Alaska: Why Fish The Last Frontier

So why go to the place known as the last frontier and land of the midnight sun? Why take the time of planning for a trip that could be really spendy and is so far away? In short I believe Alaska is one of those rare places that not only meets the expectations of visitors and fly fisherman – it exceeds them. Even though so many media outlets, fishing guides and visitors pump up the reputation of the state’s outdoor splendor rarely does anyone say, “Alaska is not what they made it out to be.” In terms of fly fishing it’s hard to imagine a more diverse coldwater fly fishing location. There are excellent opportunities for a plethora of species, some better known than others but all excellent game fish. You can choose to fish in fresh or salt water, small ponds to mammoth lakes, 10 foot wide creeks to 200 yard wide rivers. Besides the diversity the quality of fishing is just unbelievable especially when comparing to other locations with similar species. For example even in famed places like Montana a 20 inch rainbow is a big deal. In Alaska it’s more like 30 inches on the big water and even some 20 foot creeks have hundreds of fish per mile over 20 inches. In terms of salmon fishing and considering the unfortunate demise of the PNW stock – Alaska is really the last place in the USA to experience wild pacific salmon at their full strength. Species like grayling which have been decimated in the lower 48 still hold their own in the 49 state. Almost, if not equally important as the fishing, are the flora and fauna that go with it. Ask many first time visitors to the state about their Alaska fishing trip and don’t be surprised if they talk about the bears they saw, eagles they fished with or glaciers they saw before they get to their trophy catch. As many fishermen know, there is much more than the actual fishing that contributes to a great fly fishing trip. Alaska’s unspoiled scenery and abundant awe inspiring wildlife can make your trip much more than just a “fishing trip.”