Alaska is feted for its wild salmon. The flavor of Alaskan salmon depends on fat content and the environment in which it matured. Alaska’s pure waters and the wealth of natural food give Alaska salmon unparalleled flavor.

Although salmon are caught in Alaska’s pristine waters year-long, fishing season in Anchorage and southcentral Alaska actually heats up in late May, when the cherished king salmon returns home to spawn in the area’s glacier-fed, freshwater streams.

The remaining four varieties of Pacific salmon-sockeye, coho, buddy and pink-are also found in the general area.

Many anglers are now trying to catch what’s known as a “grand slam”-all five species of salmon. Some say a simple way to recollect which kind is which is to match them up with the fingers on your hand.

&8226 ; Thumb-Chum salmon ( Dog ). The best fishing for this fish is mid-July to late August. Chum salmon have a firm texture, enticing orange-pink color and fragile flavour that makes it a perfect fish for smoking. The average weight is eight pounds and they can grow to be twenty-five to twenty-seven inches long.

• Pointer finger-Sockeye salmon ( Red ). Most available late May to early June or mid-July, sockeye salmon are the second most abounding Alaskan salmon species. This species turns from a silvery color to a bright red body and green head as they start the journey upriver to spawn. Their average weight is six pounds and they can grow to almost 3 feet in length.

• Middle finger-King salmon ( Chinook ). The best fishing for king salmon is mid-June to mid- July. The largest species of salmon in Alaska, they are valued for their color, high oil content, firm texture and tasty taste. Average weight is approximately 20 pounds and length ranges from thirty to forty inches.

&8226 ; Ring finger-Silver salmon (Coho). With its orange-red flesh, firm texture and delicate flavor, cohos are very popular among locals. The best fishing for them is in early August to mid-September. Cohos are the second largest of the species, with average weights of twelve pounds, and range from 25 to 35 inches in length.

&8226 ; Pinky finger-Pink salmon ( Humpy ). At the height of their run, millions of pinks swim up the freshwater streams and streams to spawning grounds. Pinks are the smallest and most usual of the species and average about 2 – 3 pounds. The best fishing for pinks occurs in mid-July to late August.

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