Juneau Report 08-11-10

Pinks: Roadside fishing for pinks remains fair to good. The run is starting to taper off out at Echo, but still offers a chance at brighter fish. There is a good number of fish that have entered and continue to enter Cowee Creek. Look into the deeper pools and slower runs to find fresher fish. There is a lot of spawning going on in the shallower runs and tail outs. Be careful when crossing these areas as to not walk into the spawning redds.

Good numbers of Pinks can also be found at the mouth of Fish Creek. Try a few hours before or an hour after the high tide. These pinks will be cruising around in schools and will readily take wet flies and the occasional dry fly. Most will be be in full spawning colors with large humps already showing, but there is still a few brighter fish to be had. Try Humpy Hookers, Pink Star Lite Leeches and Pink and Purple MOAL Leeches. For top water try Techno Wogs and Articulated Wogs in pink. For the best top water results, try a long slow strip creating a wake behind the fly.

Silvers: There has been a continuous buzz about the upcoming silver fishery and everyone wants to know: “when is it going start?” Well there has been rumors trickling in of the first fish coming to hand over the last week. And with the massive tides this week, we believe it. Please do not go out thinking that the silvers are in, but go out and fish. When the your first silver of the season comes to hand, smile, enjoy the moment and hope for another. If that other silver doesn't come, just remember that it is still early season. Try Clouser Minnows in Chartreuse & White, Pink & White and the Tutti Frutti. Other flies to try are the Jig Spanker Series, L.E. ESL's and Dolly Llamas.

Dollies: Dolly fishing is fair to excellent right now. Look for spawning salmon and fish the deeper runs and slots behind the redds. For those of you who like to bead, try 10mm beads in deeper pools and in higher water. Once the water drops, move down to 8mm and even 6mm beads. These smaller beads can fool even the finickiest of fish. Start with fresh colors like Tangerine and Natural Roe and try some of the deader colors like Fluor-Orange, Sun Orange and Apricots. If you have any questions of which bead to use, give us a shout. For those of you that prefer egg patterns, try #8 and #10 Glo Bugs and Gorman's #10 B.H. Eggs in lighter colors like Champagne and Washed Pink. These will often do the trick.

We hope to see you out there!

-Brad, Mike and Cory

Lots of good fishing to be had this week. A break in the weather has even made it pleasant to be out again.

Echo Cove shows no sign of slowing up. Pinks are plentiful and still up near the head of the bay. For more on this fishery check out our last few reports.

Montana Creek is full of chums all the way up to its headwaters. The Dollies are right behind them and a well chosen and presented bead is deadly. Have some variety in sizes as well as color. Last weekend 10mm beads ruled. With the water dropping, 8mms are more effective at the moment. If it rains in the next week that could flip back again. Mottled Tangerine or Orange Clear have been super hot.

Cowee Creek also has plenty of Dollies as well as a slug of pinks. You don't have to move far from the bridge to get into fish. For the pnks try a larger profile pink fly such as a Starlite Leech. A steady strip or slow swing is effective. The Dollies are feasting on beads of the variety we mentioned in the Montana Creek report.

Silvers are showing up in the troll fishery and should be near shore in a week or two. Point Louisa, Lena Point, and Auke Bay are all good early silver bets. More on that soon.

Get out there!  Brad

Now that the July deluge has subsided, there is quite a bit of good fishing to be had. River levels are running medium to medium-low and salmon are in the creeks.

Dolly fishing has been heating up as the chums are settling in and starting to spawn. Sheep Creek and Salmon Creek have quite a few Dollies right above the tide line and are good spots for a "quick fish."  Montana Creek has chums all the way up in the Canyon and the Dollies are behind them. Up by the rifle range the chum numbers are just starting to build but as you fish downstream the numbers really increase. A bit of rain and even more will push up.

Cowee is also fishing well for Dollies. Look for chums or long deep runs and be sure to  get your offering down. Beads in Mottled Natural Roe and Mottled Tangerine in 8mm and 10mm are working well. Also Peachy King Glo Bugs, Unreal Eggs in Peachy King, Gorman Eggs in Pink #10 and Battle Creek specials are all good bets.

Finally, lots of pinks in Echo Cove especially around the low end of the tide. Humpy Hookers and Searunner Specials are the hot flies.

See you on the water, Brad

Fishing has been heating up this week with a lot of food choices on the platter. Pinks, chums, kings, dollies and sockeye... you choose.

Tomorrow (6-30-10) is the last day for a shot at sockeye up at Windfall Creek. Last Saturday was a little on the tough side with the high water from the last rain storm. But there were plenty of trout to keep busy with. Try some of the traditional sockeye flies like Montana Brassies or Sockeye Lanterns.

Pinks have started to show up in Echo Cove. There is even a few rumors of them in Cowee Creek already. Try around the boat launch during a low tide. These fresh chrome pinks are a hot ticket on the fly. The Humpy Hooker and Sea Runner Specials are the best bet in the salt and estuaries. Starlite Leeches. Polar Cabelleros and Neon Shrimp in pink are the ticket in the streams.

Chums are stacked in at Amalga Harbor. These tight lipped slugs can provide quite a challenge on the fly... and then you hook one! Be sure to use a stout 8 wt. or 9 wt. rod and do not try to horse them in, or else! Try dead drifting small pink flies for them. Sockeye Lightnings, Karluck Shrimp and Humpy Hookers can produce. If a current seam provides some flow, then swinging larger pink leeches can be fun. Rocket Men and S&B's Super String can do the trick in this situation.

The king game continues to provide some hard fighting action. More and more reports of fish being caught on hot pink has been the buzz in the shop. Try Seekers, Guide Intruders and Rockstars on the swing or stripped.

Dollies continue to pour into the local streams as they prepare for the salmon to come. The egg drop is in the near future, but smolt are still the pattern of choice at the time. Try finding dollies in the deeper pools just above the tide line and up. There are still a hand full out and about in the channel. Try larger clouser style flies for these guys.

Tight lines. Brad and the crew