Alaska
Fishing, 2004 Year in Review
Falling
leaves and rain give the Kenai a seasonal autumn glow as it runs high
and turbid into mid October. With a full belly of salmon eggs captured
in her gravel, the majestic Alaska River rolls on, defiant to the pending
winter. Attempting to look back and recount the many fishing adventures
we've experienced over the past five months is both amazing and very
challenging. Being on the water each and every day offers very little
time to savor a literal lifetime of fishing experiences. Albeit impossible
to remember every individual trip, I do want to personally thank all
that fished with us this past season. On behalf of my wife Cindy, my
family and our staff, we greatly appreciate your patronage and fondly
look forward to your next visit to Alaska.
What
follows is a brief recap of the 2004 season:
May
begins our fishing season with early run king salmon on both the Kenai
and the Kasilof Rivers. Both of these fisheries opened with excellent
catch rates and fair numbers of bright kings entering each river daily.
As both rivers are typically very low at the beginning of the season,
it doesn't take a ton of fish to find their path and make contact. But
water levels on the Kenai rose sharply very early this season, as a
result of an unseasonably warm spring. By early June the river was approaching
July levels and fishing was merely steady. Moderate fish counts and
high water were rewarding the most persistent anglers while the more
consistent fishing for king salmon was occurring in the marine fishery
off Deep Creek and Anchor Point and also on the Kasilof River.
Throughout
late May and early June the Kasilof remained an exciting and very productive
option for early season king salmon. Anglers are reminded that only
hatchery origin kings marked by a clipped adipose fin are allowed to
be retained through the end of June on the Kasilof River and the ratio
of wild and hatchery fish this season improved dramatically. Anglers
were able to both catch and release a good number of big wild Kasilof
kings and also have the opportunity to harvest good sized, bright hatchery
fish as well. Despite a fair degree of angling pressure, this fishery
remained excellent and we spent the majority of our early king salmon
season afloat the chalky green flows of the Kasilof. By the mid to late
June, water levels on the Kasilof were seeing the same dramatic rise
that had occurred on the Kenai. It was time to swap rivers and trade
in the oars for a four stroke Yamaha outboard. By the second and third
week of June, the highest daily number of early run kings was entering
Kenai daily. The steady flow of fish was pulling a number of rods down
daily and well into late June we continued to find plenty of action.
We released a great number of magnificent Kenai Kings that were between
44 and 55 inches. This required slot limit has been warmly received
by all that recognize the genetic integrity of these unusually large
Kenai King salmon. This being the second year of this regulation, I
can personally attest that anglers in my boat appreciate the opportunity
to release such a rare trophy while still being afforded the opportunity
five minutes later to catch another salmon they are able to harvest.
We look forward to seeing even greater numbers of mammoth sized king
salmon as future returns begin to reflect the benefit of this pro-active
regulation.
The
Kenai Peninsula is not the only part of Alaska we travel in pursuit
of legendary King Salmon. The west side of Cook Inlet and more distant
destinations like the fabled Nushagak River, become extremely viable
options for those willing to spend a little extra for a highly remote
fishing experience. Fishing these locations is shore based and getting
into multiple kings from the bank all while surrounded by remote Alaska
wilderness is a highly enjoyable addition to your trip. This summer
we made a handful of very rewarding helicopter excursions into the Chuitna
River. We access this small coastal river via Alaska West Air and a
short floatplane ride to their well established "heli-lake."
We then board a small helicopter which delivers us to a gravel bar along
this clear flowing river, snaking its way through thick boreal forest.
Large wash-outs of gravel make perfect landing zones. We rarely fished
more than one hole as a constant stream of big bright king salmon pushed
upriver right in front of our rod tips. Covering the gambit of techniques,
we captured these awesome fish with flies, spinners, assorted drift
bobbers, and even jigs with floats. The days when water levels were
higher and the river just off color were best, as the fish were less
spooky and remained aggressive well into mid day. These favorable conditions
prevailed in mid June, but as the season approached the July 1 closure,
the west side of Cook Inlet saw very little rain and despite high numbers
of fish, catch rates were subdued by the low clear water.
The
first week of July is always a time of transition here on the Kenai
Peninsula. As we enter our late run fisheries, the Kenai opens to the
use of bait and fishing improves accordingly. This year was no exception
as the opening week of bait was quite eventful. Even as early July provided
very dependable fishing conditions, the bulk of the run was yet to arrive.
The most significant numbers of both late run king salmon and sockeye
salmon hit the river in mid July. From July 13 until July 24, king salmon
sonar counts on the Kenai nearly doubled, averaging just fewer than
2000 fish per day during this 11 day stretch. For the late-run sockeye,
peak numbers were far more dramatic, falling into a more condensed time
table. On July 14 and 15, sockeye counts skyrocketed. In the first thirteen
days of July, only 26,140 late run sockeye had passed the counters,
an average of just over 2000 fish per day. In the following two days,
more than 250,000 chrome bright sockeye flooded the river, with daily
counts of 114,000 and 138,000 fish respectively. Needless to say, fishing
improved substantially for bank anglers seeking red salmon and limits
of this awesome table fare were very common. Both the sockeye and king
salmon returns remained at high levels through the end of July, although
excessive commercial fishing did result in the typical peaks and valleys
in the sport fishery. Overall July escapement on the Kenai exceeded
fifty thousand king salmon and one million sockeye salmon, good numbers
across the board.
