Hire A Guide in Scenic Fishing Locations

Imagine fishing the world famous Kenai River for record setting salmon or battling a giant Pacific halibut and enjoying incredible sights. How about fishing out of Seward for silver salmon and ling cod and finishing your trip with a majestic fly out catching salmon with bears as your partners?

Book a trip with guide and enjoy a great day of catching salmon, steelhead, sturgeon or oversize sturgeon on some of the most scenic waterways in Oregon, Washington, Canada or Alaska. Catching salmon and trout with a guide, who is friendly, patient and knows how to treat his clients, can guarantee a successful day of fishing and a fun and relaxing outdoor experience. Fishing for salmon after they enter freshwater can utilize many of the techniques used to catch steelhead. Although fishing can be excellent on some days, on other days catching even one salmon can be quite difficult. From catching salmon to halibut, ask the experts who know where to fish for a variety of species, and can provide different fishing packages that fit your needs.

Catching salmon for food is something that has been done for thousands of years. The key to catching salmon is using the correct equipment and technique. Fly-fishing is an ancient and distinct method of angling, most renowned as a method of catching salmon and trout. Today it is also used for many other species, such as bass, pickerel, carp and shad. Not only do we love catching salmon, we love eating it as well and do so several times a week.

Fishing for Salmon is not about catching salmon but a study of its life and survival. Research by several countries using tagged salmon revealed that Alaskan fishermen were catching salmon bound for British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington; Canadian fishermen were capturing coho, chinook and other species bound for rivers of Washington and Oregon; fishermen in northern British Columbia were intercepting salmon returning to Alaska, and United States fishermen were catching salmon as they traveled through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and San Juan Islands towards Canada’s Fraser River.

Fly Fishing

Fly fishing is a centuries old way of fishing that was used in the past for catching trout and salmon. Today people also use this specific way of fishing for pike, bass, panfish, carp, redfish, snook, tarpon, bonefish and striped bass. Initially focusing on trout and salmon, fly anglers have taken on a full range of game and pan fish species. Steel leaders are a must for catching large pickerel and pike, but they are not productive for catching trout and salmon. Fly fishing is a distinct and ancient angling method that is enjoyed by many today. There is a level of skill involved in fly fishing for salmon. These big beasts don’t just let anyone take them out of the river.

Other Fishing Techniques

Trolling is another method and one of the ways easiest and most effective ways for catching salmon in a wide variety of conditions. The key to catching trout and salmon in the summer is to target long points, island tops, drop-offs and other natural and man made structures. One must be a well-rounded angler, proficient in a variety of fishing techniques and styles, particularly those geared to catching trout and salmon.

Techniques for Catching Salmon Catching salmon from the shore on a Canadian fishing trip is an ideal way to experience the thrill of catching salmon. Trolling with a hootchie, spoon, or strip of herring bait enhanced by the use of a flasher is a good method for catching salmon. Salmon Trolling flies used with a dodger or flasher is a popular fishing technique used on Lake Michigan for catching salmon and trout. Some people consider jigs a lure for bass or panfish, but in recent years a growing number of anglers have found jigs are a truly great lure for catching Salmon and Steelhead.

Is there such a thing as organic fish? Surely all fish comes from the sea and eats whatever fish eat? How can we control that?

As far as I know, fish caught in the wild cannot be marketed as organic in the UK. However, several supermarkets and many independent organic retailers now stock organic trout and salmon produced in fish farms. Several types of farmed mussels and shellfish are also likely to become more widely available in the future.

In organic fish farming, many of the pesticides, dyes and antibiotics widely used in conventional fish farming are not permitted and so these fish products are generally accepted to be credible organic products by both the soil association and consumers.

However, from an animal welfare point of view, there is some controversy about allowing farmed fish to be labelled as organic. Organic principles demand that livestock (which includes fish) should be able to express its ‘natural’ behaviour pattern and be kept as close to natural stocking densities as possible. How can this be when they are kept in cages in either inland or in fish farms out at sea?

