I was standing on the deck this morning watching approximately 40 sandhill cranes dancing around in a nearby field when I noticed something. They weren't just feeding but fitting themselves with tiny bullet-proof vests for their fall flight south.

What the hell happened to summer? I'm still waiting for the real king run at The Hole, not to mention the first and second significant runs of silvers. Things were so bad out there that even the local fish-stealing seals headed to San Diego to seek employment at Sea World on a "work-for-food" contract.

Luckily halibut remained plentiful in the area and were pretty easy to catch for anyone with basic skills such as holding a pole and reeling in the line if something heavier than the bait started making annoying pulling movements.

Other than that, once again it's that time of year when many fishermen start to carefully stow all of their tackle into an old bait bucket and stuff it in some dark corner of the garage, shed or basement. That is to ensure that the gear will properly rust and congeal into a bio mass that their spouse or significant other will insist that they destroy with a flamethrower next spring thus requiring all new stuff.

That's just fine with me. Their departure leaves more room for the rest of us who enjoy whacking the water until it morphs into something you can cross country ski on.

Trust me, there's still some great fishing left most everywhere.

Since this is my last fishing column for the year, I'd like to leave you with a tip about a lure that I've used for years in the streams but have never seen anyone else utilize. It's my way of saying thanks to all of you who have read, supported and e-mailed this column over the last two years. Your tips and expertise are deeply appreciated.

I'd also like to give a special shout-out to our local Alaska Department of Fish and Game crew. Thank you for your sense of humor and the invaluable information that you've provided each week.

Anyway, many years ago I was stationed in Arizona and fished the Mogillion Rim and other trout haunts with a little lure called a Z-Ray. I had amazing luck with it and took a couple of them with me when I visited my folks in Juneau. The silvers slammed the things so hard I had to put on bigger hooks because they bent the originals. Dad and I limited daily with them.

All I will tell you is that the Z-Ray I use is silver with three red dots and I buy it on the Internet. It still requires stronger hook modifications because the strikes are nasty.

Maybe they are available up here now. To be truthful, I haven't looked.

Just a hint, a couple of other lures you might also find productive are Metalheads "Bleeding Egg and Electric Shrimp" spinners and chrome Kastmasters.

Yeah, I know, save your ego. Everyone is cool with what they use. But just in case

Remember, the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby continues until the end of the month. Tom Youngblood still leads with his 354.6-pound fish. For the lastest derby results, see page 19.

When he's not fishing, Nick C. Varney is a freelance writer.