Preparing for the Kenai

[Monello]

If you are looking for graying, hike up to Grayling lake down by Seward. It's about a 1.5 mile hike on a good graded trail. I've caught them from the shore there before. Good luck.

Making a long story longer

[Druunkonego]

Thanks for the info guys!
So yesterday we found some silvers in a small creek south on the peninsula and my dad and cousin both landed one. I unfortunately lost two, one of which was a monster. However, I partially redeemed myself today on the Kenai in Soldotna with this fat Bow hen.

[Ard]

Nice but please handle our fish carefully, they are not as plentiful as they once were. Keep those rainbows in the river buddy

[Druunkonego]

You’re right and I agree. It’s important to treat ‘em right. Regretfully I landed this one. I was not fishing for, nor expecting a rainbow to hit the leach patten I was fishing. I was by myself, without a net and with the river being high I didn’t have many options for what to do with it.
(Side story, for context) I had a bad experience earlier this year unhooking a stockie (back home) where it rolled with the hook in my hand and tore out a considerable chunk of mouth meat. The fish, which was quite lively prior, immediately stiffened up and was obviously shocked by the experience and, unfortunately, didn’t recover.
I will say that this fish, on the other hand, was returned promptly and swam off strong without needing any resuscitation.

So with that unfortunate business out of the way...

I love Alaska! I had an amazing time.
I fished the beautiful Kenai river.


I hiked up to a glacier.



I caught my first Salmon and Dolly Varden.



I saw a bull moose, northern lights (including red ones!!!) and I saw live music and camped out in Hope... Hope is a magical place and I must return there someday.

Sadly, my trip is now over and I currently sit at the airport waiting to return home. But I miss my wife, my son and my bed and all good things must come to an end. Until next time, Alaska.

[Ard]

I knew that what I said was like rain on a parade but I did it.... I see now that you had circumstances that led to the picture and I want you to know that I am not without my own bad memories. When I first moved here I thought this was an endless supply of big trout and I took my share of beached fish for sure. Once I started looking at the images I realized they didn't carry much of a positive message when it came to handling the fish and I changed things up.

It's too bad that things were so dry while you were here, under normal conditions I would have been full of suggestions for you regarding other destinations but my own travels told me that most small rivers and streams were very low water. My boat has been parked since August 9th due to the water being so low here in the valley. I'm happy to hear that you had a good time and got around to see some things, nothing beats a good light show huh

[Druunkonego]

Ard, it’s clear you are passionate about fish/fly fishing and are a true ambassador for the sport. I take no issue in what you said and I share in your desire to ensure the future of it.

By all accounts it seems like it is a different sort of silver season up there. The blue water was high and the clear water was low.
I was thrilled to manage to land one and excited to hook up with several. I really wanted pull one out of the the big blue water but that ride only lasted a few seconds before the line went limp. I did manage a peek at its tail and it would have been a good fish. But putting hours in waste deep glacier water can really take it out of you.
I do regret not making up north for grayling but there’s always next time.

The light show was on the way north to soldotna after a day of steelheading (no luck with them). They weren’t spectacular, shimmering curtains of light but more like individual pillars of green, while off to the right, lower on the horizon, was this blob of red. They lasted about 10 mins max and then were gone but I enjoyed it.immensely.

[Ard]

Basically anything being fed by glacial melt remained high all year since the ice went out. The freestone rivers and creeks supported by wetland drainage and rainfall have nearly dried up in my area. The silver fishing in the Kenai requires a boat so that you can access wade-able areas of the river. Trying to fish for them from road access is very difficult unless you are present when a good bunch is headed up river. They are way harder to predict than sockeye salmon because they come in much smaller numbers. Now that you've seen how large and swift running the river is you can imagine how many fish it takes to make things easy...