With the coming of May, anglers in Alaska turn their attention to the impending return of the chrome-sided bruisers that can shatter rods and bloody knuckles. Thoughts of troll-caught Chinook begin to dance through the heads of even the most resolute anglers, who begin to toss and turn like children trying to get to sleep on Christmas Eve. Eventually, from the waters of Prince of Wales Island northwest to Cook Inlet, many an angler breaks free of the slumber of winter to test their skills against the mighty king.

It’s rather ironic that we must first face the salmon more capable of destroying more equipment and egos than any other fish in the state, before we’ve had a fair chance to warm up and work out the kinks. In the end, though it does make sense, for the run of kings moves Alaskan anglers into a fever pitch that propels us into the sleepless, single-minded state that seems part and parcel to the Alaska fishing experience.

Inevitably, as the season wears on, thoughts turn to the Nushagak and Kenai rivers as the most popular freshwater king fisheries in Alaska. What could be better than hooking king after king on the Nushagak, while the weather is at its best and daylight stretches around the clock? Or perhaps it’s the thrill of that giant king towing you around the lower Kenai as you strain all of your concentration to avoid breaking your rod, line, and spirit.

For us this year, it will be fishing the Nushagak in late June with Bristol Bay Adventures. Our good friends Mike and Angela Addiego are hosts at this wonderful camp on the lower river. Combining the luxuries of cabins and indoor plumbing with the Angela’s superb cooking makes for a higher-end experience than you normally find on a remote river. What really draws us here is that combination of the hosts’ kindness and the red-hot fishing. Joining us on the trip will be Larry Csonka and Audrey Bradshaw, hosts of North to Alaska on OLN. We will collaborate for a feature in the magazine as well as an episode on their program.

Unquestionably, we will also find ourselves on the lower Kenai in July, hunting for that giant hog worthy of the Kenai’s illustrious reputation. We’ll let it go, as we want to help maintain the strain of Chinook that manifests itself with such freakishly big fish. While we are down there, we’ll spend some time harvesting a few sockeye as the second run of reds should be in full swing.

Before heading to either destination, Fish Alaska will be plying the saltwater around Kodiak Island and along the coast of Cook Inlet for migrating kings. The first salmon of the year seems to be the sweetest to catch and then eat. From there, it’s off to the Karluk River to battle Chinook on the fly.

After the Nushagak and Kenai experiences, we should wrap up the king season with a remote float in western Alaska to intercept the returning salmon before turning our attention to the host of other opportunities available in the Great Land. Make no mistake, we will relish the chance to catch silvers and super-sized rainbows as the season progresses, but in the back of our minds we will be counting the days until the kings return next year.

—Marcus Weiner

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