(Anchorage) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish will be hosting “Spooky Tails” a family fishing clinic and festival at the Ship Creek Fisheries Center at William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery (hatchery). The event will happen on Wednesday, October 24, 2018, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The hatchery is located at 941 North Reeve Boulevard and will come alive with numerous fish-related events and clinics that will appeal to all ages. Drawings for fishing equipment will occur throughout the event.

“We’re hoping that this will become an annual event at the Ship Creek Fisheries Center,” stated Ship Creek Fisheries Center Supervisor Molly McCarthy-Cunfer. “With Halloween just around the corner, we are excited to encourage families to come to the hatchery, have some seasonal fun, and learn about fishing at the same time.”

Interactive activities include learning about hatchery operations, fishing skills, and our local fish species. We will have live fish filleting demonstrations, fish dissections, macroinvertebrate investigations, fish-themed craft stations, spooky fish stories, and multiple fishing skills stations that will teach fly tying, slip bobber rigging, and how to safely fish in bear country. Other activities will help navigate visitors through some of the hatchery areas, and staff will be available to teach the public about fish habitat, invasive species, and what the hatchery does for anglers throughout many parts of Alaska. Division staff will be joined by partner organizations such as Project Healing Waters and Alaska Fly Fishers.

The event is free and open to the public.

#18-2676