2009 Newsletter
Kenai Peninsula Rivers are well known for their unique colors, a product of a mixture of zooplankton, glacial silt, and run-off from melting snow-pack. May & June, 2009, was the first time we experienced extremely clear, cold water on the Kenai River, which resulted in very spooky fish and a slow bite after the initial “early morning” traditional King Salmon activity, where it is wide-open and several Kings are landed.
By the time July 1 rolled around, which is the official Kenai River Bait Opener date, the water had come up to a respectable level with visibility remaining good, which made for a very good week of King Salmon fishing for many of our guests. Our biggest King Salmon of the season, a beautiful mint bright 70 lb. hog, was landed on Guide Billy’s boat during this first week of July, along with more than our fair share of 40 to 60 lb. fresh run fat Kenai Kings.
By July 7, the water had unfortunately risen to extremely high levels, and the water clarity had turned to very murky conditions. Although we still had good fishing by most fishermens standards, it was not up to par with what we expect from the Kenai River, and was sporadic from day to day. We are now very much looking forward to good water conditions in 2010, and a King Salmon bite that will live up to its reputation on the world famous Kenai River.
Fortunately, we are blessed here on the Kenai Peninsula with having more than one river producing these nice fresh ocean run King Salmon. When things slow down a little on the Kenai River, we have the option to fish everyone on the Kasilof River, just 12 miles south from our Kenai Riverfront Cabins. Most of our guests really enjoy their float day on the Kasilof, where they have a chance of keeping 2 Kings per day. Be sure to inquire about a day aboard one of our Drift Boat Charters on the Kasilof River when you are making your plans for Summer, 2010.
Silver Salmon Runs Red Hot in 2009!
Silver Salmon run strength continues to get better throughout Kenai Peninsula Rivers & Offshore Fisheries.
As we predicted in our pre-season forecast for 2009, our Silver Salmon Fishing in the Kenai River was excellent again, despite fishing in tough water conditions through most of our August/September fishery. Daily limits were pretty much guaranteed everyday, and was almost too easy the majority of our daily charters, just the way we like it!
Our pre-season forecast for Silver Salmon in 2010 is again for a strong run and excellent fishing. And remember, 2010 is an “even year”, which means we will have several thousand Pink Salmon returning to the Kenai River as well. August should be one of the best months to travel to Alaska for red-hot fishing action.
Make sure you pre-book a day in August on our offshore fishing cruiser in Seward for a great day angling for Silver Salmon, Ling Cod, Rock Fish, Yellow Eye, and Halibut.
Sockeye Salmon Fishing Successful.
The first run of sockeye salmon wasted no time getting into the Kenai River this summer. Increasing numbers of this delectable species poured into the lower Kenai River from the last week of May through the middle of June. Anglers enjoyed some of the best fishing of the whole summer during the first and second weeks of June when the numbers of this first run was at its highest. The smiles seen on the faces of fishermen up and down the river speak to the fun and excitement these salmon create when felt on the end of that fishing line. You don’t have to be an expert to catch these feisty fish, anyone can learn from the abounding experience and knowledge found at Rod N Real. Just ask Melissa Elumba, a college student up from Minnesota, looking to enhance the range of her fishing experiences, after a quick lesson, not only caught the first, but also the biggest salmon of that June 9th adventure. The fun continued as the Sockeye Salmon traveled up the Kenai River and into the Russian River, where anglers could again take a stab at catching not just three, but six of these fine-eating fish. On June 17th, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game increased the limit of sockeye salmon from three per day to six per day, because of the large numbers of salmon entering the River.
Now, those who may have missed out on the fine action of the first run were not disappointed with the second run, despite the high water conditions. All the adventurous fishermen who either braved the high water bank fishing, or hopped on one of our daily charters, were rewarded with a creel full of these dime-bright, acrobatic entertainers. In 2009, the 2nd run started its annual entry into the Lower Kenai River in heavy numbers on July 10, and we were still catching good numbers of Sockeye along with the Silvers through August 10. We expect an even better success rate in 2010, as we should have traditional levels of water in the Kenai Peninsula Rivers.
Fly Fishing Opportunities!!!
