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ALASKA ALASKA
SPOR SPORTING ORTTI NG JJOURNAL OURNAL A
VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 1
www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER
James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Andy Walgamott EDITOR
Chris Cocoles ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Tom Reale WRITERS
Paul D. Atkins, Krystin Bablinskas, Christine Cunningham, Scott Haugen,Tiffany Haugen, Steve Herschbach, Kevin Glenn Huey, Luke Kelly, Bixler McClure, Dennis Musgraves, Steven Peterson, Tom Reale SALES MANAGER
Brian Lull ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Lee Balliet, Mamie Griffin,Mike Nelson, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS
Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Sonjia Kells PRODUCTION MANAGER
John Rusnak CIRCULATION MANAGER
Heidi Belew DISTRIBUTION
Tony Sorrentino, Gary Bickford OFFICE MANAGER / ACCOUNTS
Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER
Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
ads@nwsportsmanmag.com ON THE COVER
A bounty of deepsea fishing options await anglers who fish the Kenai Fjords National Park area out of Seward. Halibut, lingcod and colorful yelloweye like this Bixler McClure beauty are frequently caught using chunks of herring baited on C-hooks. (BIXLER McCLURE)
MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE 14240 Interurban Ave South • Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com 8 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
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JUNE 2014
ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 9
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 1
139 PREPARING FOR YOUR DIY HUNTING TRIP It's just about summer and that usually means fishing time in Alaska, but diehard hunters are dreaming of crisp, fall days and calling moose in the Interior or glassing for tundra caribou. Those who want to stay on budget for a DIY Alaskan trip should look no further than veteran hunter and ASJ's resident big game expert Paul Atkins, who writes the first of two parts about planning your hunting adventure of a lifetime. Spoiler tip: if a moose is on your to-do list, a drop hunt on your own is far less expensive than shelling out as much as $15,000 for a guided hunt. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
FEATURES 27
The River Wild Life around rural river systems is not for everyone. Animal Planet’s new show, American River Renegades, features several river rats (and we mean that in the most complimentary way), including Alaskan Native PJ Simon, who subsistence hunts and fishes his land.
56
Driving The Alcan (Part II) We continue our three-part series on trip-planning the 1,390-mile Alaska Highway route, this time covering the stretch of road that covers the Yukon Territory. Join us as we check out a forest full of sign posts, take in First Nations life and explore the “metropolis” of Whitehorse.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 67
Saving Salmon Through Film Sara Pozonsky doesn’t just believe in harvesting wild salmon and eliminating the use of farmed fish at restaurants. This mother, singer and wild salmon retail store owner is in the process of completing the documentary A Fishy Tale, which pleads with customers to walk on the wild side of the argument. However you see it, you’ll admire Pozonsky’s passion.
122 One Final Hunt Steve Petersen spent 20 years working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Knowing his body would only be up for so many more hunts, Petersen decided to make one final Dall sheep adventure with his son, Drake.
13 19
The Editor’s Note The Dishonor Roll: Illegal moose antlers shipped to Lower 48 21 Alaska State Troopers killed in the line of duty 35 How to be a better gold prospector 53 Alaska aviation tribute 82 Catching pink salmon in “Home of the Humpy” 95 From Field to Fire: Timing is everything – peak fishing times for salmon, other species, plus Tiffany’s stuffed trout recipe! 103 Chasing giant lake trout 111 Halibut, rockfish and yelloweye off Seward 150 Loose Ends: The Forbidden Fruit
Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues) or $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus tax. Copyright © 2014 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.
10 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
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EDITOR’S NOTE
T
he sports fan in me was excited watching Martin St. Louis of hockey’s New York Rangers score a big goal in his team’s Stanley Cup playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins (the Rangers eventually won the series in seven games). But this was more than just a goal in a “must-win” playoff game at Madison Square Garden. St. Louis found the back of the net on Mother’s Day, a couple days after his mom, France, died suddenly of a heart attack. You couldn’t have scripted a more compelling storyline. But that’s what we do to honor our parents, even if, unlike St. Louis, we don’t do it on national TV.
Drake Peterson (with caribou) and his father Steven (with sheep) were able to take one last big game hunt while the latter still felt physically able to handle the rugged terrain. (STEVEN PETERSON) And as we close in on summer, Father’s Day beckons this month on June 15. Three stories in this month’s Alaska Sporting Journal magnify how precious our dads are to us, much like France St. Louis was to her hockey-playing son. Alaskan Sara Pozonsky’s dad, Charles Crapuchette, spent his summers commercial fishing the waters around Bristol Bay and the Cook Inlet and introduced his children to fishing. He passed away in 2004. “When my dad died it was such an emotional blow for me. I can’t tell you how devastating that was,” Pozonsky says.“I kind of wanted to keep Dad’s legacy going.” So she started a company, Wild Alaskan Salmon (her sister-in-law is now her partner). And Pozonsky’s dad would be proud of her commitment to preserving wild salmon the way her upcoming documentary, A Fishy Tale, takes on fish farms and government organizations like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The sons and daughters of slain Alaska State Troopers Gabe Rich and Scott Johnson will be hopefully experiencing the happy memories of their fathers, who were killed in the line of duty last month. And retired Alaska Department of Fish and Game officer Steven Peterson knew age was soon going to prevent him from joining his son, Drake, on one of their many sheep hunts. So Steve and Drake went one last quest to get a Dall’s sheep (and a caribou). As you’ll read, you’ll understand how special this was for father and son. We wish a Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there who have or will continue to inspire their sons and daughters. —CHRIS COCOLES
JUNE 2014
ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 13
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FAIRBANKS HUNTER SHIPS ILLEGAL ANTLERS TO LOWER 48
A Fairbanks hunter was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and lost two years of hunting privileges stemming from federal charges that included violating the Lacey Act for shipping the illegal antlers across state lines. (KRISTINE SOWL/USFWS)
T
here were a lot of subplots in the federal illegal hunting and transport case of Fairbanks hunter Leslie P. Zerbe. Zerbe, 67, was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and lost his hunting privileges for two years stemming from a 2009 hunt when he and another hunter took what was deemed to be an illegal moose. Zerbe also mailed the animal’s antlers to a friend in Michigan, a violation of the Lacey Act for interstate transport of unlawfully taken and possessed game. Zerbe told the Fairbanks Daily-Miner that there was no evidence he shipped the antlers to Michigan, nor that the allegations he and the fellow hunter knew they were harvesting an illegal animal (according to reports, the moose had 42 inches of antler spread, 8 inches less than legal. “There’s no dispute this was known to be an illegal moose,” Kevin Feldis, chief of the criminal division of the United States Attorney’s office told the Daily-Miner. “The evidence showed it was Mr. Zerbe who was the person who was taking the lead on this hunt and who orchestrated the shipment of the antlers.” There’s a little more to the story. Zerbe was a high-ranking member of the Alaska Peacemakers Militia, whose leader, Schaeffer Cox, was convicted and sentenced to a 26-year prison sentence of several weapons charges and for conspiring to kill a federal judge among other government employees Zerbe, who was not among those Alaska Peacemakers Militia implicated during the 2011 arrests, also told the News-Miner after he paid his $10,000 fine, he found $14,000 left in his truck, presumably to cover the cost of his punishment and attorney fees. “I don’t have a clue who did that,” he said. The hunt took place about 100 miles south of Fairbanks in game management area 20A, where Zerbe owns a hunting cabin. ASJ
The restored U.S. Navy tug and U.S. Coast Guard cutter Modoc is now a floating fish lodge out of the Ketchikan area. (ALASKAN MODOC ADVENTURES)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS ALASKA FISHING DERBIES June 13-June 22: Slam’n Salm’n Derby, Ship Creek, Anchorage, downtownsoupkitchen.org June 13-June 22: Halibut Hullaballoo, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com July 19-Aug. 31: Silver Salmon Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com June 30-July 7: Valdez Pink Salmon Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com July 15-Aug. 15: Hope Pink Salmon Derby, Hope, (907) 782-3268 Aug. 8-10: Golden North Salmon Derby, Juneau, goldennorthsalmonderby.org Aug. 9: Women’s Silver Salmon Fish Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com Aug. 10-18: Silver Salmon Derby, Seward, sewardchamber.org If you have an upcoming event you’d like added to the calendar, contact editor Chris Cocoles at ccocoles@media-inc.com.
JUNE 2014
ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 19
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LOST IN THE LINE OF DUTY TRAGEDY FOR TWO ALASKA STATE TROOPERS BY KEVIN GLENN HUEY
Just 26, Trooper Gabe Rich (left) was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Fairbanks. He leaves behind a fiancée and their two sons. Sergeant Scott Johnson had 20 years of service as an Alaska State Trooper after starting his career with the North Slope Borough Police Department. (ALASKA STATE TROOPERS)
T
hose of us who watch the television show Alaska State Troopers got to know a little bit more about two law enforcement officers who were lost in the line of duty last month. On May 1, Sergeant Patrick “Scott” Johnson and Trooper Gabriel “Gabe” Rich
were shot and killed in the remote village of Tanana, Alaska. Both men had appeared on the National Geographic reality show, and they both had shown their professionalism as well as human decency to every viewer. Part of a rural unit based out of Fair-
banks, Sgt. Johnson and Trooper Rich were responding to a situation where a member of the village had been driving while intoxicated and had threatened the unarmed village security officer with a weapon. Tanana is a remote village at the confluence of the Yukon and Tanana Rivers, JUNE 2014
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and it is not accessible to the outside world except via air. So as troopers have done on a myriad number of occasions, the two men flew into the village to affect an arrest upon the lawbreaker. Only this time, as they were placing Alvin Morse Kangas into custody in his home on Front Street, his son, Nathaniel Lee Kangas, attacked the troopers with an assault rifle, shooting and killing both officers. Sgt. Johnson, who was born in Fairbanks, had 23 years of law enforcement experience, 20 of it with the Alaska State Troopers and three with the North Slope Borough Police Department. The 45-yearold father of three also left behind his wife. Trooper Rich had served previously with the North Pole Police Department just outside of Fairbanks and had been with the Alaska State Troopers for 3½ years. He was survived by his fiancée and their two sons. “This is a time to begin the healing process and come together as a community to provide strength to those who are still feeling the pain of their loss,” Col.
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James Cockrell, head of the Alaska State Troopers, told the Associated Press during a memorial service attended by an estimated 4,000. “For in times like this, true Alaskans stand together.” Hayly Johnson, Scott’s daughter, told the Anchorage Daily News that “An amazing dad raised me. He left a lasting impression on everyone that you talk to.” Rich, who was just 26, was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Fairbanks. “Gabe was one of those people that you just absolutely loved to see when he came into work,” his supervisor, Sgt. Mike Roberts, said at the memorial. “You could walk into the squad room and you’d be better because you’d see him with his mischievous smile on his face.” The men made a lasting impression on the Nat Geo reality show that follows various Alaska State Troopers in action. “My 23-hour adventure with Scott started with surveillance of an undercover drug-buy in a grocery store parking lot. The photographer and I hid in the back seat of his truck behind a curtain and
waited for the buy to go down. Scott picked a strategic parking spot where he could see everything happening,” producer Kelly Lambson said in a National Geographic Channel press release. “The suspected drug dealer was supposed to park about 50 feet away, but instead pulled into the spot right in front of us. As we hid quietly in the back, Scott immediately backed out so as not to tip him off. It was so exciting to be that close to the action and blend in like we were just another car. Little did I know we were just getting started.” “He was one of the good guys making a difference. He was a great trooper and that was because he was a great human. I will never forget my time working with him. He was a good man.” Of Rich, producer Charissa Sander recalled her first ride-a-long with him. “I made the mistake of casually mentioning I get car sick in the backseat. For the first 20 minutes, I thought he was the worst driver I had ever ridden with. He would accelerate excessively, only to
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stomp on the brakes. He pulled off into a parking lot where he proceeded to spin doughnuts,” Sander said. “By this time, I realized what he was up to. I was sweating and salivating and doing anything to not throw up – begging to be let out, which he did after a long laugh. Even if you didn’t get a story with him, you got a free comedy show.” “Having worked at many other posts, I can tell you that none of them were like Gabe’s. ‘D’ Detachment is special for their bond. My heart breaks when I think of how they are reeling from the loss of their brothers. I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked alongside them and even more fortunate to have known Gabe.” For an agency made up of only approximately 430 sworn and non-sworn personnel, patrolling a vast area equal in size to one-fifth of the continental U.S., the loss of two of their own in one moment has to be devastating. In the aftermath of the incident, the village council of Tanana voted to banish Alvin Kangas, as well as another man
whose activism for the Athabascan Nation they believe created a climate where the younger Kangas felt his actions were justified. The shooter, Nathaniel Kangas, was indicted on murder charges with a special finding where it was found the officers were in full uniform and acting in their capacity as law enforcement officers when killed. As such, he faces up to 99 years in prison. The website Concerns Of Police Survivors (nationalcops.org) has set up memorial funds through Wells Fargo Bank for Sgt. Scott Johnson and Trooper Gabe Rich. All proceeds from these accounts will go directly to the families of the fallen. To donate to the Sergeant Scott Johnson Memorial Fund, use the account number 6157331387. For the Trooper Gabe Rich Memorial Fund, use the Account Number 6157331379. When making donations, please reference the specific account numbers. It is the easiest way for the bank to locate the correct accounts. ASJ
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PJ Simon doesn’t consider himself a “reality TV star,” but he hopes being one of the subjects of the new Animal Planet show, American River Renegades, will provide a glimpse of life as a subsistence hunter in Alaska. (ANIMAL PLANET)
N A K S A AL R E V I R E D A G E REN
ANIMAL PLANET SHOW FEATURES NATIVE SUBSISTENCE LIFESTYLE BY LUKE KELLY
PJ
Simon is a busy man these days. A Koyukon Athabascan from Allakaket, Alaska, Simon is a self-described journeyman plumber, trapper, hunter, and business owner. But this jack-of-all trade type has recently tackled another challenge. “I went from plumbing to becoming a political advocate for Native people in Interior Alaska,” he says. In fact, Simon, 42, spent a week last month advocating and meeting with Alaska’s senators in Wash-
ington D.C. As if his activism wasn’t impressive enough, he can soon add yet another line to his already long résumé: reality television star. Simon, the second tribal chief of Allakaket, will star on Animal Planet’s latest reality show, American River Renegades. The series premiered in May, and follows Simon, along with other fishermen from the Lower 48, all of whom, as the network puts it, lives “outside the norm and call America’s rivers and tributaries
home.” These men, and Simon especially, rely on the waters of their home rivers in order to lead a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. Renegades will depict the difficult and often dangerous sort of living that results from depending on nature for one’s livelihood. Simon’s vast knowledge of hunting and trapping will be on display in each episode, offering a glimpse into the sort of subsistence lifestyle that he was raised on, and continues to love. “It’s good, clean living,” he says. JUNE 2014
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PJ Simon sets out geese decoys during a waterfowl hunt. He is the second tribal chief of the Koyukon Athabascan Native tribe in Allakaket, Alaska. He’s been a plumber and basketball coach, but he’s influential enough to travel to Washington D.C. and meet with Alaskan senators. (ANIMAL PLANET)
In signing on with Animal Planet, the intelligent, soft-spoken Simon may have had a few reservations at first, but ultimately saw the program as an opportunity not only to educate people about what a subsistence lifestyle in the southern Brooks Range looks like, but also to debunk negative stereotypes about Alaskan Natives. “Sometimes there are misunderstandings of how Alaska Natives live,” he says. “I just wanted to portray a positive image of the Native Alaska man.” Viewers, particularly those who love the outdoors, will be treated to scenes of Simon fishing, hunting, trapping, and even mushing a team of sled dogs. All this, while highlighting the spectacular flora and fauna of Interior Alaska. “It’s a good lifestyle up here,” he says. Between his trips for political advocacy and seemingly relentless hunting and fishing trips, Alaska Sporting Journal was able to catch up with the multi-tasking Simon to talk about his lifestyle, the show and his vision: Luke Kelly First off, I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about yourself and the type of lifestyle that you lead up in Alaska. PJ Simon I’m a journeyman plumber, a trapper, a hunter; I was an assistant guide and I owned my own transport business. And I went from plumbing to becoming a political advocate for my Native people in 28 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
Interior Alaska. Last week, I was in D.C. and we met with our senators from Alaska. While politicking, I sit on the Tanana Chiefs Conference executive board, and we represent 10,000 people; it’s a social-services organization. On top of that, also, I sit on the Doyon Board of Directors, and we serve 19,000 shareholders. LK How did you become involved with American River Renegades, and why did you decide to do the show? Was getting your political message out there part of the reason you wanted to be on the show? PS Yes. Sometimes there is a misunderstanding of how Alaska Natives live. Some people have the misconception that we still live in igloos. We don’t live in igloos (laughing), you know; we’re corporate people, we do a lot of different things. We fight in wars, we defend our country and we pay taxes. We live among many different heritages. We get along up here in Alaska. We have a good lifestyle up here, and I just want to portray the positive Native Alaska man. I make my own wolf snares, I go wolf trapping. I do sheep hunting, caribou hunting, grizzly bear and black bear hunting. I trap wolverine; I love the outdoors. LK What is the most difficult thing about the subsistence lifestyle for you? PS Well, the changing climate. I’m noticing
that the climate is changing. Summers are lasting longer, winters are lasting less. We’ve had more erratic weather. I like to hunt and fish, and (the changing climate) worries me. I love to hunt bears and moose, and not only that, I like to see the flora and fauna. I like to see nature out there. LK It’s beautiful up there. PS Absolutely! If you look at the southern Brooks Range, holy cow! You’re gonna be blown away; it’s beautiful up there. Right by Allakaket we have the Alatna River, and it’s crystal-clear water. And the other river we have, the upper Koyukuk, is mountain water. It has blue-green water, and you can see 300,000 salmon coming by. And in Allakaket, we get floaters and rafters from all over the world at the Alatna River. So we see people from all walks of life every summer. LK Did you grow up in Allakaket? PS Yes, I grew up in Allakaket on the Koyukuk (River). I lived on the Yukon in Galena for a little while. I’ve worked from Dutch Harbor to Prudhoe Bay, and every job in between. I was a high school basketball coach, managing Boys and Girls Clubs, and drove fuel trucks; I’ve just about had every job! [laughs]. LK What was it like being a kid there? Was it a great place to grow up? I bet you
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were outdoors all the time. PS Yes, it was an awesome place to grow up. You see wildlife every day and just have that freedom to go anywhere, and do anything you want in the outdoors. We want to keep it that way, keep it clean, keep development out, and keep it for everybody. LK I’ve read that you’ve done some mushing for the show. Was that something that you had done much of prior to the show? PS Yes. Allakaket didn’t see television until 1979 [chuckling]! We were just a little bit behind modern technology, if you want to call it that. I grew up mushing dogs with my dad. And we went duck hunting together with a dog team. You know, to us that was nothing. That wasn’t tough, and it wasn’t some monumental task. It was just life, and you enjoyed it. You know, with the advent of technology and ways to connect, super high-speed Internet and social media, the world is changing, and being an advocate, I want to keep the country pristine. It’s a good, clean life.
