Mat-Su outdoors: Coho run remains mediocre

Aug. 17, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/Frontiersman

WILLOW - With September now just around the corner, it appears as if the Mat-Su coho run is destined to wind up as mediocre - at best.

Both fish counts and harvest numbers of silver salmon are lagging below average, with poor returns across the board on Mat-Su streams. However, because of good water conditions and sporadic pulses of fish moving through, wily anglers can still track down the increasingly elusive fish.

&#8220The tourists aren't doing very well, but the locals are,” according to Steve Runyan at Three Rivers Fly and Tackle in Willow.

Runyan said that experienced locals who know the right spots have been reporting decent catches over the past week. His advice to anglers hoping to nab a fish or two is to spend plenty of time scouting out different holes.

&#8220If you either don't see fish or hook any, move,” he suggested.

As of Sunday, just 8,881 silvers had been counted passing the Deshka River weir. That's far below both historical averages and last year's return, which by this time of year had seen more than 60,000 fish move through.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game sportfish biologist Sam Ivey said that while returns have been poor, the department is fairly confident that its minimum escapement goals will be met throughout the Valley.

&#8220We think our escapement needs are going to be adequate across the area,” he said.

No one is sure why this year's run has been poor. Speculation has ranged from high interception rates by Cook Inlet commercial fishermen to a drought in 2004 that could have cut into this year's return. Ivey said that figuring out why a particular run is below average is never an exact science.

&#8220There's always speculation when you get into these things,” he said.

Ivey said that while the 2004 drought could have played a part in this year's return, he noted that most of the fish from that brood year wouldn't normally be expected to return until next summer. In a normal year, roughly 65 to 70 percent of a coho return is made up of four-year-old fish, which mean's the majority of this summer's return are fish from 2003.

Ivey said the department won't know exactly how big of a role the 2004 drought played until after the season, when biologists are able to analyze genetic data from this year's run.

That information could help determine whether the drought had an impact on the returns, as well as give biologists an indication what to expect next season.

However, anglers this year likely just want to know where to find fish. Steve Runyan said there have been streams that have outperformed others this year. He mentioned Clear Creek, Jim Creek, Montana Creek and Sheep Creek as good spots to try.

Runyan suggested trying spinners - Mepps and Vibrax are the most popular - in a variety of colors. Pink and orange, he said, have been working well, although fish can be finicky and the bite can vary depending on water conditions.

&#8220It's a good idea to have several colors with you,” he said.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com