Thursday, February 20, 2014

Ketchikan Salmon Fishing For Sport And More

By Krystal Branch


Ketchikan salmon fishing and other natural resources have attracted people to this spot in Alaska for centuries. Today, it's not only the fish that bring visitors to this historic and picturesque town. History, arts and crafts, wildlife, hiking, vibrant community life, and first-class resorts combine to make this a vacation destination for the whole family.

Meanwhile, other members of the group can learn local history, watch for wildlife, hike through national forests and state parks, explore the waterfronts, shop for souvenirs and fine art, or just enjoy resort amenities too numerous to list here. This Alaskan resort area makes a wonderful, memorable vacation spot for the whole family.

Getting around from one place to another in this wilderness area is an adventure in itself. Some places can only be reached by plane or by hiking in. Vehicles can go to others, and boats reach the rest. On the way to whatever activity chosen for the day, visitors might see black and brown bears, moose, mountain goats, deer, porpoises, seal lions and seals, and even whales. Birds to keep an eye out for range from hummingbirds to Bald Eagles.

Chartered trips for a half a day up to as many as you have to spend offer the best spots to catch salmon. There are five species of this great, delicious fish which come from the open ocean to spawn in great numbers, dramatically fighting their way upstream. All have both common and local names: King (Chinook), Silver (Coho), Red (Sockeye), Pink (Humpy), and Churn (Dog).

There are also five species of trout in the lakes and streams, including Rainbow, Cutthroat, and Steelhead. Those who want even more can go after halibut, cod, and Red Snapper. The town, once known as 'the salmon capital of the world', was an ancient fishing camp for the Tingit natives, who spent their summers there collecting food for the long winters. The town was founded in 1900 by commercial fishermen and canneries once were the main industry.

This description should occupy anglers for at least some of the time. However, there is so much to do that it may be hard to decide where to start for the rest of the family. Kids might like a vintage cannery tour, a hike through the Tongrass National Forest, an excursion to the Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery and Eagle Center to see fish enclosures and rescued raptors, or a video presentations at the visitor's center.

Even very young children will love the vintage totem poles collected from abandoned native villages and preserved at the Totem Heritage Center. They will like the restaurants, gift shops, art and photography galleries, and museums of Creek Street, the wooden boardwalk at the heart of the town. There are workshops in local crafts and live music and theater, as well.

Ketchikan salmon fishing may have brought this Alaska wonderland into the modern world, but the town has become one of the top ten places to visit. Go for the fish, the wildlife, the culture, the adventure, or just to relax at first-class resorts and lodges. Whatever your reason, you can have the best vacation of your life.




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