Fishing in Alaska

© Thomas C. Kline, Jr. / Alaska Stock

Alaska is a large state but relatively unpopulated compared to other states in the lower 48. However, when it comes to fishing, every true angler wants to come to Alaska. At Alaska Stock Images, you will find a wide variety of Alaska photos including the most pristine beautiful areas for a dream fishing experience. To find more pictures of Alaska fishing photos, visit our search page.
Perhaps the most famous two words in Alaska are “fish on!” It’s not just a call out to warn fellow fishermen that you just hooked a salmon and are going to need some space, but it’s a sort of “bragging right.” In either case, the fight is on to land the big one.

Alaska is home to many types of Salmon including the Sockeye (Red), Chinook (King), Coho (Silver), Chum and Pink (Humpy). In a large state like Alaska, it’s not surprising that the Salmon can range in size from just a few pounds to over 100 lbs for the big King. The King is the State Fish and the largest of the Pacific salmon species. During migration to their spawning home, King Salmon may travel close to 2,000 miles in a 60-day period. Each female can deposit up to 14,000 eggs and the juvenile fish, smolt, will remain in fresh water for most of their first year until they finally make their migration to the ocean.

Commercial Fishing is an important industry for Alaska - the average harvest for the 1990's was about 185 million salmon. However, the state government maintains a tight control on the amount of wild salmon that are allowed to “escape” each year in order to maintain sufficient numbers for future years.

The renowned Kenai Peninsula and its Kenai River and Russian river are some of the richest water for Salmon fishing, but being prepared for some “combat fishing” is mandatory. It’s not about the solitude here - only getting the fish. Stake your spot on the bank and hope you hook one of the thousands of fish that pass by every year.

Some of the most fun (and most profitable) fishing can be experienced during derbies. Many cities throughout Alaska host derbies including Valdez, Seward, Homer, and Anchorage. By purchasing a ticket, the lucky fisherman who bags the biggest fish takes home not only the fish but the derby money as well! “Tagged” fish can also earn the lucky fisherman prizes as well.

But it’s not just Salmon that will get you the big money. Homer’s Halibut Derby hosts the largest purse. The winner in 2003 pocketed over $46,000! Halibut fishing provides the angler the chance to do some real ocean fishing for a fish that can be in excess of 400 pounds. The more typical size is in the 80-100 pounds, but what they lack in size, they certainly make for in taste and tenderness. Halibut are bottom-feeding fish, and the experts say that the trick is to keep your hook on the bottom of the ocean. Just before the tide begins to turn (slack tide), there is minimal current to disturb your hook and bait, so it is by far one of the best times for fishing.

Salmon and Halibut fishing get all of the glory, but for the pristine remote Alaskan fishing experience, many opt to get away from the crowds to remote stream or lake fishing. The fish may be smaller, but no less thrilling. Grayling, Trout, Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, and landlocked Salmon are the varieties commonly found in the lakes and streams. The Rainbow Trout is one of the most sought after fish my anglers. Known for its strong fight, the Rainbow can be a challenge to land. Another highly prized fish is the Dolly Varden…this time for its quality of taste and texture. The Dolly Varden can grow up to 22 inches and up to 4 lbs. Dolly Vardens migrate from lake locations sea locations. However, only about 50% of males survive due to the rough migration pattern and fighting with other males.

There is no doubt the value that Alaska’s fish contribute to a variety of industries in Alaska….tourism and commercial fishing to name a few. However, ask anyone who has hauled in their first King or posed with their Halibut, it’s not the about the dollars and cents of the industry as much as the experience.

Chugach State Park

Photo by © Scott Dickerson / Alaska Stock

Alaska's state park system encompasses over 3.3 million acres of rugged, unspoiled land. Some of these parks include the Caines Head State Recreation Area, Kachemak Bay State Park, Denali State Park, and the Eagle Beach State Recreation Area. Perhaps one of the most used is the Chugach State Park located just minutes from Alaska largest populous of Anchorage. Chugach State Park is the third largest state park in America coming in at just under a half a million acres.

