Pre Memorial Day Report

My group on Tuesday canceled and I was hoping to give a first hand report about the start of the run this year. So far my only reports have come from a few guys that have been out and they've described the bite as fair.

Today was my official first day and within the first hour Pat caught this beautiful 35lb female Kenai king. We caught it at Fall In Hole on an orange spin 'n glo. That was it for our action today. I spoke with a Fish and Game officer later in the morning and he told me he counted 14 boats on the river and 4 fish had been caught. Not a bad percentage considering the low counts on the sonar. What a great first group and a great first day and my egg curing season has officially begun!

I'll be guiding the next 3 days so expect another fishing report soon.

Red Salmon Gear

A question that Jane and I are often asked is what gear do I need to fish red salmon? If you are a person that prefers a fly rod a 7wt or 8wt is a good fit for Kenai red salmon. If you are a conventional fisherman a 7ft to 8 1/2 foot medium to heavy action rod with either a spinning reel or a baitcasting reel will work fine. The line that I prefer is 17lb test monofilament for my mainline. Some people use heavier line in the "combat zone" or a braided line but through the years I have found 17lb to be a good weight overall to catch red salmon. The terminal gear that you'll need will be sinkers, I prefer split shots because you can add or subtract weight instantly, a crane swivel to prevent line twists, a leader from your swivel ranging from 18" to 36" using 25lb-30lb monofilament, and a Coho/Russian fly or 2/0 hook with yarn attached to it. Other equipment you will need are chest waders or hip boots. Red salmon run within a few feet of the riverbank and you'll need to be out in the water and how far out will depend upon the fish. Miscellaneous equipment but not essential would include needle nose pliers, a stringer, a net, polarized sunglasses, bug repellent, and sunscreen.


That's it. Pretty simple fishing gear. If you don't have this equipment there are plenty of stores in our area that will sell you everything you'll need to catch a red salmon (my personal favorite is Trustworthy Hardware).


I suppose you are now asking yourself "when do the red salmon run and what techniques do I use to catch them?" Have no fear. I will address these topics in the not so distant future.

Les Anderson Day

It was 25 years ago today that Les Anderson of Soldotna, Alaska caught the world record king salmon on the Kenai River. Les is no longer with us but his legend still lives on. The mount of his 97.4lb fish is in the Soldotna Visitor Center and a chainsaw art statue honoring him is out in front (pictured above).

I won't be out on the river today paying my respect to ol' Les because it's "drift boat, non-guided Monday" day. But you know, I'll be out this week trying to do my best to set the next world record.

Digging Razor Clams

My friend Todd called me this week and asked if I wanted to join him on Saturday to dig razor clams. I thought, why not? It's early in the year and it's always fun to walk the beach on days when you have nice weather.

A little background for those of you who are not familiar with razor clams. Razor clams are found on the Kenai Peninsula on most sandy beaches throughout a fifty mile stretch between the Kasilof River to the North and the Anchor River to the South. The most popular area is the Clam Gulch Recreation Area located about 30 miles south of where we are located. The best digging is generally one hour before to two hours after a low tide (it must be a minus tide). Waterproof footgear is a must and rubber gloves are essential. Other than that all you need is a fishing license, a bucket, and a shovel, or a "clam tube". Your limit is 60.

I've been told that the razor clams found in our area are some of the finest in the world. I'm amazed that people will come to Alaska not to fish or sightsee but they will come for the razor clams. I suppose you're wondering what people do with them. The best uses for razor clams are either frying them (ah, what isn't) or using them in a chowder.

Today the clamming was good and the conversation better. If you have an open day when traveling to Alaska you may want to give clamming a try. It's easy, it's fun, and they're great to eat. As my dad would say, "that's a heck of a deal."

Open For Business 2010

They water was turned on yesterday and the cabins have been cleaned. It's official: the 2010 season in underway.

