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2003: THE YEAR OF THE KENAI KING!
By: Greg
Brush
No doubt, 2003 shaped up to be a landmark year
for Kenai River king salmon conservation. New early
run regulations mandating the release of the rivers
largest kings, those measuring 44 to 55 inches, had
certainly been received with mixed opinions. The
taking of an occasional "average" sized fish for
the table was allowed, as was a potential world
record, appeasing nearly every angler on the water.
Overall, the angling public seemed acceptingly
compliant with the new rules, hopefully offering a
glimpse of light at the end of the controversial
early-run management plan tunnel.
By the third week in May, a number of credible
reports about giant salmon…caught and
released… began to surface from the
piscatorial grapevine, with a 53-inch monster
taking top honors. According to Alaska Department
of Fish and Game biologist Tim McKinley, the slot
limit resulted in a net harvest reduction of 24%
from that which would have occurred without the new
rules. Said another way, the biggest quarter of the
kings that would have otherwise been retained are
now free to seed the river gravel with more of
their kind. That should be sweet music to the ears
of any savvy salmon fisherman!
By late June, numerous stories of very large,
bright Kenai kings created quite a stir among both
local and visiting anglers. These tide-fresh
powerhouses were truly fish to behold: chrome
bright hens and champagne-colored bucks with thick
muscular tails, midsections as girthy as a grown
man's waste, and long-tailed sea lice clinging to
their flanks! The front-runners of the late king
run had evidently arrived in masse this final week
in June. By season's end, five truly giant salmon
(55 inches or bigger) were officially sealed by
ADF&G biologists, as required by law. Many
longtime Kenai king anglers were thrilled to see
fish in size and number reminiscent of "the good
old days."
For example, my personal memories of June 2003
include a phenomenal "dream week" of catching many
of the hogs for which the Kenai River is world
famous, including two 49 inch, a 50 inch, two 51
inch and a 52 inch long king. On June 26th, a
monster, tide-fresh buck measuring 51 inches in
length and 35 inches in girth (a 14 year career
best conservatively estimated at 84 lbs) was landed
by one of my luckier anglers. My intent here is not
to boast, but to illustrate the caliber of salmon
that were in our river system this past year. Just
as thrilling was the fact that I was blessed that
week with a group of clients who fully understood
the value of preserving this unique genetic
treasure, as each of these magnificent kings was
successfully released unharmed without begrudging
hesitation or hint of regret. As a professional
fishing guide who is a strong advocate for catch
and release, it was refreshing to witness how
attitudes seemed to be changing on the river.
On this note, a local conservation-based
organization deserves mentioning. In an effort to
entice anglers to continue releasing trophy sized
kings, Kenai River Sportfishing Association's
"Release a Hawg" program offered a $900 reward for
releasing any king measuring 48" or better,
specifically good toward a fiberglass replica of
the fish. To qualify, you needed to fish with a
KRSA member or licensed guide who was registered to
participate in the program. An award- winning local
taxidermist graciously capped his fees, generously
agreeing to create a reproduction of the trophy for
the $900 reward alone. The lucky angler paid only
the shipping costs. A true "win-win" deal all the
way around! This creative program, currently in its
4th year, received incredible support and
participation, to the point of nearly breaking the
bank. An amazing 131 rewards were paid out for the
season. What a great problem to have: influencing
enough anglers and releasing so many super kings
that program funds were nearly exhausted. Currently
under revision for the 2004 King season, this
program promises to influence more fishermen next
summer regardless of program details. Contact KRSA
at (907) 262-8588 for more information or to join
this pro-active organization.
Like the six weeks that preceded it, July
provided excellent fishing, however the number of
big Kenai kings harvested no doubt increased as the
early-run slot limit was lifted. The Kenai River
late run is historically three to four times the
size of the early run in terms of total returning
fish, and likewise the angling pressure increases
exponentially.
As boat traffic swelled, it was clear that the
pleasantries of May and June were definitely behind
me, and I did not look forward to the sudden change
of pace. At the cusp of my annual July burnout, I
resisted the urge to panic. Vowing instead to do
what I could, I attempted to educate the relatively
tiny percentage of anglers that chose to sit in my
boat. Heavy fishing pressure is a fact of life in
July. After all, the Kenai is the most famous
salmon river in the world, it's easily accessible,
and it's home to the largest strain of salmon on
the planet, a combination that promises the crowds
that every July brings. Throw in the newly adopted
regulation that makes the seventh month the only
time that the Kenai River is open to the
unrestricted retention of all sizes of kings with
the use of bait, and I couldn't help but wonder how
much longer the July fishery could sustain this
primarily harvest-oriented pressure on its biggest
kings.
The refreshing catch and release mentality of
the early run fishery, where the occasional medium
sized fish was harvested, seamed to flip-flop to a
more reckless 'get the biggest two I can and maybe
let an occasional medium one go' attitude. At this
point, perhaps I should momentarily step down from
my "C & R" soapbox. Understand that my family
and I enjoy a fresh barbequed salmon fillet,
lavishly dressed in butter, lemon and dill, as much
as the next person. The harvesting of the
occasional wild fish should not be an automatic
sentence to the fires of angling hell. However,
recklessly pounding a genetically unique stock of
giant native Chinook for the sole sake of filling
one's freezer frankly strikes me as a bit
selfish.
After all, these are the fish that define what
the Kenai is all about, and we are collectively
responsible for their ultimate fate, not just for
ourselves but also for generations to come. Even if
the regulations permit you to keep one of these
huge kings in July, shouldn't mature and
responsible anglers ask themselves, "Do I really
need to kill this special fish for my table or
wall? Couldn't I fill my freezer with more abundant
sockeye salmon? Doesn't a reproduction make more
sense then a skin mount? Could this king's life
perhaps serve some higher purpose before it dies?"
Let your conscience be your guide.
For every guide and angler fortunate and skilled
enough to bring a trophy-sized king to the boat-
side next season, I challenge you to momentarily
pause before deciding to hoist it aboard. Reflect
on the unique creation gleaming before your eyes.
Something deep inside will tell you undeniably that
this fish is special…too special to be treated
like just another slab of meat…too special to
kill for just another living room adornment or 8x10
'hero shot.'
Yes, there will be the occasional angler whose
ego briefly overrules rational and logical
thinking, and a big fish or two will likely be
hefted over the gunnels of my very own boat next
season as I begrudgingly bow to the insistence of
the customer. However, rest assured that next
summer will again be dedicated to politely
educating and enlightening every guest on every
charter, encouraging them to experience the awesome
feeling as their "fish-of-a-lifetime" regains its
vigor within their grasp and slips silently into
the Kenai's emerald current. Now THAT I look
forward to!
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