The fish, considered the most succulent and flavorful of all salmon, is expected to hit area restaurants and grocery stores tomorrow. But salmon lovers had better move fast. The best of the catch is only around for three to four weeks. It's got a cachet about it.
People know it's the best of the best.
As juveniles, the salmon travel from their spawning areas roughly 300 miles down the Copper River to the Gulf of Alaska. When they start the return trip as mature fish at spawning time, they have an unusually high oil content to fuel them - and that boosts their flavor. Catch might be down a little The catch is closely monitored by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to ensure future runs are preserved. Dan Sharp, a Fish and Game biologist, expects the catch to be down a little this year, due to natural variations in run size, but said it will still yield a healthy return. They have a very high oil content and real connoisseurs can tell the difference.