What We Fish
We are fortunate to have some of the best Salmon Fisheries in the state right out our door. These rivers are managed as a sport fishery, as opposed to a commercial fishery, be alert to the difference, a commercial fishery is much more likely to be closed to the taking and even to all fishing than a sport fishery. All it takes is for the commercial gill-netters to have a large catch early and your trip for could be cancelled or you may have to fish for alternative species. Not the case in our rivers. Our rivers are managed as a sport fishery and the result is allowing sport fishing to continue virtually uninterrupted all season.

King / Chinook Salmon Late May through Early July
King's as Alaskans refer to them are the largest of the Pacific Salmon. Our average fish is over 25 pounds with numerous individuals breaking the 50-pound mark and weights over 80 pounds can be attained. We pursue these silver tackle busting monsters in the clear water tributaries to the Susitna River system and in the streams flowing into the West side of Cook Inlet. The peak time to come for numbers of bright fish is in mid to late June. For truly large fish last week in May into the first week of June, but the numbers are lower. Best time to fish is either early morning before the sun gets too high on bright days or late evening after the sunset.

Tackle varies depending on the time of year and the water conditions from Large plugs like the Kwikfish K-15 and 16, Mag warts, Hotshots and the like to Spin and Glows or Corkies drifted with an egg cluster or a yarn ball. Blue Fox Vibrax spinners, Pixie Spoons, Daredevils, Mepps Giant killers all produce well. Just remember to keep your lure near the bottom and your retrieve slow. Flies are very effective on kings My favorites are King Killers, Flash Flies, Popsicles, and my all time favorite the Everglow. There are many others that work fine just remember with Kings that chartreuse and green tend to be better producers.

Rods used vary depending on the conditions and the fishermen. Bait-casting rods are normally stiff graphite and we use a couple of different lengths out to eight feet. Reels are Abu Garcia Ambassador 6500. Our large spinning outfits are equipped with Quantum Blue Runner saltwater reels. 20-40 pound test line is a must when battling these giants in heavy current.

Fly rods of 10wt minimum are suggested. We have rods up to 12wt available for use. Almost all King fishing is done DEEP. The fish will usually be in the bottom 6 inches of the water column. Sink tips, shooting heads, even heavy mono like Amnesia or full sinking line is a must to get down to where the fish are. Tippet is normally straight taper and 15-20 pound test. During low water conditions we adjust the tippet and the size of the fly to increase the number of strikes.

Pink / Humpy Salmon late June-July
Visiting anglers often overlooks pinks. While it is true the smallest of the Pacific salmon is no match in fight for its larger cousins. When taken on light tackle Pinks are a lively easy to catch fish that offers boat loads of fun. Our pink run starts in late June and continues well into July. Any tackle suitable for larger trout will suffice.

Pinks look very trout like when fresh from the seas. Bright sliver slender torpedoes that with the metamorphosis brought on by fresh water and spawning take on an incredible change. The males grow a huge hump or dorsal sail than arches upward from right behind their head and a hooked jaw like something out of a horror movie.

Chum / Dog Salmon late June - mid August
Chums are called Dog salmon for 2 reasons, 1 they grow huge canine like teeth when spawning, and in some rivers the return of fish is so great they were relied upon heavily as dog food for sled dog teams in the early days. Chums are a highly underrated sport fish. When caught near the salt water while still bright silver they are hands down the strongest fish in the river pound for pound. I have caught many over the years on a fly rod that have made spectacular head shaking runs, sometimes 2 or 3 times deep into the backing on a 7wt before finally giving up. They also strike readily when fresh out of the salt. However the Chum rapidly develops the unusual green and maroon calico spawning colors and loses their aggressive striking habit after only a short time in the fresh water. They will still strike and when they do hang on! It may take multiple retrieves at the same speed, same depth, with the same action on the lure to encourage the aggression response needed for a spawning chum to take the lure but when they do it is well worth the effort!

Chums can grow quite large, nearing 20 pounds on occasion. For the most part medium weight rods with 10-15 pound test line perform well. Lures like #2-4 Mepps, Blue Fox Vibrax, Pixie Spoons, Cast masters, all work well. Fly rods 7-8wt are preferred. Flies that are more sparsely dressed seem to work better most times for Chums, but if it is not working grab the gaudiest creation in your box and give it a drift sometimes for the fickle spawning chum that is all it takes.

Sockeye / Red Salmon July - August
Sockeye or Red Salmon, as we call them here, are a very firm muscular fish with green backs and silver sides. Sockeyes are considered some of the best eating with their dark red meat and flavor. Sockeyes are plankton eaters and are usually fished with a fly. Often rigged to a spinning rod. These fish are not ready strikers until schooled up in large pods on the spawning beds. By then they have turned color and are quite aggressive about chasing predatory fish and anything else that resembles them off of the redd (nest). By then they are not prime eating fish having already molted into their spawning colors, vivid red body with a green head, and used up a large percentage of the of stored that gives them the distinctive flavor and the energy to put up robust fights.