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LK What is your favorite thing about living there? PS Just feeding the elders, feeding the people. I’m a second chief of the tribe up there. I love it up there, because I get to feed the people. I’m a hunter. I hunt year-round. Years ago, villages survived because of good hunters. Three or four good hunters in one village would be able to feed the entire village. Not everybody was a good hunter. LK I wanted to ask you, how often do you utilize modern technology on a day-today basis when you’re up in Allakaket? PS Well, we have super-slow Internet. We don’t have sanitation trucks up there. We don’t have cellular phones; it’s house phones. A lot of people don’t have cable television up there. Everybody still lives like the old ways of harvesting salmon, waterfowl or migratory caribou. We eat beaver, we eat muskrats and we eat a lot of black bear (and) berries. We still follow a traditional calendar, and it seems a lot of my people have adapted; just found a good balance be-
tween modern ways of doing things and doing things traditionally. Just mixing the two, and making them work. We don’t kill all the animals; we just take what we need. LK So there’s a good balance of modern and traditional? PS Yes. We are really traditional. We are the only tribe in Alaska that has a bear party. We kill a black bear, and then all the men in the village get together. It’s like a bonding mechanism for the tribe, in that we pass on our oral tradition, and the elders (tell stories). That way we really correspond, and it helps everybody out. And it’s dangerous up there. You’ve got big grizzly bears and black bears. It’s not the friendliest environment, but if you treat it right, you’ll be OK. [Changes the subject] Sheep hunting is pretty good in August. LK Tell me more about that. PS We’re federally qualified users, so inside the gates of the Arctic National Park we get to shoot three sheep. We qualify
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federally. We go up and harvest our sheep. To us, that’s precious food. It isn’t the easiest country to live in. In wintertime, sometimes it’s 65 below zero! You can hear people walking in their moccasins, the snow crunching under their feet from a mile away [laughing]! They say the wind chill up north is bad, and I know that’s bad, but you go to Allakaket during a cold spell, it’s 70 below; dead air. It’s kind of rugged, but kind of a cool experience. You don’t take anything for granted after that! LK You catch a lot of salmon, correct? PS Yeah, I catch lots and lots of salmon. We got a lot of chum. We get about 300,000 chum that spawn above Allakaket. It’s pretty nice to see. And then with all the chum, we’ve got all the grizzly bears. We’ve got some king salmon, but we’ve gotta go far for good salmon. So we trade. We trade cheap meat with other tribes in the area. We trade moose meat, or bear meat. We barter and trade with other tribal members from other areas. Somehow, we get our food.
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LK Do you expect being on a television show to affect your life much, if you become a recognizable figure? PS If it has any benefit, I’m just hoping to educate people about the flora and fauna of the southern Brooks Range. It’s beautiful country. I just want to be positive, be cool, and just try to manage all our resources. We have to have them for our kid’s kids. LK I think a television show would definitely be a good way to get your message out there. The show sounds awesome. PS Yeah, I haven’t seen any footage of it. I guess I’ve gotta wait until May 26, but I might be out hunting. LK Are you going to watch the show? PS Tanana Chiefs Conference in Fairbanks invited me in. They want to rent out a theater, and have a viewing party. But I don’t know. I’m a hunter, outdoorsman, construction-worker turned politician twoand-a-half years ago. I might be out in the woods! I’ve gotta get my weekly kills and feed my people. My parents are old, and
they like their precious food. LK What would you like viewers to take away from the show, and what would you like them to learn most from you? For people in the Lower 48 who are unfamiliar with that type of lifestyle, what could they learn? PS I think they could just learn that other Americans, wherever it is that they reside, live completely different. I respect (people in the Lower 48’s) lifestyle, and I hope that they respect mine and recognize that, you know, we’re up here and having an easier time, or just as tough of a time. We’re trying to live out our lives as we can, fighting for food and getting satisfaction out of it. There’s a proposed road right through our traditional hunting area. It affects all hunters, guides, air-taxi operators. So that’s one thing I hope people in the Lower 48 take away from it, about development. Putting a 220-mile road right along the southern slopes of the Brooks Range will destroy a lot of the flora and fauna, it won’t be as wild. We love development, and believe me, I’m a plumber, but it has to be responsible development. ASJ
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SO YOU WANT TO BE A PROSPECTOR
HOW TO BECOME A GOLD EXPERT BY STEVE HERSCHBACH
A large gold nugget is the mother lode for a prospector. Finding a piece so big takes a lot of time exploring, but the rewards of chasing gold are rather obvious. (STEVE HERSCHBACH)
P
eople unfamiliar with gold have a lot of misconceptions on how it is found or even what gold looks like. I have had many people tell me gold is some kind of rock that must be processed to get the shiny metal we all recognize as gold. I have even shown people naturally occurring gold and have them disbelieve it is the real thing. Gold as mined by large multinational mining companies usually occurs as tiny amounts of metal enclosed in huge volumes of rock that must be processed var-
ious ways to obtain the final end product – a gold bar. This type of gold mining is called lode or hardrock mining. However, gold as sought by individual prospectors and miners more often occurs as small particles and larger masses (nuggets) that have been naturally released from the original hardrock source. Gold normally forms underground as just another one of the many minerals that make up the rocks of the earth. Gold is different than most, however, in that it
is an element that often occurs in nearly pure form as a native metal. The lumps of gold that can form inside of rock not only look just like the gold seen in a common wedding ring, but are often even purer than that found in most jewelry. The lumps or nuggets of gold enclosed inside rock are metal, just like any other gold. They are different from nearly all rock in that if struck a rock will break or shatter. Gold as a metal will bend or flatten but rarely break. As the solid rock erodes away to become boulders and smaller rocks, the small particles and lumps of gold are released to become gold nuggets. Eventually the rock will become dust but the gold will remain. Gold never rusts or decomposes, and so once released from the enclosing rock, it persists as a nugget for vast periods of time, and only changes when subjected to serious abrasion. This commonly occurs when gold nuggets end up in a stream and are worn down by moving sand and gravel. Gold is relatively soft so that it is easily bent, hammered, and formed into intricate jewelry. Pure gold is so soft, however, that it will wear prematurely if worn often, and so it is commonly alloyed with silver, copper, or other metals to make it more durable. Silver is the most common metal alloyed with gold and the more silver there is the paler the gold appears. Pure gold is a very deep buttery yellow color. Jewelers are required to identify how pure the gold is that they use with 100 percent pure gold designated as 24 Karat or 24K gold. Under the Karat system 75 percent gold is 18K and 50 percent gold is JUNE 2014
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designated 12K. Gold miners use the term “fineness” instead of the Karat system with 24K gold designated as 1000 fine, 18K gold as 750 fine and 12K gold as 500 fine. Again, the less pure the gold, the more pale the yellow color until it appears more like silver than gold. THE NUMBER ONE thing to do when looking for gold is to look at that ring on your finger. Gold is heavy, and though soft compared to a rock, it is obvious the ring on your finger is not quite as soft as people imagine gold to be. The old idea of biting down on a gold nugget to see if it is gold really does not work, and at worst may result in a chipped tooth! A more realistic test would be to use a hammer a suspect gold nugget. If it flattens it is probably gold, and if it shatters it is not. Gold is also very heavy, and so if gold is agitated in a gold pan along with other sand and gravel, it sinks to the bottom. There are minerals that look like gold, es-
38 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
The author is a longtime gold and metals expert, but he insists that even novice or “regular” prospectors can find valuable gold nuggets. (STEVE HERSCHBACH)
pecially a mineral referred to as mica, but they are very light in weight. If a suspect nugget insists on floating to the top of material in a pan and resting on top of the sand and gravel it is too light to be gold. Mica is very common and is perhaps the most common “fool’s gold.” It glitters in sunlight and is often seen on top of
sand bars in streams or mud flats glittering in the sun. Mica flakes are like small mirrors, and what you see is the sun being reflected to your eyes. If you look at a piece of mica in dim light it does not look like gold at all. Mica will fall apart into smaller flakes if pushed hard with the point of a pin or small nail. There are various other minerals that fool people into thinking they are gold. Crystals and lumps of pyrite are sold in many gift and tourist shops as fool’s gold. Pyrite is an iron ore and it commonly forms brassy colored crystal cubes with very flat, shiny surfaces. Pyrite and other similar ores are given away by their color, which usually is not the true deep yellow of gold but which usually has a greenish off-color hue. The flat, sparkly surfaces are a real dead giveaway, because gold almost never forms with flat surfaces but normally occurs with rounded forms that never have sharp, straight edges. Pyrite and similar ores will break and
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crush if struck and will not flatten like gold, and although heavy, they are not as heavy as gold. Finally, if a piece of pyrite is rubbed hard on a piece of white, unglazed porcelain tile it will leave a black mark or streak. Gold will leave a very faint gold streak. These little test tiles are called streak plates and can help identify common fool’s gold. It all comes back to looking at examples of real gold as seen most commonly in gold rings. Real gold looks like nothing else, and people actually have to convince themselves that fool’s gold looks like gold. If there is any question at all, it probably is not gold. A stream or a river is water flowing though sand, gravel, rocks, and boulders. Most good gold streams are in mountainous regions and under all the sand and gravel the solid basement rock is found, referred to as bedrock. Gold is very heavy and over time works its way down to bedrock. The number one goal of the beginning prospector should always be to find bedrock. The chances of finding gold on or near bedrock are far better than anywhere else. Even on bedrock it is the low
42 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
points you seek, and so cracks, crevices, and pockets in bedrock are where gold is most likely to be trapped. A small pry bar or very large screwdriver along with a scoop or large spoon are very handy for splitting open and cleaning out bedrock crevices and pockets. The tiniest crevices can hold a little sand and gold. Finding bedrock and then collecting material from crevices and pockets to pan is your surest way to find success looking for gold. If no bedrock can be found gold also tends to deposit with much larger rocks and boulders. Sand bars and bars made up of small gravel should be avoided. Look for large rock piles or boulder piles and dig around the bases of the boulders. Digging under large rocks embedded in the stream banks can be good, be always be very careful never to undermine a large rock enough that it could roll over and hurt someone! WHAT ABOUT METAL detectors? Metal detecting for gold is a subject in itself. Properly designed metal detectors can find gold and in fact many people, includ-
ing the author, specialize in this type of gold locating. The price of entry is much higher, with the most popular detectors running from $500 to $800 and some professional models costing many thousands of dollars. The key thing is that a gold pan can find tiny flakes of gold or even tiny gold dust. Metal detectors should be thought of as “nugget detectors” in that it takes an actual nugget of gold rather than a flake to set a detector off and the nugget must be within inches of the detector. Anyone with a gold pan and a shovel can find gold deeper than a metal detector will detect gold. The secret therefore to metal detecting for gold is seeking areas where larger gold lurks near the surface and in having extreme patience. Metal detectors made for prospecting also find many items that are not gold like nails or bullets and so digging junk is more common than finding gold. Good finds are rare but when they are made tend to be worth all the effort. The largest nuggets found by individual prospectors are usually found with metal
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Gold nuggets like these are traditionally found in streams. Most good gold streams are in mountainous regions, and under all the sand and gravel the solid basement rock is found, referred to as bedrock. (STEVE HERSCHBACH)
detectors. Again, the real key to metal detecting is extreme patience and perseverance. If metal detecting for gold interests you, be sure to seek out detectors made specifically for prospecting. There are many good models these days all capable of finding gold nuggets. Finally, where do you go look for gold? Always look where gold has already been found. There are many rules and regula-
46 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
tions governing prospecting these days, and searching for gold on public land can get pretty complicated. The easiest and quickest way to get going is to Google “gold panning locations” which will bring up many lists including my own at detectorprospector.com. Some of these are private fee-type locations, but there are very many free panning locations, especially in the western United States.
Gold panning is a very low-level activity but even then there can be specific rules about where you can dig and where you can pan, so be sure that no matter which location you choose you learn what the rules are before going there. You can also look for places of your own to prospect for gold. Lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have many areas designated as “open to mineral entry.” That means you may enter these lands and prospect for gold, and in most cases do so with a gold pan, sluice box, or metal detector without special permitting. You can even stake a mining claim if you find a good location. The problem lies in navigating the records offices to find out what land is open and what land is already claimed by other prospectors. The best place to get started in this regard is the nearest BLM or USFS office. If that seems a bit intimidating, there are numerous clubs you can join where helpful people can give you a head start. Many of these clubs have their own min-
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ing claims for the use of their members, and this can be an extremely good way for the beginner to learn the tricks of the trade from more experienced people. Also be vocal with all your friends and acquaintances, telling them you are interested in gold prospecting. You will be amazed to find out that person you have worked with for years has an uncle who has a mining claim, and that you would be welcome to visit and look for gold. Many mining claim owners are just regular folks with regular day jobs like you and me. They are all around you if you just take the time to find out who they are. In closing, you may be wondering whether you really can go out and find gold. Surely it has all been picked over and is gone after all these years. The truth is regular people are making good gold finds all the time. There are numerous Internet forums that cater to smallscale prospectors and weekend warriors, and a week never goes by without some rather nice finds being posted for all to see. I am more serious than most, and I do quite well every year looking for gold by myself or with friends. There is a whole new world of adventure waiting for you out there is you give it just a little effort. Good luck! ASJ Editor’s note: Steve Herschbach is a lifelong Alaskan who relocated to Reno, Nev., in 2013. He has a lifetime of experience prospecting and metal detecting and is an acknowledged expert in the field. Visit his website at detectorprospector.com, or email him atcontact@detectorprospector.com.
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HIGH ABOVE THE LAST FRONTIER “
lanes, trains and automobiles� is more than a movie title to Alaskans. Perhaps in no other state is the car at times less valuable than airplanes in the Last Frontier. Some Alaskans might have just as much as experience flying from place to place as they do driving the modest road system in the largest state.
