Salmon fishing on the Klutina River - Alaska

For those of you who haven't fished the Klutina River yet, this video gives a good overview of this sweet fishery.

https://vimeo.com/127314584

Why deal with the hordes on the Kenai and the Russian River when you've got gems like the Klutina?

The only weird thing is every time I've been on that river, the water has been turquoise blue. It must have been high water or something when they recorded this.

Anyway, makes me want to drift some flies!

Why does it mater where they are hooked when you floss? They aren't willing biters at that point, I fail to see why hook location maters. Seems like a strange distinction given the premise. But, this is an argument as old as the fish runs...

I'm in the camp that thinks they don't willingly bite anymore when they're far up into the river.

But my brother-in-law swears that they'll bite, and he's always changing his yarn color based on the light or what the folks next to us caught one on.

Who knows???

There is a fine line between flossing and snagging (pardon the pun). Flossing is 'upper class' snagging. That means the fish is hooked in a location and in a manner that is identical to how it might have been hooked if the fish had taken the fly, if it were a willing biter, even though it's not.

But snagging is just snagging.

The reason for the rule on 'hook placement' is to maintain that distinction.

I'm not defending the rule, just stating the reason for it's existence.

Just give 'em all a circle hook and it becomes a NON issue... virtually NONE would be hooked elsewhere than the mouth

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/116682-Circles-for-sockeye?highlight=

But Doc, that doesn't answer the question of why it matters where they are hooked. Sure, using a circle hook may assure that they are hooked in the mouth but if they aren't willing biters why is the mouth somehow better than the tail?

I agree with Ted...it's snagging either way, so why worry about where it's hooked?

Fish on...

Todd

Because that's what the silly law says.

By AK state statute:

Hooked elsewhere than the mouth = snagged

Attempting to hook a fish elsewhere than the mouth = snagging

...

"Snagged" in the mouth by WA criteria (no willful pursuit) is not "snagged" by AK criteria

Humm?

I wonder how many fish that may have been willing biters are caught in nets.

Great video by ADFG. Very clear, concise and makes me want to head back north to slay some Reds.

The law is the part I am wondering about...they aren't biting it, so why should it matter where the fish is snagged? Head, ass, dorsal fin...who cares?

Fish on...

Todd

What Todd said. They aren't biting, at that point it doesn't matter where they are hooked.

I find it odd that a biologist is the one in the video, just seems like a biologist would be one who cares about willing biter versus non. Kind of a like expecting a priest not to swear, you aren't surprised when anyone else does but if a priest drops an f bomb, everyone notices.

They are Reds, they are tasty food fish, the dirty little secret is that most don't bite. None caught on that river in high-fast-dirty flows would be biting. Open it to wide open snagging, you get higher mortality rates for fish that are released (come on now, we all cherry pick when fishing is good and remember there is a Chinook return to that specific river that ain't doing so well). Not claiming to be an expert like Todd but from what I know snagging in Alaska is only allowed in terminal areas or when a river has reached escapement and the locals need to fill their freezers.

It is interesting to me that when I fished the Klutina with my wife and son about 16 years ago our guide ignored and dismissed Sockeye completely. My wife caught a 39 pound king, my son one about 35 and I did a couple in the high 30's. We hooked 20 Kings in a half day of fishing, landing eight in the swift current on egg clusters and keeping two while releasing the other six. We ate salmon for several days of our Alaska road trip, and gave some friends in Girdwood most of our fish as they wouldn't keep. The last 3-4 pound piece I cooked up we shared with some German tourist doing an RV rental road trip and they shared some alcohol beverages with us that had.

At that time apparently Reds were not even worth driving up from Anchorage
to fish for. They were jumping all around our feet while we fished for Kings.

Times definitely changed.

Yep.... and now there is guided fishing for Kenai pinks, too. The times they are a'changin'

I agree with both sides, but in that state you can go into a tackle shop or Wallmarts and see a whole rack of what they call silver spiders,. Every size of weighted triple hooks. More tax dallora at work?

I'm confused?

Well, when it's just about filling the freezer, and you take the whole sportfishing aspect out of the equation, they allow dipnetting up there.

These are a pretty good watch:
https://vimeo.com/66683195
https://vimeo.com/66683196
https://vimeo.com/66683197

I think that's just for residents though.

I don't know about fishing for reds on the Klutina, but landing a big Klutina king is an experience to say the least. The kings run up to 70 lbs. That and the fast moving river makes for quite a challenge. No crowds either.