Sockeye, or red Salmon, are the backbone of Alaska’s salmon fishery; these 6- to 10-pound average fish are arguably the tastiest of the five species of Salmon. Arguably, they are one of the best Salmon, pound for pound, for their fighting ability on the end of a rod and reel. What is without argument is the sheer volume of numbers when they enter their respective drainage. They arrive during the height of Summer and run in schools nose to tail and five to ten feet wide for basically the entire length of the river they’re migrating up and are right against the bank.
It’s not all sockeye salmon; there are also beautiful leopard rainbow trout available, be it wading or while fishing from the rafts; we generally target resident Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Dolly Varden, and Grayling, with frequent stops on easily-fished Sockeye runs. Each evening camp is specifically chosen for safety and ease of fishing; fortunately, all the camps have a million-dollar view standard.
It’s common for anglers to bring 50+ Salmon to hand daily, with higher numbers being common. We incorporate this bounty into our menu regularly throughout the trip, with Salmon as the main course or an appetizer a few nights through the trip. Nothing is more satisfying than sitting around the screened-in dining tent after a long day of catching and watching as a sow brown bear saunters past camp accompanied by her rolly poly cubs while a bald eagle circles aloft and osprey cannonballs from above into the river in pursuit of its dinner, all. At the same time, the sun shines overhead at 10:00 pm.
The days pass in a euphoric blur of hearty breakfasts, phenomenal fishing, and rafts floating serendipitously through mile after mile of pristine wilderness, all combined with millions of chrome, ocean-fresh Salmon chugging by in mind-boggling numbers right at your feet. Making new lifelong friends under the midnight sun, lots of laughter, and memories that last a lifetime. It’s Sockeyefest, a piscatorial party, and life doesn’t get any better!