Catching Kokeenee Salmon at Flaming Gorge

The first step to catch Kokeenee salmon at Flaming Gorge is to launch your boat. Now that is pretty easy but the next step is to start your engine and there we were with an engine that started but overheated due to a bad water pump. So I ordered a water pump and of course the company shipped it to my confirmed address, which is in Texas,(We use a mail forwarding service called Escapees). The problem is that we are in Wyoming.
So we had it forwarded to Matt and Patty's house and armed with the new water pump we headed south to Flaming Gorge. I carefully read the directions on how to change a water pump in my new book, Yamaha Service Manuel for 2003 Outboard Engines, (Thank you Amazon). I had never changed one and would have preferred to pay to have it done but the closest dealer is in Salt Lake City.
The motor came apart quite easy and there was the water pump! Now lets see it says to clean the drive shaft and remove the old parts after cleaning the shaft. As I removed the compression ring I discovered it was made of plastic and of course it broke. It would make sense to me that a new compression ring would be in the kit but of course it wasn't so I had to reuse it as I installed the new water pump.

I barely got the lower unit into the motor and got it all together. Hitching up the trailer we drove to the boat ramp and the water pump actually worked! I didn't have any forward or reverse but the water pump worked, hmmmmm. Back at the campsite I looked at the directions and noticed step 23, be sure the shift lever is lined up as you reinstall the lower unit.
The next day I dropped the lower unit and sure enough the shift lever was not connected. I reinstalled the lever and reinstalled the lower unit and we headed back to the boat ramp to test the motor. Now it not only pumped water but it shifted into gear! Yeah it worked!The next day we headed down to Anvil boat ramp. Launching the boat we drove quickly across the lake and joined the seventeen boats working theschool of salmon.
I put out our first line and we hooked a nice kokeenee before I could get out the second pole. tT came to the boat after making several jumps and Renita deftly netted it, salmon for dinner! Three hours later  we worked back to the boat ramp and just before quitting another salmon hit, fought in, and then was netted by my first, and only, mate.

The next day we headed back to Anvil and just as quickly caught a nice koke. Soon another joined it in the cooler and then nothing for a while. Most of the other boats left and as it was about noon we got out our lunch. I am sure you know what happened next, a double hit and I landed both fish. Releasing them I put the down rigger back down and another fish hit, this one larger and it filled my limit.
Now Renita had not caught any fish as she didn't have a fishing license. The lady at the Marina refused to sell her one because we don't have a permanent address. Even though Renita showed her our fishing licence from last year and her valid and only Wyoming driver license.
It didn't matter as Renita drove the boat, netted the fish, and played boat captain while I played the deck hand role. Everyone knows its the captain that really catches the fish so she gets equal credit. It was a good day fishing and catching and oh how we love eating fresh kokeenee salmon. Clear skies.