Mark your calendars for June 11, the opening day for Rainbow Trout season on the Kenai River, and typically a great week for Early Run Sockeye Salmon in the Lower Kenai River at our Kenai Riverfront Cabins.
Fly-fishing should remain good throughout the summer for Rainbows, Dolly-Varden, Sockeye & Silver Salmon, leading up to the peak of the Rainbow Trout season in early to mid-September.
Bring your favorite fly-rod or take advantage of our guide supplied Sage Fly Rods, and enjoy catching Salmon & Trout in our world famous Kenai River waters. We encourage you to bring your favorite hand-tied flies, or use our beads and flies we furnish on all trout charters.
Seward Combination Charters for 2010.
For tremendously beautiful scenery, red-hot fishing action, and extremely high success rates, a daily charter on our six-passenger offshore cruiser out of Seward just can’t be beat!
Our most popular full-day combo charter departs from the Seward dock at 7 am, and returns at approximately 5 pm, typically loaded down with a fish-hold full of Silver Salmon, Ling Cod, Rock Fish, Yellow-Eye, and Halibut.
If you prefer our half-day Seward Silver Salmon Charters, you can enjoy an early morning departure or an early afternoon departure, and fish amongst some of the most beautiful and amazing scenery in the world.
We limit each trip to a maximum of 6 passengers on our 30 ft. off-shore cruisers, with a minimum of four passengers to make the trip.
Either trip offers a great chance to view huge Alaska Glaciers that end at the waters edge, and opportunities to see whales and sea-lions in pursuit of their favorite meals!
We highly recommend at least one trip aboard our boat in Seward…...a day you won’t soon forget!
Mt Redoubt Volcano – 2009.
A Mt. Redoubt Volcanic Eruption was a non-event on the Kenai Peninsula in the summer of 2009. With almost daily predictions by news media from the Alaska Volcano Observatory that Mt Redoubt was on the verge of erupting, the Big Mountain finally went back to sleep in early July, and hasn’t even let out a snore since. After blowing her stack from March 22 to April 4, 2010, and dumping ash in Homer and north or Anchorage, she threatened several times to spew ash & smoke into the clear skies over Southcentral Alaska, but never gave us anything more than a burp or two throughout our 2009 summer fishing season.
For those of you who wish to follow the Mt. Redoubt activity or want “up to the minute” information on Alaska volcanoes, you can go to Alaska Volcano Observatory - Mt Redoubt
Requested Recipes!
Many of our guests contact us this time of year wondering what to do with all their left over Salmon fillets they have stored in their freezers. For your convenience, we have a couple of our favorite smoked salmon recipes, which are easy to prepare, and have been a favorite among our long time guests.
These recipes have been perfected and given to us by good friend and Kasilof resident Galen “Game Hog” Neptune.
Maple Smoked Salmon Recipe.
- Mix together a dry brine mixture of 50% non-iodized salt & 50% brown sugar mixture, enough to cover fish fillets on all sides.
- Start by sprinkling a layer of dry brine mixture in the bottom of a glass baking dish. Then a layer of salmon fillets, then a layer of dry brine mixture, etc, until you run out of fillets and cover with remaining brine mixture.
- Let brine work for about 6 hours.
- Remove fillets and rinse well under cold running water. The longer you rinse, the less salty your finished product will be.
- Pat dry and let fillets air dry about 1 hour.
- Cover fillets with a generous layer of cheap maple syrup.
- Sprinkle with course ground black pepper.
- Smoke with apple or alder wood, until desired dryness is achieved.
- Vacuum-pack and freeze fillets that will not be consumed within a couple days. Thaw smoked fillets as the urge hits you.
- Wild Salmon caught on Rod N Real Charter Boats work best for this recipe.
Game Hogs - Smoked Salmon Jalepeño Dip.
- Mix 8 oz. cream cheese with 3/8 cup milk.
- Shred into small pieces, 12-16 oz smoked salmon.
- Add ¼ cup finely chopped green onions or Italian sweet red onions, and finely chopped canned jalepeñ peppers to taste.
- Blend all ingredients thoroughly.
- Serve on your favorite crackers or baquettes.
- Goes well on boats with hungry guides!
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