Mat-Su salmon dip net fishery ends Saturday

Plenty of people have participated and harvested salmon from the Fish Creek dip net fishery out near Knik-Goose Bay Road, but for those still hoping to dip some Fish Creek salmon there are only a couple days of dip netting left, as the dip net fishery will close for the season at 11 p.m. on Saturday. This is the only dip net fishery available in the Mat-Su Area.

SIlver salmon provide robust July fIshing

Thanks partly to our long spell of wet weather, July has provided better than average silver salmon fishing opportunities on the Deshka and Little Susitna River since mid-July. High early season harvest levels indicate that sport fishing for silver (coho) salmon throughout the Mat-Su Valley may provide exceptional catch and harvest opportunities during the normal peak of the season that usually occurs during the month of August. Silver salmon can be caught on many different flies, lures and bait; however, a selection of spinners or, where regulations allow, a gob of salmon eggs, hook, sinker and perhaps a bobber are all the terminal tackle most anglers need to have a good chance at harvesting these prized Mat-Su Valley fish.

Preventing kill and release of fresh silvers

A study done by the Alaska Department of FIsh and Game (ADF&G) on the Lower Little Susitna River documented a mortality rate of nearly 70 percent for silver salmon caught with salmon eggs and released. Similar studies have demonstrated similar results on fresh silver salmon, and in particular those caught low in different streams. Think of it this way: a person catching and releasing just three silver salmon could have the same mortality impact as an angler who catches a daily bag limit of silvers and quits for the day. Catching and releasing higher numbers of fish could have a significantly higher negative impact to fresh-run Mat-Su coho. Personally, I think it better to simply limit myself to catching the harvest limit, at which point I quit for the day in order to better conserve our precious silver salmon fishery and provide opportunity for other Mat-Su anglers to share in the bounty of fish or cast into one of the prime holes I have just vacated.

According to ADF&G figures, silver salmon are the most caught and most harvested fish available in the Mat-Su Valley. As mentioned previously, the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating this fishery with the Mat-Su Silver Salmon Derby scheduled to start on Aug. 1. Mat-Su Anglers’ Club President Julie Busch has been busy gathering sponsors for this event, so it should be even better than last year’s.

The Mat-Su Anglers‘ meeting on Aug. 12 will feature ADF&G biologist Samantha Oslund’s presentation on Fishing 101, while the Sept. 9 meeting will provide a smoked salmon contest (and tasting by those in attendance). Contact Busch at 892-7543 for information.

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