Merry Christmas

'Tis the Season.

Merry Christmas from the both of us.

Sign the Petition

If you're reading this blog I know that you are a sportfisherman.   A link was sent to me about a petition to take a serious look at the incidental bycatch of halibut and chinook salmon in the Alaska trawl fishery.   If you care about the future of sportfishing in Alaska, click here and sign the petition.   

I am not against commercial fishing and believe it should not be shut down but this particular method needs to be modified so there is less bycatch kill of non-targeted species.   If the trawlers are not held accountable there will be no change.

Let your voice be heard.

Circle Hooks for Sockeye

The whole point of this blog is to share, educate, and inform.  This past summer I learned a great tip for catching sockeye (red) salmon and I hope readers of this blog will try it.  It is nearly fool proof and is perhaps the best method of legally and efficiently hooking a sockeye salmon that I know of.

Using a circle hook for sockeye salmon first came to my attention last winter.   One of the most knowledgeable fisherman I know, Francis Estalilla, the Fishin' Physician, told me he first experimented with circle hooks during the 2011 season.   Between Francis and his fishing buddies they hooked legally in the mouth over 130 sockeye salmon using circle hooks.....not one illegally snagged.   I'm skeptical of many fisherman, but Francis' information has been sound and this concept intrigued me.

Fast forward to 2012.  When the king salmon fishery closed in July I had an opportunity to give circle hooks a try for sockeyes.  I gave Francis a call to see if I could join him on a gravel bar to watch and learn what he was doing.  After about 10 minutes of watching the clinic that Francis and his buddies were putting on, I asked if he had an extra circle hook for me to use because I wanted to try it for myself.   He gave me one and it didn't take long before I caught and landed my first sockeye. 

I fished circle hooks for the rest of the sockeye run and I'll have to say the results were impressive.   It wasn't completely foolproof, I managed to snag a couple of fish in the fin, but compared to a standard octupus hook it was a non factor.   There's no doubt in my mind if circle hooks were used by the anglers who do the "Kenai Rip" or "Kenai Jerk" very few of these fish would be snagged and would not have to be released either injured or dead.   Defintely a better way to legally target sockeye salmon.

What do they look like?  The hook on the left is a Gamakatsu Nautilus circle hook.  The hook on the right is a standard Octopus hook.   The size that seems to work best on the middle and lower Kenai is a 2/0.   To be properly rigged use a 25lb test line for a leader and tie a standard bumper loop knot, but only do this with 2-3 twists.  If you do more than this the angle of your hook will be too severe and will not find a proper purchase in the mouth of the fish.   To finish off the rig tie a small piece of yarn on the loop (take a look at the top photo for a reference).

Because a circle hook is different than the standard sockeye rig on the Kenai the technique is slightly different as well.   Your flipping will be the same but your hook set will be different.  Instead of an agressive "jerk" set when you feel the bite with a standard rig, with a circle hook you'll lift your rod tip up slow and steady until you feel weight.  Fish on!  If you "let her rip" when fishing a cirlce hook you will pull the hook through the mouth too quickly and that will result in a missed fish.

 

 



 

 

 

 

Seeing is believing when it comes to using a circle hook.  The mechanics of how a circle hook works can best be seen in the video above. 

 

A final thought.  One thing I found by using circle hooks is that I'll have less "action" than fisherman who aren't using them  This is because the majority of their fish were snagged in the back or belly and had to be released.  I'll definitely take less action when I know I injure less fish and reach a legal limit (usually) more quickly than a non-circle hook sockeye fisherman.   It's a win/win!

 

So, in 2013 don't be afraid to give the fish friendly circle hooks a try for sockeyes.  I think you'll like the results.



