by Jackie Bartz
Friday, June 11, 2010
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- During its salmon runs, the banks of the Russian River are crawling with anglers. You can hardly move an inch without hooking the person next to you. Instead of combat fishing, however, people kicked back and enjoyed a little space Friday.
The river opened for fishing at midnight Thursday. Most visitors to the river are interested in hooking early sockeye salmon, but the fish are few and far between.
Some skilled and perhaps lucky anglers managed to catch their limit of three sockeyes, but most say they just practiced their technique and only caught one -- if any.
Michigan angler Marjan Mohamadi said she had hope Friday.
"I just saw somebody catch a fish next door to me," Mohamadi said.
"Well, traveling 5,000 miles by car to be here, I was expecting a little more," said Massachusetts angler Robert Renaud.
