Fly fishing for Kings. chum, silver and Sockeye on the Kanektok River Alaska

The King Salmon - what a magnificent fish! These large powerful fish are truly the "kings" of the river. Many people targeted Kings every day.

The natives depend on King Salmon that they preserve by smoking and drying - to help get them through the cold winter.

This Arctic fox was sleeping on the river bank when we drove by. It didn't seem too concerned by us - just looked up to make sure we weren't going to stop - then laid back down.

The is the southwest edge of Quinhagak. The larger fishing boats dock here to unload their catch.

The lower Kanektok River flows by the village Quinhagak - just before it reaches the sea. Quinhagak is on the east shore of Kuskokwim Bay, less than a mile from the Bering Sea coast and 70 miles southwest of Bethel.

According to Bearingsea.com "The Yup'ik name is Kuinerraq, meaning "new river channel." Quinhagak is a long-established village whose origin has been dated to 1,000 A.D. It was the first village on the lower Kuskokwim to have sustained contact with whites. Gavril Sarichev reported the village on a map in 1826.

Most of the employment is with the school, government services or commercial fishing. Trapping, basket weaving, skin sewing and ivory carving also provide income. Subsistence remains an important part of the livelihood; seal and salmon are staples of the diet. 100 residents hold commercial fishing permits for salmon net and herring roe fisheries. The Incorporated Fishermen of Quinhagak has been organized to improve market conditions and stabilize prices. A fish processing facility was recently completed, owned by the village IRA council. "

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