Alaska Days 4-7

Alaska Days 4-7

Well, the daily grind of getting up at 2:30 AM has mostly continued. These however are the dues to pay when it comes to fishing here. These are the final days that we are staying with some friends so hopefully I should have more actual fly fishing to report on starting on day 6.

Day 4: Homer Halibut

I hope that you have been working out, because lifting weights from 150-300 feet down in strong current quickly becomes hard work. We left the launch at about 4:15 in the morning and started the haul out to the halibut grounds. The weather started off pretty nice but by the time we were out in the fishing area, it was solid 6’ seas. Slightly terrifying when you’re in a 22’ boat and the nearest land is easily 5 miles away. However, with how good the fishing was, we quickly forgot about the seas and were hooking halibut on almost every cast that was sent off into the depths of the Cook Inlet. There aren’t too many pictures as I was terrified of losing my phone overboard.

Day 5: Kenai Reds 2.0

Refer back to day 2 for a recap of how these things are fished. On this day we caught a few more but the fishing was still pretty slow. Also got to experience combat fishing after getting high and low holed by an older couple. Oh well, had to get the Alaska experience at some point. Warning! Sockeye start to get gnarly teeth when they begin to change color. Got back to the house and realized that I got scratched in several places on my hand.

And finally here is a lifesaving product that is well worth the $9.

http://buffusa.com/buff-products/stripping-guards/pro-series-stripping-guards/tarpon

Here is the preliminary review. After slicing my finger with fly line last time fishing reds because I forgot these things, I certainly wasn’t going to forget it again. They made it so there was absolutely no line burn, slicing, or hot spotting. Better yet, there is zero wear to show for it so far. I will review these fully when I have put a bunch more use to them.

Day 6: (SECRET) Creek Dollies

For day 5 we left our friends in Ninilchik and tried to go to the mecca of all tourist dolly varden fishing. Seeing as this is one of the most talked about spots in all of Alaska, it was just as busy. After arriving at the Quartz Creek campground, we quickly realized that there was no way that we were going to get to stay there as the campground was absolutely packed. Slightly disappointed, we hit the road again and came across an out of the way campground that had vacancy. Here was our view upon arrival. 

The disappointment quickly faded as this was taken a mere 50 feet from the camp spot. This meant that it was now time to hit the river.

First lesson. Dolly Varden are not leader shy. I had one snap my 8lb tippet like it was nothing so I switched up to 12lb and did not break another one off. Second lesson. Alaskan fly shops are there to sell you crap. They don't expect return business and therefore attempt to sell you all kinds of stuff that is probably not needed. This was realized when I met some kind Alaskans that traded me some of the beads they painted themselves, shared their methods, and let me fish with them for the rest of the evening. They made it very clear that they were not fans of the fly shop I visited and without them, I would have had a very difficult time catching the dollies. Although you can see them in the slower crystal clear water, it was much more effective to dead drift a bead in quicker slots. Here is a couple shots taken. 

 This was probably some of the most fun I have had fishing. It was great company, great fishing and beautiful scenery. A note on the wildlife though. Upstream of our campsite I ran into some grizzly cub prints that were literally filling with water as I watched. You cannot see but I have a bear spray canister that takes a half second to pull out of my holster. The people that I was fishing with  have had to pull out bear spray at this very location. Fortunately the bear was only bluff charging but I would not want to take that chance empty handed. So simple warning when fishing some of these small streams in Alaska, be loud, be aware, and have a backup plan like bear spray or a firearm. Even in Montana, I carry my bear spray most of the time.

 Day 7: Delta Clearwater River
When in Alaska, one must chase grayling. These fish now rank among my favorite fish of all time. On our way up to the Delta Clearwater, we stopped at a rest stop that had a clear stream running by it. After attempting to catch the whitefish I saw a large fish with a sail. Grayling. Throwing on the first dry fly I could find in my bag, I threw a short cast out and got an instant rise out of one of the grayling. My first grayling. These fish really are always looking up. On top of sight casting to these

fish, which is a total blast, I shot one cast and threw mends at it around the corner until I couldn't see the fly. Instantly as it started to drag, another grayling hit the fly. The downside to catching fish here is all the people that have no idea the difference between a trout, a grayling and a salmon but will not hesitate to tell you that you can't be salmon fishing. However this was an excellent and perfectly legal place to catch grayling. 

 After this stop we arrived at the Delta Clearwater. This is one of the only spring fed rivers in Alaska and the water runs freezing cold and clear all year long. After wading along the bank for awhile unsuccessfully casting to more whitefish while attempting to locate some grayling, a guy in a jet boat asked if I wanted to fish with him. I said sure and we started our way upriver. Once we got to our spot, it was fish after fish and three times as many missed strikes. These fish were taking anything that was dry and drag free. On another interesting note, I observed them attempting to chase down white buggers very aggressively. This was an excellent learning experience and I was once again beyond lucky to get to fish with guys (and gal) that were very experienced and knowledgeable about the species that I was targeting. Here is a release shot on one of these beautiful fish.

 The Delta Clearwater was the last place that I fished in Alaska and unfortunately Canada did not work out for fishing as expected. This was an awesome trip and I am very grateful for all the opportunities that presented themselves along the way. I wish I had gotten the last names of the people that helped, but I would like to thank, Dave, Delta-Clearwater Dave, and Kara for all the help. If anyone has questions about what fishing in alaska is like, feel free to shoot me an email or drop a comment!

Tight lines,
Connor E