Day 28- Homer

 July 9

I had three wake ups today.  One was my alarm at 8:30, another was Summer asking if she could make herself eggs and when I finally woke up at 10.  Everyone was up to some degree but no one was real happy about it.  Davan, Libby and myself were on the backside of our colds.  Summer and Heidi were doing fine.  

Everyone was kind of stepping on each others nerves.  After much arguing we finally got out of the camper about 2.  We visited the Pratt Museum.  It was interesting.  The entry room was an art gallery of sorts with painting from a featured artist.  The rest had historical displays from the surrounding area.  It also has a really great display highlighting the Exxon Valdez spill.  Outside they had a replica of a homesteading cabin.

After we went for a hike that gave great views of a couple glaciers.  The drive out and back was also scenic. 

On the way back to the camper we stopped at the grocery store.  We needed a few things for dinner and it was a good time to stock up on some things so we didn't have to stop later.

Taco's were for dinner.  It's probably the easiest thing to make that everyone can agree on.  After we drove over to the boardwalk where there are several gift shops.  The girls had a good time checking everything out.  They were really good about not begging for stuff.  Davan and I both found coats we liked though.  

I had been toying with the idea of renting a fishing rod since we got to Homer.  I wasn't sure if I'd have time to fit it in though.  The place we had stopped into when we got into town was only open until 9.  I figured if we got done shopping before they closed I'd get a pole, otherwise no big deal.   We had planned on a fire back at camp anyways.  

It was about 9:30 by the time we got to the truck to go back.  On the way Heidi noticed another place on the harbor side of the street.  I stopped in they did rent poles so I got one plus all the gear to fish for halibut.

I had previously looked at tide charts.  Everything I read said the best fishing was at low tide.   That happened to be right about midnight and again at noon.  I got packed up and headed out to the point.  I got there around 10:30.  

While I was fishing the girls made a fire and had s'mores.  After a day of the 4 of them kinda butting heads they were able to get along and have a great time.  

Back at the beach I was trying to figure out everything I had.  I'm used to fresh water fishing, salt water is a lot different.  The shop sold me frozen herring.  I was going for halibut so I cut each herring in half like they did on the boat.  I lost it on every cast.  Very annoying and figured I'd be done before I even start.  There was another guy there when I got there.  He wandered over to see how I was doing.  He showed me a couple things and then gave me a big chunk of salmon.  The skin is a lot stronger I could catch 5-6 fish before needing to replace it.  He also said that is what the fish primarily go for.  He also said he has not seen a halibut come out despite what all the travel guides say.  Plenty of flounder, cod and Irish Lord though.  

Things started off slow, which I expected.  I caught a few flounder, which I kept.  About 11:30 it was like a light switched and I was catching something just about every cast.  At this point it was mainly cod.  I did catch one Irish Lord.  Ugly, prehistoric looking things.  But the guy I was talking to said they tasted great, a poor man's lobster.  

It was after midnight, the tide starting to come back in when things started slowing down.  I was close to calling it a night when I caught something big.  It was putting up a bit of a fight unlike the others that pretty much just let me reel them in.  I was really thinking I had a halibut this time.  No such such but it was a very large cod.  Maybe 24 inches.  10-15 lbs.  I would have kept it but I had 8 fish I was unprepared to transport as it was.   

At this point I decided to call it a night.  I had a hundred foot walk up the beach to the truck and I needed 5 trips to get my fish and gear to the truck.  At the fish cleaning stand I did a poor job of filleting th fish.  The flounder are flat fish and you get 4 filets.  The god and Irish lord were straightforward but the flesh was a lot softer and the skin very thin.  I did the best I could without having anyone to ask for advice and left the skin hoping Patrick would help me with that back at his place.  I finally got back to the camper about 2 am.

A long hot shower got me warmed back up and I was finally in bed.  I'm really glad I took the time to go fishing.  It's something I had on my list of things I wanted to do in Alaska!