Techniques for fishing sockeye's include “lining” casting across the current with a fly rigged to sink rapidly and then setting the hook as the line passes through the fishes mouth as it swims upstream.

Medium weight spinning outfits with 8-12 pound test are suggested. These fish average around 5-7 pounds. Fly fishermen are served well with a 6-8wt rod as always in Alaska a sink tip or sinking line is a must. Small sparsely dressed flies, the standard the Coho bucktail fly. I often just use a strip of yarn bright enough so I can readily see it on the retrieve. Spilt shot or twist on sinkers assorted weights to get down to the proper depth.

Coho / Silver Salmon late July – September
Silvers! Now here is sport fish! Big, strong, aggressive, out of the water on almost every hook-up, enough to wear out even the most ardent fisherman. These fish are hard on tackle with their toothy jaws, explosive strikes, and tail walking, cart-wheeling fights.

Silvers are my favorite salmon; best eating, most aggressive, flashiest fights, action is non-stop. 100 fish days have been had and that is on a fly rod, I did it last fall! Silvers will hit almost anything you throw at them, but are especially fond of eggs and bright flashy lures.

Tackle needs to be in excellent condition as it is going to get a workout! Rods rigged with 10-15 pound and the best quality swivels are a must. Reels need a smooth drag easy to adjust.

Fly fishermen are often surprised at the aggressive strike of a silver. They will race all the way across the hole to lunge a t a top water popper jerking across the surface. What a great time Silver season is! 7-9wts are a good choice and again sinking lines or a sink tip arrangement is the best choice. Bring your floating line and some poppers as there is nothing better than watching a silver gulp down a top water fly!

Rainbow Trout all year best times May and late September/October
Alaska 's brilliant rainbows need no introduction. Our numbers of wild fish are tremendous. The size and weight of these fish is truly something to behold at the end of the summer. Our rainbows feast on Salmon; the eggs, and flesh after the spawning runs all summer. This is what allows these fish to attain the size and abundance that they reach here. 30-inch fish are not uncommon and there are a lot of fish in the high 20-inch class here.

We try to encourage catch and release for rainbows. If you want to keep a trophy fish to mount we will preserve it for you in areas where legal.

Tackle should be matched to the water being fished. We have some large rivers that may require a medium spinning rod and 6-10 pound test line to smaller creeks that are best fished with ultra-light tackle. Spinners from a #0 to a #5, 1/8 – ½ ounce sized spoons, assorted jigs, beads; it is all useful in your trout box.

Larger stream may require an 8wt fly rod to smaller creeks that are best fished with a 3-4wt fly rod. Sinking lines and sink tips are used through most of the season, matching the hatch here means salmon imitators. Floating lines and dry flies are effective for taking Bows, but are limited during the salmon season when almost all the forage is sub-surface.

Stalking Rainbows along a small salmon stream is one of the greatest pleasures. Bear tracks, salmon spawning, far enough from civilization with the airplane that there is not even another human track… This is my kind of trout fishing!

Arctic Grayling all year best in May- early June and August-September
Aggressive feeders due in part to their very small mouths. These fish dwell in the clearest gravel bottom streams and lakes. Known for their large iridescent dorsal fins and scrappy fights. Grayling strike readily on dry flies, small nymphs, and spinners.

Our best Grayling fishing is a fly out trip, involving a hike up to a remote lake in the Alaska Range. This place is almost never fished and the result is incredible numbers of very hungry fish that will strike almost anything in the water.

Ultra-light tackle or a 3-5wt fly rod is the suggested gear for Grayling. Grayling grow very slowly and a large is 18 inches.

Arctic Char / Dolly Varden all year but best in the spring and fall
Deep twisting head shaking runs mark the fight of a big char. Char are dark green to silver with orange spots ranging from Day-glow to pail almost pink. Char are wonderful game fish. Most often a sub-surface feeder I have taken char on dry fly. Sizes are similar to our Rainbows with larger fish in 26-30 inch class.

Medium weight spinning tackle, or a fly rod in the 4-8wt class depending on the water fished will work well. Lure selection will be the same as for rainbows with the egg patterns and beads fished as a single egg being the most effective during the spawning season, flesh flies and leeches better after the peak of the salmon spawning season.

Nothern Pike all year
Our Northerns can grow quite large; some of the lake fish have exceeded 48 inches. Most often we will catch pike in the quiet warm water sloughs off the main channel of the river. These are usually smaller fish in the 24-36 inch range. The excitement of watching a big northern race out of the weeds to engulf a deer hair mouse or top water buzz-bait is heart stopping. I have my best luck with top-water flies and weed-less spoons in the sloughs.

Stout medium weight spinning rods and 6-10wt fly rods are best. Steel leaders a must with sharp hooks. Line of 10 pounds or more is suggested.