 

Kenai Profiles: Todd Laflamme

This post has been long overdue.   When I first came up with the idea of "Kenai Profiles" I had a handful of people that I knew immediately were blog worthy.  But for some reason, I've put off profiling my long time friend, Todd Laflamme.  I guess it's one of those things that's been too close to me and unfortunately I've probably taken it for granted.  Not anymore.   I don't know about you but the benchmark that I use in determining the depth of a friendship is whether or not I would call a person at 2:00am if my truck broke down.  Todd is one of those guys I could call in the morning, during dinner, at 1:00am, 2:00am, 3:00am, doesn't matter.  He'd answer the phone and say "what do you need?"  How great is that? 

I first met Todd in 1982 when we both enrolled at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.  Todd came from Connecticut and I came from Minnesota.   We lived in the same dorm and it didn't take too long to figure out we had a lot of similar interests.   I'll have to say some of my best adventures in college happened with Todd.   Hiking, fishing, and camping from Denali to Homer, whenever we had any extended time off  we would try find a way to get out and explore Alaska.   We still try to do this even today.

Since graduation Todd has lived in Anchorage.    He worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for many years but now works with his father-in-law and son at Northern Meats, a wholesale meat distributor located in Anchorage.   Keep that in mind whenever you're ordering a steak at restaurant in Alaska.....it probably came from the crew at Northern Meats.

It wouldn't be a blog if I didn't share a few photos.  Here's the Laflamme family after a morning of silver fishing on the Kenai.  That's Kim, his wife, on the left, Todd in the middle, and Alec, his son, on the right.

Since Jane and I have owned Beaver Creek Cabins, Todd has made it a point to bring his mom and dad down to the Peninsula to recreate.   Bob, aka Dean-O, is one of a kind and Janet is a treasure.    Definitely one of our highlights each summer.

Here's Janet and Todd in the spring of 2012 walking the beaches near Ninilchik in pursuit of razor clams.

I do feel bad that I don't have any photos of Todd's in-laws, Jerry and Donna to post.  They too have been down to fish and dig clams but I fortunately did not have my digital camera with me when they were here.   I'll get 'em next time.

No other way to end this profile other than saying:  amigo, brother, bud, pal, compadre, cohort, comrade, dip net deck boss, walker of dogs, procurer of meat,  cleaner of clams, call Todd what you will, he's just a good guy and a good friend.

Happy Thanksgiving

Family, food, and football.

Hey everybody, have a great week.

Fishin' With Dave

 

 

Here's a guy that has a real passion for life, Dave Anderson.  If you don't believe me, take a look at his blog, Fishin' with Dave.    His blog is my absolute favorite and I always enjoy reading his well written posts about his daily life.   Go ahead, click on the link,  I know if you like reading mine you'll be a fan of his as well.

Dave and I go back to 2000 when I met him on his first trip to the Kenai River.    At the time I was guiding for Jeff King and by luck I just happened to get Dave and his crew for the day.   It didn't take me long to figure out I liked this guy.   Maybe it's the Minnesota/Wisconsin connections (I grew up in Minnesota but my birthplace was Green Bay, Wisconsin) but I think it's more than that.    Dave is just one of those guys that you're instantly comfortable around.

Since our first meeting, Dave has made it back to Alaska every pink year except for 2010.   Even though our cabins are always full when he comes (it's during the Blinn group), Dave always finds time to call or to stop by to say hello.   Some times he brings freshly picked sweet corn from Minnesota, some times he's bringing me a new lure to try out.    It's all good.  If you haven't guessed, that's Dave in the photo above holding a pair of Kenai silvers caught this past August. 

Here's Dave's 2012 crew.  From left to right is Greg, Dave, Steve, Mark and Tom.  This is limit of silvers taken on a fly in trip to the Bachatna River.      

Ahhh, next time Dave try to catch a fish with the fillets still attached...... 

Our sport show season is just around the corner and this is another time of the year we get to see Dave.   Jane and I always look forward to visiting with him and can't wait to find out if his recent posts are all true.... just like mine!       

Election Day 11/6/2012

 

Tomorrow is election day. 

Do your civic duty.  Vote early and vote often!