The true cost of fish farming

Fish farming seems like a practical solution to the problem of overfishing. Fish farming, however, is the cause of many problems. In the UK, its salmon thats most closely associated with farming – and its shortcomings. Public demand for cheaper food means that farmed salmon are often kept, for financial reasons, very densely stocked, with huge numbers of fish crammed into very little space. In this state, the fish can more easily become diseased, and these diseases can spread to wild fish. Huge amounts of antibiotics are required to keep the fish moderately healthy. Also a confidential study for the UKs top organic body highlighted gaps between its principles and the standards it accepted, BBC Newsnight reported.

Is organic fish sustainable?

Other problems are escapes, when farmed fish interbreed with wild fish and potentially weaken wild stocks, as well as pollution to the water and seabed around fish farms. Farmed salmon, which are carnivorous, eat three times their body weight in fish feed, which is made from other fish – not the best use of resources from an environmental point of view.

Salmon is one of the most versatile fish we can buy, and despite its longstanding reputation as a luxury fish, is nowadays surprisingly affordable.

Salmon are available in both farmed and wild varieties, and while the wild salmon has the edge in terms of both flavour and texture, the quality of the farmed fish has improved greatly over the years and is now a fish that makes thoroughly respectable eating. The comparative rarity of wild salmon, which is only available for half the year between February and August, is at least as responsible as quality for the higher prices it commands compared to its farmed cousins.

Most of the wild salmon you can buy will be from the Atlantic Ocean, both off the shores of North America and Northern Europe, with Scotland being an especially famed source of the fish. Salmon can also be found in the Pacific, although these fish tend to find their way into cans rather than the wet fish counter of your local fishmonger.

An enduring image of wild salmon is of a sleek silver arch of fish leaping up weirs and waterfalls, and this arises because they are are born in freshwater, but spend most of their lives in the sea after migrating while young. They will stay in the sea for between one and four years, before returning to the very same river they were born in to spawn, which is usually their last act before expiring from the exhaustion of the journey upstream.

Farmed salmon, in contrast, spend their entire lives in lochs or river estuaries, swimming in net cages, sometimes at densities higher than is healthy for the fish. Fish farming has gathered something of a bad reputation over the years, and it’s true that salmon farms once showed a similar disregard for animal welfare that you’d find in most industrialized farming operations. In recent years, though, public opinion has forced a rethink, and standards have widely improved – you can even find organic farmed fish these days.

When you come to buy salmon, the usual rules for buying fish apply. Make sure you can see a whole fish so that you can get an idea of how fresh it is – the pre-wrapped anonymous fillets packaged in a ‘protective atmosphere’ you find in many supermarkets is a gamble at best. A fresh fish will have bulging eyes rather than sunken ones, will feel firm to the touch, and should not smell ‘fishy’ as this indicates that it is past its best.

Depending on how many you are feeding, you can buy a steak which is cut from the shoulder of the fish, a fillet from nearer the tail end, or even a whole fish. Tail end fillets possibly offer the best eating, as they are more or less free of bones apart from the pin bones which can easily be removed during preparation. Steaks, however, are a more meaty cut and are perhaps more suited to cooking methods such as a barbecue or grill.

Whichever cut you buy, you can be assured that your health will benefit – as an oily fish, salmon is high in Omega 3, which has been shown to be of use in preventing heart problems, and is widely believed to be helpful for brain and nervous system development and operation.

Enjoy your salmon!

With more than 10,000 cataloged patterns of fishing flies, finding the best one can be a long task of trial and error. The quest to find the perfect fishing fly has burdened fishermen for ages, but the general rule of thumb is to use dark fishing flies on cloudy days and bright fishing flies on sunny days. Another strategy is to match the color of the riverbed. Additionally, big flies often work best in high water while small files work best in low water. Below you?ll find a list of the 5 best lovedfishing flies for salmon and steelhead fishing.

Thunder and Lightning:
As the name insinuates, the deep orange, gold, brown and black colors are perfect for fly fishing on dark days and in dark river bottoms. This classic salmon fishing fly, once called the “Great Storm? fly is probably the most common fly used today for salmon and steelhead fishing.

