The Salvelinus, The Sockeye, and the Egg-Sucking Leech: Abundance and Diversity in the Bristol Bay Drainage (from the Eyes of an Angler)

The Salvelinus, the Sockeye, and the Egg-Sucking Leech: Abundance and Diversity in the Bristol Bay Drainage (from the Eyes of an Angler) is the fourth book in Matthew Dickerson’ s Heartstreams series. This exciting ramble among the remote and beautiful mountains, lakes, and rivers of around Alaska’ s Bristol Bay is full of encounters with bears, caribou, and other wildlife. But the heart of the book is Dickerson’ s exploration of native trout, river ecology, and the joys of experiencing wild places and fish by casting flies among them. This volume focuses on rivers and lakes in Alaska’ s Bristol Bay drainage, and on the native fish that inhabit those waters, from the abundant sockeye salmon species to the Salvelinus genus, which includes the stunningly beautiful Dolly Varden char as well as its cousin the Arctic char, the northernmost freshwater fish species in the world. Although the book explores some of the environmental threats facing these waters, the stories are also full of hope, delight, and awe. Though not a science text, it is well-informed by science as well as by the author’ s careful eye. The book also includes photographs by Alaskan bush pilot Glen Alsworth.

Glen R. Alsworth, Jr, is a 3rd generation Alaskan bush pilot. He is deeply rooted in the Bristol Bay region having an Aleut grandmother Mary Alsworth and a grandfather “ Babe” Alsworth who was a legendary aviator. Glen grew up in the remote village of Port Alsworth, named after his grandparents who homesteaded there in the early 40s, and he has lived there his entire life. He developed a love for the outdoors, fishing, and flying while he was just a child and found his passion for photography as a young adult. Most days from May through early October, Glen is in the air flying a small plane Dickerson began writing freelance for various fly-fishing and outdoor magazines. He has written fantasy novels, historical fiction, and critical studies of works by Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, focusing on their spiritual and environmental concerns. He eventually wove together the ecological thread and the trout and fly-fishing threads in several books, including the Heartstreams series.

Part I: The Salvelinus, the Sockeye, and a Diverse Watershed Prologue: How Stories Change Us 2 1. Alaska’ s Salvelinus at the End of a Line: A Note from an Author and Angler: 12 A Primer on Char 12 Geography and Scope: The Bristol Bay Drainage 18 2. Spawning Sockeye: Abundance and Diversity in the Bristol Bay Drainage 22 Of Sockeye and Caddisflies, Both in Great Numbers 26 The Importance of Geologic and Genetic Diversity: A Conversation with Dr. Schindler 31 3. First Encounters with Bristol Bay, Alaska’ s Salvelinus, and the Egg-Sucking Leech 43 Foul Hooked 45 The Egg-Sucking Leech 52 The Beautiful but Tragic Life of a North American Immigrant 55 One Way to Study Char 61 Photographs 64-72 Part II: Days on the Water: Experiences of Abundance and Diversity 4. The Koktuli and the Chulitna: Of Footprints, Rivers, and the Start of a Friendship 74 The South Fork of the Koktuli River (and the Pebble Mine) 79 South Fork of the Koktuli, Revisited (Again and Again) 84 Chulitna Bay Pike 91 5. Katmai National Park and Preserve: More Tiles in the Mosaic 98 The Alagnak Drainage: of Big Winds and Big ’ Bows (and also more Dollies) 99 The Naknek Drainage: Famous Rivers and Small Unnamed Streams 109 6. Lake Clark National Park as a Classroom (and the Oft-Overlooked Grayling) 115 Grayling: The Oft Overlooked Character 121 Unicorns 126 Part III. Education, Economies, and an Epilogue 7. Casting Flies and Asking Questions 132 Baby Brown Bears, and Big, Line-Breaking ’ Bows 133 A Different Economy 138 8. A Fool Standing in the Rain 147 Epilogue: A Thin Blue Line 153 Works Cited 157 About the Author 159 About the Photographer 162