Outdoor calendar

June 4-5 Homer Halibut Derby (homeralaska.org/ homer-halibut-tournament) June 5-14 Valdez Halibut Hullabaloo (valdezfishderbies.com) June 11-20 Slam’n Salm’n Derby, Ship Creek, Anchorage (slamnsalmnderby.com) June 15 Brown bear hunting season ends in several units June 30 Black bear hunting season ends in several units Many of Alaska’s spring brown June 30 Brown bear hunting season ends in several units bear hunts end this month, June 30 Last day 2020-21 hunting regulations are valid with some seasons finishing up on June 15 and others on June 30. (LISA HUPP/USFWS) July 7 Mount Marathon Race, Seward (mountmarathon.com) July 24 Start of Valdez Silver Salmon Derby (valdezfishderbies.com/silver-derby) July 24 Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby (valdezfishderbies.com/kids-derby) Aug. 13-Sept. 5 Valdez Tagged Fish Contest (valdezfishderbies.com/tagged-fish-contest) Aug. 14 Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby (valdezfishderbies.com/womens-derby)

Note: COVID-19 restrictions were easing at press time, but always confirm events before attending.

Many of Alaska’s spring brown bear hunts end this month, with some seasons finishing up on June 15 and others on June 30. (LISA HUPP/USFWS)

KEEP YOUR FIELD SUNNY SIDE UP

HOW TO WRAP CURED EGGS INTO CLUSTERS OR ONTO PLUGS FOR SALMON FISHING

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

In last month’s column I shared the many different ways to fish for king salmon on Alaska’s Nushagak River. In that piece, I touched on wrapping and fishing with cured eggs.

This month’s continuation of that theme takes a closer look at how to wrap and fish cured salmon eggs. These applications work on king salmon and coho and can be fished just about anywhere in Alaska when and where bait is legal.

EGG CLUSTER WRAPS “If you’re fishing cured salmon eggs with big, well-developed berries, wrapping them really helps,” says my longtime buddy Austin Moser, noted guide (austinsnorthwestadventures.com) and one of the best fishermen I’ve met. “Not only does it tighten them up so they hold together longer, but if you’re getting low on eggs or fishing heavy water that can be hard on eggs, wrapping them will extend their longevity.”

“I’ll usually wrap a couple dozen eggs the night before I go fishing so I don’t have to do it on the river,” Austin continues. “Once you do it a few times, it goes pretty quick.”

He begins by taking a chunk of eggs, about half the size of the palm of his hand. He places the eggs skein side up in his hand and then folds the skein on itself so the actual skein is on the inside, the loose

Wrapping plugs with cured eggs is a great way to deliver scent and color to fish. Make sure the eggs are wrapped tight to the plug so the action is not

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As fishing season heats up in Alaska this summer, there are plenty of options for cooking up your catch, including this Tiffany Haugen recipe that features fried rice. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

YUM! FISHING SEASON IS HERE

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

It’s great to see so many people taking advantage of Alaska’s abundant fishing opportunities this time of year. The sockeye are running, kings are coming in and trout are trending! There are also loads of bottomfish to be had, not to mention grayling, char, sheefish and pike.

Because the fish we pursue can vary in size, having a few ideas about how you want to cook them up before you even hit the water is a good idea. If a batch of small trout make it home, they may be ideal to stuff and toss on the grill and give everyone a whole fish for dinner.

If you bring home salmon, maybe fillet them and make four to six servings per fillet. If the fish you brought back have many sizes, try baking, smoking or grilling them, then flaking the cooked meat into dips, salads or chowder. This recipe is perfect over a spicy batch of fried rice and works with a range of fish. 1 tablespoon coconut oil 2 teaspoons minced ginger 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onion ½ teaspoon red chili flakes 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce Fillet fish into serving sizes and remove pin bones, then pat fish dry with a paper towel. In a large skillet, heat coconut oil on medium-high heat. Sauté ginger, garlic, chives or green onion and red chili flakes for about two minutes. Add sesame oil and soy sauce to the skillet and lay the fish skin side up on the ginger mixture.

Cook fish three minutes and gently flip, skin side down. Cook three to five more minutes or until the fish reaches desired doneness. (Remember, thicker fillets will take longer to cook.) Serve over fried rice and garnish with additional chives or green onions. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book Cooking Seafood and other bestselling titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.

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Author Scott Haugen wrote his best-selling book Egg Cures: Proven Recipes & Techniques back in 2002 – and what he would have given to know about fishing egg wraps back then! He’s caught a lot of salmon throughout Alaska over the past 30 years, including this hefty king on the Nushagak. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

eggs on the outside.

