[Paddlewise] fishing

     A little elaboration:  We were camped on a nice little island in 
British Columbia. There were porpoises and whales cruising the 
channel in front of our camp, as well as salmon jumping frequently.
The sun was out, and most of the group were being slugs on the beach.
Being genetically disposed to fish, I couldn't stand the group 
inactivety and set out on a solo fishing junket.
     I was trolling my newly discovered super salmon lure. After 
about a mile of trolling, I noticed some large scale water 
disturbance behind the kayak. Then a massive strike occurred. 
Whatever it was started stripping line from the reel, and towing the 
boat farther from camp at a rapid rate of speed. Then it dove 
straight down about 60 feet and almost capsized me. Then the line 
went slack, and I retrieved the precious lure. 
     I never saw what it was, only the boiling mass of water behind 
the boat. I have no doubt that using a hand line (instead of rod and 
Penn reel) would have resulted in a spill, and I could have been 
swept out to sea.
     So the moral of the tale seems to be: don't fish alone, use a 
good rod and reel with plenty of line and a good drag (Penn reels are 
designed for salt water fishing), and pay attention at all times. I 
use an 8.5 foot steelhead rod made of graphite because the rod 
absorbs most of the shock that occurs during a strike. I
would not recommend a hand line, and would never put fish on a 
stringer, not after what happened to Bruce R. in high school in 
Florida.
     Brad C.
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Bradford R. Crain                             E-mail: brad_at_mth.pdx.edu
Dept. of Mathematics                          Phone: (503) 725-3127
Portland State Univ.                          FAX:   (503) 725-3661  
P.O. Box 751
Portland, Or. 97207
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