P
At this camp site, there was not enough snow for a ski plane to land and no open water for a floatplane to land. So a helicopter was flown in to swing additional gear from a nearby village to deliver supplies to the field camp. (CASEY SETASH/ USFWS)
The 2013 Brooker Mountain Fire in Denali National Park made planes like this necessary to help contain the blaze. (STACEY SKRIVANEK/NPS)
A floatplane prepares to take off in the Ugashik Narrows of the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge. (USFWS)
One of the planes used for aerial distance sampling in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. (NATIONAL PARK SERVICE) JUNE 2014
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Float planes are a major form of transportation in such far-flung locations as the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. (MELISSA GABRIELSON/USFWS)
In a state with just 16,301 miles of public roads (by contrast, Texas public roads total 313,210 miles), the skies are a critical part of Alaskan transportation and a necessary component for government agencies like the National Park Service and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. ASJ
54 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
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TAKING IN THE YUKON TERRITORY THE ALASKA HIGHWAY JOURNEY CONTINUES THROUGH SIGNPOST FOREST, WHITEHORSE AND MOUNTAIN LAKES PART II OF III BY CHRIS COCOLES
“
arger than Life.” It’s all over signposts in the Yukon Territory. And for those who drive north on the Alcan (Alaska) Highway, there’s a lot more large than life. The population of the Yukon (per 2013 calculations) is all of 36,700. That’s about 700 less than the capacity of Fenway Park in Boston, which baseball’s Red Sox fans fill each year. So in 81 games, the entire population of the territory that covers 186,272 square miles could fit comfortably into a ballpark with a playing surface of 100,000 square feet. Not a people person? You’re in the right place. Like much of the Alaska Highway – a proposed journey we started last month and traveled the stretch of the road through British Columbia - you likely won’t be suffering from claustrophobia.
L
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But like the rest of this 1,390-mile journey, you’re hoping to get away from the congested freeways, Starbucks and Twitter madness that we just can’t avoid. Part II: Yukon Territory border to Alaska border Mile 612: Watson Lake and the Signpost Forest One of the best set props on the 1970s and 1980s TV show M*A*S*H featured the signs depicting the 4077th’s distance from various cities like Seoul, Tokyo, San Francisco and Cpl. Klinger’s hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Besides gassing up and stocking up on supplies in one of the bigger cities in the territory, Watson Lake (popu-
lation 1,200), one of the most iconic stops on the Alcan is the “Signpost Forest,” which pays homage to signs that welcome visitors to their cities, street names, license plates, and who knows what else? Watson Lake’s tourism site (watsonlake.ca; 867-536-7649) provided a history of this unique graveyard of road signs that dates back to the highway’s construction in 1942. “While working on the Alcan Highway near Lower Post, BC, Private Carl K. Lindley from Company D, 341st Army of Engineers, was injured and taken to the Army Aid Station in Watson Lake to recuperate. During that time Carl’s commanding officer got him to repair and repaint the direc-
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The Alcan twists its way through the Yukon Territory, even shifting back to the south into British Columbia for a few miles before returning to the Yukon on the way to Alaska. (GOVERNMENT OF YUKON)
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The Signpost Forest is just what it sounds like: visitors walk through a series of signs indicating city limits, streets and miscellaneous messages from around the world. There are roughly 72,000 signs in this tree-free forest. (GOVERNMENT OF YUKON)
tional post,” the website says. “While Carl was carrying out this task he decided to add his home town sign of DANVILLE, ILLINOIS. Carl was known as the homesick, lonesome soldier and he was aware of the tradition that he started and what is now known as the Signpost Forest.” If you just happen to have that Main Street signpost you found at a junkyard hanging on your garage wall and want to find a new home for it, you’re welcome to add to the collection that is at around 72,000 and growing. Or you can buy a board and make your sign at the visitor’s center. Mile 627: Nugget City As is the case throughout the Alcan, you’ll have a lot of stops clustered together, and then a whole lot of empty highway to simply take in the scenery (but paying attention to what’s in front of you when you are behind the wheel!). Worth a stop – either for a meal or an overnight stay – a few miles out of Watson Lake is Nugget City (867-536-2307; nuggetcity.com), which is an oasis on the long and sometimes lonely roads like the one you’re traveling. Nugget City has an 58 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
RV Park, complete with a laundromat, RV wash, Wi-Fi access and a gift shop. Cabin rentals are also available, and there’s a restaurant and bakery on site called Wolf It Down that features freshly made pies, buffalo steaks and burgers and BBQ ribs. You can wash down your meal with a beer or glass of wine if you’re done driving for the day. Mile 804: Teslin and Tlingit Heritage Centre While driving west on the highway, you’ll skirt back into British Columbia for a stretch of road, head south for a time and then meander your way back up into the Yukon Territory (you’re still in Canada, so no worry about digging into your bag for your passport again). Back in the Yukon, you’ll eventually pass through picturesque Teslin, a village of 450 but with a history that includes the Klondike Gold Rush. According to Teslin’s website (teslin.ca), during the 1898 rush, “the Teslin campsite boomed briefly as a stopover on the Canadian route to the Klondike. For the first time Teslin had permanent residents. The Hudson Bay Co.
established a trading post for the villagers and those traveling the Klondike trail.” The pace is a little slower these days. But adjacent to the village is Teslin Lake, which is 78 miles long and 2 miles wide, reaching
Tlingit life is on display at the Tlingit Heritage Centre. About 300 of these First Nations tribe live a subsistence existence in the tiny village of Teslin. (GOVERNMENT OF YUKON)
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depths of 700 feet. Lake trout are plentiful here, and Chinook and chum salmon travel the Teslin River via the mighty Yukon River to spawn here in late summer. A must-stop in Teslin is to visit the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre (867-3902532 ext. 335; ttc-teslin.com/heritagecentre.html). The Tlingit native tribe came down to the Yukon from Southeast Alaska in the early 18th Century. The Tlingit people once lived a nomadic fishing, hunting and gathering subsistence lifestyle, but they established a permanent settlement in Teslin due to the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. Today, 300 of the Tlingit’s 800 members live in the Teslin area. Exhibits featuring arts and crafts, performances featuring Tlingit dancing and drumming and workshops displaying the Tlingit’s way of life are the highlights of the museum. There’s also a gift shop selling many of their arts and crafts. Mile 918: Whitehorse As stated earlier, you won’t run into many
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Whitehorse’s population of about 27,000 represents much of the Yukon Territory’s total population. In the summer, long days of sunlight provide plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors or an al fresco meal at one of the city’s eateries. (GOVERNMENT OF YUKON)
heavily populated areas anywhere on the Alcan (Fairbanks, at the end of the line, has all of 32,000 residents). So Whitehorse and its 26,000 residents (about 75 percent of the territory’s total population) will feel like the clogged freeways of Seat-
tle and Portland after driving around 918 miles through stretches of road with nary a sign of human life around you. The Alcan and the Klondike Highways, the major routes through these parts, intersect in Whitehorse. But gold is the
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The Yukon Territory has a population of just less than 37,000, giving your car or RV plenty of space to drive through the vast emptiness but natural beauty of the Alcan Highway. (GOVERNMENT OF YUKON)
major attraction here. Good luck finding nuggets the size of tennis balls, as Whitehorse was overrun with prospectors of the both shady and honest variety (we’re guessing with the latter category of gold seekers) during the 1898 Gold Rush. The MacBride Museum of Yukon History (867-667-2709; macbridemu-
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seum.com) covers the colorful, goldstained history of the territory, plus paying homage to the Canadian First Nations tribes (there are 14 in the Yukon Territory). A wildlife gallery showcases the populations of moose, bear and caribou. The S.S. Klondike National Historic Site (pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/yt/ssklondike/
index.aspx) is a restored steam-powered sternwheel ship that served as a ferry between Whitehorse and the Yukon’s other major city, Dawson, 150 miles away. The ship sank in 1936, was rebuilt a year later and continued transporting passengers until 1950. It’s free admission to tour the old boat, so it’s worth a look. But modern Whitehorse is also worth a look-see. There is an underrated arts and nightlife scene, plenty of restaurants and bars to unwind in after a long day of driving, and, if visiting in summer, hours upon hours of daylight for a round of golf at one of two courses in town. The Yukon River basin is full of some outstanding fishing lakes that several companies in and around Whitehorse offer fly-in trips to and from the locations. Mile 1,067: Kluane Lake Fear not, as you’re getting closer to the finish line, or at least within sniffing distance of the Alaska border. But Kluane Lake represents the spirit of why you’re crazy enough to drive all 1,390 miles on
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this road trip. Kluane is the largest lake entirely within the borders of the Yukon Territory, covering 150 square miles with a length of 43 miles. The fishing here can be epic for trout, whitefish and grayling. There are plenty of RV parks and lodges to stay at, and nearby Kluane National Park and Reserve (pc.gc.ca/eng /pn-np/yt /kluane/ index.aspx) was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Dall sheep are ubiquitous at Kluane National Park and Reserve of Canada, near the fishing and boating paradise of Kluane Lake, the largest lake located entirely within the territory’s borders. (GOVERNMENT OF YUKON)
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Mile 1,167 U.S./Canada border We say goodbye to our Canadian friends who have been so gracious and welcoming through the first two legs of your journey, which admittedly have been brutal in terms of distance. That’s about 575 miles a day depending on the pace you took to get here. But once you show your passport and clear customs, you’re on easy street, with just another 200 miles and change left to Delta Junction and the end of the line. We’ll finish our series next month with the Alaska leg of this iconic roadway. ASJ
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SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON ALASKAN’S FILM TAKES ON SALMON FARMS, NOAA BY CHRIS COCOLES
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he boat speeds across the waters off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. The moment is accompanied by festive music amid a gorgeous Pacific Northwest backdrop. Then producer Sara Pozonsky’s upcoming documentary, A Fishy Tale, changes the mood as the scene fades to black and then changes to a new location. The music is now far more sinister, the kind of score you’d be more likely to experience in a Sherlock Holmes film (in black and white with Basil Rathbone in the title role, not the modernized Robert Downey Jr. starring as the detective).
Pozonsky and her boat are now drifting just outside one of several British Columbia commercial salmon farms that have triggered a debate: should wild salmon be protected from the alleged risk of farmed salmon, and which type should be served in restaurants and bought at grocery stores? “I’m looking at the sign here and it says, ‘Restricted Area,’’’ Pozonsky says into the camera, “and I’m wondering what do they have to hide? Why can’t anyone come here and see what they are doing?” Whether you agree with them or not, Pozonsky, director Tracie Donahue and
their modest crew will at worst make you think a lot about that king fillet you ordered at your favorite seafood joint, or check the label at the fish counter when you picked out a piece of coho salmon for your summer cookout. Is the film right? Is farmed salmon so full of dangerous pesticides and other artificial ingredients you may as well puff a cigarette instead? Are the net pens that are outlawed in Alaska but growing in numbers around British Columbia a threat to the waters’ wild salmon population for fear of a virus that all but wiped out salmon farms in South America?
Sara Pozonsky comes from an Alaskan fishing family, and, along with her sister-inlaw started a small company selling wild salmon and other organic seafood. Now Pozonsky is taking on fish farming and the federal government in a new documentary. (A FISHY TALE)
As the film evolved and the filmmakers began to shooting, her attitude about the issue changed. “Before I always thought, ‘If you choose to eat that; that’s great. I don’t care if you want to have farmed salmon; it doesn’t bother me,’” Pozonsky says. “But I realized the impact it was having environmentally and the threat it was having JUNE 2014
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to wild salmon. Then I became personally offended by it, and that’s when kind of this war broke loose, and this was not going un-noticed. I needed to make people aware of what they were doing.” “It’s not just a simple food choice here.” BUT IT’S ANYTHING but a simple subject for the public to grasp. In the film, Pozonsky conducts woman-on-the-street interviews in Victoria, B.C. and asks about the potentially harmful toxins and chemicals wild salmon supporters believe are far more abundant and in farmed salmon. A woman said she was unaware of any toxins in the fish; the man she was with said as an angler he knows the farm salmon that are raised in such close proximity are more susceptible to contracting viruses from other fish. In another spot in Victoria, a young woman suggested to Pozonsky farmed fish actually have less toxins than fish harvested from open waters. So go figure. “I just think you need to ask questions about where your food comes from. It boils down to that. We need to be aware of what we’re eating and how that impacts everything,” she says. “We have to start demanding that our food is healthy.” The film’s director, Tracie Donahue, also has spent time in Alaska – she went to high school in Anchorage but currently lives in the Baltimore area. Fishing and salmon were not the passion it’s always been for Pozonsky. “I used to go fishing with my parents growing up, but I didn’t enjoy it. My parents would laugh at me because I really hated being there,” Donahue says. “I hadn’t heard about farmed fish. I never really had any feelings one way or the other about the subject until Sara started talking to me about it. The more research I did, the more I realized it was definitely a problem worth highlighting.” Pozonsky sees the problem with fish farms that dot many of the coastal areas around Vancouver Island is they are of the open-net variety – “If they would do it on land, it would be fantastic,” she says – and skeptics say the farms are dumping dangerous material into the waters adjacent to the fish pens where the wild salmon make their runs from the sea to the rivers. 68 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
erations, they are banned in salmon-rich Alaska. “There are a lot of other sicknesses they can get, so they’re constantly giving them antibiotics along with the hormones to make them grow faster,” Pozonsky says. “What (the farm salmon) are doing is going from small to fully grown in a year. Whenever you do that you’re genetically altering fish.” And it is triggering outrage from wild salmon supporters.
A Fishy Tale director of photography and producer Shad Selby scopes out a shot for filming during the making of the documentary. The film was shot on location in places like British Columbia, Canada, Washington D.C. San Francisco and Alaska. (A FISHY TALE)
(In February, British Columbia-based Willowfield Enterprises opened a landbased sockeye salmon farm.) “When you grow a carnivore species together like that in close proximity, they’re very aggressive fish. So (fish pens) are not a natural place for them to be anyway. There are a lot of other things that you can farm that handle that a lot better. They just get sick from each other living that close together. They combat that with a lot of chemicals.” One such complex concoction is known as SLICE, which is designed to combat chronic sea lice infestation, which if it spreads, could devastate the wild salmon population. While Canada has welcomed such op-
THE MOVIE IDEA came up about three years ago from a conversation between Pozonsky and her friend, aspiring filmmaker Donahue. Pozonsky and her sisterin-law, Trish Kopp, are the co-owners of Wild Alaskan Salmon Company, which preaches “always wild, never farmed,” in the seafood they offer customers. “At that time, three years ago, I was explaining the frustration I was seeing with farmed fisheries and what was going on. There just seemed to be a lack of regulation and how it was killing off our wild salmon,” Pozonsky says. “So she said, ‘We should do a movie about it.’ I said I had no idea what that meant. But we went for it.” And on they went. In an early edit of the film, among the targets Pozonsky, Donahue and crew target is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has pushed for more fish farm operations in United States’ coastal waters, including Alaska. Pozonsky traveled to Washington to interview Congressman Don Young (R), who
One of the dozens of fish farms located in the secluded coves and inlets of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Those against salmon farms cite the fish’s cramped space inside the nets and their vulnerability to diseases and the fear they’ll spread to the native salmon that swim in the same waters. (A FISHY TALE)
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represents Alaska in the House of Representatives and pushed for the ban of Alaskan salmon farms; he vowed his state won’t go that route as long as he’s in office. “It’s the wrong thing to do, and we’ve managed (wild salmon) beautifully. We took a hit when Chile started (exporting) fish to us,” Young says in the film. “Now we have a federal agency trying to promote offshore fish farms that we call open-net farms. It’ll be leased by the federal government (to private companies). NOAA is promoting this because they want to eliminate the fisherman. They would destroy a business that’s very valuable to the state of Alaska. I’m working very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.” “It’s basically a very typical David and Goliath story. It’s someone with no money and no resources behind them trying to fight a giant industry that has silenced people in the past,” Pozonsky adds, citing a Scot, Don Staniford, who’s fought fish farmers in his native country and lost to them in court.
