I think we all know that the weather this July has been less than stellar. Continuous heavy rains in mid July pushed water levels up high but they are returning to normal now. And in their wake anglers are finding a lot of chums. Way more than last year which means the Dollies will have plenty of eggs to eat this summer. Pinks are around but only in select areas. Here are some high lights of the road side fishery.

Sheep Creek, below the Thane Road Bridge, has turned into a very nice Dolly and chum fishery. Large returns of chums have attracted lots of Dollies. Any tide but the high seems to fish well. Fish the creek itself or right down where the fresh water hits the salt. Unreal Egg Clusters , Unreal Eggs in Peachy King , and Gorman Beadhead Eggs are all producers. Beads, particularly 8mm in Tangerine, Mottled Dark Roe, and Apricot are deadly for the Dollies. Our Southeast/Kodiak Bead Selection is a surefire way to have everything you need to catch Dollies. If you are curious about fishing beads check out our latest article in the Newsletters area. It gives a great overview of bead fishing, how to choose beads, and how to fish them. 

If you want to catch chums at Sheep Creek move away from the mouth and slowly strip a Pink Humpy Hooke r or Fuschia Hareball Leech . If chum are holding in the current at the fresh/salt confluence you can swing flies at them. You can also fish for chums along the beach in the cove by the Thane Ore House.

Montana Creek is also very hot. The Chums are all the way up the creek, the Dollies are laying in behind them, and the water level has been slightly above medium which is perfect. Same flies as Sheep Creek.

Fish Creek is fair (which is normal). A few dollies below the bridge. Some late king salmon can be found, too. Either at the mouth of the pond or upriver in some of the deep rocky holes.

The Shrine of St. Therese is usually a very productive pink salmon spot. So far it has been slow. A few pinks can be found off the rocks but most of the fish rolling out front are chums. A Pink Humpy Hooker on a floating line is the ticket.

Echo Cove is super hot for pinks. They are all the way into the boat launch area. Larger numbers of fish can be found if you are willing to walk the beach out. Stay on the same side as the boat ramp and keep walking until you see fish rolling. Fishing around the low tide is usually most productive. Echo is a great spot to fish if the rivers are high and muddy. Once again, the Pink Humpy Hooke r or the Searunner Special is the fly of choice.

Finally, Cowee Creek. There are pinks all the way up to and past the bridge. The numbers aren't huge but with a bit of work you can find fish to catch. A Pink Starlite Leech or Purple Egg Sucking Leech are great flies in Cowee. The chums are in, too. When you find them you can almost guarantee some nice Dollies will be in behind them. Use egg patterns or beads like those I mentioned for Sheep Creek.

See you on the water. Brad

Sockeye are slow to show their faces in many rivers. Again, cooler water temperatures are probably holding the fish back. But in other river systems like the Wood River and Kvichak drainages, a steady flow of fish are returning.  In the Wood, the Agulawak is producing the best for sockeye. Most guys are hitting their limits before lunch. The Agulapak is starting to heat up as the fish continue the migration to their home waters. Small sockeye flies like the Sockeye Lantern are great in these systems. Other rivers like the Nushagak and Togiak are still waiting for the reds to show up.

Chums are showing in good numbers in the Nushagak River. Guys targeting kings often get a mix of these big brutes while swinging. The large chum run will make for good rainbow and Dolly fishing in a few weeks in the upper sections of the Nush drainage. Poor reports of chums on the Togiak help raise the question: are the fish waiting for warmer water? Time will tell.

Rainbow fishing remains good. The Agulawak and Agulapak are starting to see good hatches of caddis, making for some exciting dry and nymph action. Elk Hair Caddis in Black, Olive and Tan are working well, along with X-Caddis in tan and olive. Hotwire Prince Nymphs, Copper John's in various colors and F.B. Pheasant Tails in #12-16 are good nymph patterns for this time of year. They can either be fished with a nymph rig or as a dropper. Big Royal Wulffs and Stimulators are good dries for dropping nymphs.

Grayling fishing is getting better with more insect activity.  Their willingness to eat dries even when there isn't a hatch coming off makes them a great target for the dry fly enthusiast. Try some of the old standard dries like Parachute Adams or Crystal Wing Royal Wulffs , or you can try newer patterns that match some of the caddis hatches and B.W.O hatches that can come off this time of year.

July is the month when pink and chum salmon flood into our local creeks. Large schools of chums can already be found at the mouth of Peterson Creek in Amalga Harbor, Sheep Creek on Thane Road, and in front of DIPAC. Chums circling in saltwater are famous for being tight-lipped zombies but a Fuschia Hareball Leech , Pink Leadeye Egg Sucking Leech , or a Green Death on a slow retrieve can sometimes entice a grab. If you can find chums holding in current they are much more likely to take a fly.

Pinks are also showing themselves off the beaches. Pinks are well known to be receptive to taking a fly and a Pink Humpy Hooker or a Searunner Special are top producers. Echo Cove (from the boat launch all the way out to the sand spit) and the Shrine of St. Terese get some of the earliest pinks and they are very fun on a fly rod when they are still ocean- bright. Last season there was very good pink fishing in front of Sheep Creek by late July. Hopefully it will happen again. Use a floating line, nine foot 10 pound salmon leader, and keep a steady strip retrieve going. Pinks often turn away if the fly stops or is traveling too slowly.

Cowee Creek has a large pink run and there are already fish in the creek. Try fishing downsteam with a Pink Starlite Leech or a Purple Leadeye Egg Sucking Leech on a slow swing with a steady retrieve at the end of the drift. Work the slowest deepest water you can find where migrating fish like to hang out. This is a great time to learn the good holding water on Cowee Creek so you are ready when the silvers come in in September!

The Dolly Varden are in the midst of their annual relocation from saltwater to freshwater. The Dollies usually show up in the creeks before the chums and now is the time to look for them. Cowee Creek, Montana Creek, Sheep Creek, and Fish Creek are all good bets. These streams all host big chum runs and significant numbers of Dolly Varden. Try Pink Clouser Minnows, Battle Creek Specials , or Pink Humpy Hookers for the Dollies before the salmon are in. The Dollies will switch over to eating eggs as the chum settle in and begin to spawn. This usually starts around the third week of July.

Small stream Dolly Varden fishing is some of the most exciting and rewarding fishing we have in Southeast Alaska. Making short but tricky casts to likely looking water, hooking aggressive but often wary fish, and walking some of the prettiest and least-fished water to be found anywhere is a real treat. Don't miss out on it this year.

A 4 weight is a great small stream Dolly rod. When only a short cast is needed, the sensitivity and sportiness of a 4 is unmatched. We have a full line of light rods from Sage and Winston in all the price ranges. Stop by the shop or check them out on line.