Fishing transitions to trout, grayling and pike

I talked with Bob Meals recently, and he mentioned that Tri River Charters would be running salmon fishing trips through the first week of September up on the Tallkeetna River.

Talking to one of Bob’s guides on Aug. 31, I asked if they were still catching silver salmon, and the answer was yes. I asked if guests were still catching limits of silver salmon, and the answer was yes as of Aug. 29. Next, I asked how the fishing would change when regulations require anglers to switch to artificial lures only — something that happens on Susitna River drainage streams starting Sept. 1. The answer was with all the chums and pink salmon, it would likely be difficult sorting out limits of silver salmon without salmon eggs tempting them to bite.

My experience on the middle portion of the Susitna River drainage Aug. 26 was that even with salmon eggs we found very few silver salmon to catch, but lots of chum salmon. Even on a good silver salmon year, the fishing is usually dropping off rather quickly in many Mat-Su locations by Sept. 1, but on a year with less-than-average numbers of silver salmon, the drop off in silver catching has been earlier and will only increase now that bait fishing will not be allowed for silver salmon (or other fish) in a large portion of Mat-Su Valley streams.

Last week, the Alaska Department of FIsh and Game (ADF&G) issued an emergency order closing all Knik Arm drainage streams except Fish Creek and Eklutna Tailrace to silver salmon fishing.

Fortunately, the Mat-Su Valley offers good opportunities to catch rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, grayling and other freshwater species. ADF&G fisheries biologist Samantha Oslund said a large number of people are now calling the department about trout fishing options. Oslund mentioned that in addition to the many streams where wild fish may be caught, there is currently excellent fishing in local stocked lakes.

According to Oslund, fish in some of the lakes grow to sizes that rival big trout caught from the Kenai River, but on the valley lakes there is much less fishing pressure and little competition, particularly in late summer/early fall. Oslund expects good to excellent lake fishing success to continue from now until the lakes start to freeze over.

For more information concerning which lakes might offer the type fishing experience you are interested in, including species and size of fish available, contact Oslund with 746-6332 or talk to some of the fishing experts at Sportsman’s Warehouse or 3 Rivers Fly & Tackle in Wasilla.

How do commercial managers assess an emergency?

On Aug. 6, ADF&G closed the use of bait for sport fishing for silver (coho) salmon on the Little Susitna River by emergency order.

Little Susitna River is the only Northern DIstrict Cook Inlet stream with a coho salmon escapement goal that also has in-season escapement count monitored by a weir throughout the run timing.

The emergency restriction on the Little Susitna River was based on:

1. ADF&G test netting of low coho abundance out in the Central District of Upper Cook Inlet.

2. Low numbers of coho salmon caught in the commercial fishery in Upper Cook Inlet (confirming low coho abundance shown in ADF&G test netting).

3. Low harvest rates of coho salmon in the Little Susitna River sport fishery confirming low coho abundance as measured by the test fishery and commercial catches.

Under the circumstances, it seems highly justifiable to restrict the coho fishery, but why did ADF&G managers make absolutely no adjustment to the continuing Northern District commercial set net fishery also harvesting the same coho salmon?

As mentioned earlier, on Aug. 27, ADF&G additionally closed all sport coho salmon fishing in the Little Susitna River and all other Knik Arm drainages except FIsh Creek (only open two days per week anyway) and Eklutna Tailrace (a hatchery fishery with no need for spawning escapement). If ADF&G managers deemed it necessary to close even catch-and-release sport fishing for coho salmon, why did the same department make absolutely no emergency change to commercial regulations?

How can the same low escapement numbers be such a drastic situation that all coho sport fishing must be closed, while at the same time those low escapement numbers (according to ADF&G commercial managers) require absolutely no commercial regulatory concern?

Mat-Su Anglers

Club news

The club’s monthly meeting is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m., Sept. 8 at the Menard sports center in Wasilla. The following monthly meeting will be the annual smoked salmon contest at the same time and location on Oct. 13. Call Julie Busch at 892-7543 for more information.

Little Susitna

River weir data

According to ADF&G figures, the average midpoint of the Little Susitna River silver salmon escapement past the Little Susitna River weir is Aug. 31. ADF&G’s Little Susitna River silver salmon escapement count through Aug. 30 is 2,286 silver salmon. Even if another 200 silvers passed the weir on Aug. 31, the projection for the Little Susitna River silver salmon escapement would still be less than 5,000 fish, which is less than half of the Little Susitna River’s minimum escapement goal range.

What are ADF&G commercial managers waiting for? Do ADF&G commercial managers, for some unknown reason, intend to go under the goal by as large a number as possible? Can their lack of action be interpreted any other way? Does ADF&G Commissioner Cora Campbell support this disregard for an ADF&G established and Alaska Board of Fisheries confirmed salmon spawning escapement goal?

Stock of concern

If ADF&G fails to attain the Little Susitna River coho salmon spawning escapement goal in 2011, it will be the third year in a row with such dubious distinction. Does ADF&G have any reason to expect a better escapement in 2012? If not, Little Susitna River coho salmon would seem to easily qualify for Stock of Concern status. Do ADF&G managers really prefer to notify the Board of Fisheries of that status change this winter?

Andy Couch owns and operates Fishtale River Guides (fish4salmon.com), is a Mat-Su Anglers Club member (matsuanglers.org) and member of the Mat-Su Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Sportsmen’s Committee. Email this column at sports@frontiersman.com if you have Mat-Su fishing questions or information readers may find useful.