Our
late run king salmon effort focused almost exclusively on the lower
Kenai River this year, as consistent tidal pushes of big-bright kings
kept us on our toes daily. Fishing infamous tidewater holes like "Mud
Island" and the "Horse Pasture" we, along with many others,
saw just how aggressive newly arriving kings can get. With a sizable
fleet of boats congregating in select places at select times of the
tide, the bulk of the unbound fish are met with a high concentration
of scent in the water. This seems to trigger an aggressive feeding frenzy
resulting in many boats with fish on at once. These "bites"
can last hours and sometimes minutes but they remained consistent for
the majority of the month, capping an overall very positive king season.
In
August, there is hardly time to mourn the end of king season. As soon
as July ends, its time to trade in the bigger gear for the fly rods
and the light spinning outfits and start chasing silvers and trout.
With the Kenai closed to silver fishing the first three days of August,
we will normally spend this time fishing some of the more remote silver
fisheries on the West side of Cook Inlet. Rivers like the Kustatan,
the Chuitna, the Theodore and Big River Lake all see good numbers of
silver salmon in late July and early August and this season was very
strong for all of these systems. Every trip we took to these magnificent
destinations was very successful. Good numbers of bright Coho were available
in most of these locations well into late August. Some noteworthy highlights
to these remote west side silver fisheries were the amazing waves of
silvers that could be found roaming the tide water holes on the Chuitna.
Always a small, clear stream, this non-glacial, coastal river was bone
dry due to the lack of rain.
The
fish were subsequently holed up in the lower tidal sections of the river
and seeing hundreds of fresh salmon in every piece of suitable holding
water was very fun to fish. Another remarkable salmon scene was the
hoards of silvers that returned this year to tributaries of Big River.
Massed by the thousands in clear water bays leading to small rocky creeks,
these hyper-aggressive Coho provide perhaps the most consistent silver
fishing we have ever seen. The sheer number of fish holding in these
still water estuaries makes every technique a winner. We spent a number
of days taking fish on every cast using top water flies. This is truly
silver salmon paradise.
As
we moved deeper into August and the spectacular fall season, the Kenai
silver run began to materialize in grand fashion. Beginning mid month,
very strong numbers of coho were arriving on every tide and silver fishing
was very good. We enjoyed steady angling success well into the month
of September. The return resulted in the highest recorded escapement
since ADF&G began enumerating this run, and the season, which normally
closes at the end of September, was extended through October. Even though
the silver run was certainly above normal, the pink return was merely
moderate. The biggest waves of pink salmon arrived in the first two
weeks of August and from then on their numbers receded steadily. By
early September, they were only a slight nuisance as we pursued the
newly arriving silvers.
With
the exceptional silver fishing, we also saw great trout fishing well
into late fall. This trophy, catch and release fishery continues to
astound visitors with exciting action and a remarkable consistency for
very large rainbows. The Kenai is blessed with such a remarkable transfer
of energy from the ocean in the form of hundreds of thousands of salmon.
The trout that live in the Kenai are super well fed as evidenced by
their portly proportions. A steady diet of salmon eggs and decaying
flesh allows these year round residents to flourish and become some
of the largest wild rainbows on the planet. Every season, I am amazed
at all the magnificent rainbows we have brought to hand. To catch these
mammoth trout in a smaller, more confined river would be nearly impossible
and only the Kenai's wide stature and plenty of line allows the drifting
angler to absorb their insatiable runs until finally tiring them along
side the boat. One can only dream about just how big some of these huge
trout may be. Is the Kenai capable of producing a thirty pound rainbow?
Beyond
September, guiding activities on the Kenai River largely cease. Most
of those out fishing are die-hard locals enjoying the excellent fishing
in their own backyards, before winter temperatures and several feet
of snow make fishing open water a mere memory. Fortunately Alaska has
a way of gradually transitioning a season-weary guide into the depths
of winter. The freezing temperatures are fleeting at first and October
normally brings rain from the south and one last dependable month of
hard core angling. With fraternal allegiance, those addicted to the
earth moving take and immediate retreat of a sea run rainbow trout will
break ice from their eyelets to battle one more of these awesome creatures
before winter closes in. Eventually even the heartiest anglers must
fold their hand to Alaska's dominant winters. Much like the infinite
eggs nestled in the gravel and awaiting spring, we too continue the
cycle, and with renewed optimism, preparation for yet another season
begins anew.
Mark, Cindy and Faith Glassmaker
Alaska Fishing with Mark Glassmaker