What’s the most plentiful anadromous fish that returns to our waters at Alaska West in June?
The mighty king salmon? The furious chum salmon?
Nope, it’s the incredibly numerous hooligan!
Eulachon, Actually
The real name for these little critters is eulachon. They have lots of other common names in in the Northwest – in our part of Alaska we call them hooligan, or even ‘hoolies’. They’re a type of smelt, and their numbers vary quite a bit from year to year.
Anglers at Alaska West in June know that when the hoolies are running thick, inside edges of gravel bars can literally be black with them. Don’t let your fly swing in too close!
Fun fact: their other common name, candlefish, comes from the fact that their fat content is so high that when dried, they can literally be used as a candle.
Is there a difference between the hooligans and smelts? I’ve notice the southwest smelts have a strong smell but the ones here in southcentral don’t have a smell , what’s the difference? Or they are the same species?
Hi Mary,
Kyle Shea here with Deneki Outdoors. Hooligans (also known as Eulachon) is indeed a type of smelt. However, there are several species of smelts throughout in Alaska and therefore might not be what you’re smelling :). For comparison, the hooligans in our river have an extremely strong ‘cucumber’ smell, which is hard to relate to until you have smelled them! Here’s a great article from ADF&G on the hooligan in case you’re interested: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=eulachon.printerfriendly
Hope that helps Mary, thanks for reaching out to us!