Green Highlander:
This colorful fly composed of light green, pink, and orange feathers is perfect for bright sunny days. The green highlander is a classic pattern and very popular in all parts of the world.

Green Butt Skunk:
The green butt skunk looks exactly as it sounds, with bright green strand of yarn finishing off an otherwise black fly with a light colored tuft. These flies are the top choice for salmon and steelhead fishing in the Northwest but are incredibly successful around the world. The burst of green and the contrast of the dark and light make this fly a magnet for salmon and steelhead.

Skykomish Sunrise:
These fishing flies are a burst of bright orange and yellow that are perfect for dirty water on a bright day. It was a Skykomish sunrise fly that landed George McCloud, the fly?s originator, a record breaking 29 pound 2 ounce steelhead in 1955.

Jock Scott:
Sir Edward Grey called the Jock Scott “the best all round fly, excellent for all seasons, weathers and waters.? This incredibly intricatefishing fly can take up to 10 hours to craft by hand and was originally composed of more than 28 different materials. The Jock Scott?s timeless design has retained its popularity since it was first crafted in 1854.

Although these 5 fishing flies rank among the most popular, don?t hold back on trying new varieties of flies. Pack a variety of different fishing flies during salmon season and try a variety of colors and sizes until you find the types that work best for you.

Salmon is very easy to obtain and not difficult to prepare. Fresh salmon is usually available at your local supermarket, but you can also likely find frozen fillets and/or steaks, packages of smoked salmon, or canned salmon. They are all healthy as long as they are from wild salmon and not farmed fish. Canned is usually from wild fish. Smoked salmon has been showing up as farmed, and thankfully it is usually listed on the package as farmed fish, so it’s easy to spot. Another way that you can tell them apart is color. The wild caught is a pale pinkish color while the farmed is colored through color added to the feed, so it looks more orange.

Salmon is usually prepared by baking or broiling, and served with vegetables and rice. This is a very healthy choice, especially when you take into account that it is loaded with heart healthy Omega 3 oils. Compare that to steak or pork, which is usually grain fed and full of saturated fat. The typical way that the salmon is cooked is much better than the breaded and deep fried way that other types of fish are usually prepared.

Most of the salmon sold in North America is from Alaska. Pacific salmon varieties are represented by Chinook (King), Coho (Silver), and Sockeye (Red) salmon. Atlantic salmon are obviously from the Atlantic ocean. Most of this type is farm raised rather than wild. I have had supermarket fish mongers insist that Atlantic salmon is wild caught because of the name, and they (should) know better. Now you do. Again, remember that pale pink is most likely wild and bright orange is farm raised due to the feed coloring. There is some recent data that farm raised salmon is not as bad as previously thought, but wild is still better. They are just healthier fish.

When buying fish, make sure that that fish counter area seems clean and that there is not a smell of bad fish. All of the fish should be under a cover if possible but definitely on ice. If the heads are on, the eyes should be clear and not cloudy, and the gills red. There should be no milky fluids on the fish or on the filet meat. The skin should be shiny and the flesh should be firm and not soft or squishy. Let your nose guide you. Learn to distinguish fresh fish smell to a fishy foul odor. Fresh salmon will only last for approximately 48 hours in the refrigerator. If you need to keep it longer, place it in a freezer bag and freeze it. Once frozen, they should ideally be eaten within 3 months.

Salmon can be cooked on the grill, poached, broiled, pan seared, or baked. It is very versatile. If you know how, raw salmon can be smoked and consumed that way. Salmon will cook rapidly in about 10 minutes for each inch of flesh. Baked fillets can cook nicely at 350F in twenty minutes time.