George, after your comment about how you enjoy walking down the dock early in the morning I couldn't help but post a picture I took today of Jane taking a picture of a moose from the end of the dock. This time of year the moose spend a lot of time on the banks of Beaver Creek. It's the first green grass of the year and after browsing all winter on willows
I got to imagine it's a lot like you and me going to the Dairy Queen.

The Dock Is In

Putting in the dock and taking out the dock is an easy endeavour as long as you let Mother Nature do her thing. We have a floating dock and it can be easily moved as long at the tide is 22.5 feet or higher. This morning we had a 23 foot tide so it we had no problem getting the dock in. This year we did this earlier than normal but this is because there won't be an adequate tide until late June. As our motto states, "Out of Bed...and into the Boat" and if we waited until later to put the dock in we'd have a few unhappy clients.

The bottom photo is the dock yesterday. It is high and dry and tied up to the trees on the edge of our property. The middle photo was taken at 4:30am this morning with the dock in place on the Beaver Creek channel. Notice how light it is at 4:30am. Very nice. The top photo was taken an hour later right at sunrise.

Now that the dock is you can't help but wonder when the first salmon of the year will be caught. The rumor mill in town will be in full gear before long.

Release A Hog & Take Home A Trophy Program

The Kenai River is unique king salmon fishery. In terms of the size of the run it is not considered large, but the fish in the run are the largest in the world. Eight of the top ten king salmon caught on rod and reel have come off the Kenai. The crown jewel is Les Anderson's world record coming in at 97.4 lbs caught in 1985.

Over the past ten years the numbers of gigantic fish have decreased which has been of great concern to the sport fishing public. The oldest are the 5-year ocean fish and they typically account for 2-5% of the total return
The Kenai River Sportfish Association (KRSA) has acted on these concerns and created the Release A Hog program. KRSA will pay up to $800 for catching and releasing a 50" or longer Kenai River king salmon.

Here are the official rules for the Release A Hog program.

*participating king salmon must be caught between July 1st and July 31st only.
*Anglers must hold a valid fishing license.
*To qualify, angler must catch a release a trophy fish measuring 50" long or longer.
*An affidavit of the catch and release with the signature of the guide, the angler and one additional witness will be required.
*Fish will be verified with a photo of the fish in the net next to the yardstick in the water.
*The photo and affidavit must be delivered to KRSA office within 7 days of the date of the catch.
*A certificate will be awarded to the approved angler. Upon receiving a photo of the angler with his/her reproduction, and a copy of the paid taxidermist invoice, the angler will receive up to $800.
*Only one fish per year per angler can qualify for this program
*All guides and anglers must comply with ADGF&G regulations.
*Certificates expires 18 months after date of catch and release.

Pretty good deal. You get the thrill of fighting a Kenai king and you get to hang a replica on the wall for free or nearly free.

If you know me at all you know I can get side tracked and easily digress, so, allow me this moment to tell you a story about a potential Release A Hog. Nine years ago I was guiding a repeat client but instead of fishing with his family he decided to come with his college buddies. I explained to them the Release A Hog program and they all decided they wanted to be part of it if they caught a large king salmon. Fishing was slow but in the last half hour Don finally catches a fish. It was large, just over 50", and while it was in the net I asked him what he wanted to do. Without hesitatation he said, "BONK IT!" I get the fish in the boat, bonk it, and we take pictures and high fives are exchanged all around. Fifteen minutes later, after the adrenaline has subsided, Don asks how he can be part of the Release A Hog program. I told him it's called Release A Hog and not Bonk A Hog so if you want to get a replica made it will have to come out of his own pocket. The following year Don told me that he was caught up in the heat of the moment and he kept the fish because he wanted to be the top dog in his group of buddies. He's regretted that decision and in subsequent years has yet to catch another one over 50".

Ultimately it's up to you if you want to release a trophy salmon and I hold no ill will if you choose to keep it. But, there's no doubt that this is a great conservation program that allows more big fish to reach the spawning beds. Hundreds of anglers who have received replicas agree as well.