Sockeye 2002! A bonus awaited my return from vacation - the sockeye run had reached escapement goals and was opened for the 26-28th. I put the boat in at 2:45pm at Coulon with my sons. We started at the SW tip of Mercer Island and fished due north, then over to the west side of the lake. Hooked up first fish at 3pm, a nice 6 pound buck with a rosy tint, 85 feet with a red hook. At 3:15 an 8 pound brute came up from 75 feet on a fluorescent pink hook. 3:30 saw another fish hookup at 75 feet on the flow pink hook. Lost at the boat. A final fish came at 4pm, a small jack caught on, yup, flow pink at 75 feet. The black/blue/red hooks at 65 feet held no interest for the sockeye. The bite died for us after this last fish, although we did see a few more caught around us. Not a bad afternoon on the last open day, too bad we missed the previous two days.

---