I was up camping on the Kenai, and Maria finished work early, so she drove up to try her hand at flossing. It's an awkward technique that took a little getting used to, especially with a 9 foot long rod and a baitcast reel that she has never used, but it wasn't long and she was admiring her first red salmon on rod and reel. She proceeded to catch a limit of three in about an hour.
Below, a limit of three big males I caught earlier in the day. You can tell males because of the big hooked jaw, and also their size. Female freshwater fish in MN tend to be bigger, but it's the opposite here.
Close-up of salmon heads on a pebbly beach...
Handy stainless steel fish cleaning table down at the base of the stairs on the Kenai River at Centennial Park - which is run by the city of Soldotna (I wonder how much money the city takes in during the months of July and August? I bet it's a huge amount...) Here, the population of the area quadruples when the reds are running - kind of like the fourth of july or a big race weekend back home. This shot was taken about 11 pm, and the river is finally beginning to clear.
Red (sockeye) salmon fillets on a more remote beach.
To the sink for final inspection.
Salmon hit the brine to soak for 8 hours. I know Maria puts in water, salt and brown sugar, and probably some other stuff too...
Pinks are on the racks to dry for 8-12 hours before smoking. During this time, we baste them with a honey/water mixture two or three times.
Pink Salmon going into the smoker.
For about 8-10 hours...
Red Salmon coming out of the smoker. This stuff is delicious!
Finally, I have been using the food saver machine to freeze all of the halibut, some fresh pink and red salmon, and also some smoked salmon. We'll probably can some as well. As of 12 am this morning, they just upped the limit on reds on the Kenai to 6 a day per person - so with some successful fishing, Maria and I will go back up there tonight for an overnight, and come back home with 24 big fish to process. Wish us luck!
A look at the flossing crowd on the Kenai. Anywhere that has public access, the river will be lined on both sides with a fisherman about every 15 feet - and that will go on for about 3-4 weeks. As the fish move up river, the fishermen will move with them - but most fishermen are catching as many fish as they need - so the crowd eventually peters out. Also, the salmon get nearer to spawning, and they begin to deteriorate from the inside out. They turn dark green and red, and eventually die after spawning. Word is, when they are "turning", they are not very good tablefare (less firm/more mushy). I've started to see some that are beginning to turn, and the males get bigger and bigger hooks in their jaws, but overall, the fish are all in really good shape. Silver, strong, and fat!
What a boost to the economy around here. Every campground is jammed full. All these people are purchasing fishing licenses, groceries, gas, hotel, motel, campground fees, etc. Fred Meyer is the big grocery store in town, and I was amazed at the amount of ice they were selling - which people obviously use to keep their fish cold. Pallats of ice sold every hour. They don't even bother to put it in the freezers because it sells before it can melt! The truevalue hardware store in town is built up like a gander mountain or a cabelas. Holy cow - that place was bananas - probably busier than any fishing opener back home.
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