Fishing the Susitna Valley in Alaska every summer for king salmon is a ritual for me. Sheep Creek is one of several popular weekend only roadside fisheries in the valley where huge bulldozer Chinooks can be found making their way up the fresh water. I caught this 48 inch king during the 2008 season after a 20 minute battle which included lots of line ripping off my drag, vigorous head shakes, extreme rod bending, a couple of tail slaps, and of course a large dose of "The Force". Thanks to a good friend with a sharp eye for taking a great photo, I was able to capture the moment. I released the monster back to the creek so he may be able to spread moondust and create more salmon with his genetic code.  Oh yea, I celebrated high-fives with my buddy!!