Salmon Season 2022

THE CALIFORNIA COMMERCIAL SALMON SEASON WILL CONSIST OF A SERIES OF OPENERS IN THE FORT BRAGG AREA (40º10' Line to Point Arena) THIS YEAR.

YOU CAN EXPECT TO HEAR FROM US WITH SALMON FOR SALE DURING THE FOLLOWING PERIODS:

Fort Bragg Area:

July 8-12, 21-25;

August 3-12;

South of Point Arena:

September 1-30

We look forward to having a sale for each July opener and two sales in August. September is usually very slow fishing but we’ll see how it’s going when the time comes.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR OUR SALE ANNOUNCEMENTS STARTING MID-JULY.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON!

The F/V Animal Fair preparing to anchor in Monterey

Due to limited time on the water fishing for salmon this year Rich and Laura decided to travel down to the southern region (Pigeon Point and south) for May and early June and enjoyed fishing for salmon out of Monterey Bay.

Salty Girl Seafood blog

Thank you to Suzye Ogawa, our very thoughtful friend and customer, for nominating Laura for the Salty Girl Seafood blog featuring "women whose lives and livelihoods revolve around all things ocean", and to Allan Droyan for providing us with some of his fantastic photography!

photo by Rich Holmes

Click here to read the Salty Girl Post...

What's Happening with the Animal Fair Crew this Winter?

The Animal Fair crew has switched into winter mode. We expect to have Black Cod (Sablefish) available once every two month period (Nov/Dec, Jan/Feb, March/April) and will give advance notice before the sales. Otherwise we are immersed in our alternate professions for the winter. Rich is diving for Sea Urchins, and Laura is hiking in the streams looking for salmon and observing their spawning activities. We'll be in touch and wish you all the best this holiday season!

Animal Fair hoodies will be available soon!

Come join us!!!

Hi Fishy Friends and loyal supporters.  We wanted to take a rare quick moment to let you know of an event that is we feel is worth attending on Saturday, October 1st, 6:30pm in the Mendocino Village at the Gallery Bookshop.  Kirk Lombard, author of The Sea Forager's Guide to Northern California will be hosting a discussion on coastal foraging; and I am told that there will be sea shanties performed as well.

Weather you love the sea, sea food, foraging, fish or fishing stories, or all of the above please come down to take part in this event.  We hope to see you there!  Oh yeah, I have read the book and highly recommend it also! (Brent has read; Laura and Rich are soon to follow)

Kirk Lombard, author of The Sea Forager's Guide to Northern California at Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle's in Mendocino

Saturday, October 1st, 6:30pm  Join Kirk Lombard for a fun and informative conversation about coastal foraging on the California coast. Camilla Lombard is bringing her squeezebox, so expect a sea shanty sing along, too! Kirk Lombard combines a startling depth of knowledge with wry humor and colorful storytelling to guide readers’ quests to hook fish, dig clams, and pick seaweed for themselves. Lombard, a former staff member at the state Department of Fish and Game and founder of the foraging tour company/seafood delivery service Sea Forager Seafood, insists that his readers follow all regulations and encourages sustainable practices above and beyond what the State of California requires. Leighton Kelly’s stunning, occasionally idiosyncratic illustrations complement practical instructions for gathering a variety of fish and seafood and delicious recipes for what to do with each catch.  About Kirk Lombard: Kirk Lombard lives in Moss Beach, California, with his fishwife Camilla Lombard and their two kids, Django and Penelope. Kirk writes, fishes, sings a skull-cracking baritone, dabbles in papier-mâché sculpture, plays tuba for the SF-based band Rube Waddell, and, with Camilla, runs Sea Forager Seafood, a sustainable, subscription-based seafood delivery service based in San Francisco.

See the full book tour schedule HERE

Starting a Salmon trip........

Laura and Rich started a salmon trip today.  The salmon season is winding to a close, ending on the 30th. They are doing their best to scratch out a few more salmon before switching gears and focusing on Black Cod. They expect to have a sale early to mid week, so keep an eye out for their email, and the last salmon sale for this season!

Hit and Miss Fishing......

  Salmon fishing in September.  That makes me think of the Logging Show earlier this month over Labor Day Weekend.  Why, you may ask? Well, on display next to the steam donkey is another late 19th century engine called a hit and miss engine.  The little engine sputters and wooshes in and awkward manner; the entire time one thinks that it is just about to sputter itself out, but keeps on going.  Now maybe I am getting a little abstract, but that is what the last few days of salmon fishing have been like for Rich and Laura. Two days of trolling around without a salmon to show for it.  We will see what today brings (fingers crossed).

 It is just the way September goes sometimes; the fish have to stop biting sometime.  It may seem sad today, but it just makes me hope for Sablefish "tomorrow".  Mmm.... Black Cod. Flaky, firm (when cooked properly), buttery rich, loaded with omega 3s.  Suddenly I am hungry for Black Cod tacos!  Coming soon!

Calm Seas again.......

Laura and Rich have patched their boat up and are out again this morning fishing for salmon.  The salmon really start becoming "elusive" in September as the ocean starts transition to winter.  The "bait fish" that the salmon feed on, having gone through their spawning season disperse into smaller schools and move closer to shore amongst the rocks.  This makes the catching a little more difficult, but I am hopeful that they will bring back enough to have a sale.  Unless the ocean weather comes up again everyone should prepare for a sale in 4-5 days from now (as soon as 3 days).  Keep an eye out for email notifications!

Catching California.......

The Animal Fair Crew, Rich and Laura, set out this morning to start fishing "locally".  They were hoping to start fishing out front of Fort Bragg and then decide to move north to as far as Shelter Cove or as far south as Point Arena if needed.  Unfortunately they ended up "Catching California" with their fishing gear, breaking a trolling pole and having to "limp" their way back to the Harbor.  They are currently assessing the damages and are hoping to find a pole and be up and running within a few days.

Temporary Salmon Closure.....

There is an unexpected salmon fishing closure and Rich and Laura are taking advantage of the break to have a Full day off!  Fishing will resume again on Thursday September 1st, however Laura and Rich will probably leave for Shelter Cove on Wednesday August the 31st.  Most of the "veteran" customers already are aware that the season usually slows down dramatically in September, but that shouldn't keep all off us from hoping for an unusually large catch.  I for one am keeping my fingers crossed!!