Canned salmon, one of my all time easy favorites, is as easy as opening the can. Some people who are not used to it might find the fact that most canned salmon contains skin and bones to be a bit off putting, but it is all edible. The bones are brittle and you can just mush it up with a fork until it is the consistency of mushed tuna fish. You can even mix it with some mayonnaise and light seasonings like black pepper and onion powder, as many people do. Some people opt for the skinless and boneless canned pink salmon, but I am telling you here that the red salmon which is canned with the skin and bones is much more flavorful as well as containing more of the healthy Omega 3 fish oils EPA and DHA. The taste is richer. Pink salmon is okay, but I consider it too bland. To each their own. One way to enjoy canned red salmon is to get yourself some thin sliced Italian bread or Portuguese bread slices. White bread (or any sliced bread) works, but the type of bread I suggest is worlds above plain old supermarket white bread. I am referring to the bread that is in a round loaf style before it is sliced into thin slices, with the center slices being the largest. Take two pieces of this and toast it. If the slices you choose are too long for the toaster just toast half then flip and dot he other half. Take some soft butter and spread a thin layer across the inside of the toasted bread slices. This forms a barrier to prevent the fish juice from making the toast soft. This is optional if you plan to eat the sandwich immediately (although tasty), but a necessity of you plan on packing the sandwich for lunch. Take the salmon and either mush it into a pliable paste with a fork, or use a bit of mayonnaise. The mayo acts like a “glue” and keeps it all together, and if you like mayo it really enhances the taste. Simply put the salmon paste onto the toasted bread evenly, gently press the other slice on top, slice in half so that it’s easier to handle, and you have one of the simplest and tastiest sandwiches you will ever have.

Smoked salmon slices are likewise not only great on bagels and crackers, but you can make a similar tasty sandwich using Irish style whole grain wheaten bread and buttering two slices and putting the smoked salmon inside. Black pepper and a squirt of fresh lemon juice is highly recommended. Irish style wheaten bread mix can be bought online and it is exceedingly simple to make. The Odlums brand only requires you to add water, mix, and put it into a greased bread baking tin and bake it. It’s THAT simple.

I sincerely hope that this article will open up or further expand your healthy food repertoire to include healthy salmon, as well as providing you with some simple ideas to add it into your diet. Bon appetit!

Without a doubt, Alaska is one of the most popular places where anglers can expect to catch a record breaking number of salmon fishes. The cool waters of the rivers, lakes and oceans of the western area of the state are well known for the availability of high quality of salmon fishes in huge quantities.

In general, you will find salmon fishes in almost all the regions of Alaska. However, if you are looking for king-sized salmon fishes then there are a few areas famous for that. Below I will give you a list of the rivers and the type of salmon fishes you will find in each one of them.

1. Kenai Peninsula and River- One of the most famous hot spots for salmon fishing in Alaska is the Kenai Peninsula and river. Here you will be able to find several different species of fishes such as King Salmon, Chinook, Silver and Sockeye or Red salmon. The weight of a salmon fish depends on its variety but usually adult salmon fishes weigh anywhere between 25 to 90 pounds.

2. Golsovia River, on the edge of the Bering Sea-This is another area in Alaska which is world famous for easy availability of several different species of salmon fishes. Interestingly, apart from salmon, you will also find Artic Char fishes in this region. The typical varieties of salmon fishes found in this area are Chum, Pink, Silver and King salmon. If you are looking forward to fishing salmon in this area it is best to do so during June to August, because this is the time when most guests reach their fishing limit and then, in order to continue their fishing enjoyment, use a catch and release programme.

3. Sitka-This is another area in Alaska known for its exciting fishing opportunities. There are however limits on the number of fishes you can catch. For example, you cannot catch more than one salmon fish per day, and not more than three during one year. So far as the Silver salmon or the Coho is concerned, you cannot catch more than six Cohos per day, but thankfully, there is no annual restriction. Apart from being a hot fishing spot, Sitka is also one of the largest cities in Alaska; so if you are going to do salmon fishing there it will make an ideal base point for your family.

