Cross-posted from my Moon.com blog, ’cause I haven’t figured out the RSS thing yet.
When I mentioned salmon fishing as a California recreation activity in Moon California, it seems I was being optimistic. In 2009, for the second year in a row, the commercial Chinook (King) salmon season has been called off. The number of Chinook salmon running up the Sacramento River to spawn has plummeted in the last few years, leading to the ban on all salmon fishing in 2008.
A 10-day Chinook sportfishing season for California has been proposed for late August, 2009. If it is approved, you can purchase a license and board a charter boat to fish on the far end of the North Coast, between Eureka and the Oregon border. (See the North Coast chapter of Moon California for a few suggested charter operators in Eureka and Crescent City.) Expect to pay a premium for these trips!
On the other hand, you can still sport fish for halibut, rock fish, Dungeness crab, and other local Pacific species in their seasons.
You’ll see the results of the commercial salmon fishing ban on the broad white service plates of upscale California restaurants. Some chefs have chosen not to serve King salmon at all, sticking with the “100 mile” rule for local-only ingredients. Others import wild Washington and Alaskan King salmon or serve organic farmed Atlantic salmon.
Buying your own salmon from a CA fish market or grocery store? Try a non-King variety–salmon comes in many delectable subspecies that come from healthier fisheries. I particularly love the succulent deep-red flesh of Kokanee salmon!
For more information about the California salmon situation, read this article on SFGate.
