# Alaska trout report.....



## DocEsox (May 12, 2008)

Just found this board....use to fish extensively in Utah....went to school at BYU....now I reside in Eagle River, Alaska. I enjoy reading everyone's comments from down there. Thought I would post these two fishing reports....one from last Friday and the Friday before that......thanks.

Well it's finally time for my first Alaska fishing report of the season. Thought I would get out a couple of Fridays ago as the weather had warmed, the grass was greening up, the trees were budding out&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.then this transpired:










Nothing like 18 inches of snow right before May begins&#8230;.that's weird even this far north&#8230;somehow I'm trying to reconcile this with global warming&#8230;.not sure how it fits in, though. Finally got nice again and was able to get up to our early season river about 100 miles north&#8230;.the Talkeetna. Had to drive by this gosh awful picture (I do it everyday on the way to work):










The scenery we have to put up with. Then I was greeted by these Talkeetna White-Headed Woodpeckers giving us the evil eye:










(Okay&#8230;they are not really woodpeckers.) We got up to the river about 8 in the morn to find it high and a bit off color&#8230;..not the best things for early season trout fishing but, hey&#8230;we were out of the house. We threw the old raft on the back of a jet boat which ran us about 5 miles up river where we started fishing back down. My friend Mike had been up here a few days ago and caught a few rainbows and dollies but we were not holding out for a phenomenol day this early in the season. The weater was fabulous&#8230;..got clear up to 50 degrees&#8230;.had to take off my thermals and jacket due to overheating, hehe&#8230;..so it was just great to be out. Additionally this was my first go round with a recently reconstructed shoulder (in December)&#8230;..it held out pretty darn good but is a bit sore tonight. Anyways we fished down the first 4 hours and had only picked up two fish&#8230;.me a small dolly and Jon this nice little rainbow:










The coastal rainbows are spectacularly colored on the Talkeetna&#8230;..you'll never see more spots on a trout. We got on a nice run where we stopped for shore lunch after a couple of missed hits. Up to lunchtime the 3 of us had used 16 different flies, with trailers with very little success&#8230;it was getting frustrating. So after inhaling lunch we decided to hit this long run one more time (we had fished it for an hour before lunch with no fish). Being unusually frustrated myself I switched to my old spring "confidence" fly&#8230;.the old moss colored 4 inch sculpin pattern&#8230;.the other guys told me the water was too cold for this to work well&#8230;.water was about 38 degrees&#8230;.very chilly, plus you had to constantly dodge large ice floes floating down the river. So started at the top of the run again and about 10 casts in this lovely dolly showed up:










The very next cast I hooked and lost another fish&#8230;..wow&#8230;.two in a row I was ecstatic. Next cast&#8230;..yes&#8230;.you guessed it&#8230;.another dolly varden brought to the net:










About this time Jon and Mike were sprinting to the raft to switch over to moss colored sculpins&#8230;..imagine that. For the next 1 ½ I just hammered the fishes in this run landing a dozen and farming a few more:




























About this time Mike picked up a nice dolly and a couple other fish but I seemed to have the magic sculpin:



















Turned out to be a pretty nice trip for early season&#8230;..at least we got to go fishing. Saw a couple of otters and beavers were everywhere with there little nervous chewing habits:










Wouldn't take much to get that big old cottonwood to come down. Anyways it was nice getting out&#8230;.making sure the recently refurbished body parts were in correct working order and having a great time with friends.

Should be more fishing soon&#8230;&#8230;until then everyone have great fishin!!

Brian

Alright&#8230;..now we're smoking&#8230;..got to go fishing for the second Friday in a row. Summer must be here&#8230;.we just move right on past spring and fall here in Alaska. Was able to get up north into the Matanuska Valley again&#8230;.fished a few river systems south of last week&#8230;..we split time at the mouth of the Kashwitna and then up at the "secret" spot on Sheep Creek&#8230;.had to swear a blood oath not to reveal this last one.

Had a bout of insomnia the night before and didn't sleep at all before leaving on Friday&#8230;.insomnia sucks!! During the wee morning hours I found my cat at the foot of the bed evidently getting ready for the fall college football season a little early:










What a smart kitty&#8230;..we know she's a Trojan fan like Daddy. Anyway hopped in the car and drove 65 miles north to Willow to meet Mike. When I got there he said his raft trailer had suffered a serious malfunction the night before&#8230;the wheel struts on one side had broken completely. Therefore we would have to hoof it all day&#8230;.good thing I have been doing the old cardio workouts at lunch the last few months.

