Orchid Borealis

Dolly Varden Trout ( Salvelinus malma ) at Russian River We avoided traveling in summer 2020 due to the pandemic.  Taiga was really bummed because he was planning to go for Salmon fishing.  When we were deciding our vacation destination for the Independence Day weekend of 2021, Taiga was all set to go back to Klutina River for Sockeye (Red) Salmon, and Valdez for Pink Salmon, just like the trip we did in 2019 ( link ).  Salmon runs are different every year.  We checked various sources a couple days before the weekend, but salmons weren't running hot in Klutina nor Valdez.  So at the last minute, we changed the destination, and headed to Kenai peninsula.  I'm just writing down about the trip for this post before I forget. We had a late start on Sunday, July 4, but we managed to drive to Byers Lake Campground.  The last time we stayed here, it was infested with mosquitoes, but it wasn't bad this year.  We grabbed sandwich materials for dinner on the...

The return of salmons is an exciting part of Alaskan summer for many people.  Taiga experienced a festival-like event of dip-netting in Kenai River two years ago ( link ).  But he hadn't caught a salmon by himself.  So this year, we hoped that Taiga would experience the power of salmons by himself.  Salmon runs can be quite different every year, and we wouldn't catch many if we miss the timing.  Also, I wasn't sure if some areas are fishable by a 7-year old kid.  With a bit of uncertainty, we started our adventure on Sunday, June 30, 2019 and fished almost everyday for a week.  Overall, I would say we had a successful trip!  It was the time when intense smoke from Shovel Creek Fire near Fairbanks was coming into town, so it was a great timing to escape from the smoke, too. First, we checked Gulkana River from Sourdough Creek campground and at the bridge of Richardson Highway.  But a fisherman with a raft said that it was very slow, so ...