The Alaskan landscape was astonishing from the time I could see Anchorage inside the plane until I was unfortunately departing. In my short week I was able to explore some fly fishing around the Talkeentna/Mount McKinley area as well as a few days inside the Kenai River System. From fly fishing across the Russian River brown bears to countless chum & pink salmon hookups on the mouth of Montana Creek, I now see how one could easily drop everything and move to Alaska for the endless fly fishing opportunities and vast unexplored water systems. All trout in different geographical locations and individual streams for that matter have different tendencies, feeding habits, etc… and trying to understand how fish behave in their own waters systems often provides the key to success followed by pure excitement and times of disappointment. My experience in Alaska was nothing different and it was truly a learning experience. In talking to the few locals I stayed with and others that I met along the way it seemed to be common knowledge that many of the rainbow trout in Alaska travel many miles to feed on different types of food sources during different parts of the year which is mostly due to the world famous salmon runs. We spent many hours fishing over water that we expected to hold good numbers of trout only to go fishless but we kept moving and did finally locate fish. Because of the available food sources in most of the waters we ended up mostly throwing big articulated streamers for the majority of the trip instead of your typical dries & nymphs in a size 12-18. I am a streamer junkie so I wouldn’t have wished it any other way. These were definitely the most aggressive rainbow trout that I have ever fished for, catching a 10’” rainbow on 5”-6” inch fly gives you some indication of how these fish survive, behave, and quickly grow to double digit size fish. All fellow fly fishers should get to experience a trip to Alaska as both the beauty and fishing are unforgettable. There are numerous expensive outfits & lodges up there but a successful trip could definitely be done affordably with the abundance of camping opportunities along the existing road system. There aren’t many roads in Alaska but the roads that do exist could provide enough fly fishing opportunities for a life time of fly fishing.
Gogeous raibow trout! The colorings are so cool … especially that bright red/pink stripe and gillplate and it looks very healthy .. i’d imagine that same fish is pretty thick after a big summer of feeding on salmon flesh, salmon eggs. mice or anything else that comes down or across the river. alaska is such a magical place in so many ways … glad you had a great trip and those montana creek rainbows are something i would love to try my luck at someday. great trip and great fish tale ..
Beautiful fish… I really hope to make it to Alaska at some point.
Nice Bow and Chum that fella with the beard looks like he might know a few secret pools. Sounds like a good trip, Ill be up there in about a week, hopefully I’ll find a few like yours. Good Post.
Actually that fella with the beard is my younger bro whom has been much more consumed with hunting grizzlies over his past year’s stay in Alaska but I got him out fly-fishing and he did have a couple small tricks up his sleeve.
Good stuff man! I would love to make the trek to AK at some point.
Good luck on your trip up!
The rainbow trout fishing should be picking up based on what I saw when I was there, and by now the silver run should almost be near full affect along with good numbers of chums/pinks/sockeye’s. From what I saw & heard the salmon runs in their entirity were a week or 2 behind the norm.
Nothing is so righteous as the dude’s beard at right….
Great work shubacka! i would love to make it to alaska someday to fish for those big leopord rainbows….keep up the good work man!