Open water fishing season winding down

Wednesday, Sept. 5, I guided what I’ll term my “Last Salmon Trip,” for the 2012 season. I guided the trip with the expectation that we likely would not catch many salmon, but perhaps might catch some native freshwater fish. Because of a season-ending coho salmon fishing closure on the Little Susitna River and other Knik Arm streams, I guided the trip out of Susitna Landing north of Willow. Water levels were swollen from heavy rain falls, although the streams had been high long enough that visibility through the water should have been good enough to catch coho salmon and other fish — if we could have found them in sufficient numbers. The other kicker that made catching fish — and specifically coho salmon — more difficult under these conditions was that on Sept. 1, fishing regulations for the Susitna River drainage switched to only allowing the use of single hook artificial lures. In other words, we could not use salmon roe, which had been producing salmon throughout the month of August.

Two guests and I spent a very rainy morning casting #3 - #5 Flashtrap Spinners at Kashwitna River, Caswell Creek, and Sheep Creek. We found a few fish at each location — hooking two coho salmon at Caswell, seeing a couple fish surface near the mouth of Sheep Creek, and seeing some small fish surface, and catching a single grayling from the Kashwitna River. While perhaps meeting the minimal expectations I had relayed before the trip, it by no means, met what my two guests and I had been hoping for at the start of the trip.

Over Labor Day weekend I saw several people fishing some of the streams that cross the Denali Highway in the northern portion of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. I expect anglers were primarily catching or fishing for Arctic grayling, although I did not stop to ask what kind of luck people were having. Others along the highway were picking abundant and sweet-tasting blueberries, with the vast majority of people either hunting moose and/or caribou or simply riding four-wheelers and camping.

Talking with 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle, owner, Mike Hudson, I learned he’d been communicating with some die hard trout anglers who had been experiencing decent success catching trout on some of the streams crossing the Parks Highway north of Willow, but according to Hudson, the recent high water would have to calm down a bit before anglers could once again expect great trout fishing. Bob Meals with Tri River Charters in Talkeetna relayed similar expectations. According to Meals, there is simply too much water present in the Talkeetna River system, where the fish are scattered, to find good catching opportunities. As soon as the water drops to a more normal level, with the cooler weather that has been allowing the main river to clear up, Meals expects there should be excellent opportunities to catch rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, and a few grayling all the way into October — or until river water conditions / ice dictates otherwise.

Looking for other Mat-Su fishing opportunities I talked with Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) biologist, Samantha Oslund in the Palmer office. Oslund mentioned the many Mat-Su Valley lakes, stocked by the Department, as providing most of the better fish-catching opportunities this time of year. During the summer of 2012 the department stocked approximately 75 different Mat-Su Valley lakes with rainbow trout, Arctic char and coho salmon. While there is not enough column space to provide specific information on which species are available in each of those lakes, interested anglers can view that information online here: 1.usa.gov/OrMcau. In the drop down menu for Area, select “Mat-Su.”

Both Oslund and Hudson mentioned that cooler fall weather often triggers increasing fish feeding patterns in local lakes. Hudson mentioned that the entire summer had been cool enough that the lakes have been producing better than normal. Now that daylight hours are growing shorter and outside temperatures are cooler, most Alaskans seem to have mostly put away their fishing gear for the season, so local angling opportunities are far from crowded. Oslund mentioned that public requests for information about specific areas to fish have already fallen off significantly with the changing weather, start of school and hunting seasons.

With recent upgrades finally achieved by ADF&G’s fish stocking program, I expect significant catch improvements in the fall lake fishing opportunities available in the Mat-Su followed by similar improved catch rates from the Valley ice fishing opportunities provided by these same lakes.

The 2012 summer fishing season was unique in the number of salmon fishing restrictions placed on Mat-Su streams and the overall poorer quality of salmon catching opportunities available throughout the summer. I had not anticipated writing so many political columns on fishing this summer. To once again achieve better salmon returns and better salmon fishing/catching opportunities in Mat-Su Valley streams, however, I believe it important for more Valley residents to become involved in the fisheries management decisions that are partly made through public meetings and political contacts. I’m happy to see the addition of other voices in these meetings and discussions and hope to see that trend continue.

As my summer salmon charter guiding season has now passed, and as the public’s interest in Valley fishing opportunities is waning with the season I’m thinking this may be my last regular weekly fishing column for 2012. “Thank you!” to all who have followed or commented on this column during 2012.

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 Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission.