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PaulC
06-30-2005, 07:48 PM
I figured I'd throw this one out to the tying gurus.
What do you guys recommended tying up as staple patterns out there in Alaska. I know bead fishing is the primary goto but I'd love to throw some feathers out there.
We're fishing primarily on the Kenai, the russian, quartz creek, etc.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
-Paul

David Lee
06-30-2005, 09:39 PM
Just my opinion here ....

Try a Battle Creek Special (#10 -#6) , wool head Sculpins , and a Pearl/white Leech . Small flesh flies should round up a few fish , as well .

When in doubt .... swing a Teeny nymph (black , size 8) or a Clouser Deep minnow ...

Hope ya have the trip of a lifetime !!

David

Bill Kiene semi-retired
06-30-2005, 10:45 PM
Seriously Paul,

'Oregon Salmon' (Galen Geller) has tied flies for several of the top Alaskan lodges ($5,000-7,000 wk places) for about 20 years now.

He knows all about this. We just need to get his attention here.

It really depends on when you are going to be there.

Early you get Kings, then Chums and Sockeye and later there are Silvers and the Rainbows are fatter.

Whne the carcassesa re decaying they use the tan/pink "Flesh Flies"

When the salmon are spawning they use beads.

Whne the fry are out migrating they use small fry imitations.

They use a sinktip and an Egg Sucking Wooly Bugger all the time.

Olive Sculpin.

Many areas have their own special patterns.

PaulC
07-01-2005, 09:48 AM
We're planning on being out there in august 11th to the 20th.
Thanks for the tips.
-Paul

OregonSalmon
07-01-2005, 10:08 AM
I don't know a durn thing about that area but I could nose around.
Always have some rabbit hair leeches in the box. A buddy came up with a twist on it; the banded leech. Just the regular leech with a band of contrasting fur. Good combos: beige w black band, beige w red band, white w red band, olive w black band. Also, some lead eyed string leeches. Oh, and McCune Sculpin. Don't know if that is on the internet anywhere but I can explain it in detail if you want to tie a few.

Digger
07-01-2005, 01:08 PM
Just my opinion here ....

I'd just as soon light my ass on fire and put it out w/ a pitchfork as I would fish a plastic bead .

The water in the Kenai is tinted fron glacial runoff , so I doubt anyone really needs to use those stupid , stupid beads . The rubber eggs that are all the rage now are also stupid - :evil:

David

Gee David, you don't care for beads, huh?

David Lee
07-01-2005, 01:51 PM
Sorry , everyone - I had a 'foaming at the mouth' moment

Fish whatever fly you want to ... as long as it makes you happy !! :D

David

Jasonh
07-01-2005, 04:21 PM
Not that i have ever fished in Alaska but i have heard that the cotton candy is a great trout and char pattern. Ii would also take a long some egg sucking leeches, they seem to work everywhere!

Jason Hartwick

Bill Kiene semi-retired
07-01-2005, 10:38 PM
I don't like beads either but I don't care if anyone else uses them.

I guess we all have our own preferences?

I actually prefer to go to certain places at special times of the year where I can fish a floating line all the time.

I don't like to use indicators but do sometimes when I am out with one of my favorite drift boat guides in mid-day with no hatch.

I actually just enjoy fly casting so much and know a lot about where to go and when to go there that I can be very selective.

Example 1:
I can go to places like Davis Lake right now during the damsel fly emergence and fish from about 9am till 2pm with a floating line casting only a small unweighted damsel nymph to working fish.

I have no desire or need to troll in a lake or to sit and watch an indicator in a lake to catch fish. I don't really even need to have a sinking line.

Example 2:
When I Steelhead fish on the Klamath River I only take a weight forward 6 weight floating line and fish early and late with the sun off the water. I don't even take any sink tips with me because I don't need to fish all day. I can get pretty deep with a long leader and weighted bead head fly. I like to fish the Klamath in September and October when the water is not to cold yet so I don't have to fish sinking lines. I like to cast to rolling Halfpounders with an unweighted fly in the morning and evening.

Example 3:
I fish tarpon, snook, permit and bonefish in very shallow water in the tropics with a weight forward floating line and the lightest smallest fly I can use.

I guess I really enjoy fly casting when I am fly fishing.

PS: Now next week you might see me out with Andy on the Lower American throwing leadcore for Stripers.

Adam Grace
07-01-2005, 10:47 PM
Bill, Make sure that you DUCK!

These LC heads don't cast like those floating lines :lol:

Good luck out there with Andy. :D

MSP
07-02-2005, 07:34 AM
Well sai Bill, I think many of us are in the same boat as you. I believe after spending a few days on the water experimenting with different methods and such, one comes up with a few favorite techniques that as you say you can use almost all the time. They may not always be the most effective technique but numbers don't seem to matter as much anymore. I say if I can't catch em my way I'm going home! :lol:

Bill Kiene semi-retired
07-02-2005, 08:38 AM
Mike,

You said it better with way less text.