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Director Heather Donahue prepares to take an underwater shot in the waters around the fish farms to illustrate potential harmful toxins from fish waste. (A FISHY TALE)
Pozonsky also realizes she’s an underdog in her plight. She’s tried to raise funds to make her movie, and it’s not always easy to roust up supporters. In one scene, she attempts to picket NOAA headquarters in Washington D.C. But the only willing par-
ticipant she can tote along is her Labrador retriever, Sport. But there she is, a woman and her dog, the former sporting a white tshirt that said “MY FISH AINT FARMED,” and the latter sniffing the grass carrying around a “DON’T FEED ME FARMED FISH” sign. A few curious observers stop briefly, but keep moving despite her pleas to protest with her. “NOAA is this agency that’s supposed to protect our oceans and make sure everything is healthy out there,” Pozonsky says. “They’re the ones pushing for fish farms in America. It totally contradicts their mission statement to protect the environment.” Cue David moving off Goliath’s turf with plans to fight another day. FISHING HAS DEFINED Sara Pozonsky’s life. She’s from Newhalen, a tiny Eskimo village on the north shore of Iliamna Lake near Bristol Bay’s world-class salmon spawning grounds. Her father, the late Charles Crapuchettes, was a teacher by trade but also spent summers commercially fishing Bristol Bay and the Cook Inlet
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(Sara spent summers helping out on the boat). Her brothers eventually captained their own commercial vessels. “That was our life. This is who I am and I love that part of me. This is my heritage; this was my dad, and he taught me all this passion about Alaska,” she says. After Charles died in 2004, Pozonsky wanted to do something to honor her father’s legacy as a hard-working fisherman. She was divorced and had moved to Pittsburgh, where her eventual future husband, Paul, was from. While in Pennsylvania, Sara turned the Steel City into salmon city. “At that time I was realizing a lot of restaurants in Pittsburgh had crappy seafood. So I started working with chefs and said, ‘Hey, if you want some fish I’ll just fly it directly to you,’” Pozonsky says. “It was kind of weird; it was just me supplying the chefs in Pittsburgh with amazing Copper River king salmon. Because I knew all these fishermen in the processing plants and I’d been working with them.” In blue-collar Pittsburgh, where a
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Sara Pozonsky (left) and her sister-in-law, Trish Kopp, started Wild Alaskan Salmon Company, to offer customers their seafood products, “always wild, never farmed,” a choice they hope restaurants and diners will choose over farmed salmon. (SARE POZONSKY)
piroshki and a beer is common table fare at eateries throughout the city, some restaurants had a pipeline to fresh, wild seafood from the Pacific. In Pozonsky’s mind, being a liaison between Pittsburgh’s restaurateurs and salmon was a way to “keep my Alaska roots connected.” But she wanted to take that a step further and sell the fish herself.
“I called my sister-in-law and said, ‘Let’s do this. It could be a really great moneymaker.’ So I got her all passionate and pumped up about it.” Kopp, who had worked at fish processing plant, worked the business from the Alaska end while Pozonsky lived in Pittsburgh (she and her new family are now back in Alaska). Wild Alaskan Seafood Company (seabeef.com) has taken a hit due to the recession, but selling wild salmon and other seafood is a labor of love for them they hope to continue to do so, with or without a significant profit. A Fishy Tale hopes to define what she grew up believing in: that eating wild fish taken straight from their natural habitat is the best culinary choice. “The consumers really need to have awareness in where their food is coming from. I hope when they watch this film they realize not only the health risks to the salmon, but how it’s devastated peoples’ livelihood,” she says. “And that’s why farm salmon has me so ticked off. I really be-
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HOCKEY PLAYER’S FIGHT FOR WILD SALMON Willie Mitchell, who plays for the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings, hails from Port McNeill, British Columbia, a small port on the north end of Vancouver Island. Mitchell, who helped Los Angeles win the Stanley Cup in 2011-12 (he fished in his boat with just himself and the coveted trophy that summer) and was a key defenseman on this season’s playoff team before being sidelined by an injury in the opening round, deeply believes in protecting the fertile salmon population in the waters around his home. He is a solutions advisory board member with a Canadian-based organization, Save Our Salmon Marine Conservation (saveoursalmon.ca). “Fishing and being on the water, that’s just home for me,” Mitchell says. “I tell people my front yard where I grew up is the ocean. I feel pretty blessed by that.” Mitchell went onto say fishing is “my therapy” in getting away from the ice and the physical and violent nature of hockey. When talking fishing and the importance of conservation for native salmon, it was easy to get the feeling when his playing career ends, Mitchell will dive even deeper into his causes and love of the outdoors. “Huge part of my life,” he says. “I always say to people that I have a busy job, and I
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Hockey player Willie Mitchell, a Vancouver Island native who took the sport’s ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup, fishing with him after winning the trophy with the Los Angeles Kings two years ago, is among those fighting for wild salmon in British Columbia. (WILLIE MITCHELL)
wish I could get more involved. But I do as much as I can. It’s something I am very passionate about. I’m 37, and I maybe have a few (playing) years left. So it’s something for sure I’m going to pick up after hockey.” One of young Mitchell’s memories was his father bringing him a protein-packed salmon sandwich to eat before or after hockey practice at the local rink. “That’s all I’d eat, every time, fresh salmon sandwiches,” he says with a laugh.
But as Mitchell has discovered over the years, there is concern about the long-term sustainability of the wild salmon that annually enter and exit the area’s Broughton Archipelago through a series of waterways and rivers. Mitchell can just as comfortably take off his hockey helmet and channel his innerfisheries biologist to talk about the salmon farms that cultivate non-native Atlantic salmon in the area near the archipelago and continued on page 76
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Mitchell, continued from page 74 Vancouver Island. “These salmon farms sit in the inlets because there’s no wind. So the net pens were anchored to the ocean floor to protect the area. But you still have big tidal flow they need to keep the water cold,” Mitchell says. “So (the salmon) sit in pens and are highly condensed. And what happens with this high density of fish in there, they will get parasites. In the sea lice world, they need a source of blood. So they are getting in a lot of wild salmon.” The wild salmon of the area ultimately pass many of the farm salmon on the way through the Knight Inlet to spawn in the rivers. When the native salmon and farmraised salmon collide, the parasites can work their way onto baby salmon that have yet to develop scales.
“And scales are what? Their armor; they don’t have any armor, and the sea lice get on them, suck the blood from them, and they’re dead,” Mitchell says. Mitchell understands his involvement in Save Our Salmon can only accomplish so much. He calls the organization “just a basic group of like-minded individuals… who are trying to say, ‘this is our problem; how do we solve it?’” He warns by taking away the spectacular salmon fishing, it cuts away some of the identity of British Columbia. Port McNeill’s soul would suffer without it. “The Pacific Northwest is a very fishing-rich area, and I’d kind of like to keep that way,” he says. “I think it’s a special place, and there aren’t many places left in the world like it.” CC
on film, and that in itself could create a social change,” the director, Donahue says. “I decided that change needed to be the underlining message of the film. How can one person drive change and fight against such a huge business like the farmed fisheries. For Sara’s circumstance
she wanted to get the message out about what is really in farmed fish and at least make a change in the process.” THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA took on the farming vs. wild debate in May, when 60 Minutes sent correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta to British Columbia, where farm salmon business is booming, and Alaska, which made sure to keep them out of the state a quarter-century ago. Gupta spent considerable time with B.C. fish farmer Ian Roberts, who works for the world’s largest salmon farming corporation, Marine Harvest. But Gupta also gained some perspective from wild salmon advocate Alexandra Morton, who also is one of the more compelling interview subjects in A Fishy Tale. The 60 Minutes report seemed rather objective to the situation. But Pozonsky wasn’t buying the farming side’s argument that there is no evidence that farmed salmon are a threat on your dinner table or to the wild salmon population. Disease was the culprit when salmon
D EA L W ER EL IN C Q O UI M RI E! ES
lieve it’s the No. 1 overlooked environmental catastrophe. It’s a disaster.” Pozonsky’s fire-and-brimstone approach to her cause strikes a chord throughout the film. “When someone is truly passionate about something it really comes across
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farmed in Chile died at an alarming rate five years ago. The Chilean incident is ground zero for the argument that a similar outbreak in Canada or even Alaska can in theory wipe out wild salmon, which aren’t native to the waters in South America. “The thing that stood out to me in (Gupta’s) report is, why take the risk of harming the wild salmon and the environment?” Pozonsky wrote in an email. “The Canadians are proving they don’t have it figured out, and the wild salmon are disappearing. Blame it on whatever you want, but the reality is wild salmon were thriving before the fish farms moved in.” Chile’s salmon died of infectious salmon anemia (ISA), and Gupta pressed lawyer Brian Wallace, who represents the Cohen Commission, a $26 million project that’s been assessing the situation, for an answer if B.C.’s open-net salmon are already showing outbreaks of ISA. Wallace struggled to come up with a response, which infuriated Pozonsky. “It’s crazy that he doesn’t know or
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wouldn’t admit after so much research; it’s insane, really,” she wrote. “The Canadian government spent a fortune trying to answer that question and still can’t answer it.” “There were no answers here from the salmon farmers; they made it sound like the injections of antibiotics and the hormones they are giving the fish was no big thing. We’re just trying to point out the obvious, or at least prove that open-net fish farms are not the answer.” AMONG A FISHY TALE’S final arguments were from Clem Tillion, a past chairman of the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council and one of Alaska’s grand poobahs when it comes to fish. The idea that NOAA is kicking the tires on allowing B.C.-style fish farms in Alaska is puzzling to a veteran commercial fisherman like Tillion. “We have one of the finest salmon runs in the world; why would you take the risk?” he asks. “It’s the fallout from these things that’s dangerous. (B.C. fish farms) are in little protected places, which are the
last (places) you want.” But as Donahue says in her film narration: money talks. The business of utilizing aquaculture to raise salmon, an increasing staple of the seafood diet of diners around the world, equates to dollar signs as more and more secluded coves and inlets in Canadian waters add farms. It’s more a case of what could happen than what is happening. But Pozonsky is taking the proactive approach in delivering her message. “I think once people get more aware, they turn their attention more to fish farms, and as it becomes more prominent in America people say, ‘Hey,’ and start to stand up,” she says. “People may say I’m overstating my case and I’m exaggerating; fine. Let it be, but let it be known that I raised the warning flag long before fish farms ever came to Alaska.” ASJ Editor’s note: For more information and to see a trailer for the film, A Fishy Tale, go to its website at afishytalemovie.com.
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‘HOPE’ FOR HUMPIES PINK SALMON ALSO A KENAI ATTRACTION BY DENNIS MUSGRAVES
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atching pink salmon is rarely a fisherman’s first thought when venturing to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. The world-famous angler’s paradise hosts plenty of first-class locations for both saltand freshwater salmon fishing. Most anglers are on a pursuit for tasty sockeye, leaping coho, or a mighty king. I am probably among a minority of fishermen who simply can’t resist a chance to include fishing for pink salmon when visiting the KP. Anglers who have experienced the special fishery near Hope, appropriately known as “Home of the Humpy,” will certainly agree.
Hope, Alaska, is a gem for pink “humpy” salmon fishing, and is less than 100 miles south of Anchorage by car. Most resident anglers are familiar with the small historic town, located near the mouth of Resurrection Creek on the northern end of the Kenai. You can get there by taking the Seward Highway turnoff, and then a 17-mile stretch of the scenic Hope Highway to Main Street. Picturesque views of the Chugach Mountains and Turnagain Arm tidal flats welcome visitors. Hope is referred to as “Home of the Humpy” for good reason. Every summer around mid-July pink salmon begin to appear in generous numbers to make their journey up Resurrection Creek. I certainly don’t mind holding a welcome-home party for the load of returning fish, with a fly rod in hand, of course. 82 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
Hope, tucked deep inside the Turnagain Cove on the Kenai Peninsula, is proud of its association with pink (humpy) salmon, which the author and his fishing partners discovered with success. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
PINK SALMON OFTEN get a bad rap. Undervalued and overlooked by most salmon fishermen during the open water season in Alaska, they get treated like ugly runts of the Pacific salmon litter. I imagine it’s to be expected. Pinks happen to be the smallest of the salmon species, develop unattractive humps on their backs (as their nickname reflects), and are debatably subordinate in flavor when up against their tastier cousins. Pink salmon obviously have their challenges, but it’s no reason to ignore them with a rod and reel. Although they are small in stature, humpies always seem ready to bite. The fish are not shy and provide steady action for anglers of all experience levels, including kids. Whether you’re casting hardware or fly-fishing a streamer, they are actively responsive to any type of offering. Medium-light-action rods matched
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The author with a Resurrection Creek humpy caught on a streamer. This species can be underappreciated table fare if prepared correctly. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
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with equivalent-sized reels are the recommended approach. Since Resurrection Creek is influenced by tides, fresh pinks roll into the mouth, arriving from Turnagain Arm during high tide. Sea lice commonly found on the sides of the salmon provides evidence of just how newly arrived fish are in freshwater.
You can either use conventional gear or take a fly rod onto Resurrection Creek. Anglers can both wade the shallows or cast from the bank. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
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KNOWING HOW FUN and productive the fishing is for humpies, and because my in-laws own property with a couple cabins in town, I invited friends Chris Cox and Paul Ferreira to stay in Hope and have our fly rods bent at the creek. Our method would be with 5-weight fly rods, using an assortment of brightly colored streamers and yarn flies. Dead drifting the colorful offerings in the current and tight to the bottom is best practice to entice a bite. It was a typical sunny afternoon when we arrived in Hope. My mother in-law, Rosemarie, gave us all a warm greeting, and pointed us towards the guest cabin. The small, two-room cottage is void of
The view from Turnagain Arm and the Chugach Mountains from the Hope Highway is typically Alaskan breathtaking. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
running water but comes with a complimentary outhouse. The accommodations were a bit cramped and rustic, but nonetheless adequate for three guys looking to simply find some rest after a long day of fishing. It took little time to wader up, get our fly rods assembled, and begin to move out for the short walk to the creek. Before we left, I made sure to tell Rosemarie we were on our way, and asked if she would like any fish brought back to eat. Her reply? “Bring
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Casting flies in Resurrection Creek for pink salmon is one of the hidden gems of the Kenai Peninsula, which is heaven for salmon anglers, though pinks get less attention than the Kenai’s king, sockeye and coho fisheries. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
back a fresh female pink if you catch one,” which was a simple request that could be easily accomplished. I figured she wanted a fresh fish to grill for her and Pops. Even though high tide was not due to come in for another several hours, I decided to take the guys on the full tour and start at the creek’s mouth. Going to the mouth would allow us to survey water levels and see how many other anglers were present. Fishing the lower section of the creek is popular, with easy access right from Hope’s improved dirt Main Street. This lower section covers a distance of about 600 feet of wading bank from the Hope Highway Bridge to the mouth. First look had us seeing conditions at low tide and the creek flowing clear and about 18 to 20 feet wide from bank to bank. Circumstances looked bleak, and not conducive for an incoming push of salmon. Only a handful of anglers were spread out over the section with minimal action being had. I spoke up right away: “Let’s go upstream.” I knew from several previous vis-
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its to Hope that the pinks would push through the lower section and hold in deep pockets upstream above the bridge. So we trudged in knee-high water against the current a short distance before exiting onto a narrow trail just off the bank and into the wood line. We walked single file along the path, rich with foliage. Once we reached a point just past the bridge, we got off the trail, squeezing between the thick alders and spruce trees, and returning to the creek. We ended up just 20 yards shy of where I wanted to be, a twisting section of the creek which widened, sharply bent and created a couple deep holes where pinks liked to hold. We quickly moved through the water, and Chris, wearing polarized sunglasses, was the first to spot several shadows beneath the surface of the clear water that sounded the alarm. The fish were like sitting ducks at a shooting gallery. We quickly spread out at an interval of double arms between us and began casting. Before I could strip out enough line for my first cast, Paul was already getting ac-
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A preferred method to catch humpies in Resurrection Creek is to drift streamers, yarn flies or an egg-sucking leech in the current. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
tion: “Fish on!” What sounded like an echo immediately following Paul’s exclamation was actually Chris, who was slightly downstream from us. He had also hung into his first pink salmon of the day. I tried to watch each of them eagerly bat-
tle their fish by rotating my head back and forth. The ping pong tournament with my neck finally gave way to a stronger desire to hook into my own pink salmon. I refocused, casting my purple eggsucking leech at the end of my line with
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The Hope area will host its annual pink salmon derby beginning July 15 and continuing through Aug. 15. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)
certain confidence. Midway during the first drift I felt the unmistakable action of a fish attacking my leech. I set the hook and felt the headshakes of a feisty humpy. We already had a triple hookup! Each one of us brought in our perspective pink salmon with huge smiles. The action continued for the next couple hours, catching and releasing numerous pinks. There were so many fish that there was basically no way we could keep track of the count. When we decided to finally return to the cabin, I closed out my day with a bright female fish to bring back for Rosemarie. WHEN WE ARRIVED back at the cabins we met my father-in-law, Harold, in the yard. He inquired about how the fishing went. We all shared a few highlights from the day and I proudly showed him the fresh pink. Harold was glad to clean the catch for Rosemarie and invited us to wait on the deck outside the cabin while he brought her the fish. Harvested pink salmon from the creek provide great table fare. I personally like to sprinkle the filets with blackened seasoning, searing each side on a hot castiron skillet for about one minute. It’s delicious. But I was about to find out there are other ways to prepare the fish. After a short time sitting and visiting on the outdoor deck Rosemarie appeared
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HEWESCRAFT DEALERS ALASKA Compeau’s (Fairbanks) 907-479-2271 or 800-478-7669 Dewey’s Cook Inlet (Anchorage) 907-344-5092 River & Sea Marine (Soldotna) 907-262-2690 or 907-262-7402 Rocky’s Marine (Petersburg) 907-772-3949
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with a tray of crackers, cream cheese, and thinly sliced pink salmon prepared shasimi style (raw). I had eaten salmon many ways before, but never uncooked. At that moment I understood why she was so particular in her request for a certain harvested pink salmon. Although it was not appealing to me to eat a freshly caught raw salmon, I did sample a couple slices of the “sushi” my mother in-law had taken the time and effort to prepare for us. Lucky for me there was no problematic results from digesting the fish, especially since the overnight
facilities only provided us with an outhouse! The salmon had an interesting texture and flavor, and my buddies and I will always have a unique story to reflect back on. However, I undoubtedly will be applying some fire on the next pink salmon I eat, including any I catch on my next visit to Hope. ASJ Editor’s note: Dennis Musgraves spends over 100 days a year sportfishing all over the state. Chronicles of his year-round Alaskan fishing adventures can be found at alaskansalmonslayers.com.
