Salmon — Talk to the Hand
On my two trips to Bear Trail Lodge I’ve now caught all five species of Pacific salmon that you can catch in Alaska. For those of us who live in bass-world, it’s not always easy to remember what they are.
Fortunately, last year my guides Alexia and Rylie taught me an easy way to remember. In fact, it’s so easy that they said most Alaskan schoolchildren learn it in kindergarten.
Start by looking at your hand (assuming you have all five fingers; if not, borrow a hand from a friend who does):
The first thing you’ll come to is your thumb, which rhymes with “Chum”
Next, turn your index finger into a pointer, and try to poke (or “sock”) someone in the eye with it – “Sockeye”
Your middle finger may be the symbol for a Bronx salute, but since there are no salmon there, and it’s the biggest finger, we’ll think of it as the king of the fingers, which reminds us of “King Salmon”
Next up is your ring finger, and whether you have a diamond or cubic zirconia, you’ll need a band to hold it in place. Some people like gold or platinum, but when you’re thinking of salmon, “Silver” is the preference.
We’ve saved the easiest one for last: The little finger is the pinky, so it’s a no-brainer to recall that Pacific salmon number five is “Pink.”
Just be glad there aren’t eight kinds, in which case you’d have to take off your shoes. Or 21, in which case you’d have to take off your shoes and your pants.
