Alaska Dolly Varden

[pointingdogsrule]

Just returning from a week on POW Island. First two days on the inner passage were good for Salmon and Halibut. The seas then turned very nasty (glad that I am alive). Change of plans.... walked a stream 1/2 mile to a lake inlet. We heard that there might be Dolly's there. Boy were the right. Cast after cast we were pulling them in. With a 10 fish limit we had lots of fun. Just wish that we had lighter tackle. Biggest was probably 22 inches. Can't remember a fish fighting as hard as these guys.

 

[Bigjay73]

You murderous bastage. Hope they were as tasty as they are pretty. Definitely need to catch some of those some day.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

You murderous bastage. Hope they were as tasty as they are pretty. Definitely need to catch some of those some day.

We were told by some locals that they are delicious. They say that the Dolly grow on a diet of Salmon eggs this time of the year. If you ever go to POW, let me know and I'll PM the location to you.

 

[Bigjay73]

Thanks, I sure will.

 

[bullbugle]

Dolly Varden are delicious! The first fish I ever caught in AK was a massive Dolly Varden, and it was good eating.

 

[Sytes]

Tasty feast! Thanks for sharing.

 

[JohnCushman]

I'm jealous

 

[Little Big Man MT Chris]

That’s all I did as kid growing up , was catch dolly varden all summer , there was a creek that ran through my back yard and we would take a stick around 12 inches long notch one end with a pocket Knife put a few feet of line of whatever dad had in the garage usually some heavy salmon fishing line and we would walk the creek and lay on our stomachs or shade ourselves, use a single hook and a small weight and watch the fish take the bait the just yank the stick and pull’em out , we used dad’s cured salmon eggs when he wasn’t looking or the old red balls of Fire single eggs , caught 6 - 10 inch Dolly’s all day , mom would do a big pan fry after I collected a bunch , those were some good days

 

[kansasdad]

Living the dream doc!

 

[Paul in Idaho]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing.

I'm headed to POW for the first time later this summer. Can't wait to cast a line in Alaskan waters.

 

[bullbugle]

My first fish in AK. I spent hours fishing every day for probably three weeks without catching anything (the salmon hadn't come in yet), and then I spotted this beauty out in the current. The rest is history. I regret not cleaning up the fish for the photo, but that was a good eating fish.

 

[Brian in Montana]

Very nice!

I don't know much about Alaska fishing, but I always thought "Dolly Varden" was a very strange thing to name a fish. Any idea where that name comes from?

 

[Trial153]

Nice mess of fish, can’t wait to head back up to and wet a line

 

[Paul in Idaho]

Very nice!

I don't know much about Alaska fishing, but I always thought "Dolly Varden" was a very strange thing to name a fish. Any idea where that name comes from?

I was wondering the same thing, and found this article yesterday.

The name “Dolly Varden” stems from a character in the Charles Dickens novel, “Barnaby Rudge.” Dolly was a young girl with a rosy complexion. In the late 1860s a popular green fabric adorned with small crimson polka dots was marketed under the name Dolly Varden. A 15-year-old girl named Elda McCloud is credited with connecting the name Dolly Varden with the fish.

Dolly Varden: Beautiful and Misunderstood, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Alaska Wildlife News is an online magazine published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

www.adfg.alaska.gov

 

[bullbugle]

On a somewhat related note, Dolly Varden and Arctic Char oftentimes inhabit the same waters. And they're kinda difficult to differentiate from one another.