CALIFORNIA Boat Country (Escalon) 209-838-2628 Harrison’s Marine & RV (Redding) 530-243-0175
IDAHO Idaho Marine (Boise) 208-342-0639 Mark’s Marine (Hayden) 888-821-2200 Valley Boat & Motor (Lewiston) 208-743-2528
ILLINOIS Calumet Marine (Calumet City) 708-862-2407
MINNESOTA Badiuk Equipment, Inc. (International Falls) 218-286-0813
MONTANA Dream Marine (Libby) 406-293-8142 Gull Boats & RV (Missoula) 406-549-6169 Wallace Marine (Great Falls) 406-453-9392
OREGON Clemens Marina (Eugene) 541-688-5483 Clemens Marina (Gladstone) 503-655-0160
PLANNING YOUR HUMPY TRIP The small historic gold mining town of Hope, Alaska, is located on the Kenai Peninsula’s northern end, along the southern shoreline of Turnagain Arm, near the mouth of Resurrection Creek. To get there, take the Seward Highway turnoff at mile post 70.7, and drive a scenic 17-mile paved road (Hope Highway) to reach the town’s main drag. Original structures around the town are still actively used, including a log-style social hall, one-room red schoolhouse (community library), and a country store and café. Hope is rich with Alaskan rustic flavor and views of the Chugach Mountains and Turnagain Arm tidal flats. Anglers have excellent opportunities fishing for pink salmon, which occurs annually during July and August. Since Resurrection Creek is influenced by tides, best times for fishing are a couple hours before and after each reoccurring high tide. Local businesses host a pink salmon derby that coincides with the timing of the returning salmon. Hope is also known as “Home of the Humpy.” Additional activities in the local area include recreational gold mining, hiking, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, camping, and rafting. WHERE TO STAY Seaview Café & Bar RV Park Campgrounds & Cabins PO Box 110 Hope, AK (907)782-3300 seaviewcafealaska.com
Clemens Marina (Portland) 503-283-1712 Pelican Marine (Klamath Falls) 541-882-5834 Y Marina (Coos Bay) 541-888-5501
WASHINGTON Clark’s All Sports (Colville) 509-684-5069 Northwest Marine & Sport (Pasco) 509-545-5586 Tom-N-Jerry’s Boat Center (Mt. Vernon) 360-466-9955 Westside Marine (Port Townsend) 360-385-1488
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WHAT TO BRING Either conventional tackle or fly fishing gear can be employed for pink salmon. A medium-light action casting rod and medium in-line spinnerbaits and spoons are good choices for enticing a humpy to bite from the bank. I prefer to use a 5-weight fly rod with subsurface presentations. Swinging yarn flies and streamers in the current will work well; however, drifting an egg-sucking leech pattern is my choice that never seems to fail. You can fish from the bank or by wading the shallows. Waterproof boots or hip waders are highly recommended since the banks become saturated with mud from receding tides. I normally wear breathable-style waist waders, so if I slip in the mud or on a rock I am still covered from the waist down. Although pink salmon can be found in the upper portion of the creek (above the Hope Highway Bridge), the lower portion from the bridge to the mouth is very productive. The easy access to the lower portion and high catch rate makes it popular and crowed during peak times during a changing tide. Strict rules apply for sportfishing in Alaska and anglers should be aware of all the regulations before they cast a line. Current regulations, additional information and emergency orders can be found at the Alaska Department of Fish & Game website, adfg.alaska.gov. DM
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From
FIELD
Back-trolling, be it done with plugs or bait, is a highly efficient way to control a presentation, and consistently get on big kings. This king couldn’t resist a back-trolled Hot Shot. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
To
FIRE
WHEN GOOD TIMING MEANS BIG FISH PICKING THE PEAK SEASON RUNS BY SCOTT HAUGEN
J
une marks the start of tourist season in Alaska. It’s also a time when residents begin hitting local waters in search of a variety of fish. For residents, knowing when and where to go is easy to figure out. But for nonresidents, rather than planning your dream fishing vacation around your schedule, plan it around the arrival of fish. Whatever waters you explore, knowing the run timing of fish you want to catch is one of the most important elements of the fish-catching scenario in Alaska. No matter how good of an angler you are, or how fancy your gear, you can’t catch fish if they aren’t there. In the comprehensive book I wrote, Flyfisher’s Guide To Alaska, the research and detailed writing that went into it was overwhelming at times. However, I consider one of the most important sections within each region-specific chapter to be that of the run timings for all of Alaska’s fresh water species. I’ve had numerous people comment from around the world on the value of the run timings information found in those pages, confirming it played a major role in helping to not only plan their entire trip, but to bring them success. From spring through fall, tourists from around the world head to Alaska, eager to take in its beauty and experience the fishing. Many of these tourists drive their own cars up from the Lower 48 and across Canada, while others rent vehicles. With so much road to travel, knowing where to
With thousands of miles of road system to explore throughout interior Alaska, timing your vacation around the arrival of fish is integral to success. (SCOTT HAUGEN) JUNE 2014
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be, when to go, is important to maximizing fishing potential. Given the wide array of ponds, lakes and navigable streams that exist along
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Alaska’s roads, a canoe or float tube will greatly increase the amount of accessible waters. If hauling a canoe with the intent of floating sections of a river, make sure
you’re experienced. The following is a breakdown of the run timings along 10 interior highways and their surrounding waters:
DALTON HIGHWAY RUN TIMINGS SPECIES
TIMING
PEAK FISHING
King Salmon Silver Salmon Chum Salmon Rainbow Trout Dolly Varden Lake Trout Northern Pike Burbot Grayling Sheefish
June to August September to November mid-June to December year-round year-round year-round year-round year-round year-round June to October
July October July, November July to September June to September May to July May to September year-round April to September July to September
ELLIOTT, STEESE, TAYLOR, ALASKA & THE NORTHERN PART OF PARKS HIGHWAY RUN TIMINGS: SPECIES
TIMING
PEAK FISHING
King Salmon Silver Salmon Chum Salmon Rainbow Trout Dolly Varden Lake Trout Northern Pike Burbot Grayling Sheefish
July September to November July to August, October to November year-round year-round year-round year-round year-round year-round June to October
July late September to October July, November July to September June to September May to June, September to October May to June, September to October year-round April to September. June to September
GLENN, DENALI & THE SOUTHERN PART OF PARKS HIGHWAY RUN TIMINGS: SPECIES
TIMING
PEAK FISHING
King Salmon Silver Salmon Red Salmon Pink Salmon Chum Salmon Rainbow Trout Dolly Varden Lake Trout Northern Pike Burbot Grayling
mid-May to mid-August mid-July to mid-October June to mid-September mid-July to mid-August mid-July to September year-round year-round year-round year-round year-round year-round
June late July to August mid-July to early August late July late July to mid-August mid-August to mid-October. mid-August to mid-October May to June, September to October May-June, September to October December to January April-May, August to October
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY & TOK CUTOFF RUN TIMINGS: SPECIES
TIMING
PEAK FISHING
King Salmon Silver Salmon Red Salmon Rainbow Trout Cutthroat Trout Dolly Varden Steelhead Grayling Lake Trout Burbot
mid-June to July mid-August to mid-September late June to August year-round year-round year-round January to May, September to December year-round year-round year-round
mid-June to July mid-August to mid September late June to August mid-June to September May-June mid-June to mid-July September June to September mid-June to mid-July, December to April December to April
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Arctic grayling can be had along multiple interior roadside fisheries in Alaska, and the key to finding them is knowing not only where, but when, to go. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
Knowing where fish will be, when, could be the most valuable piece of information when planning a trip to Alaska. Be sure to plan your trip around historical run timings, not when it’s most convenient for you, for only then will you fully appreciate how special fishing Alaska can truly be. ASJ
Editor’s note: Signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular book, A Flyfisher’s Guide To Alaska, can be obtained by sending $38 (includes S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P. O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. The 455-page work is one of the most complete travel guides ever written for anglers heading to Alaska. It can also be ordered at scotthaugen.com.
98 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
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From
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FIRE STUFFING YOUR TASTY TROUT
The author says stuffing your trout enhances its flavor, and the versatile fish can be grilled, fried, baked or smoked. (HAUGEN ENTERPRISES) For my pepper jelly recipe, visit my blog at tiffanyhaugen.com/blog. Another variation is to smoke the trout and serve along with pepper jelly and cream cheese on crackers. Cornmeal Crusted Pepper Jelly Stuffed Trout 6 to 8 trout 1 8-ounce brick cream cheese, softened ½ cup pepper jelly (purchased or homemade) 1 ⁄3 cup cornmeal 1 ⁄3 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter
BY TIFFANY HAUGEN
T
hanks to a long season, trout is served often at our house. Trout are great fresh, but also freeze well. Cleaned and placed in a sealable freezer bag, we freeze them two, four or six fish to a bag, depending on their size. Trout makes an extremely healthy, go-to fast meal for the family or for a large gathering. Grilled, fried, smoked or baked, stuffing the cavity of the trout with some kind of filling, dressing or seasoning adds flavor and interest to the fish. I can’t seem to help myself as that space is just a natural fit for interest100 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
ing things I have on hand. This recipe came about when my garden overflowed with jalapeno peppers. After making several batches of salsa, roasting and freezing the peppers, I decided to make a few batches of pepper jelly. One of our favorite easy appetizers is pepper jelly over a brick of cream cheese served with crackers. This appetizer also makes a great filling for pan-fried trout. Easily adaptable if cooking one or 20 fish, just reduce or increase ingredients as needed. It’s even good with planter trout, something the Anchorage area has plenty of swimming around.
Clean fish, removing heads and tails if desired. In a shallow dish or pie pan, mix cornmeal, flour and spices. Lightly salt the inside cavity of the trout. Stuff each trout with 1 to 2 tablespoons cream cheese and 1 tablespoon pepper jelly. Close cavity and roll trout in cornmeal mixture. Heat a griddle or large frying pan on medium-high heat. Melt butter and add olive oil to pan. Fry fish carefully three to five minutes, turn heat to medium and turn fish over. Cook an additional three to five minutes or until fish tastes done. ASJ Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s new book, Cooking Seafood, send a check for $20 (free S&H), to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. This and other cookbooks can also be ordered at tiffanyhaugen.com.
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GWIN’S LODGE The historic Gwin’s Lodge is located in the middle of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, known as Alaska’s Playground. It’s the closest restaurant and lodging to the confluence of two world-class salmon streams - the Kenai River and the Russian River - and is a favorite among fishers who frequent those waters. We are nestled at the base of the majestic Kenai Mountains across from the Kenai River in the Chugach National Forest bordering the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Our central location makes all recreational activities in nearby towns (Seward, Soldotna, Ninilchik, Clam Gulch, Kenai, Homer, etc.) easily accessible. At Gwin’s Lodge, we strive to provide you exceptional service. We have 15 cabins that can each accommodate four to six guests and two cottage houses that can accommodate six to 10 guests. Our cabins have been remodeled with new Sealy Presidential pillow-top mattresses, bed linens, and furnishings. We also have a tackle shop where you can buy fishing licenses, fishing tackle and equipment, snacks, drinks, sunglasses, hats, and Alaska souvenirs and gifts. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you book guided fishing trips, sight-seeing trips, whitewater rafting, fly-in bear viewing, Kenai Fjords Cruises, Alaska Railroad trips, and many other excursions at no additional charge. We only work with well-qualified and reputable guides and excursion companies and our staff are happy to help you plan and organize your trip. (907) 595-1266 | reservation@gwinslodge.com | gwinslodge.com
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LAND OF LAKERS CHASING ALASKA’S OVERLOOKED MONSTERS
I
f you ask most people what the biggest freshwater fish in Alaska is, no doubt most of them would answer, “king salmon,” largely because most kings are caught in rivers. However, since salmon are anadromous and not considered to be freshwater fish, the title goes to the seldom-seen lake trout. Lakers are actually a member of the char family. They thrive in big, deep oligotrophic lakes, meaning the lakes have high dissolved oxygen levels but they are not very organically productive. The fish have low growth rates, and, in some areas, they only spawn every other year. Population estimates are very difficult to assess,
but since they’re often found in remote spots and fishing pressure is usually low, the species appears to be doing just fine. LARGELY IGNORED GIANTS These leviathans are usually ignored by Alaska anglers for a number of reasons. For starters, their range is somewhat limited when compared to our more popular fish such as all the salmon species, rain-
BY TOM REALE
bows, grayling, etc. In Alaska their range includes the foothills of the Brooks and Alaska Ranges, some big lakes in Bristol Bay, Interior lakes near Glennallen, and bigger waters on the Kenai Peninsula. For another, they’re hard to find, much less catch. They inhabit deep lakes, most of which are off the road system, and they tend to hang out in deep holes during the height of the summer fishing seasons. And while shore fishermen can and do catch nice lakers every year, for the most part fishing for them requires access to a boat, and often a well-equipped boat at that, complete with trolling motor and downriggers. Add in their reputation as
Though not as commonly targeted as the state’s salmon and trout species, lake trout can grow to some giant sizes in Alaska’s large and deep oligotrophic lakes. The state record weighed in at a whopping 47 pounds. (JIM RUSK GUIDE SERVICE)
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The Kenai Peninsula and Game Management Unit 13 – including lakes around the Glenn, Parks and Denali Highways – are among the state’s top lake trout destinations. (JIM RUSK GUIDE SERVICE)
picky eaters and sluggish fighters and you’ve got all the elements needed to explain their lack of popularity among anglers. Why go to all the trouble and expense of pursuing a big, elusive fish that’s hard to find and catch, doesn’t fight well (according to some), and is usually released when you do manage to hook one? Well, if you’ve seen any good photos of big lake trout, the answers might not be much of a surprise for you- the biggest ones look absolutely cartoonish. And big ones are routinely caught every year by the select few sportsmen who choose to pursue them. Is this the sort of thing you might enjoy? Let’s look at our options. WHY GO AFTER LAKE TROUT? For starters, springtime fishing in Alaska is a rite of passage for many anglers. After a long winter of deprivation, the melting snow and ice triggers thoughts of big fish and plenty of them. However, the local and popular targets of our affections, meaning salmon for most of us, aren’t going to be showing up in our favorite streams for a while. Late May and early June are when the kings and sockeye begin to trickle into our creeks and rivers, and for some people, that’s just not soon enough. 104 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
But there’s hope for springtime anglers – right after ice-out on trout lakes is considered to be the prime time for finding and catching lake trout, especially if you’re shore-bound. When the lakes thaw out, the fish are hungry and a bit less selective than they tend to be later in the year, and they cruise the shallows and stream inlets looking for easy meals. According to the ADF&G website (adfg.alaska.gov), “Food items commonly include zooplankton, insect larvae, small crustaceans, clams, snails, leeches, several kinds of fish, mice, shrews, and even occasional young birds. When available, lake trout may feed extensively on other fish such as whitefish, grayling, sticklebacks, and sculpins.” How’s that for a wide-ranging menu? SIZE MATTERS And they’re big. The state record was caught in 1970 in Clarence Lake northeast of Talkeetna and weighed an impressive 47 pounds. Fish of 20-plus pounds are caught every year, but most anglers consider themselves lucky to land anything in the double digits. This, however, does not stop a small but dedicated cadre of lake trout specialists from diligently pursuing these lunkers every year.