Chugach State Park is part of the Municipality of Anchorage and includes the Chugach Mountains that overlook the Anchorage Bowl. The Chugach Mountains, Chugach State Park, and Chugach National Forest all take their name from the Chugach people, the Alaska Native group of people in the region of the Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound. The Chugach people are an Alutiiq (Pacific Eskimo) people who speak the Chugach dialect of the Alutiiq language.

Chugach State Park has 28 recognized trail heads, three public campgrounds and multiple interpretative kiosks and sites. Chugach State Park also has the Eagle River Nature Center, operated by a non-profit organization, and is located within the park approximately12 miles from the town of Eagle River.

Chugach State Park is generally considered to have three main sections: North, Central, and South. North park area is approximately from north of the Eagle River section to its border at Pioneer Peak. This area includes the popular Eklutna Lake area. This large glacier created lake also supplies much of Anchorage with its drinking water. The largest mountains of Chugach State Park are also located in the north part of the park. Central park area includes the southern area of Eagle River to the Canyon Road trailhead on the Anchorage hillside. Some of the more popular destinations in this area include the Crow Creek Mine trail, Glen Alps (Flat Top) area, and the South Fork of Eagle River. South park area is primarily the areas bordering Turnagain Arm along Seward Highway. Popular hiking areas include McHugh Creek, Windy Corner, and Bird Ridge which all give panoramic vistas of Turnagain Arm, the Chugach Mountains, and the Kenai Mountains. Traveling along the Seward Highway, there are many viewpoints including the most popular Beluga Point (named after large pods of Beluga whales that frequent the area) and Windy Corner which is a common place to view Dall Sheep near or even alongside the highway.

Q&A with Scott Dickerson

Homer-based Photographer Scott Dickerson is passionate about creating new perspectives. Shooting photographs and video from every angle imaginable, he regularly snaps photos while soaring through the clouds and paddling in the ocean. He thrives on new ways to illustrate his subjects’ connection with the Alaskan wilderness. Mollie Foster with Alaska Stock sat down to talk with Scott about his photography and latest projects; read the conversation in our Photographer Q & A, posted the second Monday of each month.

MF: What inspires you to shoot aerial photography?
SD: I love looking at the ground from the air, looking at patterns and seeing things in a new perspective. I can be sitting in my house looking at my yard, and it looks like your typical yard. Then I take off from the field next to my house, and all of a sudden even your own yard becomes interesting. That’s at the core of it, seeing it in a new perspective. As a photographer I like to share that perspective.

MF: What type of aircraft do you use to get off the ground?
SD: For my personal aircrafts, I use a paramotor. It has a paraglider wing and a motor attached to my back. It’s kind of like running with 75 pounds on my back, which…is kind of a problem. Otherwise it’s incredible. My friends joke with me and say I’ve got a weed wacker on my back, and I’m hanging from trash bags. I laugh, because it’s kind of true.

MF: Can you describe the challenges with aerial photography?
SD: Like most things photographic, the biggest challenges are visualizing what you want to do and then putting all the pieces together to get there. Most important thing is overcoming the challenges to getting airborne, looking for creative ways to get up in the air, especially when the light is good. The challenge to making good photos to me isn’t taking the photos, it’s all the stuff that leads up to it. There’s a lot of work that got you to that position, which is very valuable. Things like depth of field and shutter speed are important, but not as much as being in the right place at the right time.

MF: Any stories from the air?
SD: I’ve done a lot of flying above commercial fishing boats, working as a fish spotter. Probably over 200 hours of flying time, an amazing amount of time in the air. Not only was it fun to see commercial fishing from the air after spending time on the water, but visually interesting. I shot a lot of photos during that time and still license those images today.

