Kenai River Report 9/7/11

Reports coming from alaska troutfitters in Cooper Landing are of high water and an upper river that continues to rise.  There is a tremendous amount of sockeye spawning in the main river, so even with high water, there are trout and dollies to be had. Fishing from a boat is  the best way to go, as many of the foot accessible runs are hard, if not impossible, to get to. If you’re a bank angler, wear a PFD as high swift water makes for dangerous wading.

A variety of bead sizes have been working.  Start with 6mm beads on the main river.  With all the sockeye that are currently spawning,  fresher orange and red colors have been the ticket.  With the high, fast water,  8mm and 10mm in both fresh and dead colors can be good to try if the 6mm aren’t doing the trick.

Most of the Kenai tributaries are blown out with the exception of the Russian.  Fishing the Russian is tricky though, due to the large number of sockeye actively spawning. Getting clean drifts without snagging salmon can be tough.  Try fishing the faster runs and breaks on the side of the river where there are less concentrations of sockeye.  Once again, egg patterns are the key to success.

If you get out on the water this weekend, please have a fun and safe time.

Tight Lines,

The Alaska Fly Fishing Goods Crew

We all know the silvers are coming in. But, how do you find them when it rains day after day after day? The rivers are high, the saltwater is off color from all the rivers, and it takes some real will-power to go out in this weather. DON'T DESPAIR! There are fish to be caught if you choose your spots and your days.

Starting with the saltwater: The area around DIPAC, Salmon Creek, and Lemon Creek has been more prone to getting mudded-out. Some large tides have helped flush the channel in this area and it has had its moments of productivity. A better bet is to fish farther up the channel towards the airport, by Bayview and out to Fish Creek estuary. This area has had better water visibilty and some good numbers of silvers cruising by. Try the lower end of the tide. Especially the middle of the flooding tide. This next week has very moderate tide swings which are ideal; not too much water flowing but enough to pull fish in. Plus, DIPAC has a new strain of coho returning this year and on average they are BIGGER! Check out this nearly 14lb buck from last week.

In the Freshwater: Creeks with smaller drainages or less gradient are fishing better than the big-boys. Cowee Creek, which has a large watershed, takes about 48 hours of little or no rain to come into good fishing shape. It has been very challenging to fish the past couple of weeks. Montana Creek on the other hand has been much more fishable. All it takes is a day of fairly dry weather and the creek drops nicely.

So keep your eye on the forecast, look for some of those Mostly Cloudy days, and get out there.

See you on the water. Brad

S.E. Report 08-20-11

Can you say pinks, pinks and more pinks; add the words: rain, rain and more rain and that will sum up this weeks report.

High water and ten billion pinks has been the word on the street.  When the water hasn’t been into the trees, fishing for dollies has been good, but spotty. Dollies will continue to feed on eggs as the pink spawn continues for the next week or two (possible 3 or more this year!) Try beads and egg patterns in fresh and old colors.  Small flesh flies can produce too.

The question of the week is: “Where are the silvers???”  Well they are starting to show up.  It’s just a question of finding them among all the pinks, and then getting a fly to them that the pinks don’t eat first. Try throwing chartreuse colored flies in the deep pools close to the estuaries.

The other factor to the equation is all the rain and high water we’re experiencing.  This is making the creeks and rivers impossible to fish.  We’re expecting to hear good reports of silvers after water levels fall back to normal. Until then, maybe look in the channel or tidewater.

Good luck and good fishing (when possible!)

Brad and the gang.

Kenai Report 08-06-11

The trout fishing is heating up along the Kenai and its tributaries.  The abundance of reds that have shown up in the last few weeks has changed the dynamics in the middle and upper sections of the river. The water is still running fairly low and clear, but the flesh is starting to roll.  With all of the filleted red carcasses in the river, frenzies of flesh eating trout are being seen.   Try small flesh flies and micro flesh in the main river.  Beads are working fairly well, but the big bead bite has yet to turn on in the main river.  Expect this to happen soon.

Tributaries like the Russian are fishing really well.  The sockeye spawn has started in several of the tributaries and beads are knocking the socks off of fish.  Try fresher orange and red colors in 6mm to mimic the recently laid sockeye eggs.  Please note that in fly fishing only waters (such as the Russian), a bead must be attached to the hook in order to be a legal rig.  Pegged or free-sliding beads are not allowed.

Second run sockeye continue to stream up the main river.  Bright fish are becoming harder and harder to find, but there’s still some good sockeye fishing to be had. Expect the sockeye fishing to taper off this week.

Good Luck and Tight Lines,

Alaska Fly Fishing Goods