FYI for those headed to the holy grail of all combat fishing locales:

http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/eonr/nr.cfm?nr=6%2F24%2F04®ion=Region%202%2DSouthcentral

Wow. Their escapement is a lot lower than the 350,000 needed to go up the Cedar River before we can fish lake Washington. It would be nice if the WDFW could improve our fishery so we could fish every year for longer periods. I have heard of the Russian River Sockeye from a neighbor who has fished them. Said they were good fighters. I have not been to Alaska yet but that would be one reason I would go. I don't like combat but I do it from time to time. It is not bad as long as your catching fish.

Six of us fished the Russian River sanctuary the afternoon of the opener and although there were lots of people (fishermen every 8-12 feet) there were even more fish. We got our 18 fish and were out of there in a hour. When there's so many fish people tend to be in a really good mood. Those fresh sockeye are some of the best fights. It's an experience if even for a single time. People every 10 feet for more than a mile of river We hit it on the way back to Seattle the next day and while there were less fish it was still easy to get a limit.

Good fight, better eats. R, who's that guy with you? He looks familiar to me.

Ben, That's Hal and his dad Harold. Hal on left has lived in Bellevue a few years and his dad Harold lives near St. Louis.