Cold fog hangs white like muslin over the Juneau morning, masking the waters of the Taku River. To the Native Tlingit, "taku" is "salmon." The river has long been central to the lives of people here and it's one of the most important salmon fisheries in the world. An hour bush flight up the watershed runs the glacier-fed Tatsatua River. This stream is known by few. And, the salmon are plentiful, gorgeous, and gear-busting big.

"Hey, there's a nurse shark," says Captain Eric Lund. His nonchalant tone doesn't jibe with the words. From my perspective as landlocked for life, a shark sighting is cause for exclamation.

The hulking burgundy form shadows the skiff, wig-wagging over turtle grass while I snap photo after photo. And they all suck. Too many shadows, and the shark is just too deep through the jade-shaded crystal water. Auto focus can't capture the fish and I'm too slow on the draw manually.