It isn't always as effective and it really doesn't matter that much anymore.

Just nice to be at this age and still feeling good.

Hairstacker
07-02-2005, 09:35 AM
I hear you guys. I far prefer using a floating line, even when I know it's not the best approach. And, there are some days I'd just as soon catch 'em on top or not catch 'em at all. Unfortunately, on these days, sometimes I don't catch 'em at all. :lol:

Adam Grace
07-02-2005, 10:13 AM
If only the standard floating line would be as effective as an indo-nymphing rig!

I think almost everyone would rather fish with a floating line without any heavy JUNK attached to the end.

To bad the JUNK produces a lot of fish.

I need to stop using the junk it KILLS my gimpy wrist. I only break out the Junk when I cannot get anything without it. I switched to the JUNK the other day on the Yuba and boy is my wrist screaming at me right now. Not to mention that the JUNK trowing can be very messy and troublesome, not all too fun.

Float on my board brothers!

Let's take a page from Bill's book and try to select more apprpriate times to fish the JUNKless floating line. 8)

Power to the people :!:

PaulC
07-02-2005, 02:21 PM
Wow. Seems like most of my posts stir up some sort of ethics debate.
My apologies for riling everyone up...won't happen again:)
L8er,
Paul

Adam Grace
07-02-2005, 02:26 PM
Don't be sorry.

Topics like this make the board more interesting, in my opinion.

Darian
07-02-2005, 05:32 PM
Hey Paul,.... Most of us up here tend to forget that there're places in California where a guy has to travel a lengthy distance to get into some decent Trout fishing.... :oops: Especially with dry flies.... :oops: :oops:

Were're blessed, up here, with a number and variety of opportunities to do just that. 8) I guess that tends to get us into a place where debates of this nature just pop up out of nowhere.... :lol: :lol:

I'm with Adam, tho. I kinda like a livley discussion of almost anything. :D :D Used to get me in some trouble at work on occassion.... 8) 8)

Soooo, I hope you're not put off.... Your posts make this BB a good place to visit. 8) 8) 8)

David Lee
07-02-2005, 10:51 PM
Paul -

Please except my apology for ranting off the topic .

My raving had nothing to do with your question , and it was wrong of me to go off on a tangent . The last thing I want to do is discourage anyone from posting on this board , especially someone who has actively taken part in posting , discussion , and Flyswaps . In the future , I will try harder to keep to the point , and to keep the ragging down .

Once again , I'm sorry - please keep up the posts .

David Lee

Adam Grace
07-03-2005, 12:01 AM
David, you're such a SAVAGE :!:

Stop causing problems :lol:

Hairstacker
07-03-2005, 11:37 AM
David, but if you didn't go off, we wouldn't have heard that quaint expression of yours. You know, the part about lighting your rear end on fire and putting it out with a pitchfork. . . . :lol:

David Lee
07-03-2005, 11:59 AM
Bottom line , fellas -

If I (or ANYONE) make a board member uncomforatable due to being rude , it ain't gonna fly . There's a huge difference between having a opinion , and venting one where it doesn't apply .

Paul had a civil , thoughtful question - and I , with utter disregard and without THINKING , saw "bead" and vented where it didn't belong - That went against everything everyone here stands for .... I can only hope that Paul will forgive my rudeness and continue to be a part of this community .

We ALL have worked very hard to make this board a haven from the garbage that plauges the other Flyfishing boards these days . I hope that we can keep up the high standards of the past few months here - I , for one , will try to think before I run-off at the mouth again .

C'mon w/ the Alaska answers ......

David

BSD
07-12-2005, 06:57 PM
I was on the Kenai two years ago during the time you are going. This year I am going back on the 19th for a week.
You are right about most people using beads. I did not find any Rainbows in Quartz or Crescent, but there were some real nice dollies there.

http://216.101.25.131/getimage.php?id=29

Russian river is supposed to have some really nice rainbows, only got to fish it for about two hours, just got a bunch of small ones though.

http://216.101.25.131/getimage.php?id=33

I did see some really nice ones though. Besides beads use flesh flies, or the cotton candy you mentioned. Russian River is supposed to be a good place to throw dries too, so you might try that out.

Kenai River will be difficult to fish unless you have a boat. If you want to chase silvers you would need to head about 2 hours down the sterling hwy toward Homer. Deep Creek and Anchor River are great for wading, they are only a little bigger than the upper Trinity. You can find them fresh from the ocean, about 1/4 mile from the ocean, maybe even less. I found crowds at Anchor then headed to Deep Creek and found some empty water with fish in it. Got them on purple egg-sucking leeches, but I hear pink anything usually works. Good Luck, you will have tons of fun.[/list]