AKDragonFish3D

Introduction Since 2019, the year before COVID struck hard, a certain collection of waterways have been contaminated with PFAS and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) published an Emergency Order saying these waterways were catch-and-release. The latest 2022 update to the Emergency Order has been published, and the list has expanded.  The link to the current publication can be found here: Emergency Orders & Press Releases - Sport Fish - ADF&G (alaska.gov) What are PFAS? PFAS stands for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances.  As defined by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, PFAS are.....  "a large, complex, and ever-expanding group of manufactured chemicals that are widely used to make various types of everyday products. For example, they keep food from sticking to cookware, make clothes and carpets resistant to stains, and create firefighting foam that is more effective. PFAS are used in industries such as aerospace, au...

  SUMMIT / PAXON LAKE TRIP PLANNING  2022 Thanks for stopping by to read my blog.  If your looking for some ideas for a fishing trip to Summit / Paxon Lake area, hopefully my ideas can help you out.   Please note that I've never been to this region before, so everything is pure research, map spots, and leaning on all of my other fishing experiences in other parts of the state.  I intended on going in 2021, but the trip has been delayed until this year, 2022. I'll break my post down to three distinct points: *  Locations *  Time of year *  Gear taken  Locations Paxon Lake         ADFG: Paxon Lake Summit Lake      ADFG: Summit Lake (Paxon) From map spotting, you will reach Summit Lake first, followed by Paxon Lake when traveling from Interior Alaska, passing through Delta Junction, going south along the Richardson, over the mountains, and then you're there.  Hwy 8 that connects the region to Cantwe...

Caught Off Guard  In spring of 2021, when I decided I would be more proactive with my fishing knowledge and become more of an active fisherman, I came across several Facebook pages about fishing in Alaska.  This was roughly late March 2021.  Similar posts continued all the way into late May. I was caught off guard.  Several people were posting about how the Hooligan were running and showing very large ice chests and coolers full of these little silver fish.  I didn't understand, and I did a little research then, but the "runs" were over by the time I got any planning.  I had many questions about Hooligan, what they were used for, etc.  The biggest question is how do I participate in this event? What is a Hooligan? A Hooligan is a small silver fish, also known as an "eulachon" or "candlefish" and are a species of smelt.  They are usually average 8-10" in length.  They are like Salmon in that they spawn in freshwater and live in the ocean, howe...

The Issue: Unfair and Biased Attack on Alaska Salmon Fisheries, Special Interest Hit Piece: Press Release, Alaska Department of Fish and Game  I just read an article involving the ADFG defending itself against a "self interest group" seeking to defame the state of Alaska for violating the Pacific Salmon Treaty.  I'm all for defending nature, but that only goes so far.  This is a bit out of hand. The long and short is Alaska has regulations in place, and as someone who has to jump through hoops to follow the basic regulations to catch a Salmon with rod-and-reel, I can respect that.  Millions of Salmon come through these rivers between June and August.   Alaska maintains a count, they publish their conservation findings, and set limits on how much and by what method you can catch Salmon during those times.  They monitor Salmon populations and maintain transparency with their data through their website. Here is the treaty in a nutshell: The Pacific Salmon...