The Wrangell sentinel., 1949-08-05
GREAT PINK
SALMON RUN STILL
ON AT ANAN CREEK


The pink salmon run, reported
at Anan Creek last week is said to
be unchanged. although City Coun-
Gilman Peter Mccormack and sew
eral others felt there was an in
crease in the amount of fish.
Dan Bates. local fisheries man
agement agent, reported to The
Wrangell Sentinel this afternoon
that the situation was about the
same as il was last week when
John Grover and Elyin Lindsey
made their surveys. Mr. Bates con-
tributed this to the increased vol
ume of water. citing the weir at
Olive Cove for example. Before the
extremely high water this week,
tn count through the weir was a
bout 5000 fish a day, and with the
greater volume of water the count
is now 600 fish a day.
Mr.. Bates went down to Anan
Creek yesterday afternoon and says
there is a nice showing of pinks in
all the pools above the forks, with
scattering of fish between the
falls and the forks However, the
fish are still jamming in the falls
area. He said at low water yester-
day the fish all left the chuck-hole
at the mouth of the stream but
| they flooded back on the rising
water. Early thi sfndrning Bates
surveyed the stream about three
miles above the forks.
A great amount of fish are still
out in the bay in front of Anan
and around Ward Point. The body
of fish extends part way up Back
Channel. including Ham Island, al
though great body of fish is just
outside Fools Inlet there were
none inside. He reported counting
about three thousand fish at Meme
fee, half pinks and half dogs.
I Last Monday evening Mr. Bates
met with about As local fishermen
and representatives of the COM
munity at the fire hall to hear
their recommendations and hear
his report clarifying his position.
At that time John Grover and Ell
vim Lindsey. who have been max
ing extensive fish surveys for Far
west Wrangell Co. for the last
three weeks, reported Anan the
| same as Mr.. Bates reported it to-
lay. but also reported fish in
Bradfield Canal and Ernest Sound.
At the meeting Mr. Bates agreed
en- the great amount of fish, and
in answer to an inquiry from Mr..
Grover stated that he had no con-
troll over the opening of the sea
son even if he thought there was
sufficient escapement. He stated
that he could only recommend,
with no assurance his recommend
Iation would be followed. In addi-
tion to Mr.. Cover, fisherman Tom
Tlswick, Jorgen Ronning, Jack
| Urata and others reported the run
Unusually large at Anan.
/ On a motion by Joe Petticrew, To-
cal seiner, the meeting unanimous
ly voted to request the Anan area
be opened August 9th, and Mr..
Bates agreed to forward the re-
commentator with his approval.
According to the Petersburg Press
last week, fishermen from that
community, led by Knute Thomp-
son, after viewing Anan agreed the
season should be opened at Anan.
A meeting of cannery operators N
Ketchikan last Tuesday supported
the Wrangell recommendation for
/ opening Anan Aug. 9Th.
| w. C. Arnold and other repre-
Isentatives of the industry, flew to
Juneau this week where they met
yesterday with c. Howard Baltic,
assistant fisheries supervisor for
F&WS, and Dan Ralston, in charge
of the Juneau office while Alaska
F&&WS Director Clarence Rhode
is in Anchorage. Reports of that
meeting are reported elsewhere in
this paper.
Fish and Wildlife officials agree
there is adequate escapement at
Anan Creek, although Regional
Director Rhode reported Wednes-
day, 1.-The Wrangell informant who
labeled the Anan Creek pink sal
mon run the greatest in years was
ment and in reporting that, for
Years, Anan has had virtually no
run of pink salmon.
"Anan has always been like this
I-notoriously so. 1t has been
steady producer over a period of
years and is, in fact, the best early
pink salmon stream in the entire
Territory"
| Wrangell's sein fleet is standing
by, with crews hoping for word of
an early opening to catch the fish
which may not be available Aug.
lis, the scheduled opening of the
season. Speculation by various peo-
pie is that the Service is keeping
Anan closed to protect other areas
from illegal fishing which F&WS
would have trouble in controlling.
Service officials believe there Is