Chum (Dog) Salmon
The chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) salmon are also known as "dog" salmon because of the spawning males' large canine teeth. Chum weigh an average of 10 pounds.
Spawning males develop reddish vertical bars on their flanks; females have a reddish lateral band. Although often overlooked by many anglers, Chum are aggressive, hard fighters, and great sport on a fly rod. Both the Nushagak and Kulukak have very good runs of Chums each year. Chum salmon fishing in Alaska will start to arrive in mid-June and continue to run into late July, and you will even still catch fresh chums occasionally in August! These great salmon insure that no matter what month of the summer you come to Alaska there will be fresh salmon in the river.
