Fishing Updates

July 24-30, 2005

The week started slow for halibut fishing in terms of catching larger fish. We still have the large populations of 5 to 15 pound fish in the area and when the fishermen get into these schools the fishing is fast and continuous, but the sizes are somewhat disappointing. However, when I asked whether they would like to catch the little ones or nothing except an occasional big fish our guests were unanimous in saying that catching is better than just fishing. Later in the week more 30 to 40 pound halibut started to show in the catch. The 98 pounds of fillets per guest for the week is the result of more of the bigger halibut being caught. We had two fish over 100 pounds for the week.

No kings for the week and just a few chums.

Pink salmon numbers are still off the charts they are so plentiful. In a normal year we get our spawning pinks into the stream by the lodge about the third week in August. The pinks are already in the stream this year and many more are stacked up waiting to come in. Guests fishing for silvers are catching about 5 pinks for each silver salmon. We anticipate this week will be the peak of pink run. The pink harvest was up 25% over the previous week.

The silver catch dropped slightly from the previous week. The primary factors being the pinks and more time spent fishing for halibut later in the week. The size of the silvers increased with several weighing about 15 pounds.

The weather was rainy all week. The Drying Room proved again to be the favorite stopping place for those coming off the water. The old adage that fishing is always better in the rain held true for this week. The 98 pound average was our highest catch for the season thus far.

Doc

Previous Reports:

• May 29 - June 3
• June 5 - 11
• June 12 - 17
• June 20-24
• June 27-July 1
• July 4 - 8
• July 11-15
• July 18-22