Hunting for hooligan

We stayed close to home this past Memorial Day weekend except for a couple of trips north to look for hooligan. We travelled on Friday and, after arriving at our destination, found a Park Ranger to ask about hooligan dipping. We were told that, so far, nobody had had any success finding fish in the Willow area. We made a second trip on Memorial Day and had the same results. This might be a classic example of a so-called “late run,” since, in normal years, Memorial Day itself has been the day to go hooligan dipnetting near Willow Creek.

Because the round trip to our dipping spot involves driving 54 miles, we were hoping to get some information from Fish and Game off their “hooligan hotline” prior to driving north. On Friday, we literally could not get any information off their automated phone line because it wasn’t working, at least for us. When I called the Palmer office, they had no information, but would check out the automated line and report it as non-functioning if they had the same results trying to call it as we did. I didn’t follow up to see what their results were.

We next tried calling State Parks to see what they knew. Nothing! In fact, they transferred our call to Anchorage for information. Of course, Anchorage didn’t know anything either! We decided to drive up and find out what the scoop was for ourselves. We didn’t even bother to call anybody on Memorial Day because, being a holiday, none of the state offices would be open and we didn’t figure they would know anymore than they did on Friday.

We did speak with the Willow campground host on Monday. He told us he had been checking the river every day and had not found any indication the hooligan had gotten that far north yet. We did not miss the run. It, apparently, just hadn’t showed up yet!

We’ll keep checking every few days just in case the fish decide to show.

I need to correct some information I mentioned in my column a few weeks ago about access to Willow Creek for rafting access in light of the closing of Willow Creek Resort. I stated that the Pioneer Lodge and Campground was on the east side of the Parks Highway with the Willow Creek Lodge being on the west side. I was wrong!

Pioneer Campground is, in fact, located on the south side of Willow Creek while the Willow Creek Resort is on the north side. Both are located on the west side of the Parks Highway. Sorry if I confused you like I had confused myself!

I’m happy to report that our legislature still remains pro-Second Amendment. According to an email I received from the National Rifle Association (NRA), they reported: “On May 17th, the Legislature adjourned sine die from its 2023 legislative session. During this session, the Legislature passed NRA-backed House Bill 61, sponsored by Speaker Cathy Tilton, to protect Second Amendment rights during declared states of emergency. Sen. Scott Kawasaki sponsored and championed its companion, Senate Bill 63. Both bills enjoyed bipartisan support. HB 61 is currently on Gov. Dunleavy’s desk awaiting his signature.”

Continuing, “In addition, pro-Second Amendment lawmakers did their duty to ensure that House Bill 162, to create “red flag” gun seizures without due process, and House Bill 164, to impose a one-size-fits-all firearm storage mandate, were defeated this session.” I’m glad to finally be reporting pro-gun legislation rather than the gun-grabbing shenanigans the leftist Democrats keep trying to pass.

Things are starting to happen with the repair of my small motorhome, its trailer, and my riverboat. The riverboat was scheduled to be moved into the repair shop this past Tuesday where an estimate of repairs will be developed. I expect that, once insurance approves the estimate, work will start. I don’t expect repairs to take too long – repainting the cabin will be the big item. The boat should be usable by mid-June, hopefully.

I towed the small trailer over to the repair shop this past Wednesday for replacement of the roof vent and resealing the roof. That job should go quickly. The frustrating repair is on the motorhome. The work is straight forward but the timing is what gets me. The repair shop is still trying to finish large jobs from last fall, and I’m not scheduled to be cycled in until mid to late July. It will probably be early August until the unit is ready to go.