Copper River Salmon (Metlakatla, Salcha, Tanana: dangerous, food, oil)

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by JohnPF

That makes sense. Catch them before the long LAST journey and they are in their best shape.

It's actually a little, but not much, more complex.

First, the farther up a river the fish is going to swim, the more oil it will have at the time it leaves the ocean. Second, that oil will be depleted when it arrives at the place it will spawn. Third, there is an amount of oil which is "just right".

Therefore, the fish must be headed at least a specific distance up a river in order to have enough fat. But the trick is to catch them at exactly the right distance, to get exactly the right amount of fat. Just about the only place where a King Salmon that has too much fat can be found is in the lower Yukon River.

There is no place on the Copper River that compares equal to the the locations specified on the Yukon and the Kuskokwim.

Not that Copper River kings are not great fish, because they are. But the idea that they are the "best" is a myth generated by a great marketing effort. It isn't totally myth either, because in terms of fish that reach the market they are the only ones that can be identified as the right ones! A person in Denver can buy a Copper River king, but simply has no way at all to ever get ahold of a king salmon caught down river from Bethel or at Rampart, at least not and be sure that is what they have. Hence in Denver, Copper River kings are the best kings ever. But not in Alaska.

[Glitch]

It is not the oils in the salmon that give salmon its flavor. Those oils are great for Omega-3 fatty acids, but like with all critters, the flavor is in the fat. Reds have much more fat per/pound than Kings, which is why they are preferred even though they are the smallest. Silvers also have more fat/pound than Kings, but less than Reds.

The further up river a salmon has to swim, the more fat it burns (because they don't eat once they begin heading up river), and the less flavor it will have upon being caught. Check for sea lice. If the sea lice on the salmon are still alive, it means the salmon has not been in the river for longer than 3 days. Fresh water kills sea lice.

[warptman]

One thing great about Yukon Kings is strips. I'd say the best dried strips are from the Marshall area. A friend of the family sends us some every year and from the Pilot Station area, too. I love Yukon River King strips!

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

I know why. You read the advertizing, but haven't tasted the fish.

The Kings caught near Napakiak (just down river from Bethel) on the Kuskokwim and the Kings caught near Rampart on the Yukon are about equal, and either is significantly better than those marketed as Copper River Kings. The significance is how much oil the fish started with when it entered fresh water and how much it has burned off by the time it is caught.

I catch my own at the Copper, and have caught and eaten feeders at Homer, also at the Kenai, and so far none matches the Copper Kings and reds. A coworker of mine, who is Native, brings me Yukon Kings every now and then, and still, it can't match the ones I catch at the Copper. We swap a couple of fillets every now and then just so we can tell the difference in taste. He will have a fish wheel at Chitina this year. Maybe I just gotten used to the taste of salmon from the Copper?

[warptman]

shhh, don't tell Ray about the Kusko kings!

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I disagree; but then it 's a matter of personal preference. River fish really isn't my thing.

I agree with you in reference to bass, carp, pike, and such, but salmon is another matter

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by warptman

shhh, don't tell Ray about the Kusko kings!

That's real funny Warptman But it's true that I haven't tasted those. I only keep around 30 salmon, five which are Kings. I dip-net in the subsistence area, and sometimes my friends and I use a fish wheel that belongs to a coworker.

[blackzzz01]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

Copper River salmon are good eating. I get mine at Trader Joe's for around $15/lb. I'd love to have some fresh though.

Was wondering how flash frozen would compare to fresh...guess I got my answer from this article. There's a pretty good sounding recipe along with it.

Love to Eat, Learn to Cook: Copper River Sockeye: 'Tis the Season

[BudinAk]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Not other salmon in Alaska taste as good as the ones from the Copper River. It's a simple as that, although I have no idea why. Its flesh is very pink/red and firm, with lots of natural oil in it. When you look at a fillet of salmon from the Copper at the store, it just looks nicer and fresher than the average salmon. I catch my own at the Copper, but have caught salmon at the Kenai, Ocean by Homer, etc., and none taste as good.

I think it's because of the higher copper content...


Bud

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by JohnPF

For the short time salmon spend in rivers... are they considered "river fish"?

Some of us consider them so, yes. Once they hit the rivers they start to detirioate fairly rapidly.

Marketing has a lot to do with the copper river hype. It's good stuff; but our SE sockeye is just as good.