Protect the King

ADF&G: based on preseason outlook, the 2013 Kenai River early-run of king salmon is expected to be very low.

There are, in fact, just 343 kings in the river right now.

Emergency orders on the Kenai peninsula, for both the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers are out in an attempt to protect the early-run kings which have been low in recent years.  This comes on the heals of last season, where many guides and fishers saw their season ended weeks after it had begun, due to historically tragic number.  Fishing for kings is still allowed, but is it moral?

My first Kenai King.  I'm afraid it won't be topped

The new regulations prohibit the retention of any king between 20" and 55".  This one here came it at about 54", and within the 2011 slot limit regulations prohibiting retention.  I'm not interested in keeping fish that size.

Wild Kasilof King

The Kasilof has an emergency order prohibiting the take of any native fish greater than 20", down from  retention of 10 jacks per day and 2 greater than 20" with natives allowed just three days per week.

The good news is that the sockeye are expected to have another strong year, and if last year was any indication they are just days away from hitting the Russian River weir and are probably already stacked in Power Lines and Guardrail.

Current Kenai King Counts:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/index.cfm?ADFG=main.kenaiChinook

Current Russian River Sockeye Counts:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/index.cfm?ADFG=main.displayResults&COUNTLOCATIONID=13&SpeciesID=421

ADF&G Automated Fish Count Hotline

(907) 262-9097

October Trout

It was got damn cold out but with no trips on the board, might as well go fishing.

Updates from camp

There's no time to waste at camp.  We started off with a bit of a fishing bender, putting 4 days on the water away from camp.

We've got a bunch of new gear around camp.  Eleven new Beulah rods including my 13'8" 8wt Spey, 8 new mirage reels, 2 Waterworks reels, a dozen new (rubber soled) boots, and a number of lines.  (More on gear later)

We had a few trips on the Kasilof for Kings, and while the fishing was slow we brought a few to the boat, as well as a couple steelhead and dollies.

Ever spent the night in a yurt?

Sunrise up North

There's little that is more excited than an approaching season.  Some wait for ski season, some wait for beach season, and others for fishing season.  In places like Colorado, New York, and California the action exists through the winter in a subdued version of its exuberant summertime self.

In Alaska, however, fishing is more volcanic - dormant for the majority of time and then absolutely explosive.  Two weeks ago the action was imperceptible, dormant except for a few awakening twitches.  Come summer, the Kenai and the rest of the frontier waters will be explosive with bent rods, gip and grins, combat zones, trophies, and fulfilled dreams.  There are days when we can't empty the net fast enough, when we can fish any fly in the box and hook up, when I lose count before 8 am.  This is the explosion.  Its not daily, some days it's just smokey, but sometimes it's just on fire.

At Angle 45 we're getting ready for our season on the Kenai.  Rods are coming down, lines, waders, and boots are being washed, reels re-spooled, boxes organized, flies tied, and boats dug out.  Dormancy is melting off the shoulders of spring.  After more than 11 feet of snow it's taking some work to dig out camp, but warm weather, many hands and a few cold drinks make for quick work.

We're ready to hit the water - excited to see some returning friends again and make some new ones on the river.

c. DFisher

Guest Post from Larry: Mousing For Trout

A few weeks ago Larry asked me if he could write a post for my blog - of course he can.  Here you go:

Mousing for Trout

There is no denying that fish are aggressive predators much like a wolf or jungle cat.  Proof can be seen in the reaction that a mouse pattern creates among hungry rainbow trouts.  If you haven’t tested this rodent like lure it might be a good back-up plan for you the next time you are searching for a trophy fish.

Basic Appearance

Some of the mouse patterns available in the commercial market will actually have nose, whiskers and ears on top that really look like a rodent.  However, the main appeal of the lure is the bulky body covered in hair along with a long tail.  Since the fish will likely catch a glimpse of the lure from underneath or at a slight angle, the top of the pattern can vary a little bit and still be effective.

Movement of the Lure

Mice, as you know, have 4 legs.  So they can jump, swim, crawl and skitter on just about any surface.  Thus, moving the lure like a swimming, sputtering, jumping mice is the attraction that leads to big strikes.  Imitating movements of a mouse will likely lead to some strong reactions from the trout that could leave you breathless and laughing at the same time!

Getting a Good Hook Set

Rainbows will often hit this lure in hopes of drowning it and then circling around in search for the lure.  Therefore, it is important to be alert and watch the fish.  If you see a huge mouth opening up to snatch the lure, the fish is likely trying to get it in a single pass.  Otherwise, you may have to wait a second or two to give the fish a chance to actually get the lure in its mouth.  Once you feel that familiar tug, sweep your rod hard to one side in order to really get a good hook set.  Avoid setting the hook when you first see the fish take the lure.  You will likely pull the mouse away too soon.

