Narrowing the Focus

Sometimes it’s just a hunger that needs to be fed, and then its a weekday trip up north or to the Kenai Peninsula to hike into various productive stretches or to float my raft over a palatable expanse of river. These spots are well traveled—by me as well as by many others—but their ease of use and “home water” status give them the feel of well worn slippers.

Sometimes it’s a quest for a specific fish. Salmon shark in Prince William Sound, sheefish in the Arctic, ultra-large silver salmon on the Alaska Peninsula or the Lost Coast, or perhaps barn door halibut in the Gulf of Alaska. For these adventures, there is usually a specific window that shows the most promise over time. Local fishing knowledge is crucial here, but fishing is a gamble, so do your research, book the trip, and hope for the best. Be as prepared as possible, but don’t obsess. Fish are often plentiful in Alaska.

Sometimes it’s a time of year: be it the excitement of spring steel, the mania of solstice and sockeye salmon, or the waning hours of fall and the promise of fat rainbow trout. In my opinion fishing is a year-round endeavor, but the different times of year bring my focus to different species. I generally start with steelhead, move into halibut and kings, fish sockeye and the plethora of resident species: Arctic grayling, rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, northern pike, lake trout, and Arctic char. As July turns into August, we focus on chum and silver salmon and every other year, think again about a salmon shark. Fall brings about full concentration on the state’s broad rainbow trout population with the intermixed thoughts of late silvers and steelhead.

Sometimes it is simply a matter of your window of opportunity to fish—you are only able to take a vacation in July, your daughter is getting married in Alaska in June (might as well get some fishing in afterwards) or commitments at home leave August as the only available month. Pick the dates first, then start working on where to go. Have you always wanted to go to Juneau, to troll portions of the Inside Passage, and to visit the state’s capital? Perhaps Dutch Harbor and barn door halibut are the ticket to fulfilling a lifelong ambition to land a triple-digit halibut and to stand firmly upon the Aleutian chain. Maybe it is to drive Prince of Wales or Kodiak Island and to experience some of the many angling opportunities on either green jewel. Once I have established a window of time to fish within, I then research the locations on my top ten list and pick the one that is most expected to be prime within this window. Gosh, it can be hard work.

Sometimes it is a matter of money—you could squeeze a couple of extra days on that float trip, but who knows about the mortgage. It’s nice to eat filet mignon every day, but reality is closer to sirloin. One option is to get a second, third, or even a fourth job if that’s what it takes to get you and your family into the endless angling opportunities only found in Alaska. Realistically, I think that the practical thing is to mix in the expensive lodge trip with the do-it-yourself road system, guided day trip, and self-guided remote adventures. Or save all your money, play the lottery, and when you hit big, it’s nothing but fine wine, caviar, and high-dollar fly-out lodges. Better yet, fish the derbies of Alaska and like Karen Dullen or Joe Prax last year in Valdez, you might walk away with the funds for several adventures.

Whatever the choice, with Alaska, there’s a good opportunity that it will turn out to be a superior trip. But on the slim chance that you don’t catch enough fish to feed a third-world country, don’t sweat it ’cause there’s always next time. And narrowing the focus is the start of the adventure.

—Marcus Weiner & Melissa Norris
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