Alaska for 1st timer

I would like to go to Alaska for 7-10 days.
Taking the wife along so I'm paying for 2 and would like to keep it to minimum price wise.
I'd like to fish but I'm not targeting any specific species.
First week of September looks like the crowds (and prices) die down.
Planning on a guided trip one day, fishing on our own after that.

Thinking of flying to Anchorage, and driving south to the Kenai Peninsula.
Any suggestions on what cities to stay in? Where to fish? Guide services?
Only taking one rod each, what weight rod should we take?

I have some friends who were famous, now retired, veteran fly fishing guides in Alaska for over 30 years.

They worked for a number of high-end flyout lodges that specialize in large Rainbow trout in small tributaries of famous lakes.


Years ago they would buy Fenwick Feralite fiberglass 8'6" #7 line 2 piece blanks.

They would build up these blanks into solid fly rods.

They said these #7 line fly rods were a good average size for most Alaska fishing.

Today that would be a graphite 9' #7 line in 4 pieces for travel.

You would need a solid disc drag fly reel with a floating line and sink-tip.



Alaska has about a 4 month sportfishing season: June, July, August, and September.


Your timing is good for well-fed Rainbow trout and fresh-run Silver salmon.


I guess you would rent an SUV with all-wheel-drive or 4 wheel drive.


I would be on Google and YouTube for some help.


The fishing on the Kenai Peninsula is not the true Alaska fly fishing experience from what I have been told.

I think it is large, fast rivers, more conducive to conventional/spinning angling.

Our experience in Alaska is at lodges and float trips.


You might find some fresh Silver Salmon or Coho coming into the mouths of some smaller rivers.


You might put your questions up on Dan Blanton's message board too.

http://www.danblanton.com/bulletin.php

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Originally Posted by geedavell

I would like to go to Alaska for 7-10 days.
Taking the wife along so I'm paying for 2 and would like to keep it to minimum price wise.
I'd like to fish but I'm not targeting any specific species.
First week of September looks like the crowds (and prices) die down.
Planning on a guided trip one day, fishing on our own after that.

Thinking of flying to Anchorage, and driving south to the Kenai Peninsula.
Any suggestions on what cities to stay in? Where to fish? Guide services?
Only taking one rod each, what weight rod should we take?

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Agree with Bill that you won't get the Alaska fishing experience without going to a lodge. You can, however have a great tour of Alaska on your own. It's a beautiful drive down to Seward, and then over to the west side of the Kenai Peninsula. I'd take either a boat or kayak tour out to see the glaciers, whales, orcas, etc.

If you were going in an even year, I would say you could find pink salmon in creeks to fish. You can get a guide on the Kenai and fish for some big rainbows, but you'll be throwing massive amounts of drop shot to get down. We fished a river and caught one silver (don't remember the name, but it's between Anchorage and Portage. There's like 30-40 feet of tide change in Turnagain Arm. Worth seeing. There will be almost no water in the creek at low tide, and then a rush of water (and hopefully fish) as it comes in. Also shoulder to shoulder fishermen unfortunately. Maybe spring for a one-day fly out from Anchorage? Only one rod? It would probably be a six weight for me if you are seeking trout...7 if you think you'll do the Kenai or go after some salmon.

I concur. A few years ago my brother and I fished the Kenai area at an all-inclusive lodge. We did a halibut trip, did several salmon outings and one flyout for sockeye (a bear jumped into a ball of sockeye stacked at the bottom of Wolverine Falls). The fishing for salmon there is flossing.....glorified snagging. I hated it. Trout fishing there seemed to be limited to lakes.

Do a flyout....they're not cheap but they're a blast. Our route took us over a glacier....fantastic view.

My wife and I are considering a trip to Alaska in June....she's never been. Sewell is on the itinerary as well as a trip to Brook's Falls to watch the bears feeding. For steelhead I think to need to go some where other than the Kenai area.

I forgot but a great value is a river float trip in the Alaskan wilderness.


You can have a fully guided one where you have rafts, guides, cooks, wranglers, tents, cots, etc.


or you can DIY where you get all the gear and food, etc. but you do all the work. Some are capable of this but many are not.