MF: Most people don’t think of Alaska when you’re talking about surfing, but you shoot a lot of surfing photos. Tell me more about what goes into capturing those photos.
SD: I have a recipe for Alaskan surf photos. Whenever conditions are such, I want to be there. Sometimes Homer, but the waves aren’t here very often. We have to travel to get to waves, which turns out to be very enjoyable. It’s all about chasing waves, they’re hard to find. Except the ones that make you seasick, those...are easy to find.

MF: How often are you shooting while physically in the water?
SD: Shooting in the water is important, but its only 5 percent of what I do. The water shot is so complicated and difficult, that I usually leave it til last and try and get all the logistically simpler shots first. I’ve only lost one camera due to water damage, and that was when a grain of sand compromised the seal of the waterproof housing. I put the camera in the oven shortly afterwards, and it dripped water for a while, and finally came back to life...mostly anyhow.

MF: Where do you take the other 95 percent of your water shots from?
SD: The main thing is trying to find a unique angle. Often times I’ll wade in the water or shoot from low in a small boat, and I can still get what looks like a water shot. Creativity in photography is how you compose your image, how to photograph a subject in a new way. I’m looking at it, and I try to think what would be a different way to look at this. I think everybody could use a bit more of that in their lives.

MF: Do you have any tips for amateur photographers?
SD: Once you have the simplest basics down of exposure and composition, focus on finding interesting angles in good lighting. No amount of fancy equipment and Photoshop wizardry can replace those characteristics of a good photo. Quit thinking about your equipment, and think about shooting from an interesting perspective. For everything from a photo of your Grandma, to an aerial of a glacier. Be in a spot with good lighting, and you can use an iPhone or $25,000 worth of equipment—both turn out fantastic.

MF: What projects are you currently working on?
SD: Lots of exciting things going on, I have an ongoing project with Alaska Brewing to share stories through social media of my adventures across Alaska. Sharing photos of the lifestyles of Alaskans really resonates with me.

Check out Scott’s work at: ScottDickerson.com


—By Mollie Foster

Q&A with Kevin Smith

Anchorage-based photographer Kevin Smith caught up with Alaska Stock’s Mollie Foster this week to chat about his Village Mural School Projects. Smith is a globally recognized architectural photographer, who also specializes in art installations featuring Alaskan themes. Read the conversation in our first Photographer Q & A, posted the second Monday of each month.

MF: How did you get into creating murals?
KS: I shoot a lot of architectural photography. An architecture friend approached me about a “hall of elders” concept, and I came up with the idea for a large format mural. That was back in 2004, and through word of mouth it’s just taken off from there.

MF: Where are the murals you’ve done?
KS: In schools in villages across Alaska: Akiak, Akiachak, Tuluksak, Noatak, Deering, Shungnak, Kalskag, Ruby and Anaktuvuk Pass. In addition to murals for the Anchorage fire station # 4, Machetanz Elementary School in Palmer and the Harry J. MacDonald Center in Eagle River.

MF: What’s the process for creating a mural?
KS: For the murals in remote villages, I go and check out the architectural space of the building. There are different ways to apply graphic images to a space, so I see what works well in each space. I gather information from the community, who the important people are, get a list of the elders. Then I gather images, shooting my own, scanning historical photos or outsourcing stock to get as complete a picture of the village as I can. I try to visit during all four seasons if I can, and show the village activities: subsistence lifestyle, elder portraits, and scenic shots, among others. Then I combine the images in Photoshop, creating one big file with hundreds of layers. Then I take the file to a local print shop Graphic Works, to have it produced.

MF: What message do you hope the mural will convey?
KS: The point is to tell the community story, each village has its unique history, culture and activities that they do. It’s a balance between telling the story and including the right pieces to give an accurate historical report of the village that is artistically pleasing at the same time. My wish is that the artwork makes people proud of where they live and the culture they have.