4. Yentna River- This is yet another hot spot for the lovers of salmon fishes. While this river in itself has plenty of salmon fishes living in its waters, you are not limited by this river alone! This river has many tributaries which are equally rich in fishing opportunities. Depending on your fishing license, you can do salmon fishing either by using a fishing boat, or by nets, or even off the shore. King, Silver, Sockeye, Pink and Chum are some of the varieties of salmon fishes you are likely to find in this river. Fly-fishing is a frequently used method to catch fishes from this river.

Overall, I can say that Alaska will give you a rich experience as far as salmon fishing is concerned. The interesting thing about salmon fishing in Alaska is that many of its areas are virtually left untouched and unexploited, which makes it an attractive fishing spot for the adventurous. It is best to visit Alaska during the months of July and August, when the weather is comparatively warm and there is sufficient daylight for long hours of fishing enjoyment.

If you need more information about Alaska king salmon fishing, we have a complete resource guide available for that purpose. Simply click the link below in my resource box in order to access the guide.

Enjoy these very simple yet healthy salmon recipies.

Salmon Recipies – FRIED SALMON RECIPES – I

Firstly. cut slices of salmon into small pieces and put into a saucepan together with pepper, salt, minced parsley, and lemon-juice to be used as seasoning. Then add sufficient amount of butter and fry carefully. Serve with Ravigote or any preferred sauce.

Salmon Recipies – FRIED SALMON RECIPES- II

Wrap slices of salmon in oiled paper, fastening firmly, and fry in deep fat. Drain carefully and serve in the paper.

Salmon Recipies – FRIED SALMON RECIPES- III

First step is to sprinkle salmon steaks with salt and flour. Then brush with the beaten yolk of an egg and fry in hot olive-oil. Drain, garnish with fried parsley, and serve.

Salmon Recipies – FRIED SALMON CUTLETS- I

Steam the salmon steaks then let it cool down. Afterwards cut them into fillets, dip in egg and crumbs, fry in deep fat, and serve with Tartare or Hollandaise Sauce.

Salmon Recipies – FRIED SALMON CUTLETS – II

Firstly prepare very thick cream sauce and mix with it cold cooked fine-cut salmon. Then season it with red pepper, salt, and lemon-juice and let cool down for a few minutes. Shape into cutlets, dip into beaten egg, then in crumbs, and fry in deep fat.

Salmon Recipies – FRIED SALMON CUTLETS – III

Rub cold boiled salmon smooth with one-third the quantity of mashed potatoes. Season it with salt, pepper, and pounded mace. Shape into cutlets, dip in egg and crumbs and fry in deep fat. Serve with any preferred sauce.

SALMON PIE

First step is to butter a baking-dish and line the sides with a rich biscuit crust. Fill the pan with fresh or canned salmon, and season it with salt and pepper, lemon-juice, a pinch of mace, and a teaspoonful of onion juice. Spread over the salmon a cupful of boiled lobster which has been seasoned with melted butter and Worcestershire Sauce. Cover with biscuit crust, slit diagonally down the centre, and bake for an hour in a moderate oven.

PICKLED SALMON – II

Start by cutting the fish into large pieces and cook them until done in salted and acidulated water. Drain, let it cool down then skin them. Put two quarts of vinegar, one cupful of boiling water, four blades of mace, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, a dozen cloves, two tablespoonfuls of mustard seed, an onion sliced, a dozen pepper-corns, one small red pepper, two bay-leaves, and a teaspoonful of celery seed into a preserving-kettle. Wait until it boils, add the fish, boil up once and cool. Let stand for two or three days before using.

Salmon is very easy to obtain and not difficult to prepare. Fresh salmon is usually available at your local supermarket, but you can also likely find frozen fillets and/or steaks, packages of smoked salmon, or canned salmon. They are all healthy as long as they are from wild salmon and not farmed fish. Canned is usually from wild fish. Smoked salmon has been showing up as farmed, and thankfully it is usually listed on the package as farmed fish, so it’s easy to spot. Another way that you can tell them apart is color. The wild caught is a pale pinkish color while the farmed is colored through color added to the feed, so it looks more orange.