Places to Try Mousing

One of the best places to try your hand at the mouse pattern is during the month of August in Alaska.  The spawn in on full force and fish are hungry for protein.  If you are in Alaska at all during the summer months, a mouse pattern can produce a good bite.

But Alaska is not the only place to use these ingenious lures on beautiful rainbows.  Any body of water that holds trout along with lemmings, mice and voles is a good spot to try.  Yellowstone reported good results from mouse patterns in 2009 during a time when coyote numbers were down and the mice population was up.  Penns Creek in Pennsylvania has boasted a trout of 24 inches caught with the rodent lure.  And Steamboat, Colorado has good waters on the Yampa River that are perfect for landing a nice trout.

You can try your hand at tying a mouse pattern using readily available information on the internet or you can buy one from one of the big manufacturers.  Either way, give it a try.  It is a new way of fishing and could lead to a new trophy for you.

Larry Chandler is an outdoor writer for upstate New York fishing guide.

Simms Ice Out 2012

Simms Ice Out is here.  Checking over the itinerary it look something like this:

Day 1


Drinking
Watching fish porn
Drinking while watching fish porn

Day 2

Product testing (fishing)
Fish porn watching
Guide Olympics (lawn games)
More fish porn
Drinking

Day 3

Same as Day 2
Possibly more drinking while watching fish porn

There are a few things I'll point out.  Robert Younghanz knows his little critters and will be giving a presentation on streamside ecology.  He guides out of Anglers Covey in Colorado Springs, good friend and good flyfisher.

I'll be here in DC, but you should go.

No more broken legs

So last summer, while wearing rubber-soled boots, forging a creek to retrieve the umpteenth fly a friend snagged on a rock, I broke my leg.  This led to x-rays in Seward then surgery in Anchorage two days later.  I have a plate a screws to show for it... see HERE.

Patagonia has taken a page out of the mountaineers handbook with this nifty piece.  Something I'm including in my next order.

Why, because they're awesome.  You can take them off (which is great if you spend any time in boats).  They're not studs so they won't rip stuff up when you step in the wrong spot, and hopefully they'll save my legs. I'm completely convinced, they are one more piece of gear to keep track of, put on and take off, and actually seem a little unstable.  But I trust Chouinard

Yvon Chuinard is a blacksmith by trade, and this came right from his workshop.

New Photos

Including my mother, monster chinook (54', 75lbs), blue fish, strippahs, and more.

RIGHT HERE

Do you have nay bragging rights? Send your slabs to me.

Fish Porn is for Humans

Fly Fishing Film Tour has been making its way around the country promoting nearly a dozen fly fishing films.  Last night the crew was in Arlington, VA at the Draft House Cinema showing their lineup.  A few were underwhelming and a few were great.
Standouts:

Fly fishing and fly fishers can be so damn righteous, this small  mob of middle-aged punk rockers get their fix yelling angry lyrics at angrier teenagers, and occasionally at stubborn trout.  They're not hog tiers when it comes to fishing but you don't have to be to feel the love.


"Doc of the Drakes" has two messages it shares with the world; do what you love and you can do it forever, and any fish can be a trophy... but it helps if it's 25".  Doc is an old man by his own account, and Parkinson's  has left him with a shaky hand.  Of course, that doesn't matter as long as you can set the hook right.  The trout make him work for his catch, but he finds his trophy.


This one takes me out of DC and puts me back in "the land of giants."  Nothing's more exhilarating than chasing steelhead in Alaska.  These guys do it in true dirt bag style.

Now there were some mentionables, Fly a Legacy, The Arctic, and Riding High: A Season on the Fly.
The night was great, with tons of give-a-ways, good food and drink, good people.
Check it out. FlyFishingFilmTour

I'M SELLING EVERYTHING

No.

I'm not about to sell all my gear and buy a helicopter, but if I did this is what I'd do:

News to Me

Apparently P:T got some press on OBN a while back that I was unaware of...

Check it out: OBN

And if you haven't had your fill of blogs there are a lot more here.

Sticks and Stones

It's not often I get a terrible day of guiding.  In fact, it is very rare, almost never.  Days can be tough or low in numbers, low energy, nasty weather, general lack of luck, but never really awful.  But there are exceptions and this is the result of one of those really awful days.

X-Ray taken after surgery in Anchorage, AK

Taken 2 months after surgery

Lots of hardware 

Laid up on the couch in Hope, AK.

Ten days after surgery I was on the water again with my mother.  Blue bird day and plenty o' fish.

I still managed to get on the water once before leave the Kenai, 10 days after surgery

Farewell trout?

My mom got into some good fish

 Needless to say my guiding for the season is over.  But now my time is my own and recovery happens.  The East Coast (home) is laden with stripers so it is to the salt and away with the waders for a while.

In The Flesh

When salmon carcass is thick in the river, when fishing for trophy trout, nothing beats the flesh fly.  It might be a bit bold or lacking in the sophistication many newer trout flies possess but it catches fish.

It's a quick and easy tie, and you'll want a box full

These are about as small as you'll see them.  Some are 4"-6" inches long, articulated and weighted, but these are considered micro.  They are simply wrapped rabbit fur strips in colors that mimic the rotting flesh that fills the waters.

You don't need to be a perfectionist to tie a flesh fly that will catch fish

Don't be surprised by high numbers of big trout

Sockeye Fever

Sockeye fever is simple.  People want to fill the freezer, and with a limit of 3 fish per day it can happen quickly.  It means 3 am mornings, standing thigh deep in glacial melt swinging ounces of led and a snagging hook with an 8wt  for hours on end.

Regulations say you can't use a bare hook but it wouldn't matter for catching them

A good wide gap and short shank make for great hooking and holding power

Pound for pound sockeye (red) salmon are the hardest fighting fish out there.  The first run salmon average about 8 lbs and we use 25 lb mono to construct a 9' leader.  With the drag cranked these guys still peel line.

I put this one through my finger

The pliers come in handy for removing hooks (from fingers)
and the scissors I use to bleed the salmon before knocking them

The second run of reds started in just the last 2 or 3 days.  By now there are over 700,000 salmon in the Kenai River and working their way to its headwaters.  The Kenai River automated fish count reports can be heard at (907) 262-9097.  The fish in this run average 14 pounds or so and put everything into the fight.

This is sockeye fishing at it's worst.  Combat, shoulder to shoulder,
what ever you call it I prefer trout

These salmon run the gauntlet as they battle upstream to their spawning grounds

There are places where the crowds dissipate and fish still hold.  They way to access these little places is by hiking a little or using a drift boat to get to gravel bars along the Kenai.  There are a dozen ways to prepare salmon, from the grill, smoker, canner, hung dried, cold smoked, etc.  They are all delicious.

The pay-off is a smoker full of fresh salmon.

The second run of King Salmon is in hard as well. About 1,000 to 1,500 kings enter the Kenai every day  now.

Tutka Bay Overnight

Conrad and I managed to find two days and a night to get out and do some kayaking.  There are an infinite number of places to kayak around the Kenai Peninsula.  We drove down to Homer on a sunday, spent the night in the trailer, and packed some bags for a one-night paddle.

The Homer Spit extends south - Tutka Bay is just out of sight to the west

Monday morning we met a water taxi at one of the Homer docks.  He gave us two kayaks and a lift across Kachemak Bay to the mouth of Tutka Bay.  We designated a time and location for pick up and were left to ourselves and our desires.

Just before we depart Kayak beach

From our drop point at Kayak beach at the mouth of the bay we paddled south with the incoming tide.  The wind was at our back and the sun was out as we stayed close to the northeast shore.  It's possible to see harbor seals, otters, and even whales in the bay.  Sea birds and eagles are everywhere and break the silence.  As we paddled south we passed a lot of private properties on the shore.  Most of them were simple cabins or fish camps.  The water around Homer is full of Halibut, which supports much of the economy.

An otter got curious and quite close

Tutka Bay Lagoon has shallow waters and is only accessible at high tide

About half way down the bay we crossed and entered the Tutka Bay Lagoon.  Only accessible at high tide, the lagoon has been used as a fish hatchery.  The brackish water makes a perfect environment for raising salmon.  We paddled up to the hatchery and two guys came out.  One was a fatherly figure, mid 50's, and the other was a college age kid who's not in college.  They were living together and managing the hatchery and seemed eager to have someone else to talk to.  They were raising 280,000 Sockeye Salmon for release in early June.  In a few years when the salmon return fully grown they will be netted off-shore and find their way to dinner plates around the country as Alaska wild salmon.

We watched this Bald Eagle for hours - it's nest was just out of site to the right

Looking south towards our campsite and the head of the bay

Looking south towards the head of the bay from our campsite

From the lagoon we continued south to about mile 8.  There is a little isthmus on the southwest side of the bay with a beautiful campsite.  We made camp, cooked pasta for dinner, lay a few cloths out to dry and settled down to read.  As the sun doesn't set now until 23:30 or so, we just messed around camp, not sure we'd be able to sleep if we got in the tent.  Of course we slept without a problem and woke to rain and howling winds.  It took us the better part of the morning to eat breakfast and find the motivation to get back into our boats.  We did, and heading into the wind and the chop, we hugged the shore for the last two miles until we got to the head of the bay.

Our campsite on a bed of moss

With the hard part of the day over we turned back to the north and let the chop and wind take us to our pick-up.  We were there hours early but happy to build a fire and wait for our ride.  A nice excursion, to be sure.