We hit the mouth of the Kashwitna River hoping to find not only trout but perhaps a very early king salmon holding there. There weren't any kings we could see&#8230;.maybe next week&#8230;but we did find several rainbows and a nice grayling. This first rainbow trout was my first about 6 casts into the morning&#8230;.it was going to be hard to beat:










Measured from the butt of the flyrod it was around 23 or so inches:










Caught 3 or 4 more rainbows at this area&#8230;then it went dead:










So we moved upriver about a quarter mile to the next good run. At first I had been using my trusty moss colored sculpin pattern but had switched for a couple hours to a few other things which just weren't panning out. Switched back to ole mossy in this hole and promptly took 5 rainbows in 5 casts:










Caught a few more over the next hour or so then the fish decided it was siesta time. We hopped in the truck and drove north to the next drainage north, Sheep Creek. There we moved through ever lousier roads to "the secret spot"&#8230;..oh yeah. It was a beautiful holding hole way up stream&#8230;.the kings spawn heavily there but they were no where to be found&#8230;.not yet anyway. But the rainbows were setting up there&#8230;.waiting. We nailed several in this hole the first 30 minutes and I farmed one that was well&#8230;.really, really big&#8230;.she jumped and threw ole mossy right back at me&#8230;.probably 26-27 inches. We did manage some nice bows here though:




























And another of the last one against the rod:










Then things quieted down in this hole so we hoofed it upstream, not easy wading, about half a mile and fished it back down. We caught a couple more fish but decided to call it a day as I knew all the extraneous exercise would be haunting me later. Could barely stay awake on the ride home despite the always beautiful scenery:










Had to slap myself silly to stay awake from not sleeping the night before. Got home and collapsed into a very sore and tired mass on the bed for a few hours&#8230;.till my wife got home and beat me into the shower because I was "gamey". How come I can't every smell it when I am "gamey"? Took a hot shower and returned to the sheets for several more hours of blissful sleep.

Hopefully the kings will be there next Friday&#8230;&#8230;

Brian


----------



## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Nice report. You are making all of us Utah boys droooool!! I so look forward to your reports throughout the summer up there. Please keep us informed. I'll be up there the first week in August in the Glacier Bay area. We will be doing a lot of halibut fishing but we will be hitting the rivers too. I will PM you later in the summer with some questions. I dont fly fish but would love some advise. Thanks again for the report.


----------



## huntnbum (Nov 8, 2007)

Man.......... that is sweet.
I will probably never make it up there. but sure will try for the rest of my able bodied years.

Can I get one of those hard fishing hats? :mrgreen:


----------



## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Nice report. Great looking fish. You're right about those rainbows. Outrageous spotting. Thanks for the Alaska update.

I can only dream, for now, about fishing Alaska.

Welcome to the site.


----------



## Slipknot (Sep 16, 2007)

Nice pics man I am jealous! Wish I could visit Alaska and find me one of those hats maybe even get a little fishin in.


----------



## hunterfisher (Sep 14, 2007)

Man, your living my dream. I wish i could be up there-just to be in the state is a honor.


----------



## IcatchEm (Sep 11, 2007)

Thats what Trout are supposed to look like, thanks for the pics


----------



## FROGGER (Oct 1, 2007)

WOW :shock: i would love to be there thanks for a great post welcome aboard and thanks again...


----------



## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

Thank you so much for the reports and the pics! One of my goals is to get to alaska in the next couple years when finances and timing come together. Keep posting these reports! :mrgreen:


----------



## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

Thanks Doc for the report and the pics. It has been the best thing that has happened to me today. I have a couple of questions. First, I was fasinated with the color and the spotting of the rainbows. Is this unique to the Alaskan rainbows or a characteristic of those that live in streams that open to the sea? Next, you are obviously very knowedgable as is indicated by your post about Lahontan cutthroats and you live in Alaska. What do you know about the fishing on Prince of Wales Island. I will be going there in late July. Any helpfull information would be greatly apreciated. We will be fishing mostly streams. Thanks.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Man what I would do to catch a few dollies right now. They are absolute fighters. Better than the salmon fight. I really need to get back up there. Now I will have a contact if I ever head that way again. Great pics to make us all jealous.


----------



## BUBBA (May 1, 2008)

Fished Talkeetna many a time. Nothing like going up that river in a 16' Grayling, catching those beautifrl rainbows, not to mention a few Kings in the process. Nothing like the atmosphere of Alaska...eight stars of gold on a field of blue!


----------



## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

Great pictures and a great hat! Quite a beautiful place. I have spent many days chasing 'bows in the Bristol bay/Iliamna region and they are stronger than any other rainbow (and especially browns) that swim. I though that Trout season didn't open until the middle of June? Is that a region specific rule?


----------



## DocEsox (May 12, 2008)

Yes it is region specific....even varies within the same region. On the Kenai Peninsula all river fishing is halted in flowing waters until June 11 (this year) but up the Mat-Su valley there is no date restrictions. BUT we are pretty adamant about not heading up the smaller streams and bothering the spawning rainbows during this time of the year.

Brian


----------