WHERE TO FIND THEM Lake trout are most often associated with large and deep lakes in the Interior. While there are some fish north of the Brooks Range, the vast majority of anglers look for lakes south of the range, with most of that pressure concentrated in Game Management Unit 13, including the lakes along the Glenn, Parks and Denali Highways. In addition, the Kenai Peninsula has a few gems as well, along with some largely unexplored potential for fishermen who feel like prospecting. In the Interior, good road-accessible lakes are Lakes Louise, Paxson, Summit, Harding and Fielding. All have boat launching facilities and most have campgrounds. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, try the Denali Highway. This 138-mile-long gravel road between the towns of Paxson and Cantwell offers up more than a few good lakes, with most of the waters holding lakers closer to the Paxson end of the road. Your best roadside bets here are Sevenmile, Little Swede, and the Tangle Lakes complex. Short hikes will get you to Landmark Gap, Glacier and Two Bit Lakes, and, as is usual in Alaska, any time you’re willing to put in some effort and travel on foot, you’re going to leave 99 percent of the rest of the
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population behind you. Longer hikes and/or driving off-road vehicles will allow access to Swede Lake. Butte Lake is the best bet on the west end of the Denali Highway. If you’ve got a bit of extra money in your
account and don’t know what to do with it, you can fly in to any number of lakes well off the road system. The Tolsona Lake Resort at Mile 170.5 of the Glenn Highway has boats and cabins at a couple of remote Trolling with large spoons and plugs is the most effective way to land a monster lake trout, but often requires a downrigger. (JIM RUSK GUIDE SERVICE)
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lakes and the floatplanes to get you there. These spots aren’t usually ice-free until late May or early June, and fishing remains good through September. On the Kenai Peninsula, the bestknown lakes for big fish are Hidden Lake on the Skilak Loop road, and Kenai Lake. ASK THE EXPERTS Jim Rusk (jimruskfishingalaska.com) guides anglers in search of lake trout on Hidden Lake as well as on longer trips into the Interior. He likes big diving plugs for trolling, and when not using downriggers, favors light line in the 15-pound range. “The lighter line helps you get down to the right depth easier, and in a lake you’ve got plenty of room to work the fish,” says Rusk, who also likes fluorocarbon leaders, since lakers aren’t usually real toothy. His advice for those without boats is to “Huck a big spoon or a cut bait out; shore fishermen always have a chance, but of course you cover a lot more water in a boat.” Rusk also is a firm believer in catch
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and release. “I tell people that if they book a lake trout trip, it’s not a meat fish,” he says. “We’re not going out there to keep fish, unless someone really wants a wallhanger. On Hidden Lake, I’ve got no problem with keeping smaller fish.” Because of some recent fishing pressure on Hidden Lake, the daily limit has been reduced to one fish of any size. Other lakes on the peninsula have a twofish limit of over 20 inches in length, and 10 per day under 20 inches. Rob Massengill, a fisheries biologist for ADF&G in Soldotna, says there’s lots of potential for lakers in other spots. “It’s an overlooked fishery; everybody’s looking for salmon during the season, but there’s a lot of deep water that just doesn’t get fished.” Guys willing to go prospecting could make a career out of plumbing the depths of some of the big lakes on the Kenai, such as Skilak, Tustumena and Kenai Lakes, and never have to worry about getting crowded out of the good spots.
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HOW TO CATCH THEM By far the most popular method is trolling, with most people favoring big spoons and plugs such as Krocodiles, Hot Rods, FlatFish, Kwikfish and Syclops. In areas where bait is allowed, a strip of whitefish or herring will increase your odds. Speaking of which, be advised that in some of the more popular lakes in the Copper River area of GMU 13, only unbaited, singlehook, artificial lures may be used from April 16 to Oct. 31. However, that’s not the only way to go. Fly anglers targeting lake trout report good results with Clousers, Dolly Llamas, coho flies, black-nosed dace, and big articulated flies with coneheads and heavy sink tips. Early spring when the hungry fish are patrolling the shallows is prime fly fishing time, but even trolling with big streamers can pay off. Unorthodox but can be effective. In addition, the common knowledge for fishing for these big guys has always been that, once the summer sets in and the water warms up, the only route to success in-
volves going very deep and getting past the lake thermocline where the big ones stay. (A thermocline is the transition layer between the surface water that gets mixed up by wind action and the deep water layer below it.) However, Corey Schwanke, a fisheries biologist in Glennallen who has both studied and fished lakers for years, has reason to stray from the conventional wisdom. That strategy, he says, “is in a lot of the literature, but I don’t really agree with it.” “A lot of our lakes around here take a long time to stratify, and some never do. Even in lakes that do stratify, the deep water is their preferred habitat, but they’ll come out of it to forage, especially in the evening. For these reasons I rarely fish deep myself.” If you’re looking for a fishing challenge and don’t mind leaving the crowded salmon streams during the big runs, gear up and give lake trout a try. Like the small but dedicated group of anglers who regularly pursue these freshwater behemoths, you too could find yourself with a new and (occasionally) exciting pastime. Good luck. ASJ
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THE ’BUT OF A LIFETIME COMING OH SO CLOSE TO A MONSTER FISH BY KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS
E
very angler has a fishing story about “the one that got away.” Ever increasing in size with each repetition of the story, “the one that got away,” or simply “the big one,” is elevated to an almost mythical status. Though we consider ourselves respectable anglers, we too have a story about the the big one. Fishing, after all, is called fishing and not catching for a reason.
The sailboat Carpe Ventos sails out from Seward to the Kenai Fjords National Park. Halibut, rockfish and yelloweye swim throughout these waters, giving anglers opportunities to catch some big fish. (BIXLER McCLURE)
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It wasn’t as big as the “one that got away” the previous year, but Bixler McClure landed this tasty halibut in the waters off Seward.
One early summer morning, we headed out on our sailboat Carpe Ventos west of Seward. Though Alaska was on the cusp of summer, with winter’s icy grip freeing the land, the itch to fish had caught on and charter boats whizzed past us as we moved a respectable 6 knots. Our destination for the weekend was Kenai Fjords National Park, known for its alien landscapes from receding glaciers and, of course, excellent fishing. As we rounded the cape into the park, we stopped at a few interesting spots and jigged the bottom. We both caught a few rockfish, including a decent yelloweye – the “prime rib” of rockfish – that would be packed in glacial ice for the trip home. We were hoping for a halibut, since the warming weather tends to bring the big fish into shallower waters, but had no luck before anchoring for the night.
(KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS)
I STOOD ON the bow and dropped the anchor into the clear blue water. The water was filled with baitfish that darted away as the 44-pound Bruce anchor sliced through the water. Bixler backed the boat up and quickly checked the engine fluids before carefully picking through our fishing gear. Though we own a sailboat, she is no less equipped than the average fishing charter. Lead heads, diamond jigs, Buzz Bombs, and knife jigs make up our collection. Bixler, however, was preparing our soaking gear (C-hooks). As part of the routine after dropping anchor, securing the boat, putting away sails and checking the engine, fishing
A mixed bag of halibut, rockfish and yelloweye are bound to bite your hooks in this style of fishing. (BIXLER McCLURE)
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gear always comes out next. Soaking is the laziest form of fishing and best paired with beautiful scenery and a good Alaskan beer. It is great for those of us who don’t move too fast on the water and wish to stay the night in a cove of an Alaskan paradise. On the stern of Carpe Ventos, we have two rod holders mounted for soaking and trolling. Our jigging poles, stiffer fishing poles with smaller eyes and conventional reels, sat in the rod holders. Leaders with heavy weights and C-hooks with a chunk of herring were attached to the pole and then sent to the bottom. Drag was set loose to encourage the fish to take the bait. We cracked a beer and waited for
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THE HOMER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND VISITOR CENTER PRESENTS ITS PREMIER FISHING EVENT FOR SUMMER 2014
The Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby The Jackpot Halibut Derby is the longest-running halibut derby, with the biggest payout in total prizes, in the state of Alaska. The 2014 event will be its 28th year. Recent changes to the rules turned the focus away from the catching of large halibut and towards tagged fish prizes in an effort to promote conservation of the resource. Back again in 2014 are the BIG tagged fish prizes: the GCI $50,000 Tagged Fish, the largest tagged fish cash prize ever offered in Alaska, and the Stanley Ford F-150 Tagged Fish. There’s also more than 100 tagged fish to catch worth $250, $500, and $1000. Gene Jones of Bellevue, Iowa, won the 2013 derby with his 236.2-pound halibut, and took home $21,281 in total winnings. Early in last year’s event, Monique Peters of Willow caught a little fish with a tag. The actual prize was kept a secret until Peters flew to Homer in September to learn what she’d won: her little dinker of a fish was the Stanley Ford F-150 prize, worth $30,000! In August an angler on a North Country Charters boat brought a tagged halibut to derby headquarters. When we checked the ticket number against the prize, it was for the GCI $50,000 tagged fish. BUT HE DIDN’T HAVE A DERBY TICKET! So, the simple lesson learned? Buy your derby ticket! Even little fish can win big. In 2014 the price for a day ticket in the derby remains $10. For the first time, a $100 season pass is offered for anglers who know they’ll be hunting for a winning fish on many days. Come to Homer, the “End of The Road,” enjoy our hospitality and our wonderful fishing, and go home with great stories. www.homerhalibutderby.com
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the fish to come to us. We sat on the deck with both rods in the water soaking, basking the warmth of the unusually hot summer. Dinner went by and libations came out. We were talking about up-and-coming sailing trips, fall hunting, and the usual things couples chat about when Bixler noticed a slight dip on his jigging pole. “I think there is something down there,” I whispered, as if the fish could hear. The rod tip dipped again. “Me too,” Bixler whispered back. He stood up and watched another dip on the rod tip. Since C-hooks are self-setting, Bixler carefully lifted the fishing pole out of the rod holder. Holding it in his hands, he felt the slight nibble of a fish. He stood like a statue, fixed on the rod as if sending a subliminal message to fish. “Take the hook,” he said in a whisper. The fish nibbled. Then it ran. Line whizzed out of the reel. What had been a peaceful evening be-
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Krystin Bablinskas shows off the diverse bounty of fish available to anglers. (BIXLER McCLURE)
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A TROPICAL HALIBUT DELIGHT We did catch our share of halibut, even if we lost the big one our previous trip. And here is one of our favorite ways to prepare this flaky and tender fish, with a tropical theme.
MACADAMIA NUT- CRUSTED, COCONUT OIL-FRIED HALIBUT WITH TROPICAL SALSA OVER PORK FRIEDRICE INGREDIENTS HALIBUT Halibut, chunked, seasoned with salt and pepper Flour 2 eggs Panko bread crumbs Macadamia nuts Unrefined coconut oil (has a more coconut-y flavor than refined) Fried Rice Steamed white rice Sesame oil Garlic Green onions 2 eggs Wasabi Sriracha Mae Ploy soy sauce A couple of strips of cooked, chopped bacon A couple of tablespoons of the salsa recipe below Salsa 1 mango 1 ⁄2 to 1 red/green/white onion 2 jalapeños (1 if you don’t want it milder) Coarse sea salt 1 bunch cilantro Lime juice
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HOW TO PREPARE Salsa In a food processor, combine the salsa ingredients and process until it reaches the desired consistency (we prefer it chunky). Drain any excess water and let sit. Fried Rice Cook rice and heat sesame oil over high heat. Add garlic. Once the garlic releases some of its essence in the oil, add rice. Stirfry a bit and then add egg, bacon, onion, salsa, soy sauce, wasabi, Mae Ploy, and sriracha. Stir-fry until done. Fried Halibut In a food processor, chop/combine Panko and macadamia nuts until the nuts are chopped fine. Next, lay out three bowls. In one bowl, add flour; in another bowl, mix eggs and a little bit of water. In the last bowl, add the Panko and macadamia nuts mixture. Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a pan. Wait to add the fish until it is hot (you can throw in some Panko and if it sizzles instantly, you are ready to go). Roll the halibut around in the flour. Next, roll it around in the egg wash. Lastly, roll it around in the Panko/macadamia nut crust. Add to hot oil. Repeat for all of the halibut. Cook on high heat, flip it once the bottom side is a nice caramel/brown color, and keep cooking until the other side is similarly cooked and the halibut is cooked through (for best results, make sure the fish isn’t still partially frozen or refrigerator-cold before starting to fry). To serve, put the fried rice down on a plate and top with halibut. Put some salsa over everything and garnish with sriracha and wasabi (also good for dipping). —Bixler McClure
came chaos. “Grab the gun! Grab the net! Grab the gaff!” Bixler yelled, trying to get control of the fish. “Which one do you want me to do first?” I asked. “I don’t care!” Bixler yelled. “Just hurry! It’s huge!” Bixler hopped up along the gunwale with the rod in hand trying to get control of the fish. It was fighting and diving underneath the boat. He braced himself and started to reel as I grabbed the net and threw it onto the deck. I scrambled for our gaff, which was unused and rusted solid. The tip crumbled in my hand. “Gaff is no good!” I shouted. “What? Just grab the gun!” Bixler yelled as he started to get control of the fish. The fish swam under the boat the boat, causing a headache with rigging as Bixler moved toward the bow. I jumped back inside and dug around for our .44 Magnum and light loads (.44 special) for large fish. Digging through one of our many lockers, I could only find bear rounds (heavy .44 Magnum loads), which would blow a hole in the side of our boat if used. “We don’t have any light rounds!” I relayed back to Bixler. Bixler cursed and yelled for me to come and help him. The fish had zoomed under the boat again and around the anchor rope. When I reached the bow, Bixler was trying to keep tension on the rod while untangling the fish from the anchor. Sweating in the midnight sun, we managed to free the rod. The reel whizzed off again as the angry fish tried to escape the clutches of our C-hook. With his bare feet poised on the gunwale, Bixler grabbed control of the fish. Carefully adjusting the drag, he started to reel the fish in. The rod tip dipped into a semi-circle by the fish’s weight. I opened the gate on our boat and stood with poised with the net. As we peered into the water, hearts pounding, brows covered in sweat, a distinct shape appeared in the water. We screamed in unison: “Halibut!” Bixler then let out a lion’s roar of excite-
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Plenty of halibut can be caught “soaking,” which features the simple task of dropping bait on a heavy weight to the bottom. (BIXLER McCLURE)
ment that scared away any bears within a 3-mile radius. The halibut was no little fish either. It was the size of a car door and probably well over a hundred pounds. “Get it into the net,” he said excitedly, “then we’ll both lift it into the boat.” I dipped the net under the tired fish as it floated just below the surface. Within a split second, as soon as the fish felt the slightest whisper of the net, using its last ounce of strength it spit out the C-hook (no easy feat), flipped over, and jumped out of the net, never to return. “No!!!” We yelled in unison. We both sat back on the deck in shock. That halibut, the largest we had ever seen on our boat, was the big one.
