Copper/Koktuli Alaska Floats

[johnsquires]

Headed up Monday to float the Copper for a few days, then over to the Koktuli for eight days. All repeat clients, which is great. Second trip for two of them, third trip for two of them. Should be some great fishing this time of the year.
I'm bringing the good camera this time (I lost my pocket waterproof camera somehow), bringing a longer focal length lens for the birds and the bears, so hopefully I'll have some nice pictures to post when we get back.

[johnsquires]

Upper Copper was great for bows. Bit of a challenge floating it because of the waterfall portage, but worth the effort and it keeps the crowds away. Many, many large bows caught, mostly on beads.

Koktuli was not great, surprisingly. I figured we were a bit late and that was the problem, but I heard a report from a group who went earlier that they did not do well, so I'm not sure what that was all about. It's usually a great fishery.

Thanks to Chad, Devon and River at Rainbow River Lodge for their usual excellent service.

I have some good pictures, but I'll have to figure out how to load them on here.

[johnsquires]

This year's casualty list:
2 rods
1 chair
2 out of 3 tents (extremely high winds). And these were high-quality tents.
Not bad, considering no harm was done to humans.
American Creek and the Koktuli next year.

[johnsquires]

Upper Copper River, waterfall portage, sending the rafts over empty and frameless.

[gwris]

Great Photo John. Bummer about the equipment, but glad that the Copper was good to you.
Gregg

[johnsquires]

Thanks, Gregg. Working on getting expedition tents - apparently necessary in that kind of wind.
Upper Copper was amazing. I've never seen so many fish caught in the 22-26 inch slot in one day before.

[johnsquires]

BTW, if you would like your club to have me present a program on floating & fishing the Koktuli (and I haven't already done that particular presentation at that club), let me know and I'll contact the program director.

[johnsquires]

One of my clients on the upper Copper River. He had the hot rod this particular afternoon. It was amazing how many fish of this size he caught.

[johnsquires]

We met and spent some time with a great guy while floating the upper Copper. His first name was Fred and he was from Utah. He sets up a camp on the upper Copper every year and stays a month - by himself. He is a great fly fisherman and had some wonderful stories (as you can imagine) of his times up there - mink under his sleeping bag in the middle of the night, bear pulling the tent off him in the middle of the night. I asked him if he was writing any of this down and he said he wasn't. I don't know if it was Field & Stream or Outdoor Life that had the "This Happened To Me" deal. Some of his stories would make it for sure.
Just another bonus of going to Alaska - you meet a lot of interesting people.

[johnsquires]

So if this thread ends up with over 1,000 views, I'm going to have a question.