A couple of weeks ago at Alaska West, our new friend and angler Dean Foster pulled off a Kanektok Slam. Congratulations, Dean – that’s a big deal.
What’s a Kanektok Slam?
Here’s the story. Our rivers at Alaska West have incredibly varied fishing in general, and that variety peaks in late July and early August. Folks who like catching lots of different fish using lots of different techniques tend to book during this time of year.
A fun goal that folks like to shoot for is the Salmon Grand Slam – catching all five species of Alaskan salmon, all on the same day. There are very few places on earth where you can pull that off, and we think it’s pretty cool when it happens.
Once in a blue moon though, an angler’s fishing mojo overflows to the point that they manage a Kanektok Slam, and that’s what Dean accomplished on August 2nd of this year. In one day Dean caught king salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon, silver salmon, rainbow trout, dolly varden and grayling. 8 species. One day. Bam!
How it Happened
The king happened early in the day (we can’t target king salmon after July 25th, but they occasionally get hooked incidentally when fishing for chums, pinks and silvers; the king was of course released unharmed). Chums and silvers were quick. A sockeye and some dollies followed.
At that point Dean, his partner Andy and his guide Rob realized they were onto something and decided to make a go of it. The pink came next.
Two species remained – the rainbow and the grayling. At this point if you’re going for the Kanektok Slam, you make it easy on yourself and go with the high-percentage pattern, right? That’s not how Dean rolls – he finished up his Kanektok Slam with a rainbow and a grayling, both on mouse patterns. Bonus style points!
So once again we say Congratulations, Dean. Very few anglers have managed what you managed, and we were thrilled to be a part of it!
I know that guy!!! He’s one fish spankin’ techno cowboy!!! Nice job, Professor Foster! Now we need to get you a grand slam on the flats!
Good job Dean!! Come up to Colorado and we’ll keep after ‘Em!
Hey, I hear that Andy guy is a real jerk! How did you get him to step aside and let you pursue such a remarkable achievement? All the more to your credit.