THE NEXT SPRING we went out fishing again, on our friend’s boat. As we drifted over a reef, Bixler hooked up to something big. He yelled. He jumped. His heart pounded at the memory of The Big One. However, Bixler later recollected that it was the largest thing (other than the earth) that he had ever hooked up to. Itquicklyshookthehook,buta few hours later he ended up with a nice 40-pound halibut. In the quest for the big one, I pulled up a decent cod and yelloweye; Bixler also caught a nice yelloweye. While we are always out there looking for that halibut the previous year, we remind ourselves that the smallersized fish we are catching are just as delicious as the one that got away. ASJ
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TRACKING THE LAST SHEEP BY STEVEN R. PETERSON
A
few years back my son, Drake, and I went on a caribou hunt in the Mulchatna herd of northeastern Alaska. During the hunt, I shot a nice bull several miles from camp. Drake walked up to me after I had shot it. “Dad, that was really dumb shooting that big bull so far from the tent.” “Yeah, it probably was, but at the time it seemed like a good thing to do,” I replied. We butchered the bull and started back to camp carrying one quarter between us since we only had one pack frame on that morning’s hunt. About half way back a group of nice bulls walked up to us and Drake shot one of those. We now had seven quarters on the ground and one shared on our backs. The next morning I woke my son up so we could get started packing those remaining seven quarters back to camp. Drake rolled over. “Dad,” he said, “I‘m going to have difficulty packing today, because my hip is bothering me from helping pack that quarter yesterday.” He had broken his pelvis in three places several years before, so this was an old injury resurfacing. At that point I realized I was going to have to do a lot of packing myself in the next couple of days. I told him not to push it and stay in the sack if necessary. I’d do most of the pack122 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
ing, but someday this was going to come back and bite him. He knew he would owe me good. ONE LAST TRIP When he learned I had drawn a sheep permit for the Tok Management Area (TMA), near the Yukon border, Drake volunteered to be my packer if I was lucky enough to kill a ram. I suspected he was still feeling the guilt after all these years and wanted to relieve himself of the debt. Drake and I had not been big game hunting together for quite a few years,
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The author, retired from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, knew at his age he wouldn’t have the stamina to do many more such demanding hunts. But he made the most of this trip with his son. (DRAKE PETERSON)
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and I thought this would be a good opportunity to spend some quality time with my son in a great wilderness setting. Drake had never been on a sheep hunt before, so he thought it would be a good opportunity to check out some new hunting equipment to take on a future sheep hunt. He also thought he might get a chance at a tundra grizzly, and he would get a caribou harvest ticket since the caribou season opened in that area a few days after we would be flown in. I told him this was going to be my final sheep hunt. After I reached 70, I realized I was just getting too old to scramble up those talus slopes much longer. Sheep hunting is not for physically weak individuals, and it is certainly not like pheasant hunting where you walk over the open flat prairie. A hunt in good sheep habitat is difficult at best, even for the young at heart. I walk 3 miles every day, but I’m starting to realize I can‘t keep up the physical exertion I used to have a few years back. But sheep hunting is special,
Sheep hunting was so special to the author, not only because of the animal sought but for the beautiful country where it dwells. So he and his son went while the father still felt capable of handling the physical demands. (DRAKE PETERSON)
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not only because of the animal sought, but also because of the beautiful country in which it dwells. I wanted to take one more ram before I was no longer physically capable. The TMA seemed like the perfect opportunity since it is managed as a high quality hunt. I felt very fortunate to be drawn when the draw rate is only about 2 percent. In addition, the success rate is reasonable compared to other sheep hunting areas in the state. The limited number of sheep permits allocated to this area, distributed over two separate hunt periods, allows a person to hunt without the distraction of other hunters in your selected drainage possibly interfering with your attempt to take an animal. In a weeklong hunt you may never see another hunting party, rarely hear the sound of an airplane, and the sounds of highway traffic are just not there. I had drawn a permit for the TMA once before and had missed a chance at a nice sheep in a rugged area. I was excited to be
given a second chance at a ram in the same general area. When I booked the charter flight, I explained the situation to the pilot and he understood my dilemma. He figured he knew an area where he could put us down in a bowl at the head of drainage above timberline in good sheep habitat. This would eliminate a lot of the scrambling and climbing to an area where sheep live. He figured I probably wouldn’t get one with 43-inch horns in that area, but the chances of getting a legal sheep were pretty good. At my age, I was happy with those odds for taking a ram. ESTABLISHING CAMP On the morning we were scheduled to fly out of Tok, clouds were hanging over the mountaintops and I had apprehensions about departing early. Pilots who fly in mountainous areas pre-
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It’s Alaska, so you never know when snow is going to fall. The author woke up and thought the tent roof fell heavier. The dusting from the previous night was indeed snow. (STEVEN R. PETERSON)
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fer flying early or later in the day to avoid bumpy air conditions that often occur during the middle of the day. By the time we were packed into the two Super Cubs to take us in, the weather had cleared enough over the ridge tops that we took off by 8 a.m. Load limitations for the Super Cubs used to fly into this remote area dictate the passenger be limited to a pack of 50 pounds or less, the rifle in a soft case, the clothes on your back, and no fanny packs because of safety strap restrictions on the passenger. It was a smooth half-hour flight to where we were going to land in a bowl at 4,900 feet. As we approached the gravel ridge where we were to set down, we saw a mother grizzly and two large cubs just off the end of the makeshift runway of gravel. After we landed, I was pleased to see the sow leading the cubs up a draw and over a ridge away from camp. We didn’t need any trouble from three hungry bears looking for an easy meal. As we established camp, we noticed a
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bull caribou with two cows and two calves a couple hundred yards from us. The bull had evidently just shed the velvet on his antlers as they were pink from the dried blood. This was a respectable bull and I told Drake the animal would probably stay in the basin for a while if he was not disturbed too much. This was Aug. 29. The sheep season was open but the caribou season did not start until Sept. 1. I suspected there would not be many other caribou in this small basin, so my son had a few days to contemplate whether or not to go after that bull. After we set up the tent and moved in, we took out the 30X spotting scope and began looking for sheep. We had seen a small band of four or five sheep on the way in so we glassed that area first. We soon spotted four sheep that looked like rams resting on a promontory in the middle of a large talus slope. They were about a mile away according to our map and we could barely tell they were rams. Later in the afternoon we spotted a band
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of five ewes and lambs on another ridge about a mile away. My chances for a legal ram were looking good. THE HUNT IS ON The next morning we left camp about 7 a.m. and headed up the valley bottom to eventually walk into a pass separating the bowl from the adjacent drainage. About 45 minutes into the trek, I spotted a lone sheep grazing at the foot of the bowl. I’m always suspicious of lone animals, so I proceeded to stalk the animal. I crawled up behind a pile of rocks and got a good look at the sheep through my binoculars from about 200 yards. When I determined it was a ram but the horns were between three-quarter and seven-eighths curl and therefore not legal, I got up and walked away to join Drake lying on the hillside below the pass. “Didn’t you see that ram?” “What ram?” Drake responded. He then realized it was right there. His eyes had been focused on other game, but this was a bear; it was a nice griz-
zly, coming to within 200 yards of us and standing on his hind legs to give us a good look. “Here’s your chance for a nice tundra grizzly. You can use my gun since you’re not carrying one,” I told Drake, who paused. “No, I better not. This is the first hour of your sheep hunt and I don’t want to possibly spoil your chances this early in the game. Also, I don’t trust myself shooting that bear with your ‘little gun’ (it’s a .30-06), and this bear is dark. I want a blond one.” Iadmiredhisdecision,rolledmyeyes,and said: “OK, then let’s get on up to the pass.” We climbed to the top and walked along a ridge for about a half-mile separating the adjacent drainages. Eventually we spotted another sheep that looked like a good ram even from a considerable distance. The clouds were rolling up the ridge on the far side but couldn’t sweep over the top because the wind on our side kept pushing them back. I made the decision to not go after that ram to get a better look. The last part of that knife ridge really looked nasty and it dropped right off into
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Drake Peterson was able to get a caribou as a bonus from the sheep hunt that fell during the opening few days of caribou season. (DRAKE. PETERSON)
A BONUS CARIBOU HUNT Caribou season started the day after I shot the sheep. The day started with another inch of fresh snow on the tent, clouds below the ridgelines, and fog (more like clouds) sweeping up and around camp; you couldn’t see 50 yards sometimes. By 10:30 a.m., the snow was starting to melt, and the fog had lifted sufficiently to see and shoot any caribou that might be in the basin. Drake decided to walk around and see if he could locate a bull. I told him I was going to stay around camp to bone out my sheep, saw the horns off the skull, and flesh the cape. If I heard him shoot, I would stop what I was doing, pick up my pack and go look for him. If I heard one shot, I would assume he shot the bull. If I heard three shots, I would assume he was having a problem with a grizzly. About noon I heard a single big boom. However, because of the surrounding rocky hillsides and the fog, I could not tell from where the shot had come. A few minutes later Drake walked over the hill and said: “Grab your pack and follow me.” He had found a bull bedded down right off the end of the runway clearing for the plane. He shot him in his bed and the animal never moved. It was half as close to the tent as the sheep kill site. I jokingly said it looked a little “wimpy” but confessed that it really was a nice bull because the long top tines made the animal look impressive. Three days after we had first seen that pink-antlered bull, he had polished his antlers to a nice brown patina. We had the bull butchered and back to camp by 3 p.m. Two things were interesting about the carcass: We had forgotten how dark the blood and meat of a caribou really is; apparently this is because these animals need lots of hemoglobin to carry additional oxygen required in extensive traveling. And the heart was quite large in comparison to the size of the animal; it was fully three to four times bigger than the sheep’s heart. In comparison to caribou meat, the sheep meat was very pale and it reminded us of veal. We celebrated Drake’s success with a swallow of Butterscotch Schnapps and turned in. SP
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the clouds. It was definitely steep on the back side and that ram was bedded down right on top, where he had a commanding view in all directions. If I shot that ram and he fell off the back side, he would disappear into the clouds and be gone with no chance for retrieval. We continued sidehilling along a talus slope, eventually coming to the drainage where we had previously seen the four rams. We settled down on a promontory and set up the spotting scope, where we had a good view of the basin and the far talus slope. “This spot smells just like our barn in Idaho when we raised lambs for 4H,” Drake said. It definitely stunk of sheep and they must regularly use that location to rest and watch the surrounding hillsides for danger. We eventually spotted those four rams on top of the opposite slope. We were a half-mile closer than the day before so we could get a reasonable look at them. Three of the rams were definitely not legal, but the fourth one looked like he might have a full curl. At that distance and with our mediocre spotting scope optics we couldn’t tell for sure if the tips made it to the horn‘s base. Soon thereafter, the rams walked over the ridge top and out of sight. We decided to head back to camp by walking straight down the stream course in the middle of the basin. On the way down I slipped on a wet rock, put a couple of serious scratches in the pretty maple stock and cracked off the trigger guard. I was heartbroken; I had carried that old Model 70 Winchester for over 50 years and it had been on a lot of hunts. When we arrived in camp, I unloaded the gun and tested the trigger pull. It seemed OK, but I would have to be careful when carrying it and buy a new trigger guard when I got back home. It was a tough 11-hour shift that first day as we had walked several miles mostly over rough, rocky terrain and climbed up and down a couple of thousand feet starting from 4,900 at the summit. We were a couple of tired puppies, and, after eating a hot meal, a good night’s sleep was coveted. FIRST CONTACT We woke up the next morning to light
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snow, and finally I suggested we walk up the basin’s floor to where I spotted that first ram the previous day. We had a GPS with the tent location in it, and, as long as we stayed in the valley, we couldn’t get lost even if the clouds dropped to the bottom. We walked up to the base of the mountain where I had seen the ram, settled in against some rocks, and started to wait. After about two hours of sitting in the “soup bowl” I commented that the situation really sucked, because we couldn’t see over 100 yards. I suggested we head back to the tent, make some tea, and think on it. Drake agreed. We were about three-quarters of a mile away from the tent when I spotted some sheep right in the middle of the valley below camp. A quick look with the binoculars told me they were rams, and probably the same band of four we had observed the previous two days. I couldn’t believe our luck in intercepting them out in the open while they were traveling from one side of the basin to the other. It wasn’t 10 seconds
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before they disappeared into a shallow gully, out of sight. “Come on, let’s hoof it at an angle to them and we might be able to intercept them before they reach the other side,” I said. As we rapidly trotted towards the mouth of the canyon where the rams were headed, I again banged my rifle on a rock. Needless to say, I was feeling ill from apprehension about whether or not my rifle was still capable of shooting straight, mumbled a few bad words under my breath, but prayed my scope was still on. This was neither the time nor place to make a trial shot to check for accuracy. We reached a low ridge near where I thought the rams would come out and settled down to wait. Periodically, we eased up just enough to see their white backs moving up the gully and kept note of their progress. I whispered to Drake that they were probably headed for a small meadow about 75 yards in front of us. It was the perfect “Apache ambush.” I had my
binoculars up and ready just before the first ram walked into the meadow. It was a three-quarter to seven-eighths curl ram and not legal. The second ram to walk in was full curl and definitely legal. The third one was broomed on the horn I was able to see, but I did not get a look at the other horn, so it may or may not have been legal. The fourth ram was one-half to three-quarters curl and definitely not legal. I whispered the second one was legal and I was going to shoot. Drake agreed the ram was a full curl. The four rams had no idea we were near them. Boom! We couldn’t tell where my shot went. The ram I shot at didn’t look like it was hit and all the rams didn’t know where the noise came from. I cranked in another shell and shot. Again, nothing appeared to happen, but those rams decided this place was not good for their well-being, and they hustled up the talus slope. At that point I realized my scope had been jarred off-target and my gun was essentially useless. Drake offered me his gun; he carried a .338 ultra-
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TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SHEEP HUNT Whenever someone goes on a wilderness hunt, a good memory exercise after you’re home reinforces lessons that can be carried forward to the next trip. Here are some of the things one should seriously consider before undertaking a trip into the wilderness: • Bring someone along you can tolerate in a tight spot and you can trust in jam. It’s easy to get yourself in trouble, and that is not the time or place for backup you can’t depend on. It also goes without saying, you should leave directions with several parties on where you will be and when you plan to be back. • Bring two dependable guns you are both familiar with using since accidents happen. If my son had not been beside me with another gun after I banged my scope on a rock, the sheep I eventually took would have walked away from me and the opportunity lost. • When planning the meals, think lots of calories. A rigorous hunt demands lots of energy and this is not the time to be on a diet. If you go on the hunt intending to lose weight, you should not be out there. A daily energy intake of 2,200 calories is not too much to anticipate eating. • Take the best equipment you can afford (and spend a little more). A breakdown because of poor equipment can create a life-threatening situation in a hurry. This equipment includes everything from the boots on your feet to the tent you sleep in. Excellent rain gear is an absolute must. In most of that high country firewood is not available, and, if you get wet, you’re not going to get dry or warm standing over an alcohol stove. It can get very windy in that high country and if your cheap tent starts ripping apart, you are in trouble. • Bring very good optics (spotting scope, binoculars and telescopic sights). You are often looking at things a long way off and detail discrimination is important. • Bring a waterproof map and a GPS unit. The clouds and fog can roll in on a moment’s notice, and you need to know where you are and where you need to go. • Get in as good a physical condition as you can before the hunt. The hunt itself is not the time to be building up your body strength. SP
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The successful results of a sentimental hunt between father and son. (STEVEN R. PETERSON)
mag with lots of stopping power because he hoped to kill a grizzly and/or caribou. I had never handled the gun before, and I quickly realized it was a left-handed bolt action (I shoot right-handed) weapon. The scope covers were still on, and the safety was in the wrong place. While all this confusion was going on, I was trying to keep focused on the ram I wanted to shoot as they scrambled up the talus slope. By the time I was ready to shoot, the sheep were about 100 yards away. Drake said his gun was sighted in for 300 yards and was 6 inches high at 100 yards. I aimed for the heart area and connected this time. I broke the ram’s back and he tumbled down the talus. After he stopped, I turned to Drake, gave him back his rifle and asked him to “fetch.” We both laughed. TWO DECADES OF MEMORIES I shot that ram almost 20 years to the day since I shot my first Dall sheep. It was now noon and the snow had melted on the val-
ley floor. When we were examining the ram we noticed a bullet in his left horn. Apparently, my second shot hit the horn but the impact never jolted him. You would think the slam of that bullet into his head area would have at least given us an indication he was hit. Upon further examination, we noted the ram was only 7 years old and neither horn was broomed. Consequently, he did not satisfy two of the three criteria for legality. But he was at full curl, which made it legal. We had him skinned, butchered, and ready to pack out by 2 p.m. We knew it was going to be an easy haul back to the tent, so we left all the bones in except for the backbone and lower parts of the legs. “Even though you hired on to this outfit to be the packer, I’ll still volunteer to pack the balls, the tenderloins, and the heart,” I said. Drake thought this was very generous of me, but if I wanted to eat the liver, I was going to have to pack that too. After whimpering and whining over having to
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take on some of the packing responsibilities, I stuffed the liver into my fanny pack. We set off back to camp, with that first load taking all of 12 minutes – true story – to drop it by the tent. We celebrated the kill with a good swallow of Butterscotch Schnapps and headed back for the last load. I had agreed ahead of time to pack the cape and horns attached to the skull. We snacked on yummy sheep balls, fried in fat pulled from around the kidneys, before eating our usual freeze-dried evening meal in a pouch. What started out to be a nasty-looking day couldn’t have ended better. I told Drake no matter how many sheep he packs out in the future, he would never, ever, have an easier pack than the one we just did. Life was good. The next morning we stayed late in our bedrolls because it was raining lightly and we didn’t really have anything to do. That’s when we heard a plane. We jumped outside just in time to see a Super Cub landing to pick us up. He had seen our signal the previous day, the weather was closing in but still flyable, so they decided to pick us up early. The first plane flew out the meat, horns, and antlers. That pilot said he would return within the hour to pick me up. Drake flew out with the other plane and left me with the tent, bedroll, his gun, and a little food in case I got stranded. The first pilot returned on time. We dropped Drake’s caribou meat off at a processor and took the antlers, horns and capes to a taxidermist. As it turned out, the processed caribou meat was very good, and the sheep meat that I processed at home was outstanding. It reconfirmed my belief that sheep meat is still the best meat in the woods, by far. On this hunt, my last, everything went right. We came back safe and sound, my son learned a lot about sheep and sheep hunting, and we had some excellent meat and mementos to hang on the wall. We will each think to ourselves for many years to come with a common reaction. “That was a really fine hunt.” ASJ Editor’s note: Steve Peterson worked 20 years for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He has been retired for 11 years. 136 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
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THE DIY ALASKA HUNT CHECKLIST STAYING WARM, STAYING COMFORTABLE ARE PRIORITIES PART I OF II BY PAUL D. ATKINS
Water is a constant in Alaska, and, if your plan includes a caribou or a moose, you will be in and around it at some point. Besides a raft, hip boots and dry clothes are a must in these areas. Your gear list should reflect this and be one of your biggest concerns. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
S
itting on a hill overlooking a stretch of river with rain pouring down my back wasn’t much fun, except for the blueberries that surrounded me. I was soaked, but I kept reminding myself I was in Alaska on my first do-it -yourself moose hunt and was glad to be there. Just two days earlier I experienced my first bush plane ride with a pilot I had never met, into country I had never seen, which by itself would have been enough. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. Except I wasn’t prepared, and it showed.
