One morning when I was little my dad said, "Son let's go fishing at Five Day Slough." So I got my parka and mukluks on because in those days we couldn't afford shoe pacs. And very seldom we got to go on these special trips because our parents were too involved in the subsistence way of life. Our transportation out and back was by dog team. There were no snow machines anywhere then.

When we got to the first fishing place called Jitabuck we saw a lot of people there. Everyone was pitching in and helping others make holes and stuff. After my dad made a hole for me I started jigging for pike. I never caught anything for a long time, but then something bit my hook and it was really heavy. I hollered to my dad and he came rushing over and helped me pull it out. I was really proud of my big pike. But that was enough, I didn't want to fish anymore. Some of my dad's friends kept telling me to fish but I didn't want to. I was so proud of my fish I didn't want my mom to cook it. I felt good about it because it was my biggest fish ever.

Andy Boots