I have a good friend who can give you great advice on a fully supported float trip he did twice.


https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ng+float+trips

Alaska lodge trips present their own set of issues. Primarily costs for two of you. To keep the costs to a minimum, the first week in September is normally a great time. The combat fishing mentioned occurs earlier during the sockeye season. Last year, we encountered high flows due to the August and September rains. Cooper Landing is a good starting point. A day on the Russian River is good enough for rainbows and Dollie Varden, but sockeyes might be an issue on a trout rod. Silvers will be in as well bears. Last Labor Day the Russian River Campground and day-use access was closed at the highway and there was no access unless from a drift boat. The area was closed for tree removal from the rain and campground road improvement according to those in the know. The ferry crossing on the Kenai had been removed and the parking lot was closed for winter. Water was up to the edge of the banks due to rain- not typical. For guides, call Troutfitters for upper and lower Kenai fishing. They can get you into silvers and then follow up with rainbows and dollies. One day is enough for the first time on the Kenai unless you have the money to blow. It is an indicator and big split shot as mentioned by others. Pay particular attention to their rigging and just replicate it on your own equipment on other DIY water. Further downstream, there is Bing’s Landing for access or guided float through the town of Soldotna below Skilak Lake. This will be motorized as well.

For your timeframe, silvers and incidental steelhead can be in the coastal streams closer to Homer along the Cook Inlet. Thinking of Anchor, Ninilchic, Deep Creek, and Kasilof here, although the Kasilof is better suited with a guide and boat due to glacial silt. Anchor Point has some rustic lodging and off-premise management in Homer. I only saw construction and state workers use Anchor Point Motel last September. The rooms consist of a wall heater, hot shower, and beds. I would consider them shelter from the elements style lodging. The downside of the Anchor Point area is there are no restaurants unless you count a coffee shop/laundromat combo. It is a 20-plus mile run down to Homer, which will be in the process of shutting down its tourist season for your timeframe.

As mentioned earlier, Seward is a nice ride from Cooper Landing. The Ptarmigan Creek Campground’s day-use area has Dollie Varden and rainbows. If it has glaciated water, the fish are still there along with the sockeye. Egg patterns are a good choice. If you are in good physical condition, consider a day hike into Crescent Lake via the Carter Lake Trailhead near Moose Pass. The hike has a 900 elevation gain in the first mile, but it levels off nicely near the saddle area and gradually slopes toward Crescent Lake. You will pass Carter Lake, but it is more of a float tube event for planted rainbows with willow choked shoreline. Just keep going. The real jewel is Crescent Lake if you decide to undertake the 3.5-mile trek in. You will find the lake to hold nice-sized grayling. They will take a peacock soft hackle subsurface in size 14. But if you see any dimpling within casting distance, switch to size 14 dark cdc and elk that if placed in their feeding lane will reward you. Be forewarned that weather can be a problem as you are in a subalpine area. Wind and rain can pose a problem, but if one can get a clear day, the lake can be glassy. The area to the left, as you drop into Crescent Lake, has a gradual drop off, and sight fishing to grayling can be a real treat. We normally bring in day packs with waders, boots, fleece tops, and bottoms. The water temp is in the mid 40’s. Did I mention fleece? The left side of Crescent Lake’s mountains jut up from the shoreline. The closer you are to that flats area mentioned earlier provides an excellent line of sight for grayling working the shoreline towards you. Grayling seem to be light-oriented feeders. Once the sun is off the water, it’s time to leave. Loons can be a nice background sound that compliments the scenery. The Delorme Alaska Gazetteer front cover shows the route that I would take from the Seward Highway.

Quartz Creek Campground out of Cooper Landing has some great Dolly fishing. You might see some late Sockeyes in Sept. Some huge Kings late June/early July

Early September can be very good to float the Upper Kenai (between Cooper landing and Skilak lake). I think the lower section of the Upper Kenai is called the Canyon or something like that, and can have outstanding trout fishing, but you have to take a float trip to get there. There are more big rainbows in the lower Kenai (below Skilak lake) but again, you have to have a boat. As previously mentioned, you can hike up the Lower russian River or even the upper Russian river, if you like hiking, and fish for trout between the salmon. Most of the fishers are gone since most fish for salmon, not trout. The further you hike, the fewer people you will see. If you go for silver salmon (they run in Sept), you will fight some crowds. Staying around Cooper Landing will put you central to all this.
There are also some creeks north of Anchorage just past Wasilla, like Montana creek, which can have trout. toward Seward has very few creeks with trout, but the Resurrection Bay has some great ocean fishing (again, hire a charter boat), or if late enough, some will be snagging salmon there (no river to spawn due to hatchery fish), once allowed by Fish and Wildlife. good luck.