MF: How does the community react?
KS: Folks love it. It’s all about their culture, the people and the way of life. It’s about making the elders their heroes. Why should Batman or Superman be their hero? It should be Uncle Joe or Grandpa Dick working their fish camps. That’s what the idea is all about. I’ve been told that once the mural is up, the kids behave better. Like, there’s Grandpa Joe and he’s watching me. The mural takes an empty space and gives it personality, which is pretty fun.

MF: How long do they take to create from start to finish?
KS: Between trips to the village during all four seasons, research and the work on the computer, projects can take anywhere between 3-4 months to 2 years.

MF: Who funds the mural projects?
KS: These projects are paid for by State of Alaska Percent for Art program. In urban areas, one percent of building costs has to be spent on art, in rural areas half a percent is spent on art.

MF: Any advice for photographers interested in this type of work?
KS: For doing village work, you have to have an easy-going personality and be able to roll with punches. You can’t get uptight about things that don’t happen like you’d expect them to. That and…get a really comfortable chair (for spending a lot of time in front of the computer).

MF: What’s the next project on your plate?
KS: The Top of the World hotel in Barrow, and the school in Kobuk. They should be done in the next few months.


— By Mollie Foster

Alaska Stock introduces an innovative approach in modern photography

Anchorage, Alaska - Alaska Stock has embraced digital photography and all of the benefits that come with it including quick uploads, online viewing, and e-commerce capabilities. However, Alaska Stock feels that the time is right to introduce an innovative approach in modern photography. Utilizing high end cameras and partnering with some of the leading photography labs across North America and internationally, Alaska Stock will now be exclusively accepting 35mm, medium format and large format film.

With the “popular” move towards digital, we decided to compare the quality against our new film technology. We feel the wide dynamic range offered in film cannot be matched by old style 20MP digital cameras. Film produces the ultimate HDR image far superior to the time wasting HDR manipulations of digital cameras. Additionally, films like Velvia are known for producing deep, rich colors. For example, a well executed Velvia transparency viewed through a quality lupe on a light table produces an unparalleled saturated red. When a digital image is viewed on your computer screen, the color can be any variation of “red” depending on the quality of your monitor, its calibration or the light conditions under which the image is being viewed and will never achieve the undefinable richness of Velvia. Film is always sharp and durable. You can drop a film canister a hundred times without affecting the sharpness of the film. Finally, it has come to our attention that professional film cameras, lenses and accessories are now available on the market for exceedingly low prices which will be a great benefit to our contributing photographers in producing hundreds of new photos to re-build our film archive.

Beginning April 1, 2014, Alaska Stock will now only accept film submissions from our photographers and only submit original transparencies safely packaged in Kimac slide protectors to our clients. We encourage our clients to review their Fed-ex and UPS accounts to make sure they have the correct insurance coverage for receiving and handling film transparencies.

With the recent popularity of digital, we feel we’ve lost our personal connections not only with our clients but with our photographers. It’s time to get re-connected face-to-face with our clients and photographers. We invite our local clients to come by and see our latest in the updated film collection during our office viewing hours from 9am-5pm in our downtown Anchorage office. We will provide a large light table viewing area, 10x lupe, and comfortable seating for our clients as they browse through the stacks of images we are able to provide for their project. Upon selecting an image, we will only need a quick signature accepting liability for the original and you are then free to take the transparency for scanning at your preferred lab.

Photographers are encouraged to embrace the future of film and take note of our revised list of accepted film cameras: Nikon FM2, Hasselblad, Holga, SX-70 Polaroid, and Canon AE-1.

Alaska Stock looks forward to working with you in this new age of film!

We love it when our employees have great experiences and stories to tell. Mollie Foster, our Account Executive, has a great tale (tail?) to tell about her retired sled dog Spur.

Featured in Alaska Magazine's March 2014 issue, Spur has been on the Iditarod trail and finished in Nome twice and she's not slowing down. As a constant companions on the morning commute via ski-jouring and in the office, Spur and Mollie keep living the dream.

Read more in Alaska Magazine or see Mollie's video compilation on Vimeo.

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