Fishing in Twenty Mile River near Portage Alaska.

Hooligan and Salmon fishing is available in 20 Mile River along the Seward Highway heading south from Anchorage AK. Much of this fishery is done from the banks along side the road but due to the silt in this glacial river, the best fishing is from a jet powered boat up river where the clear water streams enter into the river. From Mid summer well into the fall months, chrome bright silver salmon fill the pools of these clear water tributaries making for some spectacular salmon fishing just a short 45 miles south of Anchorage. These fresh silver salmon are considered to be one of the more aggressive and acrobatic species of Alaska salmon making them an exciting quarry to chase. If you do make your way up the Twenty Mile River, use caution when in the outdoors as along with the return of the Coho salmon to this river system you will find the arrival of the majestic Alaska Grizzly Bears whom will also be in pursuit of the same menu for their daily meals.

Twentymile River - Along the Seward Highway.

Twenty Mile River itself is a glacial fed river with clear stream tributaries that produce some good salmon fishing. but there is another species that attracts even a larger number of participents then the Coho salmon and for such a little fish they shure do attract a crowd.

In mid to late May the Hooligan, members of the smelt family, begin returning to the Twentymile River near Portage Alaska. Fishermen line the shores of Turnagain Arm and the Twentymile River with long-handled nets that reach out into Turnagain Arm or the Twentymile River. Commonly called "hooligan" in Alaska, eulachon, candlefish, or hooligan are oily fish that were traditionally used by natives as candles after drying them and then placing the dried fish in stone candle holder. This must be where the name candlefish came from. Up until the early 1900s, large groups of Alaska Natives gathered along these same rivers to catch and dry these little fish where using simple press, they would extract their oil for use in their homes.

Today, the hooligan is an important species in the subsistence lives of many Alaskans. They are often frozen, dried or smoked mostly for human consumption.

Most of the Hooligan Fishing at the Twentymile River takes place along the Seward Highway about 10 miles south of Girdwood where the river enters into Turnagain Arm.

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