April comes in full force around here. While some of us are pondering how they arrived so soon, others are fishing for winter kings. At the same time, I’m already recalling recent 50-K ski-race training days, and while I’m sad to see the last days of skiing for the year, I am also excited to put on the waders and go fishing again.
I do know several ice-fishing aficionados, though it’s not likely you’ll see me on the cover with a trophy pike for that special edition of Fish Alaska, so the moving water of April has great appeal. Steelhead fishing is the buzz around here and while mine is reserved for a late May trip to Yakutat this spring, others are out of office for a few days.
Late May is a great time to head to Yakutat. Not only will we be able to fish for salmon or halibut in the saltwater the day we arrive, we will have a couple days on the famed Situk to hopefully touch a steelhead. The birth of Marcus’ second child, my niece or nephew, is early May, so I won’t plan any trips for out of town until then. I’ve got Auntie duty with their little man, Charlie, when the birth of “Deuce” comes to be.
What we do have in April is the Great Alaska Sportsman Show in Anchorage. It’s always a good time to see everyone in person. This year’s show dates are April 8 to 11 and we again have some exciting subscription offers for both Fish Alaska and Hunt Alaska, so make sure to stop and see us. We are found at two locations in the Sullivan Arena on the SW main floor and within the B&J’s Sporting Goods booth at the SE main floor. We have a third booth in the Ben Boeke 1 Arena. Look for our bright yellow banner at each booth.
In parallel fashion to the people who opt to leave their comfy home in a quest for the latest and greatest gear you’ll find at the Sportsman Show, back here at the office we are pouring over choices of new items the manufacturers innovate to see what will make the first cut and get tested for the next gear review. There are some new items that I am particularly excited to try this summer, so I keep that in mind as I plan my trips.
I also have to consider juggling the trips I need to take with the people I need to fish with while making certain I am in town for the onslaught of post-Deuce family visits. I want to be present for all weekly Fish Alaska softball games and still manage to be accounted for at the early morning golf rounds with Marcus. Plus I want to take at least a couple of days to camp with Wayne and his parents. Does this sound a little familiar? Insert various family member names or activities here. It’s just Alaska’s fishing season. It’s almost as busy as Alaska’s skiing season. And it’s just as fun.
Now, though, we spend our time fantasizing about the Alaska fishing trip this summer. Maybe you are set to bring Dad for his birthday at the end of July and you are alternating between imagining a photo shoot with your 50-pound king salmon from the Kenai and the cheering when you finish reeling in a 100-pound halibut on a charter out of Homer.
Perhaps you are staying in the Mat-Su Valley for the summer in your RV that you drove here towing your car. You can alternate between kicking around the valley’s many stocked lakes in a float tube, a guided salmon fishing trip on the Little Su or walking in at Montana Creek for a chance at fall rainbows.
Your trip could be a weeklong epic spent at a high-end lodge in Bristol Bay where the rainbow trout flyfishing, dining and wine selections are among the finest. It may be you have a lodge booked in Prince of Wales Island where you will double up on fishing silvers and hunting Sitka blacktail deer for both the amazing experience and the organic food in your freezer.
It could be you’re a local who packs up the truck Friday night for an early morning departure to the boat slip in Seward for a chance to slay the silvers. And while you are not likely planning for that ahead of time now, you’ve probably been thinking about it for a while with joyous anticipation.
Whatever your plans are to fish Alaska this summer, most of us are running a mile a minute while in the back of our minds we savor thoughts about wild Alaska and the freedom to enjoy. Those moments are what it’s all about. And while we all have our differences, there are some common threads among fishermen. The most obvious being our collective excitement for spring.
—Melissa Norris
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