Custom Alaska Cruises Recommended Flies-Mid July thru Mid August

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. I recommend that anglers plan on using 3-4 flies per day.  Inexperienced anglers may want to consider 5-6 flies per day.

Mid July thru mid August is a phenomenal time to fish the streams and rivers of Southeast Alaska.  Most streams are full of spawning pink and chum salmon.  Trout and Dolly Varden are stacked up behind the salmon spawning beds, looking for an easy meal. Bears and eagles are flocking to the streams to fatten up for the long Alaskan winters. It is Alaska at it best.

Most of the salmon fishing to be had is chasing pinks in the stream estuaries.  Most streams will have good numbers of these fish stacked up and waiting to follow the next incoming tide.  These fish are typically enticed by bright pink streamers fished off of a floating line.  Fishing the Humpy Hooker or Starlite Leech using a medium length stripping technique will often do the trick. For more of a challenge, try fishing them on the surface with a pink AK Gurgler.

Chum Salmon will still be available in most streams.  By this time of year, the majority of the fish will be their spawning colors.  As the month of July rolls towards August, most of these salmon will be actively spawning.  Try swinging big pink streamers like the S&B Super String Leech in front of non spawning fish, and hold on!!!

Trout and Dolly Varden are usually found mixed in with all off the spawning salmon or just below the big spawning redds.  They are gorging themselves on salmon eggs that are being swept out from the salmon beds. Traditional egg patterns can be very effective this time of year, but even more so are Trout Beads.  The round 8-10mm 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 barbs 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 rods with a weight forward floating line  
10'6"-11'6" 4-5 wt Switch Rod with a floating Switch Line 
9' 8-10 lb.  Rio Salmon/Steelhead leader

Pink Salmon 

9' fast action 6-8 wt with a floating line 9'
10'6"-11'6" 5-6 wt Switch Rod with a Switch Line or Scandi Short
10 lb. Rio Salmon/Steelhead leader

Chum Salmon

9' fast action 7-9 wt 
Floating Line with a 9' leader or  5' fast sink Polyleader with 5' of 12-15# tippet
11-11'6" 7-8 wt Switch Rod with Skagit Switch or Airflo Scout shooting head with a the All Float -5/5' Medium Mow Tips.

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