Salmon on the bow, and it's party time. Note the Hobie Mirage Drive pedals. This thing gets up and goes.


No matter where in the world you live, chances are salmon are a part of your economy. Even if you live thousands of miles from an ocean. Salmon are so important and desirable as a food source that we've begun farming them in massive amounts. There are many downsides to that process. When humans live near salmon waters, the two become intertwined. Salmon have been here much longer than we have. In many ways it's looking like they won't be here when we leave.

The first time I saw wild chinook salmon I nearly sharded my waders. I could not believe what I was witnessing. They were clearly not just fish. They were animals. I had never seen so much meat in a river. Even more remarkable, their desire to get somewhere and mate properly was stronger than my own. These kindred spirits, I had to learn more. I have now read tomes on salmon. I could probably pass for a fisheries biologist, yet I know only fractions of what they are about. I learned there is so much that humans do not understand about salmon that the quest will be eternal.

As I was saying, wherever salmon swim near people, people try to catch and eat salmon. So it would be for me. I would not pursue them by ordinary means, however. Like a true, bonified human-power wacko, I obtained a pedal-powered kayak made by Hobie. With cycling (or something like it) in the mix with my fishing, one of the great combinations of the sporting universe was taking shape. Over the last couple of years I have honed my kayak/cycling/fishing/crabbing strategies to the degree that I'm sure others will soon join me. That's what happens when people see someone who looks like they know what they're doing. When I began, no one wanted a piece of what I was doing. I was laughed at. "What are you gonna do when you get a 40 pounder on, smart guy?" I'm gonna land it or get wet trying, bait breath.

I was green. Flashing neon green. It was intimidating, too. Where there are salmon, there are lots of people around acting like pros. I felt like I was lining up at the start of pro motorcycle race on a touring bicycle. In my Speedo. It took a while, but people accept me, now. They might even like having me out there. "Hey, look who's pedaling by. It's crazy do-it-yourself biker guy with no gas." Oh, I've got some gas for you, buddy. When I am attached to a fish, it's like the motorcycles all stop to watch the guy on the bike struggle up a wall. I've had some fish about do me in. In that Hobie, it's a full-body battle. You need to use your legs and hands to maneuver and stay out of trouble, your arms and back burn, and your head has to be on a swivel to make sure you don't mess it all up for everybody. It might be many miles of pedaling against a tide back to the car, but with a big king laying up on the bow of a kayak you feel like one proud eskimo. Cycling on water doesn't get any better.

"Alright, everybody. Let's go on our rides. I'll pick up 40lbs of salmon and eight dungeness on my way. Make sure you work up an appetite."

I believe that riding a bike helps you build up a strong resistance to the elements. Cold winds that send most people scurrying for cover feel normal. It just feels like you're riding 20mph on a cold, windy day. We do that for hours, right? Some days, the weather and water look more daunting than the worst patch of cobbles in Paris-Roubaix. On a day like that, Tillamook Bay, OR might as well be the Bermuda Triangle. Legend has it, a few years ago 'ol Chuck Yeager won a salmon derby out there by pocketing the bacon off his breakfast plate and lashing it under his Kwikfish. General Yeager was in a jet boat, of course. I'd like to challenge the old man, and if I can enter that derby in my boat, I will. Maybe I'll cinch bags of corned beef hash and eggs from breakfast to my gear. I would relish the duel: The crafty old fighter pilot in his jet boat vs. the cranky old bike racer pedaling his kayak. I'm sure my Dad would fly in to witness that one. He might be rootin' for the General. (Commercial break: DeFeet gear works incredibly well for activities like this. DeFeet Blaze Wool socks and DeFeet UnD Shurts, layered, are unbeatable for any outdoor aerobic action).

I don't think I've been so proud standing by a road since.. since I won a bike race or somethin. Even then they didn't give you trophies you could eat. I mostly use fly tackle for these great fish, but when pedaling between areas or prospecting, it's best to troll with gear.






I've always respected and admired General Yeager. How could you not? American Hero's don't come any larger. I would still jump at the chance to dogfight him with rod, reel, and kayak.
















King's are the largest of the salmon species. The ones that enter rivers in the late summer and fall often go over 60lbs. The world record is 97lbs.