EVERETT — The Everett Coho Derby is many things to many people.
As coho salmon make their yearly pilgrimage through the northwest, warriors of the rod-and-reel converge on Everett to do battle.
Some come for the money, some come to test themselves, and some come just to drink beer.
But everyone, whether age 6 or 60, can come away from the derby with a fish story.
Derby winner Jonathan Kelley has his.
After finding his usual fishing spot in Monroe crowded with fellow fisherman, he found another spot along the Snohomish River, casting a 5050 Dick Knight spoon lure into the churning water.
Fifteen minutes later, he had a fight on his hands.
“I knew it was big when I hooked it. The way it fought, I thought it was a late king — or a late summer-run king,” Kelley said. “But when it jumped and I saw its silver belly, I knew what it was.”
Kelley fought the salmon for what he felt was “forever,” but in reality, it took 15 minutes. After he landed the fish, he knew he had to get it weighed as soon as possible.
At the weigh-in table an hour later, low whistles and backslaps greeted the 31-year-old fisherman from Marysville.
It weighed in at 18 pounds, 12 ounces — and it was a winner. Much better than his catch last year, which could have very well been an old shoe. But according to Kelley, that’s the beauty behind the Everett Coho Derby — if you have a fishing pole, a favorite spot and a love for the sport, you can win.
“If anything, the derby shows that anyone can win, anytime, anywhere,” Kelley said. “Last year I didn’t even place; this year I’m first and I can’t stop smiling from ear to ear.”
While Kelley was busy reeling in his prize-winning coho salmon, Lance Husby and Troy Moe were fishing “Shipwreck,” a well-known spot between Mukilteo and Possession Point.
Husby and Moe have been fishing buddies for three years, having met on the job. They now spend their free time on Husby’s 24-foot boat called “The Big Kahuna.”
With Husby at 6 foot, 6 inches, it’s not clear who the Big Kahuna really is.
Husby, 26, a former fishing charter skipper from Sitka, Alaska, has been fishing the derby since its inception 15 years ago.
To him, the derby is a no-brainer. Where else would he be on a weekend?
“I fish 100 days out of the year,” Husby said. “I’ve been fishing since I was 2.”
Husby placed 125th today, but it didn’t matter. Having once caught a 405-pound halibut that measured 91 inches long tends to put smaller catches into perspective. To Husby, it’s not about the catch — it’s about the fight.
“The hunt is what makes it exciting for all of us,” Husby said. “The thrill of going out there and catching these fish using our knowledge and expertise. Friends, the fish, the fight. That’s what it’s all about.”
Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.
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