assistance from Capt. Joe Calandra, or myself. That's what happens when Dad & Mom own a lodge. He was so proud; grinning ear-to-ear. The behemoth topped his largest-to-date by 40 lbs.
If you are into halibut weight numbers, here are some statistics that were attained by some of our group numbers:
| Names | Areas | Weights |
| Lou Truncali | Fresh Meadows | 128 lbs |
| Joe Renison | Glen Head | 112 lbs |
| John Wittiwiss | East Meadow | 119 lbs |
| Steven Wittiwiss | East Meadow | 102 lbs |
| Mike Maher | Staten Island | 109 lbs |
| Bill Brodin Jr. | Cheshire, CT | 260 lbs |
| Mike Mecir | Maspeth | 109 lbs |
| Mike McLean | Flanders | 101 and 122 lbs |
| Rich Riccardi Sr. | Ft. Salonga | 154 lbs |
| Rich Riccardi Jr. | Smithtown | 108 lbs |
| Richie Jordan | L.I. | 177 lbs |
| Jerry McGrath | L.I. | 106 and 214 lbs |
| Rich Rosenka | Shoreham , NY | 279 lbs* |
Note: Countless 50 - 90
lb fish were caught as well, but didn't make Tanaku's BIG BOARD
of 100 plus halibut captured! |
||
Unlike, last season, salmon fishing was mostly a challenge, as were
the testing conditions from Mother Nature, at times. Some days felt like
early March on L.I. and others offered continuous fog. Spurts of Joes
Beach climates in June appeared intermittently.
On a personal note, this year I was able to top my largest halibut ever,
which was 187 lbs., back in 2002. On the last day of my stay, I was able
to win a battle (and I mean a BATTLE) with a 214 lb., whopper! It was
also the last fish of the day. Yes, make my day! What a fabulous ending!
But the fun wasn't really over. The next day, BIG MIKE McLean, Rich NO
MORE JINX Jordan, Phil NOT A BEATLE Bailey and I visited the Juneau Ice
Fields by helicopter to go dog sledding! At first, the $445 admission
fee for 2 hours caused me to hestitate. I thought why be a glutton, McGrath?
You got what you came for. The other part said, "Why Not?" Since
it was such a beautiful day and I was with friends and I can't take my
$$$$ with my ashes, I said GO FOR IT! Folks, to the penny, it was the
best money I've ever spent. All I can say is WOW!! The helicopter ride
with very cool musical accompaniment was like an aerial safari of Juneau's
natural Sistine Chapel. To quote BIG MIKE....he said "I know I won't
go to heaven, but at least I've been there."
Wishing you many tight lines,
Jerry McGrath <:)))))))><
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