When taking on the huge task of an unguided moose or caribou hunt you need to be ready for all aspects of the hunt. Unguided DIY drop hunts are relatively cheap compared to most Western big game hunts these days, but they’re not easy. You must be prepared and ready for the best and worst Alaska has to offer.
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COST First, let’s talk about cost for a nonresident who wants to try his or her luck at a DIY hunt in the Last Frontier. At an incredible $85 an Alaskan nonresident hunting license is still one the best deals in hunting today. This license will give the hunter access to a lot of country and a lot of species to pursue. Big-game tags like caribou, moose and deer will still have to be purchased, but most can be bought over the counter. Caribou tags run $325 each; in some units you can buy two, which is a great deal and pretty rare these days compared with elk, deer and other tags in the Lower 48. Moose tags, however, are not quite as easy for the nonresident, but with liberal
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For some having a stove in camp is a necessity, including the author. However, if you have limited space, you can forgo the stove and cook on an open fire, or maybe even go the dry food or MRE route. But a plate of sizzling bacon makes any trip better. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
Depending on the length of your hunt, DIYers should first make a list of all the gear necessary for the hunt. Emergency gear should always be a priority, and always included. And don’t over pack; keeping your gear under 70 pounds is a good rule of thumb. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
drawings, which are held each February, hunters will have much better odds than most big-game drawings outside Alaska. Keep in mind the species mentioned above do not require a guide, which makes them even more enticing. Before planning your Alaskan hunt check the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website (adfg.alaska.gov) for specific information. Another aspect and cost of a DIY hunt will require you to hire a transporter. A transporter is not a guide but the guy with a plane who will get you from point A to point B and back again. Great transporters are worth their weight in gold, and finding the right one should be a top priority for a hunt of this magnitude. Research is the key. I use Northern Air Trophy and Arctic Backcountry (907-262-1091; northernairtrophy.com) in my hometown of Kotzebue. They’re second to none in terms of flying experience; more importantly, they’re hunters too and will always put their clients in the best position to be successful. BASIC GEAR I have lived in Alaska for 15 years, and since that time and many DIY hunts later I’ve come to learn a great many things about hunting this great land. To make any hunt enjoyable, even if it pours rain for every day of a five-day hunt, specific planning and being prepared for whatever the Alaskan outdoors decides is vital. One thing is for certain: It will rain while in camp. The key to staying dry and comfortable is making sure you have the
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gear to achieve this. Being rained on is not a problem, but being wet and cold is a miserable experience. There are a ton of great rain suits available, many on the high end in price, but most work as advertised and the quality is second to none. The Cabela’s brand is also a great choice. I’ve used it for years and it has never failed me. I’m very partial to the lightweight Dry
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Plus label, and believe me, after that first hunt, I got on Cabela’s website and ordered an entire set! You will also need base layers, and I’ve found that fleece and Alaska go hand in hand. Fleece holds heat relatively well and dries quickly even if the temperature isn’t ideal. The new advanced wool undergarments, such as First Lite and Kuiu, are also
great for staying dry and comfortable. One of the most important pieces of gear that most hunters neglect is socks. We know how miserable wet socks can feel after a hard day of hunting. Waders trap moisture, and if you’re anywhere near a moose or caribou you’ll be in waders. I usually take 10 pairs of wool socks for a 10-day hunt. I personally change my socks twice
The author prefers to use two small tents, one for sleeping and a second to store gear. However, if you are hunting in a large group a large tent makes more sense. Good reliable tents that protect you from the Alaskan elements are must and choosing the right one shouldn’t be skimped on. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
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a day and hang the used pair to dry, either inside the tent or around the fire. Wool dries fast; even if it doesn’t they will be ready again in a couple of days if needed. There is nothing better than putting on a dry pair of socks at the end of the day! Speaking of footwear, for some “waders” is a dirty word; they’re uncomfortable, trap moisture and seem to buckle constantly on the tundra. They allow every rock and pebble to be felt on the river’s edge. But they’re lifesavers, and in some cases “hunt savers,” especially after spotting that big bull on the other side of the river with the only way to get to him wading across. Many years ago on my first DIY bowhunt my new wife accompanied me. It was a joy to have her in camp and experience the outdoors in search of moose and caribou. We had a great time. But the one thing she forgot and I later learned that “I forgot,” were her waders. The area around camp was filled with creeks, and every day we had to cross at least one to get where we were going. Needless to say it’s tough to carry your wife, a bow and a pack across
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each of those creeks, but looking back I would do it all again. It was fun! If waders aren’t your style and a “tundra only” hunt is planned, then you probably can get away with knee-high rubber boots. Several of the top boot companies such as Cabela’s and Muck Boots offer quality footwear that are not only tough but comfortable and have tremendous arch support, something most waders do not. They also come with different amounts of insulation to accommodate all comfort levels. So if room allows, pack your waders for creek crossing but buy a pair of rubber boots for long treks across the tundra. In the end water is a constant here in Alaska, whether it is coming straight down or flowing in one of the many streambeds. Staying dry means you need to be prepared and that includes everyone in camp. SHELTER AND OTHER ITEMS Depending on the number of hunters in your camp you will need to be thinking about your accommodations when you arrive. Most hunters who come to Alaska and do the un-
guided drop camp have to sleep in a tent. The more fortunate may have secured a cabin to stay in, but in most cases you will be sleeping under the stars in a dome of some kind. During my first DIY hunt I brought along a two-man survival tent thinking it would be adequate for our stay. I was wrong. Though it was light and easy to pack, the term “two-man” tent really meant one man. We barely had enough room for two sleeping bags, let alone two people. And to make things worse I didn’t have a sleeping pad! A sleeping pad such as a Thermarest or any foam-type pad is must for sleeping on the hard riverbank or the uneven tundra. I’ve dealt with the discomfort. But a big tent can be cumbersome and heavy. The wind and rain can also create havoc on a big tent, especially if you are out in the open tundra with nothing to tie it to. There is nothing worse than getting wet and having to get up in the middle of the night to secure your tent. I have found that two small well-made tents work wonders. Usually for two hunters I pack a four-man and a twoman tent. My favorite has been the North
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A stack of gear like this is the norm for most drop-camp hunts. Every detail needs to be addressed and planned long before you fly to Alaska. However, hunters who come to the Last Frontier don’t need to spend a fortune to make it happen. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
Face line. They are light and durable and can stand most all weather conditions. They also easily attach to the ground. Why two? The bigger tent serves as sleeping quarters while the second smaller tent is a place to store all of your gear and keep it out of the elements. Two small tents are also lightweight and easy to pack with the rest of your gear. If you have a large group and a big tent is the only option it is still a good idea to bring along a small one for storage. You will appreciate the extra room. The Cabela’s Outfitter series tents are phenomenal.
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Another alternative is the “The Arctic Oven,” made by Alaska Tent and Tarp. It is one of the most innovative tents on the market today. The tent is expensive, but overall well worth it and will last for years. The Arctic Oven comes in several sizes; it has a liner that absorbs moisture caused by condensation. You and your gear stay dry. You will not wake up to drips hitting you in the face or a soggy sleeping bag. It also has the option of a small wood stove that fits nicely inside and doesn’t take up to much room. Dry bags are also a big plus when trav-
eling to your destination, for a variety of reasons. They keep your gear dry and they also pack easily. I personally use the Cabela’s brand, but many companies make them. There are a variety of sizes to choose from, and their dense, almost rubberlike texture will stand up to the rigors of any hunt. Extra clothes and gear can be kept safe and dry. And when it comes to packing for your trip to the bush your pilot will be much appreciative. Other than shelter and your personals, you will need the necessities to stay alive for the next five to seven days. A propane or gas stove for cooking is needed, unless you decide to go the MRE route or cook over an open fire (if wood is available). Having a cook stove is a great addition on any hunt, especially early in the morning when the thought of bacon, eggs and coffee cross your mind (don’t forget the creamer). Packing a stove can be a problem, especially if it has been used before. TSA frowns upon items like this when flying, but there are options. If you know somebody in the region where you’ll be hunting, ship it along with
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other gear, or buy what you need in the town you’ll be landing in. It’s expensive, but everything in rural Alaska is. You will also need enough food for the entire hunt plus two days extra, just in case weather prevents your transporter from picking you up. Trust me, it happens all the time. Food can be bought from one the local grocery stores, but be prepared for sticker shock. It cost a lot of money to get these items to bush Alaska, but in most cases it’s your only option and does help the local economy. Another option for the DIY hunter is to rent the essential camping gear. There are a few businesses located at many of the hubs (destination you will arrive at before heading to your hunt location) that have rental gear. Not unlike renting a raft (which is another great addition to the DIY drop camp) on a river or a rifle or shotgun on an overseas hunt, these businesses will rent you the essentials. I know from experience that it isn’t too expensive, and locations like Kodiak, Kotzebue and other prime hunting destinations have these. Once you’ve picked a species target, have all your gear together and decided on the dates, you then need to decide where to go and plan the logistics to make it all happen. Next month in part II of this series I‘ll discuss the where, when and what aspects of the DIY Alaska adventure. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer and a contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal. He has written hundreds of articles on hunting big game throughout North America and Africa. You can find him on Facebook and at pauldatkins.com.
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CUNNINGHAM BY CHRISTINE
FISHING WITH THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT
I
t had been a slow morning of halibut fishing out of Homer. We weren’t on a charter, but our captain was a Kenai River guide. He had the habit of being a captain wherever he went, even if it wasn’t his boat. “He’s charging out like he’s on the river,” his son said. “Doesn’t worry one bit about beating the hell out of my boat.” The rest of us were entertained as the father cussed the waves and the son tidied the deck. Just being around an ornery captain yelling and spitting in the dark of morning in rough salt water was more fun than most people have sleeping in on a Sunday. A fog rolled in at slack tide and we anchored up in the fog. Everyone was happy to get to fishing and telling stories about how just the other day they limited out on halibut and caught two winter kings before noon. That sounds good, I thought. After about an hour, we were still having fun, but the stories changed to tell about the time no one caught any fish. “We still had a great day because they saw a bunch of sea lions and an orca whale came right up to the boat.” That doesn’t sound good, I thought. “We should move,” my fishing partner said. Just then a line went down and the deck came alive with gaff grabbing and order yelling. I grabbed the rod and started to reel. It felt like the smallest fish I’d ever caught on the salt. Only a little head shake made me know it was a halibut. “This thing’s a flounder,” I said. Then another line went down and two of us were reeling. It would be hard to guess which fish was smaller, and we never took measurements. “I’m keeping mine just in case we don’t get anymore,” I said. “We ain’t keeping that flounder,” the captain said. “I’d rather have a small fish than no fish.” 150 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JUNE 2014
“Well, you don’t have any fish now,” the captain said as he threw back my fish. “So catch another one.” That’s the great thing about fishing with friends, I thought. They don’t worry about things like the customer always being right. Then I remembered that this particular captain didn’t worry about that anyway. He chose his profession because he wasn’t suited to office hours or decorum. He lived for fishing and duck hunting and was one of the toughest guys I’d ever met. “I was beginning to get worried,” my fishing partner said. “I thought someone might have brought a banana on board.” Suddenly the entire boat was quiet. The waves seemed to stop. Birds that were flying past seemed to drop out of the sky. The captain shook his head. “You’re not supposed to say the word.” He walked into the cabin as if deciding whether to start the motor up and head in for the day. For the fisherman, nothing is unluckier than a banana brought aboard the boat. Like many signs of bad luck, context means nothing – a banana cannot be brought aboard a boat whether it is in the ocean, river or lake. It doesn’t matter if it’s an organic banana or a dehydrated banana. If you’re on a boat, banana cannot be an ingredient in anything you have with you. “Is he serious?” my partner asked. “I thought you just couldn’t bring one on board.” “You can’t mention it,” the captain said. Seeing this uncharacteristic and stonecold reaction was a bit like seeing an elephant react to a mouse. His banana-phobia included six degrees of separation. I’d seen it once before and heard about it plenty. Anything related by six connections to a banana was verboten. That meant no Gwen Stefani music because she helped the world to spell “banana” more than four times in a single song. You can’t bring a product with “banana”
in its name aboard a boat. No Banana Boat lotion or Banana Republic apparel. Some guides will attest that Fruit of the Loom removed the banana from its label as a favor to fishermen the world over. You can’t bring a food item aboard which has banana as an ingredient or flavoring. This includes banana bread, banana muffins, and the ever-sneaky banana taffy. You must be careful when pronouncing certain words, such as “bandana.” You cannot possess the likeness of a banana either graphically or in a small graven image. You cannot wear a banana mascot costume of any kind. You cannot muse about bananas. Singing “Yes! We have no bananas” might seem funny at the time, but I didn’t dare it. Nothing about bananas is funny on a boat, whether it is the smell, shape or shelf life. It isn’t even funny to play the slip on a banana peel gag if you’re on a fishing vessel. Although many people have refuted the bad luck banana theory and some fisherman have a liberal “bananas welcome aboard” attitude, just seeing the fear it struck in the captain made me a little bit afraid. In a sport that requires so much aligning of the universes – a place where “the way you hold your mouth” could make or break the day’s catch – I never wanted to have a mouth full of banana. “I wouldn’t have thought he’d be superstitious,” my partner said. But that’s exactly why I bit off on the banana-is-bad-luck theory. There was comfort in following signs of good and bad luck. It was more predictable than the weather. “I guess I should have kept that fish,” I said. It took four hours before we’d catch another one. I don’t know what the antidote is to bad banana behavior, but hopefully you never have to use it. ASJ
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FAIRBANKS Northern Power Sports 1980 Van Horn Rd (907) 452-2762 www.northernpowersports.com KODIAK Emerson Boat Works 816 E Marine Way (907) 486-0602 www.emersonboats.com
JUNE 2014
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