| OFC ’Special’ Fishing Report
filed by: Brian Ketsdever
We have returned from fishing the last 3 weeks on Prince of Wales Island. POW is in southeastern Alaska,  west of Ketchikan. Bruce hosted the first 11 days, and I hosted the last. The island had been experiencing a drought up until we got there…it is plenty wet, now. To say it rained doesn’t due justice to how much it rained; it was very damp. Heavy rains (5 inches first  night/first week in Ketchikan) were followed by day after day of more rain with occasional days of not so much rain which kept the rivers bank full most of the time. As a result, fishing was tough, and we didn’t catch near as many coho as last year. Apparently, there is some vague cosmic rule that sug gests you have to have a rough year, once in a while, to appreciate a phenomenal year you  experienced in the past.
Group #1 was on the island Sept. 9 - Sept. 16. Low rivers were suddenly high, and salmon waiting in the salt had the green light to head upriver. Pinks by the  millions and chum by the hundreds of thousands stuffed the Klawock River. The silvers were slower to appear and hard to find in high waters. Thanks Dennis, Terry, Colin, Melinda and Heather.
 Group #2 was on the island Sept. 16 - Sept. 23. They inherited high waters and fishing was tough. I entered the scene on Sept. 19 and switched out with Bruce. After dropping Bruce at the ferry on Sunday, I checked the Harris  River for coho, and landed 6 (kept 5) by noon. Cliff and Denny were having a great day on the Klawock; so, they stayed, but Mike and Bill made the move  to the Harris that afternoon and we landed 5 more coho. Monday, we all ended up at the Harris and caught more coho … it’s a pretty little river that allows you to roam and has a good run of fish. After a night of heavy rain, the Harris was up 5 feet on Tuesday, and we took a driving tour of the island. All the water we saw, and there is lots of water, was completely out of shape. Fun drive … the eastern coastline north of Thorne Bay  towards Coffman Cove is particularly pretty. Thanks Mike, Denny, Bill, Cliff and Robert.
Group #3 was on the island Sept. 23 - Sept. 30. Again, this group was also greeted by high water. We fished the Klawock and the Harris. We also took a tour one day, and fished the Thorne, Hatchery Creek and Logjam … caught a couple   coho in the Thorne and a couple dolly varden at Hatchery Creek. The rain finally let up towards the end of week #3, but Klawock Lake was so swollen that the river never became low enough to stop coho from moving through at full speed to the Hatchery Hole. The Harris turned out to be our best option. Thanks Dwayne, John and Steve.
 In general, for the entire 3 weeks, we were faced with difficult high water options … squeeze into the Hatchery Hole on the Klawock or venture out to the smaller streams and hope to find coho. We did both, and made the best of a tough situation. Even during a tough year, fishing in Alaska is still awesome. You catch lots of fish (might have to  settle for fewer coho but plenty of 5 #ish hot pinks or chum), the scenery is wonderful and wildlife abounds. We are going back next year for the last 3 weeks of September. Availability is very limited as those who’ve been before want to go, again. Call us to get on board, 877.521.8947.
 
Go fish
Brian Ketsdever
Oregon Fishing Club
877.521.8947
ofc@ofc.org
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