Alaska Bound - Alaska Fly Fishing
I have the good fortune to be headed off this coming Sunday to Alaska for a week-long fly fishing trip with two friends from Sarasota, Florida. This posting is a kind of prologue for those who might be interested in some of the Alaska fly fishing details, and I’ll certainly be posting a post- fly fishing trip report with (hopefully) juicy pics.
First of all, this is not one of those, 5 Star Deluxe, all-inclusive, fancy lodge, fully guided trips that you see on TV. Nope, we are going basic, by renting a US Forest Service cabin for US$35 per night, and we’ll take in all our food, liquid refreshment, TP and all other camp supplies and fend for ourselves.
Getting there is the expensive part. I fly Toronto-Vancouver-Seattle-Ketchikan, and will meet up with Tom and Neil in Seattle. Our eventual destination is the Karta River system in the Tongass National Forest on Prince of Wales Island. This is in the more southerly area of Alaska known as the, Panhandle. Our cabin is actually on Karta Lake, which is one of two lakes in the two miles of river we’ll be fishing. We fly in there by float plane, about a 45 minute hop, and then get picked up for the return trip 7 days later.
This is my first trip to Alaska, but Tom has been several times and Neil once. I saw some video they took last year, and the only thing that seemed more plentiful than the bears was the salmon ! Alaska boasts 5 different species of Pacific salmon. King (Chinook), Sockeye, Chum, Pink and Coho (Silver). This time of the year the Pinks and Coho will be running, headed into the river system to spawn. Coho are by far the sportier fish, so we’re hoping they’ll be there in good numbers. Average weight for Cohos in Alaska rivers is 10 lbs, so the long summer of 8 inch Brookies on the UC will seem a distant memory real fast !
I’m taking my new 8 wt ST. Croix Legend Ultra loaded with a Cortland 444 9 wt Ghost Tip IS line for the salmon, but I am also taking a 4 wt for what will hopefully be some good trout fishing in the small lakes. Reports are that we should see Rainbows, Dolly Varden and Cutthroat.
I spent a lot of time last winter tying flies for this trip, and have just recently begun to tie up a few more now that our Ontario trout fishing has slowed down. I think I now have about 150 flies done, and it would take too long to list them all. I did a lot of reading and web-surfing to get a handle on what works, but of course you never really know until you get there. Clearly the fly-du-jour, is the Egg Sucking Leech, mostly in purple. I’ve tied a lot of those, mostly in #2 and #4 sizes, but in several different versions with different materials, etc. Flash flies also are very popular, as are egg patterns, good old Woolly Buggers and Zonkers. I’ve made up a few , flesh flies, which imitate the rotting flesh from the spent carcasses that is in fact a major source of protein for the resident fish. Spawning salmon do not eat, but they definitely attack attractor flies that cross their path. Also in the box are Fuschia Bunny flies, (both with and without coneheads), Girdle Bugs, and Polar Shrimp.
It may be a bit late for major insect hatches, but I’ve tied up a few XXL dries to try on the lakes and slower/shallower pools and stretches. So far, in #6 and #8, I have Renegades, Royal, Ausable and Grey Wulffs, Lime Trudes, Stimulators and Tan Caddis. I’ve done some #12 Griffiths Gnats as well. Everything is bigger in Alaska !
Incidentally, Lee Wulff apparently started his fly fishing in Alaska.
In addition to the specific, Alaska fly fishing flies, I’ll also take a couple of boxes of my UC and Grand dries and nymphs. You never know what might be going on, and we won’t exactly be able to run down to the corner store for refills !
About the bears, Tom has the best line. According to him, you only have to be able to outrun one other guy!
Weather looks like lots of rain, with lows around 40-45 at night and daytime highs in the 60-65 range.
Here are a couple of links if anyone wants to look further:
Cabin:
Alaska Fishing Forum:
Flies:
Alaska Fly Fishing…. Part two from Ketchikan
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