Blog

We're hitting our stride here in the meat of the early season, and as a result of the chaos, we're way overdue for a newsletter… so here it is! Fishing Report The early season King Salmon fishery has been quite the surprise to everyone so far, and we've really enjoyed the best early run we've seen in quite a few years. The Kasilof has produced very consistently with a very high proportion of keeper hatchery fish, and the Kenai is seeing enough kings that ADF&G has decided to liberalize the regulations to allow some retention. We'll continue to stay conservative and release all Kenai Kings, but boy is it encouraging to see a better first run return! As the king salmon run returns to normal, we urge all anglers to avoid the...

Kenai Kings – Landing a True Giant

Posted on May 5, 2016

There are only a few places in the world that an angler can have realistic chance at getting bit by a truly giant salmon. Even in these very special places opportunities are rare, so when that extraordinary chance presents itself, you want to make it count. I'm not talking about your everyday nice catch. I'm talking about true giants - salmon that can only be found in a couple places on Earth, salmon that test even the best gear and tackle out there, salmon that stretch out over 50 inches long! Even though they are becoming increasingly rare, the Kenai River is still the best bet for an angler to bump into a massive king salmon. I've done battle with quite a few monsters in the past, and learned my...

The Notorious Humpy

Posted on March 3, 2016

If I told you that on every even year for about a month-long period 100+ salmon are caught on my boat virtually every day, you’d probably shout “sign me up!” faster than a politician can make a promise on election day. Well, it’s true. Every even year when pink salmon, or “humpies” are running strong, we catch this aggressive and plentiful species of salmon on nearly every cast! But believe it or not some anglers actually turn their noses up at, and even dread, humpy years. Sure, they’re not as good-eating as sockeye salmon, and they don’t fight quite as hard as a silver salmon, but humpies have a lot of endearing qualities, and personally, I LOVE humpy years on the Kenai…. Here’s why: When hooked in the lower stretches of...

When is the Best Time to Visit Alaska?

Posted on February 19, 2016

"When is the best time to be there?" This is probably the most common question I get from prospective visitors. It seems like such a simple question, and one would likely expect a very simple answer… No such luck. There are positives and negatives to every time of the year on the Kenai Peninsula, with dozens of factors to consider before finalizing your decision. Below I have outlined what I believe are the 5 major factors to consider before you purchase those airline tickets to head north but click here before you try. What Species of Fish Do You Want to Catch? - The species that are available varies dramatically throughout the season. If you’ve always dreamed of coming to Alaska and catching a King Salmon on the Kenai Peninsula, for example,...

Never Leave Your Bugs at Home

Posted on February 8, 2016

On a recent fishing trip to the middle Kenai River, I was reminded of a lesson I learned many years ago. This lesson though, is one that most Alaskan anglers have yet to learn for themselves. Don’t ever leave your bugs at home! Alaska has a healthy reputation for being a bead and flesh fishery when it comes to trout, and for good reason. One of the main reasons Alaskan trout grow to the ridiculous proportions that they do has very much to do with the all-you-can-eat protein buffet they receive every year in the form of salmon eggs and salmon flesh littering the river. This food source is available for a good portion of the year as the different species and runs of salmon cycle through the river systems, leaving behind...

Net or no Net? That is the Question.

Posted on January 23, 2016

Landing nets have evolved quite a bit over the years, originating in the Stone Age as a simple entrapment made from willow branches, evolving into the wide range of styles used today. No matter how simple or fancy the landing net, the concept remains basically the same; it’s a quicker, easier way to land a fish…. Or is it? Now we could start a debate about the effect of nets on fish when your intention is to catch and release that fish, but I don’t even want to go there right now. This blog is all about capturing a fish that you intend on keeping as quickly and effectively as possible. With that in mind, I would argue that a landing net is vital for the vast majority of freshwater species...

Measuring BIG Kenai River Trout

Posted on January 15, 2016

Measuring boards have a history here on the Kenai River, and that history is due to one simple fact… our trout get HUGE. We are so spoiled by our spectacular trout fishery that fish up to 20+ inches barely get acknowledged at all, and you can forget about taking the time to actually measure each and every one of them. But a trout in the 25-30+ inch range, those are the fish that get a Kenai trout fisherman’s attention! When a special fish like this graces us with its presence and provides us an opportunity to take a closer look, we want to capture every last detail possible. We want to know the length, the girth, the unique spotting pattern, the intensity of the stripe, and we definitely want to get...

The Indicator Swing

Posted on January 7, 2016

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Remember like 5 or 10 years ago when you knew that one dude that had a Spey rod and he kind-of knew how to cast it, and every time you witnessed him pull off a Snap-T it was like you had just witnessed the most amazing thing anyone has ever seen? Remember that? Well, times have changed over the last decade. Whereas Spey or Switch rods were once a rarity reserved mainly for the most elite & advanced of fly anglers, they are now very common in many parts of the country, and a great number of fly fishermen either dabble with the techniques or have become full-fledged experts by now. The reason it has gained so much popularity is debatable, but I tend to believe it has something to...

5 New Year’s Resolutions That’ll Make you a Better Person, and Fisherman

Posted on December 31, 2015