Friday, February 21, 2014

Ketchikan Salmon Fishing Vacations Are Not Just About Fish

By Krystal Branch


Everyone can enjoy a Ketchikan salmon fishing vacation even if they've never fished in their life - and have no intention of doing so. The best case scenario, however, would be for avid fishermen and women to take their whole family with them. They will have an unforgettable experience, and others in the group can fill their time to overflowing with activities and adventures.

Charter guides will direct the anglers to the best spots. The others can choose between museums of history, culture, or wildlife. They can go hiking in state or national forests, take guided excursions through the rainforest or along the waterfronts, or enjoy the amenities of first-class resorts and lodges. There are shopping, galleries of paintings, carvings, and photography from local artists, and great restaurants in the historic town center.

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.

Of course, the abundance of fish has made this area famous for years and years. There are five species of salmon that make their runs from the open ocean to the upper stretches of Ketchikan Creek. The local names are Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, Humpy, and Dog, also known as king, silver, red, pink, and churn. This creek was the summer home for Tingit natives, who caught fish to preserve for the long winters.

The town was known as the salmon capital of the world, but there are lots of other ocean fish including halibut, Red Snapper, and at least two species of cod. The inland lakes are home to five species of trout including Rainbow, Cutthroat, and Steelhead. There are more opportunities than there may be time for.

While the fish take some members of the party away for half a day, a whole day, or many days, the non-fishers will find many exciting options. They can schedule a tour of a vintage cannery, a visit to the tribal hatchery to see baby fish and rehabilitated raptors, a hike in a national or state forest, a tour of the rainforest or the unspoiled waterfront, or a whale watch. The museums and visitor's center have exciting video presentations that explain local history, culture, and attractions.

Even young kids will love the totem poles that decorate the town and the 19th century ones moved to the Totem Heritage Center so they wouldn't be lost when native villages were abandoned. Everyone will like the wooden boardwalk of Creek Street, the downtown arts, shopping, and dining center. There are also live theater and music to enjoy.

Fish may have made the Ketchikan salmon fishing grounds famous, but today this town is one of the top ten places to visit for vacationers. Go for the fish and enjoy all the rest: wildlife sightings, the native culture, the wilderness areas all around, and the first-class resorts and lodges waiting to welcome visitors to Alaska.




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