Small creek fishing in Alaska....

[DocEsox]

Due to high water in the water we wanted float yesterday I agreed to go walk fishing up one of the smaller tributaries….a creek. Didn’t know my creaky old joints could hold up to a walk, which when was completed, was about 8 miles…..my feet hurt so bad when we were done I could hardly walk. Getting old, and fat really gets in the way sometimes. Anyway this charming little creek was not flush with fish but every so often you ran into a nice rainbow……in a few weeks this little water will also be teeming with king salmon to 50 lbs. Unfortunately, it will also be teeming with the famous four footed brown fishermen of Alaskan fame…..the gizzly….gets much more entertaining to fish then.

The water was full of salmon fry and small freshwater lamprey which live up here so we used a variety of flies and streamers. The creek is not that large although it has an extremely healthy population of the Alaskan state bird…..the pterodactyl mosquito!!

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/DecCr.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/DecCrMike.jpg

The day wasn’t fantastic if measured by numbers….I think I caught about a dozen fish…but their color was spectacular as the scenery generally is also. Wasn’t long before we were into some real “leopard” colored rainbows:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/DecCrBow.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/DeCrBowRod.jpg

The fish seemed to be holding in deeper areas with overhanging branches…..these areas were spreadout….hence the need to wade so much….did I mention it was about 8 miles….8 long, arthritis enhancing miles??? Guess I did. At midday we sat down and ate fresh smoked Copper River sockeye salmon, with swiss cheese on crackers while two hawks kept screeching overhead…at first endearing but after several hours I was ready for them to be quiet. Weird thing is up here in Alaska we only notice if a raptor ISN’T a bald eagle…they are way too common.

Eventually we got back to our feet and finished our travails upon the creek….being rewarded, periodically, with these beautifully colored bows:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/DeCrBow2.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/DeCrBow3.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/DeCrBow4.jpg

Gonna ice down the old arthritic shoulders one more time as it was really difficult to get out of bed this morning.

Brian

[Garrett S]

nice fish :) the color on that last one is beautiful

[Phil Synhorst]

Great pics Doc, I agree with Guppy, that last one is a beauty. Excellent hat as well. :lol:

[k.hanley]

"...wasn’t fantastic if measured by numbers….I think I caught about a dozen fish..."

Heck Doc, I'd take a dozen of those beauties any day. :nod:
Nice going. You earned every one of them.
Cheers, Ken

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

They call those heavily spotted AK trout "Leopard Trout".

Those are big trout for such a small stream.

Thanks............

[Rob]

Very nice photos !!!!!
My son and i had the opportunity to fish a small river on Kodiak called the Buskin river . It was by no means a wilderness trip . We stayed at my daughter home . We still had a blast catching Pink , Chum and Dollys and 3 and 5 wt rods

Thanks for the fishing report -
Robk.

[Lee Haskin]

Hey Brian,

Awesome pics Brian!

You really got me excited about my upcoming trip, to AK. In two weeks we will be fishing a similar creek, although a bit larger. :wink: Did you find any big grayling? Too early for dollies?

Thanks for the report!

Lee

[DocEsox]

Lee....no grayling or dollies in this stretch. Traditional theory has it these fish are primarily spawners but I believe some of these are residential fish as the amount of food in the water is astounding......millions of salmon fry and tons of lamprey.

Where you headed up here??

Brian

[Lee Haskin]

Hey Brian,

I will be staying with my daughter, and family, in Eagle River. While I'm there, I plan to fish the Innoko River for big pike and sheefish.

However, I will be fishing a creek similar to yours, near Talkeetna. Big trout :shock: , and big grayling, with a few dollies mixed in, near the mouth. Hopefully, we will get in there before the salmon arrive. I'm just not an egg guy. :( Last time I was there, two years ago, the salmon were in, and I kicked up a small griz, while fishing along. Not fun.

Brian, what part of Ak were you fishing?

Cheers,
Lee

[Mik]

Those fish are gorgeous. 8 miles of hiking make those fish even more special.