King Salmon (Summer Catch)

NOTE (July 11, 2020)
I am in the middle of my summer fishing season right now. I have stopped taking preorders for king because I likely won't catch any more this season. The kings have stopped running, leaving me with a little less than last year. If you are interested in king but missed it this year, I suggest the coho salmon as a very similar and more affordable alternative.

NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PREORDER FROM MULTIPLE SEASONAL CATCHES, PLEASE PLACE THOSE ORDERS SEPARATELY. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'D LIKE BOTH THE FALL & SPRING CATCH, CREATE YOUR FALL ORDER THEN CHECK OUT & PAY. THEN SELECT YOUR SPRING SPECIES, CHECK OUT & PAY.

King salmon is the king of the salmon, and in more than one way. While certainly the largest of the salmon (the world record was 126 lbs!), it is also considered by many to be the most delicious. The soft and flaky flesh has a pleasant mild salmon taste and a luscious rich, almost buttery, flavor. If you love king, mine is the best.

Substitutions:
Some seasons we catch lots of kings and some seasons we catch very few. It's a species who's numbers naturally rise and fall. If we do not catch enough king we may substitute coho (a similar taste) at a rate of 1:1.5––meaning, if you ordered 10 lbs. king and we run short, we may send you 15 pounds coho. Alternatively, we may be able to offer you bone in king salmon portions. In short, if you order king salmon, we may ask you to be flexible if the run is smaller than expected.

Preorder Preorder Period:
Jan. 1 - Aug. 1, 2020

Shipping:
Your seafood will ship to your doorstep via FedEx Ground or Express, depending on where you live. Expect your seafood Oct. 13-16, 2020. This page details shipping rates: https://salmonandsable.com/pages/shipping

Cut:
I offer my king in several cuts:

• Portion - Portions are a fillet cut in half, sometimes in thirds. Portions are generally about 1 lbs. but can be as small as 0.75 lbs. or as large as 1.25 lb. each.
• Butterfly - The butterfly cut is a portion sliced then folded skin side to skin side. It's a beautiful cut and perfect for quick and easy grilling. Instead of only cooking 2 sides, you can cook all 4 sides with these. Cooking in 3D! These are a little more expensive because of the extra work and also because it's only the fillet center cutes that can be used. Thats only 1-2 pieces per fillet that can become butterflies.

For more information on cuts and bones, have a look here: https://salmonandsable.com/pages/bones-cuts

Bones:
For convenience and to avoid confusion, I now only offer boneless king. I pull the pin bones by hand which results in a lovely and uniquely hand crafted fillet. My deboned king is generally 90-100% boneless with one or two pin bones sometimes remaining in the collar area of the fillet. The tail portion is naturally mostly or totally boneless.

Packaging:
I vacuum seal my salmon in heavy 5mm bags to avoid broken seals and freezer burn. virtually all other seafood is vacuum sealed in 4mm or lighter bags. Your fresh-frozen seafood will keep in your freezer in pristine condition for 12 months or more.

Who, Where, When, & How:

1. Who Caught It? 
   I did. Traveler Taj Terpening. My crew of 2 or 3 and my family help out too. My Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) permit number is S04T 60089E.
2. Where Was it Caught?
   On the Ugashik River in Western, Alaska. The town of Pilot Point is nearby (population 69). I fish at just upriver from my cabins on my Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Shore Fisheries Lease (S 09° 11" W 15222', tract A on diagram 1309). If caught by my friend then it comes from southeast Alaska.
3. When is this Species Caught?
   King salmon return to our river in late May and early July. I catch most of my king in Late June and early July. Fishing generally opens in the first or second week of June with a period called "free week," where fishermen can fish a 5 day a week schedule. When free week ends mid-June, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) opens the fishery on a day to day basis via announcements over the radio.
4. How was this Caught?
   My permit allows me to catch salmon by setnet, which is a style of fishing using a short net (50 fathoms) stretched from shore. I pick fish from the net by hand and immediately gill, gut, and pressure bleed each one. The salmon then rest in slush ice until I cary them up the beach to my fillet cabin for filleting, vac bagging and blast freezing. In many cases my fish are frozen within a hour or two of being caught.

Interesting king salmon info:

• The longest known trip ever taken by a salmon was a king salmon that traveled 3,845 km upstream to spawn.
• On March 25th 1963, the Chinook salmon became the official state fish of Alaska