Alaska steelhead/trout advice needed

[jrib]

I will be in Anchorage for business from Sept 13th thru the 20th. If I have time I would love to get in some fishing. Any advice on whats going on that time of year? Possibly a local guide up there? Ive heard that the Anchor River has a steelhead run in Sept. I am willing to drive a few hours if needed. Thanks in advance.

[itsbenlong]

Hey jrib,

I just left the Kenai Peninsula the other day and things are really shaping up. You are right about the Anchor River having a steelhead run. They are slowly moving into the system right now as we are typing and reading this. The Anchor can be a great piece of water to fish. However, you have to really watch the weather when fishing the Anchor, Deep Creek & Ninilchik rivers. They get blown out really easy and it is a really long drive from Anchorage (at least 4 hours depending on traffic and how many RV's are around). The good thing is the pressure isn't as much right now as it is in July/August.

Something you should think about it fishing the Upper Kenai and Russian River. The Rainbows are huge, plentiful and really fun to catch. It would only take you about 2 hours (half the time) to get to Cooper Landing from Anchorage.

Regardless of anything mentioned above, if you want some solid information about anything on the Kenai Peninsula I would first call Fred Telleen at Mystic Waters Fly Fishing: http://www.mysticfishing.com/index.html

Or as a second attempt only:

Alaska Troutfitters: http://aktroutfitters.com/

Fred will tell you everything you need to know without expecting anything in return.

I don't know where you live, but if you are normally around steelhead waters, go catch some Kenai & Russian River Rainbows. Your timing might be perfect.

When I was on the Russian, the Reds (Sockeye) were everywhere in the river and they should be dying off fast.

There are also tons of pinks (Chum's) in the rivers this year which only appear once every 4 years I think. They are a little bit of a pain and go after everything you throw.

Good Luck and I hope to hear a good story when you return.

[pvsprme]

Itsbenlong pretty much nails it; if you can afford it, a guide it would be worth the money many times over. I believe they are very reasonable as they carry 4 clients and works out to about $200 each. It's about shortening the learning curve. The Anchor and other 2 rivers mentioned for steel have special regs, be very careful you're abreast of them. If you can get a trip into the Kenai Canyon it's the best; the braids where it enters Skilak Lake can be phenomenal that time of year.Don't overlook the lakes, some in Anchorage on the military bases and north, also on the Kenai can be very good as the fish are stocking up for the winter.

[troutless]

Just got back from there myself and the previous posts pretty much capture it. Sockeye are spawning, now, on the Kenai Peninsula and the trout and dollies know that.

The Upper Kenai float trip is a must-do if you can find someone who has space. You may re-think your steelhead plans after a day there. The average fish is a trophy by California standards and the big fish are unreal. If you do the canyon float, which is a great float, you will have to take out five miles from where the river flows into Skilak lake. Skilak is prone to very nasty conditions due to winds coming off the Harding icefield, and if you capsize under those conditions in Skilak it is pretty much game over, so be sure you have confidence in the judgment of whomever you are floating with.

Parts of the Upper Kenai are wadeable, but it is best fished from a boat.

There is a good bit of wadeable water on the Russian and a mile walk will get you away from the worst of the crowds. That place is crawling with bears, take precautions if you go up there, or any salmon spawning area on the peninsula for that matter. I don't think you really need a guide wading on the Russian or the other smaller streams in the area, if you have your basic setup correct.

The Anchor is a long drive for a small stream, and, relatively speaking, there is not that much easily accessible water. Below the highway, which is the easiest access, expect people looking for silvers, too. Last week there was about an angler every fifty yards, on a weekday.

There is a lot of water within an hour of, or for that matter, in, Anchorage also.

PM me if you want more specifics.

[jrib]

Thanks for the great advice. troutless pm sent. JRib

[Troutsource]

jrib,

I was fortunate enough to live in Anchorage one summer about 15 years ago. If you're a tightwad like me, you might be interested in driving north 2.5 hours to Talkeetna, where some shops will take you on a jet boat up some of the local rivers for as little as $65. The water should be low since the glaciers will have stopped their summer melt. And the trout should be fat, having feasted on salmon eggs all summer. (At least, this is what I remember them telling me when I left in late August). They will drop you off and pick you back up whenever you want. I got picked up at 10pm in the month of July.

I used Mahay's three times to go to Clear Creek on the Talkeetna (then walked up Fish Creek from Clear Creek). Tons of salmon, grayling, dolly varden and the biggest rainbow of my life (25"). Very remote compared to what I remember of the Kenai peninsula. If you can, hike up to the good spot on Fish Creek (the owner's son, Ishmael, told me where it was). I did it solo and that's when I caught my lunker. The creek was infested with monster rainbows, and not a soul anywhere to be found. I'm not sure how smart it was. If I had broken an ankle I'd have been screwed, and possibly a good meal for a bear. I carried pepper spray and a lot of the salmon fishermen had shotguns (they'd go off whenever the bears got to close to the fish on their rods or their stringers). I believe they said in September you can actually fish the Talkeetna River right in town, because the water will be low and the rainbows will be slowly retreating to the Susitna for winter. Here's their website: http://www.mahaysriverboat.com/alask...tleservice.htm

The other trip I did was up the Susitna River to the mouth of the Indian River. We only got to fish for about 1 hour, but it was off the charts. Monster 'bows on smolt patterns on every cast, and not a soul around. I believe the guy charged about $200 or so, but it looks like Mahay's charges $1600 for 6 people (since it's 50 miles away). I don't remember his name and couldn't find him on the web. But you could probably scrounge around and find someone. Because of the long boat ride, we saw some great scenery, including snow-capped mountains and a bear swimming across the river.

I was told Talkeetna is a sort of base camp for Denali. Pretty cool, tiny town with some bars and cheap lodging. There seem to be lots of write-ups on the town.

Good luck.

Paul

[jrib]

Thank you, JRib

[Troutsource]

Jrib, how was the trip?

[mr. 3 wt.]

Happens a lot on all forums like this. A person asks for help or advice and doesn't have the courtesy to report back their results, good or bad. Really is a shame.