Russian River Early Sockeye Run Prospects - 2014 Season

Alaska's Russian River on the Kenai Peninsula has two distinct sockeye salmon runs each season. The first has a timing range from late May to mid-July with the second run arriving in July and August.
It is this first run that draws so much attention and anticipation because its one of the earliest sockeye runs nearest Alaska's largest population area, the Anchorage Bowl and Matsu Valley.
The season opening time & date is 0001 JUNE 11th each year and with Alaska's long daylight hours there will be hundreds of anglers along the Russian River and the Kenai River Confluence Zone trying to get their first 3 fish limit of the season. The Dept. of Fish & Game conducted a walk along the stream fish count survey on Monday and Thursday to confirm there were approximately 500 reds in the closed area at the Falls and an additional 3000 sockeye scattered out in the sportfishing section of the Russian and closed sanctuary area at the mouth of the river. That just might make a great video.....
The Alaska Outdoor Journal (AOJ) has been doing a personal "survey" of the fishery a few days before the season starts in order to give its readers some insight as to what an angler might expect in the first few days of this fishery. A picture speaks a thousand words, a VIDEO says it all. Enjoy....and keep your hooks sharp!