“Doing it this way allows the thread to get between all the berries and hold tight to the skein,” he says. “When you’re done, it looks a lot like fake rubber eggs, as all you see are the berries sticking up, and that’s exactly what you want.”

Using a stretchy, bait-wrapping thread that sticks to itself, Austin starts wrapping the eggs. Rotating the eggs in his hand, he continues wrapping as he goes, letting the thread pass between as many eggs as possible and securing the skein to itself. Austin runs about three dozen wraps around each egg cluster. This creates a firm, great-looking bait that holds up well in heavy, fast-moving water.

At the end of each egg wrap, Austin pulls the Miracle Thread tight and breaks it. Because it adheres to itself and since there are so many wraps around the egg, the thread holds in place very well. From there, the cluster can be threaded onto a hook, then snuggled into an egg loop and fished.

EGG WRAP BENEFITS Another bonus of a tightly wrapped egg cluster is that trout and other fish can’t pick it apart so quickly. While trout and smaller fish can pluck eggs to pieces when you’re plunking, back-bouncing, drift fishing or fishing them beneath a float, that simply doesn’t happen as quickly with a wrapped egg. This is because the individual berries are held tight to the skein, which doesn’t get strung out from the constant tugging and pulling.

One thing I quickly noticed while backbouncing soft eggs was that they retained their color much longer than eggs fished loose, or unwrapped. This is because the actual skein is wrapped tightly upon itself so it doesn’t string out and lose color so fast – what’s called milking out. While individual berries will slowly fall away, the skein remains largely intact, so the color stays in the tissues longer.

When drift fishing for salmon in shallow and fast-flowing rivers, I was impressed with how well wrapped eggs held up. Not only did the clusters stay on longer than unwrapped baits, they also held their color longer.

EGG-WRAPPED PLUGS For plug fishing fans, plugs can even be wrapped with eggs. This is something I’ve always wanted to try and finally did with Austin. I’ve caught salmon on plugs

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wrapped with an array of baitfish, bacon, tuna chunks, crawdad tails and sand shrimp, but not eggs.

The first time Austin tied up a plug with eggs, we fished it over 20 minutes before reeling it in and checking it. Expecting to see the eggs completely gone, we were both shocked when the plug came to the boat with glowing red eggs intact. We checked the plug for tuning and put it right back out. Three minutes later we were admiring a 25-pound king that fell for the presentation.

Experimenting more with eggwrapped plugs over a week of fishing together on the Nushagak River, Austin and I found larger plugs allowed larger eggs to be wrapped on them without compromising the plug’s action.

We tried wrapping cured eggs directly to the plug, as well as wrapping prewrapped eggs on to the plug. The loose egg cluster worked best, as the bait can securely be wrapped tight to the plug. The prewrapped eggs were too rigid and pushed out too far away from the plug, which impacted its running.

Just as you’d wrap a chunk of herring or a pinch of tuna onto the belly of a plug, do the same with eggs. Place the eggs on the belly of the plug and wrap it several times. If the eggs start to slide off to the side of the plug, center them and keep wrapping, ensuring that they keep snug and as close to the center of the plug as possible. Be careful not to wrap the eggs too far down the plug, as this can change the action of some plugs.

Should there be any individual eggs or parts of the skein hanging over the edge of the plug when done wrapping, trim it away with scissors. This will create a streamlined wrap that will allow the plug to run true.

When wrapping eggs in their own clusters or on plugs, cure them up as you normally would. Don’t forget to add scents of choice. Should eggs begin to come apart on the plug or in the wrapped cluster, trim away the loose parts and keep fishing, or replace if they’re too tattered.

Remember that eggs are an ideal natural bait to deliver both visual and olfactory attractors that entice salmon into biting. The more ways these baits can be presented, the better the chances of catching salmon, especially if it’s something that pressured fish may not have seen before. ASJ

Guide Austin Moser isn’t afraid to try new things when it comes to salmon fishing, especially where eggs are involved. He’s pumped with this nice king, taken on the Nushagak River. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling book Egg Cures: Proven Recipes & Techniques, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.

Author Paul Atkins calls this moment one of the Arctic’s most incredible sights. “You hook a fish and as you reel him up, you don’t really know what you have until you see that head pop up through the slush,” he says of catching sheefish in late spring. (LEW PAGEL)

REUNION ON ICE

TWO LONGTIME BUDDIES GET OUT FOR LATE-SEASON ARCTIC SHEEFISH TRIP

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

Our normal year has been anything but normal and I miss it more than you know. The long days of spring – filled with bear hunts, and chances at caribou – have passed us. And even though lives change all the time, these have been tough times.

