'Fair, with some bright spots'
Salmon fishing on the Kenai Peninsula has been slow to fair this week, but there are a few bright spots for those with patience and perseverance.
The weak return on the Anchor River has led Alaska Department of Fish and Game area managers to close this weekend's salmon opening by emergency order. The run simply hasn't materialized, with between 20 and 40 fish passing through the weir each day. The cumulative total through Tuesday is just 219 fish, well below the average of 2,560 that historically have passed the weir by this date.
The Anchor River salmon closure extends into adjacent saltwater, two miles north and south of the mouth of the river, and one mile offshore.
Deep Creek and Ninilchik River will open for the final weekend this season as scheduled, though fishing has been slow on those streams.
"They've picked up compared to the first weekend, but they're still not great runs," said Nicky Szarzi, the Fish and Game management biologist in Homer.
Salmon fishing on the Kenai and Kasilof rivers looks a bit better this weekend.
Robert Begich, area management biologist with Fish and Game in Soldotna, said the Kenai River is "fair, with some bright spots. We've got great water conditions for fishing, we just don't have a lot of fish in the river right now."
At this point in the run, the Kenai River is fishing better than the Kasilof, Begich said.
Buz Rooney of Drexel Hill., Pa., was out fishing the Kenai with guide Bruce Hewitt on Wednesday.
"I'm enjoying life's gift to me right now," Rooney said Wednesday afternoon.
Rooney said he hooked up with a small king Wednesday morning, and noticed more than a few anglers with fish in the boat during his time out on the water.
"It's absolutely gorgeous out here," Rooney said. "Even if we don't catch anything, it's gorgeous."
Thomas Hayes was having some success on the Kasilof on Wednesday morning, fishing near its confluence with Crooked Creek. Hayes reeled in a bright wild king salmon -- but had to release the fish as only hatchery-reared fish, identifiable by a scar where their adipose fin should be, can be retained on Wednesdays.
"That almost ruins a perfectly good day," Hayes joked as the fish swam off.
The count for the early run of Kenai River king salmon is beginning to pick up, with 153 fish passing the sonar on Monday, and 205 fish counted on Tuesday.
With salmon fishing slow, this might be the perfect weekend to stow the salmon rods, break out the light tackle and check out one of the many lakes stocked with trout or landlocked salmon.
"Stocked lakes are still good. The spring is one of the better times to fish them, and the first half of summer," said Begich
A list of the peninsula's stocked lakes can be found on the Fish and Game Web site, at http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/lakedata/.
For anglers with their hearts set on salmon this weekend, another option is a visit to the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon on the Homer Spit. A portion of the lagoon will be cordoned off Saturday for a youth fishery, and Fish and Game staff will be on hand from noon to 2 p.m. The best time to fish the lagoon is during the incoming tide. High tide in Homer is just before 3 p.m. Saturday
There is some good news out on the river. Begich reported that anglers are beginning to pick up some early run sockeye salmon in the Kenai River king fishery -- a good sign for next week's Russian River opening.
If you've been out fishing, we'd love to hear from you. You can send us an e-mail at tightlines@peninsulaclarion.com. If you've got a photo, a good story, or even a favorite recipe to share, we want to share it with the rest of our readers.
As always, be sure to check the regulations before going out on the water as a number of seasonal closures and restrictions are in effect.
Until next week, here's wishing you tight lines.
Clarion photographer M. Scott Moon contributed to this report.
Comments? Photos? A tale of your own? Send them to tightlines@peninsulaclarion.com.