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.

SE Report 7/28/11

The streams and rivers around Northern S.E. are stuffed with pinks and chums.  The inclement weather as of late has encouraged the fish to push up into all of the watersheds.  The spawn should come into full swing this week.  Look for a lot of eggs to be free drifting in the runs. 

The Pink run is not expected to peak in the salt until the second week of August.  This means that there are still a lot more pinks on the way.  Echo Cove continues to produce abundant amount of pink to fly anglers.  Try small, pink surface and sub-surface flies with a weight forward floating line with a 9 foot, ten-pound leader.  Waking surface flies such as the Kiss of Death can be a lot of fun when the water is calm.  Humpy Hookers are still the sub-surface fly of choice.

Other places to look for pinks off of the Juneau road system are: The mouth of Montana Creek, Cowee Creek, the mouth of Fish Creek or the Shrine of St. Theresa.  There are loads of pinks, chums and dollies in most streams and river out and away from Juneau.   A short skiff ride or plane flight can take you out to some incredible fishing with out the crowds.

Dolly fishing continues to be very successful as the fish prepare for the feast ahead.  The streams are flowing at normal to high rates, which is helping the dollies spread out into the runs.  Look to fish egg patterns and beads in 8mm and 10mm sizes.  Good egg imitation colors can be peach king, oranges, pinks and reds. Bead colors to try are mottled tangerine, mottled orange clear, mottled natural roe, fluor orange, sun orange and peach pearl.  There are a lot of other good colors, too many to name. Please check with us and we’ll be glad to help pick out good colors and sizes.

Sockeye are said to be showing up down at Sweetheart Creek. Try hitting this run early before it becomes over crowded with pinks.

When fishing this time of year, please remember to use proper bear etiquette, as bears are more numerous around the streams this time of year.

See you on the water,

Brad, Mike, Cory and Chaz

S.E. Report 07/20/11

The roadside fishing in Juneau, and most of S.E. Alaska,  is on fire, so to speak.  Pinks and Chums have entered most freshwater systems.  Dolly Varden and Cutthroat trout are following the into the beds to eat the dislodged eggs, free drifting from the salmon redds.  If there were a time to wet a line, it is now! 

Pinks are still in Echo Cove by the thousands.  Most of these fish are still bright, and they put up quite a fight.  Look to take them with a 6-8 wt. rod with a floating line and a 9’ leader.  Humpy Hookers and Searunner Specials are the patterns of choice.  Want a challenge?  Try taking them with a top water popper. Waking a pink foam or deer hair wog can be quite a blast.  Just seeing the hooked snout open wide behind the fly can leave a grown man in a giggling fit that may last for hours.  Try the Kiss of Death, Techno Wog or Popper Wog.

Chums are quickly metamorphosing from their beautiful ocean bright stage into their gnarly, dog toothed, alligator-like spawning phase. These big guys are tough opponents and great photo fish, but probably not the best table fair.  Try pink Starlite Leeches and Egg Sucking Leeches.  C.H. Popsicles and Kandy Kanes can be the golden fly too.

With the latest rains, the Chum spawn has started. Dollies and Cutties are busy gaining winter weight eating eggs like there’s no tomorrow.  Try egg patterns such as #8 Glo Bugs and Unreal Egg Clusters.  Beads are also an effective means of tricking trout and dollies onto the end of the line.  Because of how beads are set up to fish, the mortality rate on fish that are caught and released is much lower than that of traditional egg patterns.  Want to know more, check out Beads: The Bare Naked Truth. 

Have pictures that you’d like to share, or for a chance to win the “Fly Give-Away of the Week,” join us on .

Good Luck on the water!

Brad and the gang