I had not seen my good friend and longtime hunting/fishing partner Lew in some time, and it has been depressing. If you remember, Lew moved away (Alaska Sporting Journal, March 2020), and during the pandemic I’ve been stuck here with nothing really to do and no one to do it with. I could have gone out, but it’s just not the same. It’s not Lew’s fault or mine; it’s just the way our world is now.

But there’s always hope and when Lew told me a few weeks earlier that he was coming up from Valdez for a little spring fishing, a bright spot appeared on the horizon and I had to smile. I was excited – not only to see my old friend but also about what was to come. It was an activity that we’ve done together many times in the past: sheefishing.

TARPON OF THE NORTH If you haven’t read my tales in this publication about the fish sometimes known as the “tarpon of the north,” sheefish, or Inconnu, can be found only in the Arctic and sub-Arctic areas of

Alaska. They are silver in color with a darker bluish sheen along the top of their back. They also get big.

Lew and I have caught many over the years and cherished our experiences on the water. The fish remind me of the big striped bass we used to catch in the big lakes back in Oklahoma and Arkansas when I was a kid. But here in Northwest Alaska, sheefish are most commonly found in the Selawik and Kobuk River drainages of Kotzebue Sound.

These fish can grow up to 50 pounds and they are commonly found in the deep, cold water where the current is the swiftest. Their tremendous size and eating qualities are amazing, making

The promise of a new day always brings on anticipation of what’s to come. When the rods and reels are uncased and brought to the hole, you pray for action.

(PAUL D. ATKINS) HOW TO CATCH SHEEFISH When it comes to ice fishing for these monsters it’s always been a pretty simple process. You first must find where the current is leaving one of the river channels and cut your holes. Unless you’re lucky enough to find a hole that has already been cut/fished, then this will be the toughest part. The ice gets pretty thick during the winter months in and around Kotzebue Sound (it was only just breaking up in May) – as much as 6 feet in some places, but usually between 4 and 5 feet. Most people will usually start in one place, cut holes, fish it and then move on to another. It has been my experience that sheefish will move after a few days and, lucky for us, they usually head closer to town.

For digging holes, you will need to have an ice auger. For many years we used a hand-held, hand-operated auger. If it wasn’t for the promise of catching a big fish, I would have chosen to do something else. It was hard work; getting through all that ice was a back-breaking affair.

Propane and even gas-operated augers, such as those made by Jiffy and the Eskimo brand, make drilling through ice easy and will have you fishing in a matter of minutes. Most augers come

with extensions for the really thick stuff and can cut either 8- or 10-inch diameter holes. I prefer the 10-inch model, which will allow a little more room for the big boys that don’t watch their waistline.

Lew and I have actually hooked fish that would not come through the hole. The only solution was to wait and let them breathe and when they do, pull a little at a time. Eventually, but not always, they’ll pull through. A bigger hole allows for a bigger fish!

GEAR CHOICES For many years I used a niksik – the Inuit word for fishing jig – to catch sheefish. It’s a simple tool, most commonly made out of a willow branch that has a slight half-moon shape. I’ve also seen them made out of a caribou horn or moose rib, and some are as simple as a small board with a hole drilled through the end. The line is attached to one end with a strong knot, and that line needs to be tough. I use Dacron string; it’s braided and comes in 50-pound test. It’s a good thing it is tough to break, because there’s nothing worse than getting a big boy to the top of the hole, only to have him break the line and slide away.

But these days Lew and I have started using rods and reels. A spinning reel loaded with heavy-duty line and paired with a tough Two River rod gives hooking a giant sheefish a whole new meaning. You can feel the fight and it’s actually fun to reel them in! However, whether fishing with a niksik or rod, the amount of line needed depends on the depth you will be fishing. I usually attach 20 to 22 feet but don’t fish more than 15 feet, depending on water depth.

The area in and near Kotzebue Sound is quite shallow in places and the amount of line you use will vary. My technique is to let the line out until it hits the ocean floor and then come up 3 to 4 feet from the bottom. Sheefish like the deep part

There is nothing like pulling a fish from the ice in the early morning sun, especially if it’s a clear day, with bright blue skies and no wind. “Our new friend Shawn pulled fish after fish and was amazed each time,” Atkins says. (LEW PAGEL)

Sheefish are partial to herring and tomcod, and are attracted by brightly colored lures. (LEW PAGEL)

of the water where the current will carry your lure.

