Kenai Sockeye Salmon Fishing
Kenai River Sockeye: Are they shy?
Sockeye
or Red salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka. Often called the "shy"
salmon, the sockeye is perhaps the most mysterious of the five pacific
salmon. Typically present in astronomical numbers, they can transform
even the smallest creek into a churning highway of back-to-back fish.
Highly coveted for their very rich meat, the red salmon has long been
Alaska's most valuable commercial target, netting the industry several
hundred million dollars annually. In recent years they have also generated
a huge Sportfishing reputation as more anglers have finally figured
out how to catch them.
The
sockeye's reluctance to take a lure has caused more than one visiting
angler to scratch their head. The guy next to you hooking one on every
cast can further acerbate the frustration. Everyone new to the sport
of red fishing has been there. Until you master the proper technique
and understand some fundamental premises about these very peculiar salmon,
you too will scratch your head. Let's clear the water.
Since
sockeye are the one salmon species that feed almost exclusively on blooms
of plankton, their level of aggression is far lower than their meat-eating
cousins. They take on a passive, solemn appearance as they plod their
methodical, almost generic journey upriver to spawn. Don't be fooled.
Beneath that seemingly simplistic exterior lies a very complex wild
creature with an endless supply of energy and strength. Sockeye are
amazingly uniform in appearance with most weighing between six and ten
pounds. The state record was taken on the Kenai in 1974 and weighed
16lbs.
Possessed
with an unstoppable will to reach their spawning grounds, sockeye move
upriver at remarkable speeds after leaving the sea. On the Kenai, it
is not at all uncommon to have sea-lice fish (a parasite that drops
off after 24 hrs in fresh water) 50 miles upriver. With their unmatched
stamina, these silver torpedoes provide the wildest fight of all Alaska's
salmon. That is, if you know how to catch one.
Understanding
the reasoning behind the sockeye's reluctance to strike will help tremendously
when attempting to put one on the hook (and into the freezer). You won't
need the fist sized bait of eggs and a spin 'n glow that is so deadly
with the kings. Nor will you want the chrome bladed spinner that most
consistently entices the silvers. For the sockeye, you want a very simple
and small presentation and believe it or not, a bare hook is very effective.
That's right, a bare hook. Some will add a small piece of colored yarn
or tiny float but the key seems to lie in the presentation rather than
what you are presenting.
Perhaps
the most important of all the critical factors involved in productive
red fishing is sheer concentration of fish. Since your offering passes
the mouths of far more fish when many are present, your chances of one
ending up with your hook are greatly increased. Makes sense, right?…so
back to the presentation. Sockeye notoriously travel within 2-5 feet
of the shoreline, so you'll need to be standing on the bank rather than
in a boat. Sometimes the best way to learn a new fishing technique is
to first watch an experienced angler in motion. The well-weathered red
angler will stand out like a sore thumb with the repetitious, almost
robot like flips upriver. Short methodical swings with the rod are the
foundation. You "plop" your hook upriver enough to get your
weight to the bottom and draw it as straight as possible across the
current and through the passing fish. The amount of lead to use is critical
and always different depending on the strength of the current.
Usually
a swift current and water between 2-5 feet deep is ideal. With too much
weight your lure will be constantly stuck in the rocks and this makes
for a poor drift. You want your weight to simply tick the bottom, not
grab it. Once you have mastered the art of flipping your line upriver
and swinging it across the water with your lead consistently ticking
the bottom, you are well on your way. With your fly trailing your weight
by 3-5 feet, it will regularly pass through the bulk of the fish which
are within a foot of the bottom, and constantly opening and closing
their mouths to aerate their gills. Herein lies the controversy of these
fabled salmon, as many believe the inevitable hook-up that results is
simply your line finding one of many opening and closing mouths. As
you pull back to make yet another short swing, your hook meets jaw and
a top water explosion immediately ensues.
Did
the salmon suddenly strike the passing hook or did your repetitive technique
combined with thousands of passing salmon, make the hook up a mathematical
certainty? Since many times your hook finds the fish's tail, or dorsal
fin it seems the latter may be more plausible. Nevertheless, this technique,
when mastered, will consistently hook sockeye right in the corner of
the mouth. The battle is unmatched. Even the most religious light-line
purists will spool up 20-30lb. test (at least) to ensure half their
hook ups will result in bringing the fish to hand. Due to their relative
abundance, the limits for sockeye are liberal and this means you can
accumulate an entire winter's worth of vacuum packed filets in one or
two outings. It's not tough to figure out why so may Alaskans make red
salmon fishing an important part of their summer.
The
Kenai receives two separate runs of sockeye salmon, one in mid-June
and the other in late July. The June run is headed almost exclusively
for the Russian River, a clear water, mountain tributary that dumps
into the upper Kenai just below Cooper Landing. This is a very strong
run in which thousands of fish stack up at the confluence where the
Russian meets the Kenai. Guess what, so do the crowds, and it is here
that the term "combat fishing" was born. Hiking up into the
Russian itself will separate you from the crowds, but despite the wilderness
surroundings, lots of people and the Russian River go hand in hand.
Especially when the red run is at its peak. Don't despair there's plenty
of free entertainment and fish, so get right into the middle of it.
You'll definitely need hip waders, lots of gear, and eye protection.
The Russian River run typically sees over 30,000 fish but it's the main
Kenai that really produces the numbers.
Peaking
in late July, this enormous push of red salmon will usually reach one
million strong once the entire run has entered the river. This mob of
reds will spread itself out from early July to mid-August. When the
run is at its peak we will see 50,000 fish days and as you can imagine,
the fishing is quite good.
So
as you're planning the day to day fishing schedule for your next venture
to Alaska, be sure to build in a few days of red fishing. Remember to
be patient, and forget any previous fishing experience you may have.
This is a one of a kind technique for a one of a kind fish. Once you've
had one of these silver torpedoes nearly pull you into the river, you
too will be hooked.
