Dear Valued Custom Alaskan Cruises Guest,

Thank you for choosing Alaska Fly Fishing Goods to help out with your fly fishing needs for your upcoming SE Alaskan Vacation. I have set up this recommended fly list in the form of a shopping cart.  With this format you will be able to see the recommended flies and products.  You will also be able to add/remove items and change quantities as desired.  This recommended list is intended for 3-4 days of fishing. 1 recommend that anglers plan on using 3-4 flies per day.  Inexperienced anglers may want to consider 5-6 flies per day.

Mid August through mid September stirs the vision of silver in the minds of Southeast anglers.  Silvers or Cohos start trickling into the streams in mid August, hiding among the last schools of pink salmon.  They'll follow the tides in and blast into the first good holes and holding water found just above the tides upper reaches.  Hooking into silvers on the front end of the season is usually a matter of getting the fly in front of one before a pink or dolly varden get to the fly first.  As the season nears September, more and more silvers stack up in the lower runs and pools, making them easier to access. This is an exciting time.  Try patterns like the Clouser Minnow or Starlite Leech in UV colors.  If there are still hoards of pink salmon in the streams and a hot pink fly can't hit the water without a pink devouring it, try colors combos like chartreuse/white, black/white or Tutti Frutti.

Trout and Dolly Varden can still be found sitting behind the last of the spawning pinks.  Some streams will still have a lot of spawning activity happening, while other streams will have only a few salmon left.  If there is still salmon actively spawning, the trout and Dolly Varden will still be gorging themselves on salmon eggs that are being swept out from the salmon beds. In places where the spawning cycle has ended, these fish will be more opportunistic in their feeding habits.  Fishing flesh flies and small streamers in and around deep pools, snags and cut banks will surely produce.

Traditional egg patterns can be very effective this time of year, but even more so are Trout Beads.  The round 8-10 mm beads better mimic the size and color of the loose salmon eggs and trout/dollies cannot resist them.  Beads are typically fished fixed 1.5-2" above a bare barbless hook and fished with a nymphing or dead drifting technique.  WIth the beads rigged this way, the mortality rate on released fish is greatly reduced because 95% of the fish are hooked in the corner of their jaw.  traditional egg patterns have a C&R mortality rate upwards of 30%. Try the smaller 8mm beads when fishing behind pink salmon and the larger 10mm beads behind chum salmon. Check out Beads: The Bare Naked Truth at www.alaskaflyfishinggoods.com to learn more.

Typical gear for this trip:

Dolly Varden and Trout

9' fast action 5-6 wt with a floating line  
10'6"-11'6" 4-5 wt Switch Rod with a floating Swich Line 
9' 8-10 lb Salmon/Steelhead Leader 

Silver Salmon 

9' fast action 8-9 wt with a floating line or short fast sink tip. 
11' 7-8wt Switch Rod with a Skagit Switch Head or Rio Switch Chucker, Med Mow Tips 
7.5-9' Salmon/Steelhead Leader for floating lines and 3-6' Salmon/Steelhead Lead for sink tips. 12-16 lb. breaking strength is best.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email me.  

Thank you for your time,

Mike Cole
Web Manager
Alaska Fly Fishing Goods
(907) 586-1550
mike@alaskaflyfishinggoods.com
ID Image Product name Unit price Quantity Total Actions
Black & White Dolly LlamaDolly LLama - Black & White - #2$4.99
$9.98
Dolly LLama - Pink & Purple - #6$4.99
$9.98
Polar Egg Hareball Leech Purple1/0$3.99
$3.99
Polar Egg Hareball Leech - Fuchsia/ Hot Pink 1/0$3.99
$3.99
Clouser Minnow - Chartreuse & White #2$3.99
$7.98
Clouser Minnow - Pink & Purple #2$3.99
$7.98
Airflo 5' Salmon/Steelhead Polyleader - Extra Fast Sink (7 in/sec)$10.00
$10.00
Rio 9ft Salmon Steelhead Knotless Leader - 10lb$6.99
$6.99
Rio 9ft Salmon Steelhead Knotless Leader - 16lb$6.99
$6.99
Rio Salmon Steelhead Tippet - 10lb$6.99
$6.99
Rio Salmon Steelhead Tippet - 16lb$6.99
$6.99
Alaskan Omelet #6$2.99
$5.98
Southeast Alaska Bead Starter Kit$34.95
$34.95

Total:

Quantity: 18

Price: 122.79