WHAT SHEEFISH BITE ON Sheefish are said to eat about anything and can open their mouths the same diameter as their body. They feed on herring and tomcod, and are attracted to bright colors.

As far as lures go, anglers can be pretty superstitious. Many say silver or gold colors are best. I once had a blue one that was lucky for about seven trips out until I lost it. That was a sad day. Some people use imitation fish lures and some even use live bait.

My advice is to try a lure and if it doesn’t work, then trade it in. If that one doesn’t work, the fish are probably not biting anyway.

BREAK THE ICE Like most ice fishing, it’s pretty simple: Simply auger out a hole, dip out the excess ice and then drop your lure in. A simple jerk with an up-and-down motion is all it takes. These fish will hit, instantly the line will get tight, and you’re set. You then pull up the line and expect a fight of lifetime. But not so much. With a little muscle they will come up and out of the salty slush with ease. It’s actually an amazing sight to watch a fish 3 feet long get pulled up through the ice.

THE FISHING BEGINS Lew arrived as planned; so did a couple of guys who had never experienced the thrill of pulling big fish out of the ice. A few months before – more like a year

A sheefish with a waistline like this is considered a monster, and especially if it’s over 40 inches long. This was Lew Pagel’s big catch of the day. “Even if it was only for a few days it was great to see my old friend, go fishing and have a great time,” Atkins

says. (LEW PAGEL)

ago – Lew and I had donated a fishing trip to Ducks Unlimited and sold it as a donation to their worthy cause.

Our partners that day, Shawn and Kyle, are both Alaskans and avid fishermen who’ve fished the world for a variety of species, but never sheefish. They were in for an experience of a lifetime.

Unlike the previous two years, when finding fish was tough, our first day out proved to be a winner. It was nonstop action for hours, it seemed – so much so that at one point we had so many fish that we actually had to release more than we caught.

It was one of those legendary afternoons when you’re in the right spot at the right time. What was even more exciting was watching two guys who had never done this before pull behemoth after behemoth from the cold slush and wrestle them to the pack ice. They were like kids in a candy store, and it was only the first day.

The second day proved the same and when we were done, they had a supply of fish to last several years – or at least several cookouts, if they wanted. So did Lew and I.

Lew proved himself again as well, pulling a monster from the ice that might be the new world record. Lew holds the record with a fish he caught a few years ago, but this guy was even bigger: 44 inches long, a 24-inch girth and weighing 40 pounds. It was incredible.

FAMILY AFFAIR Our last day on the water was not as good, though we were out in force. I brought my son Eli along to see if he could hook a few as well.

We fished hard all day and even entered the sheefish derby, which was being held for the first time in a long time that day. In years’ past the local Lions Club and the Northwest Arctic Borough held a derby, and this year they decided to continue the tradition again with some fabulous prizes. The fish weren’t having any of it, though, and like many, we went home empty-handed. We had a great time, though, made new friends and I got to see an old one. But when it was time for Lew to pack up and head back south, it was bittersweet. It was fun, though, and it reminded me of past years when we would be out there every day trying to find a big sheefish, or at least a spot where we could pull up a few of the tarpon of the north to take home. I cherish those days and will miss them.

Atkins’ son Eli came along on the last day, but like the rest of the group he didn’t catch any sheefish. He did, however, set the record for catching tomcod. The final count was established as 36. (LEW PAGEL)

Atkins says a good day of ice fishing is better than, well, anything! He and Pagel’s new friends enjoyed their time on the

hard water. (LEW PAGEL) FINDING FISHING FUN No matter what, though, or who you’re with, the heart of spring can be a special time here in the Arctic. The days get long and the deep dark cold of January and February are distant memories. Bears are leaving their dens and the snowshoe hare and ptarmigan are plentiful in the low-lying willows that choke the semifrozen creeks.

But for most of us it’s time for the big fish to show themselves. They give you a thrill trying to pull them from the depths into the new-found sun. ASJ

Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer and author from Kotzebue, Alaska. He’s had hundreds of articles published on big game hunting in Alaska and throughout North America and Africa, plus surviving in the Arctic. His new book Atkins’ Alaska is available on Amazon and everywhere good books are sold. It can also be ordered through his website, paulatkinsoutdoors.com, and if you want an autographed copy, contact him at atkinsoutdoors@gmail.com

Paul is a regular contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal.