Alaska Salmon Flyfishing

Cubbers:

My 20 year old son would like me to fly him up to Alaska this summer to do some flyfishing for salmon. Any suggestions. I'd love to fly my Cub up but I can't spare that much time, so it would be a bonus if someone could show me some Alaska bush flying on the trip.

What a great trip that will be. If your son wants to warm up on the Yuba River, we can put him it touch with my son Mark. He is a student at UC Davis and loves to fly fish the Yuba. I'm guessing it would be a couple hour drive from Santa Rosa and well worth the trip.

Photo taken last week on the Yuba:

The places are endless...What are the dates....That would better determine where to go. Also ...what type of Salmon?

Ron
Copper Basin AK

Dave:

My son is a student at the University of Texas, Austin. Home for the summer. Davis is only an hour Cub flight from Santa Rosa. We'll see if we can work something out this summer.

Ron:

I am sure the places are endless. Except for the 4th of July, I'm pretty flexible on dates: anytime July or August. I think he has to go back to Austin in September. Since neither one of us has fished for salmon, really don't know what would be the best. If some of you guys are guides and think you could show us a few days of fun that would be great.

Larry

Well here in the Copper Basin...the fish are already in the Rivers...King salmon that is...If I were lookiing for a fly to place...coming from Cal...I would most likely stop in at Yakatat...In late April you can get into some incredible Steelhead fishing...and from there it runs into Salmon there rest of the summer. Following the cost up...are many streams the hold many salmon and it is as simple as stopping and checking it out...The Cordova area has some great Salmon fishing and that is a coastal community up from Yakatat....If you want to come to the Basin...in cordova you will follow the Copper River and follow it Northish...That is the area were I live...I actually live on the Copper River....about 1.5 hours from Cordova...In this area there is many opportunities from Red Salmon Dolly Vardin, Rainbow, Steelhead..... to King Salmon....Just depends on what time of year it is...From the Basin you could go back to the Coast to Valdez and then work you way to the Kenai or stay inland and go to the Mat-Su Valley and fish one of their many great fisheries... Well that is a start....

If you get to the Copper Basin let me know...there are a couple of good strips in the area...motel camps and B& B's that I let you know about....ALASKA IS PARIDISE...
Ron

Guys:

Let me see if I can wake this post up. My son and I want to fly commercial to Anchorage and then hire a guide sometime this summer to fly fish for salmon. I have a friend from Wasilla who has suggested the Cordova area.

Anyone else have suggestions for: (i) where to go and (ii) who to hire?

Thanks

375handh

Fishing Alaska

I fly up there by commercial jet to Anchorage, Rent a car with unlimited mileage, head south to the Keni. You can wash clothes right at the river. Eat at McDonalds fish the Keni and fish with guides on the river for half days or full days or rent your own boat. Best time is Jun/July or go further south and fly fish the rivers like deep creek or the Anchor river. Right now the Kings are in, Then the Silvers and finally the Steel head. You can do very well self guided and cheap. Alot of people just sleep on the river bank in tents, or hotel it. Go to Homer further south from the Keni river and charter out a Halibut boat. Most guides are about $150. and up depending on hours and trip. Infact just about everything starts at $100. Thats why I like to do like alot of the locals do, go cheap and have fun. Alot of the guides up there are from the lower 48 who only go up there for 3-4 months. I fished with one that sure looked the part but was from California and never fished in Alaska in his life and just filled in for a guided fish camp because they were low on guides. Check everything out careful before you go. Watch out for Moose they are very dangerous and of course Bears also. Lets see worn paths on both sides of the river, Blue berrys, fish in water and bears with cubs. Be Alert ! Let us know how you do on your trip. Hope to see you up there.

Bill Ingerson
aa.fueler@verizon.net

The answers to your questions are directly related to how much you want to spend. That, and most lodges and/or guides that are worth having have been booked for any good dates long before now. Silvers will be the best bet for a fly fisherman that isn't familiar with leader-dragging Reds. And you can have lots of fun without breaking the bank. Even close to Anchorage.
SB

I suspect it is still elbow to elbow fishermen in all areas around Anchorage. My sister lives on the Kenai River in Soldotna and she says it is really getting crowded there too.
With the growing number of bears in areas that are favorite fishing areas, remember that bears eat fish too and can be everywhere. I highly suggest new visitors read up on how to protect themselves just in case. There have been many people injured and killed by bears and some were professional back country individuals;

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q="bear+safety"

I like the suggestion from J5RON. If you chose to drive over from Anchorage, there is some really beautiful country to see on the way to Copper Center. Just as Stewartb mentioned, it depends on what you want to spend.
A suggestion for what it is worth. Check out the link below for information and when you see something that catches your eye, give a shout and I am sure someone will have up to date info on the area. I have been gone too long to have anything current.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q="salmon+fishing+in+alaska"

Regardless of what you decide, you will enjoy Alaska.
As J5RON said, "ALASKA IS PARADISE".

Bill, Ernie, Stewart, Ron et al:

Thanks for all your help. I know this is short notice, but when a son asks, you give it a go.

I have hunted all my life (last 15 years with the bow), so I have some experience with grizzley. I got my floatplane rating (in Super Cubs) last June on the Kenai with Vern Kingsford, Scenic Mountain Air, so I have a little experience with that area.

For a trip like this I strongly prefer a guide and I am willing to pay for the service. If anyone has any guide recommendations, I would surely appreciate it.

375handh

375handh said:

Cubbers:

My 20 year old son would like me to fly him up to Alaska this summer to do some flyfishing for salmon. Any suggestions. I'd love to fly my Cub up but I can't spare that much time, so it would be a bonus if someone could show me some Alaska bush flying on the trip.

Click to expand...

Here is another suggestion. I spent a lot of time in this area since it was owned by the president of Wien Air Alaska, Ray Peterson and is now operated by his son, Sonny Peterson. John Denver wrote one of his songs at the Brooks Camp.

http://www.katmailand.com/history.htm

fantastic fishing and wild life, especially bears. All kinds of info available via www.google.com and search for "Katmai" using the quotation marks.
The Katmai area is just to the east of King Salmon, Alaska and all camps have registered guides.