Salmon is usually prepared by baking or broiling, and served with vegetables and rice. This is a very healthy choice, especially when you take into account that it is loaded with heart healthy Omega 3 oils. Compare that to steak or pork, which is usually grain fed and full of saturated fat. The typical way that the salmon is cooked is much better than the breaded and deep fried way that other types of fish are usually prepared.

Most of the salmon sold in North America is from Alaska. Pacific salmon varieties are represented by Chinook (King), Coho (Silver), and Sockeye (Red) salmon. Atlantic salmon are obviously from the Atlantic ocean. Most of this type is farm raised rather than wild. I have had supermarket fish mongers insist that Atlantic salmon is wild caught because of the name, and they (should) know better. Now you do. Again, remember that pale pink is most likely wild and bright orange is farm raised due to the feed coloring. There is some recent data that farm raised salmon is not as bad as previously thought, but wild is still better. They are just healthier fish.

When buying fish, make sure that that fish counter area seems clean and that there is not a smell of bad fish. All of the fish should be under a cover if possible but definitely on ice. If the heads are on, the eyes should be clear and not cloudy, and the gills red. There should be no milky fluids on the fish or on the filet meat. The skin should be shiny and the flesh should be firm and not soft or squishy. Let your nose guide you. Learn to distinguish fresh fish smell to a fishy foul odor. Fresh salmon will only last for approximately 48 hours in the refrigerator. If you need to keep it longer, place it in a freezer bag and freeze it. Once frozen, they should ideally be eaten within 3 months.

Salmon can be cooked on the grill, poached, broiled, pan seared, or baked. It is very versatile. If you know how, raw salmon can be smoked and consumed that way. Salmon will cook rapidly in about 10 minutes for each inch of flesh. Baked fillets can cook nicely at 350F in twenty minutes time.

Canned salmon, one of my all time easy favorites, is as easy as opening the can. Some people who are not used to it might find the fact that most canned salmon contains skin and bones to be a bit off putting, but it is all edible. The bones are brittle and you can just mush it up with a fork until it is the consistency of mushed tuna fish. You can even mix it with some mayonnaise and light seasonings like black pepper and onion powder, as many people do. Some people opt for the skinless and boneless canned pink salmon, but I am telling you here that the red salmon which is canned with the skin and bones is much more flavorful as well as containing more of the healthy Omega 3 fish oils EPA and DHA. The taste is richer. Pink salmon is okay, but I consider it too bland. To each their own. One way to enjoy canned red salmon is to get yourself some thin sliced Italian bread or Portuguese bread slices. White bread (or any sliced bread) works, but the type of bread I suggest is worlds above plain old supermarket white bread. I am referring to the bread that is in a round loaf style before it is sliced into thin slices, with the center slices being the largest. Take two pieces of this and toast it. If the slices you choose are too long for the toaster just toast half then flip and dot he other half. Take some soft butter and spread a thin layer across the inside of the toasted bread slices. This forms a barrier to prevent the fish juice from making the toast soft. This is optional if you plan to eat the sandwich immediately (although tasty), but a necessity of you plan on packing the sandwich for lunch. Take the salmon and either mush it into a pliable paste with a fork, or use a bit of mayonnaise. The mayo acts like a “glue” and keeps it all together, and if you like mayo it really enhances the taste. Simply put the salmon paste onto the toasted bread evenly, gently press the other slice on top, slice in half so that it’s easier to handle, and you have one of the simplest and tastiest sandwiches you will ever have.

Smoked salmon slices are likewise not only great on bagels and crackers, but you can make a similar tasty sandwich using Irish style whole grain wheaten bread and buttering two slices and putting the smoked salmon inside. Black pepper and a squirt of fresh lemon juice is highly recommended. Irish style wheaten bread mix can be bought online and it is exceedingly simple to make. The Odlums brand only requires you to add water, mix, and put it into a greased bread baking tin and bake it. It’s THAT simple.

I sincerely hope that this article will open up or further expand your healthy food repertoire to include healthy salmon, as well as providing you with some simple ideas to add it into your diet. Bon appetit!