Cashmere Con Panna: Homer for the Halibut.

It feels as if we were just in Homer... oh wait! We were. This time, however, we took an entirely different route. Instead of skirts and jewelry, we donned fishing vests and Bogs and took to the high seas to catch us some fish.

As you know, I'm the type of girl who loves to get dressed up, but entice me with a day on the ocean to fish, and I just as quickly change into my boat clothes, skip the makeup, and feel entirely comfortable smelling like fish instead of Chanel.

It's one of the best ways to really get into Alaskan life and I always have a ball on the boat.

Let me paint you a picture of what it's like to boat out on Kachemak Bay. Sit back, relax, and hopefully you'll become inspired to visit someday!

At the start of the morning, I woke to the delightful smell of French toast and sausage. We had to get up extra early to perfect our timing with the tide. Those are very important to keep an eye on, for you can't just go out and expect to catch some fish without knowing the waters in which you're fishing!

We hit the road and headed up. I woke as we were pulling into the parking lot, and after donning multiple layers, I made my way down the ramp and to our slot where the Proud Mary stood waiting, anxious to get out.

Homer harbor has a plethora of boats, including a few from the very popular tv show, Deadliest Catch. If you look closely, you'll recognize the SAGA.

Not a bad day to be on the water, am I right?

Well... not quite. The intriguing thing about Alaskan waters is that you can go from smooth sailing, to up and down smooth lumps, to choppy chunky waves in a matter of minutes. Today proved to be a perfect example and on the latter half of our boat ride, we were splashing our way through rough cutting waves, stopping about five miles outside of

The waves continued to sway the boat back and forth, but as what usually happens with fishing, you get used to the rhythmic swells and pretty soon, you're a natural surfer riding them waves.

Our rods weren't in five minutes before Grandma pulled up the first fish. Unfortunately, it was a not so lovely Irish Lord, and so we quickly tossed that baby back into the waves. Good riddance!

See what I mean?

Nice view of Mt. Iliamna there in the background..

Dad picked a lucky spot (after all, the captain is always right) and for the majority of the morning, we were reeling in 'buts left and right.

Captain Krull, always the mature one..

I think the reason I love halibut fishing so much (besides the fact that it's on the ocean, my favorite place on earth) is the accomplishment one gets when that white belly finally surfaces at the end of your hook. You have the line set some two hundred feet down in the moving swells and there's this impending anticipation you get while waiting for the tip of the pole to bob bob down. With that halibut munching on your herring bait, you rush over, yank the pole out of the holder, and proceed to reel this heavy fighting halibut in, two pound weight, moving currents, and two hundred feet of water fighting against you. But then, after all those difficult turns of the reel, you see the fish below the surface and the feeling is of utter accomplishment and happiness.