A marginal showing of Chilkoot-bound sockeye and low catches of chums continued this week for commercial fishermen.

Fish and Game biologist Mark Sogge said about 100 gillnetters averaged about 2,000 pounds each of mostly chum salmon in the first two days of fishing this week.

“On Monday, there didn’t seem to be any large numbers of fish. They were scattered here and there,” Sogge said. The opening was extended a third day in an area known as the “postage stamp” to allow additional harvest of hatchery fish.

Only 3,800 reds had passed Chilkoot weir at press time Wednesday. “That number should be at 10,000. At least that’s where I’d like it to be,” Sogge said.

Chilkat red returns also are low, although that was expected. “The (fish) wheels picked up a little bit but it’s still pretty low and way below average, which is what we expected. We didn’t have a good escapement.”

Resident Norman Hughes said he was crabbing to make up for low salmon catches.

“It’s slow. Usually it’s building. I haven’t seen any depth in the run yet. It’s scary,” Hughes said.

Hatchery chum “just aren’t coming back in projected numbers,” said Hughes, who is a member of Douglas Island Pink and Chum, the hatchery that produces the fish.

Biologist Sogge said it’s still too early to draw conclusions about Chilkoot reds, as others that have started slow ended with an average return.

Fishermen were echoing that sentiment. “It’s early yet. We’re always hopeless optimists,” said resident Jim Szymanski.

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