Wed, June 25, 2014
The First Salmon to Fly
The tradition…or, um, marketing gimmick…of flying the first Copper River salmon of the season to Seattle makes for good news copy every spring.
If this photograph from the May 1929 issue of Pacific Fisherman is to be believed, the very first Alaska salmon flown directly to Seattle by airplane was this 34-pound king that made the trip from Juneau on April 21 that year.
According to the magazine, “While it is not expected that aircraft will be a regular factor in the transportation of fish from Alaska, this shipment signalizes the advance of aviation in the territory, and gives indication that airplanes will soon play an important part in communication and travel between Alaska fishery establishments and business centers.”
The article did not state who in Seattle had the privilege of consuming this marvelous fish.
