Hicks call them “Lingcod Candy Bars,” but the Kelp Greenling is a good failsafe against being skunked when fishing from shore.

Species: Kelp Greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus)
Location: Chetco River South Jetty, Brookings-Harbor Marina, OR
Date: September 10, 2009

Rashomon Effect 5-of-6: My Feet

Danner Vanish. I still remember them because they were both the most expensive non-wading boots I’ve ever purchased and some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn fishing.

They certainly weren’t stylish, but they felt great. After spending all day on my feet, landing fish after fish and adding nearly half a dozen new species to my Life List, puking my guts out, and then walking all over the marina chasing bait, I should’ve had aching feet. But I didn’t.

I felt great.

***

So when Ben and I loaded up a bag of bait, we decided to take to Round 3 of our glorious day of fishing.

We headed to the jetty.

***

The sand squished under my feet as I made my way from the car to the massive boulders that comprised the jetty.

I didn’t like it.

Once my boots found purchase on the rock, I nearly lost my footing as one of the many “Jetty Cats” that we loved to joke about darted into the shadows.

Hopping from boulder to boulder probably didn’t require the level of bravado I put into each leap, but I trusted them, and it gave me a bit of rush knowing that one slip could spell disaster. The thrill was titillating.

Making our way to the water wasn’t easy, what with the slick rocks, creeping tide, and fog creeping in slowly, obscuring our view. Still, we managed to get down to the the large flat rock at the end of the structure and catch a few fish.

Ben got the first few fish and then I hooked one. It was a Kelp Greenling. My fifth new species of the day brought to me by the great folks at Danner. The problems of that day aside, those Danner hiking boots are still my favorite boots ever.

Only one left.

#SpeciesQuest // #CaughtOvgard

Read the next entry in #SpeciesQuest here: Species #31 — Pacific Staghorn Sculpin.