Salmon Fishing on the Kenai Peninsula
Salmon fishing in Alaska is almost like a national holiday for the na
tives - and some visitors to the state. While we were parked in Soldotna we m
et many people that were there just for the salmon fishing. We were amazed at the length to which these people took this sport - and the end results. Most everyone was equipped with methods to preserve their catches. Many of them had canning equipment and freezers that they incorporated into their RVs, some of them taking out their furniture to install the freezers so they could take hundreds of pounds of salmon back to the lower 48 with them.
tives - and some visitors to the state. While we were parked in Soldotna we m
et many people that were there just for the salmon fishing. We were amazed at the length to which these people took this sport - and the end results. Most everyone was equipped with methods to preserve their catches. Many of them had canning equipment and freezers that they incorporated into their RVs, some of them taking out their furniture to install the freezers so they could take hundreds of pounds of salmon back to the lower 48 with them.First salmon se
ason is for the "king salmon". These fish are huge and supposedly the Filet Mignon of the line. Then comes the "reds" - or as we know it Sockeye. These are nicknamed appropriately as the f
lesh is dark red. Third coming are the "Silvers" - or Coho. Following this is the "pinks" or what they call Dog Salmon. This salmon is what we get in our canned salmon here in the states unless it is actually called Sockeye on the label. The natives or residents take these salmon out of the water with the only intention being of taking it home and grinding it into dog food - hence the name "dog salmon".
ason is for the "king salmon". These fish are huge and supposedly the Filet Mignon of the line. Then comes the "reds" - or as we know it Sockeye. These are nicknamed appropriately as the f
lesh is dark red. Third coming are the "Silvers" - or Coho. Following this is the "pinks" or what they call Dog Salmon. This salmon is what we get in our canned salmon here in the states unless it is actually called Sockeye on the label. The natives or residents take these salmon out of the water with the only intention being of taking it home and grinding it into dog food - hence the name "dog salmon". Ken and I
didn't participate in any fishing, but while Jason was with us, he did go fishing and had a great time. We met a couple of guys that clued u
s into the technique and the fact that you can actually eat the pinks if you catch them at the right time. You don't want to keep the males - they are usually past their prime and some of the females are too. What you have to look for is the silver sheen on the sides 
of the females - if it is there, they haven't been in the water too 
long and are every bit as good to eat as any of the other salmon. We can vouch for that as Jason caught a huge one and we took it back to the RV and cooked it that night. It was delicious - just as good as the sockeye we had before.
didn't participate in any fishing, but while Jason was with us, he did go fishing and had a great time. We met a couple of guys that clued u
s into the technique and the fact that you can actually eat the pinks if you catch them at the right time. You don't want to keep the males - they are usually past their prime and some of the females are too. What you have to look for is the silver sheen on the sides 
of the females - if it is there, they haven't been in the water too 
long and are every bit as good to eat as any of the other salmon. We can vouch for that as Jason caught a huge one and we took it back to the RV and cooked it that night. It was delicious - just as good as the sockeye we had before.There are dangers 
in salmon fishing also. Most everyone fishes in the rivers. The Kenai River is one of the most dangerous bodies of water in Alaska. It is cold, deep and very fast moving. Very few fishermen go out in boats, opting to stand a foot from the bank and casting their lines out into the current. They do this over and over again. Also, they have no bait on the hook - only a fly of some sort. A lot of the fishermen tie a red piece of red yarn to the hook and call it a fly. Surprisingly, that works just as good as any store bought fly.
in salmon fishing also. Most everyone fishes in the rivers. The Kenai River is one of the most dangerous bodies of water in Alaska. It is cold, deep and very fast moving. Very few fishermen go out in boats, opting to stand a foot from the bank and casting their lines out into the current. They do this over and over again. Also, they have no bait on the hook - only a fly of some sort. A lot of the fishermen tie a red piece of red yarn to the hook and call it a fly. Surprisingly, that works just as good as any store bought fly.The day we got to the Soldotna area 
there was a 42 year old man - in good health - that was fishing the Kenai. He lost his balance, the bystanders saw him go down, surface once and they pulled him out two days later. Another time, one of the women that was fishing from our camping area also lost her balance and started floating out into the current. One of the guys that was close to her caught her by the hair and pulled her back in. She was fortunate but it scared her and she told Ken that she didn't think she was going to fish any more. This woman was 80 years old, only about 5' tall and had been fishing in this spot for 30 years or more. This picture at the left is just to say - "Where there is salmon there is a bear somewhere!"
there was a 42 year old man - in good health - that was fishing the Kenai. He lost his balance, the bystanders saw him go down, surface once and they pulled him out two days later. Another time, one of the women that was fishing from our camping area also lost her balance and started floating out into the current. One of the guys that was close to her caught her by the hair and pulled her back in. She was fortunate but it scared her and she told Ken that she didn't think she was going to fish any more. This woman was 80 years old, only about 5' tall and had been fishing in this spot for 30 years or more. This picture at the left is just to say - "Where there is salmon there is a bear somewhere!"One of the campers in the Soldotna area canned 12 cases of pint size jars of salmon. When they were done with that method they took their salmon to one of the town fisheries to have them flash frozen and vacuum packed to load in their two freezers. The freezers were in the back of a utility trailer and they kept them running with their generator. They had been there most of the summer before we got there and had been fishing almost every day. All of them say they eat salmon 3 or 4 times a week and while they are fishing they eat salmon every day. I like salmon but only about once or twice a month!! That is healthy enough for me!
We will b
e leaving this area in a couple of days to take Jason to the airport in Anchorage to fly back to Pennsylvania. Once we take him to the airport we will be heading east and starting our trip back to the lower 48 states. I, for one am not looking forward to leaving this amazing state. It is the only state I have been in that I am actually sad to leave. That must mean I will be coming back to Alaska at some point in the future.
e leaving this area in a couple of days to take Jason to the airport in Anchorage to fly back to Pennsylvania. Once we take him to the airport we will be heading east and starting our trip back to the lower 48 states. I, for one am not looking forward to leaving this amazing state. It is the only state I have been in that I am actually sad to leave. That must mean I will be coming back to Alaska at some point in the future.
Finally - a good picture of Mt. Redoubt - the volcano!
Beautiful moonlit Alaskan night!
