Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: Fishing trip on the Kenai

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    306

    Default Fishing trip on the Kenai

    So my father and I have a trip planned for late August/early September to fish the Kenai River in Alaska for silvers, bows, and dolly varden. From what I have read, it is prime time for the egg bite there so we will be using 8 wts with indicator setups. I am curious if we should bring any switch rods for swinging but I am not sure if they are needed since it seems like indicators are the preferred method for the time of the year. If anyone has fished the Kenai during these months, please let me know what you recommend. Thank you in advance!
    ..."I'd rather be fishing..."

    Peter V

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    On the River in Shastanistan
    Posts
    162

    Default

    Yes, bring your switch rods for swinging, if you can. The main problem with swinging at that time of the year, is there are so many salmon in the river that it's difficult to swing without unintentionally "foul hooking" salmon. Yes, that is prime time for egg drop time, and yes, that is mainly an indicator game (and you should be playing that game as the enclosed photo shows, taken on the Kenai in early SEP!), but swinging flesh flies for trout & char can be very productive in the right situations. Also swinging for silvers is very possible.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    306

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by WLREDBAND View Post
    Yes, bring your switch rods for swinging, if you can. The main problem with swinging at that time of the year, is there are so many salmon in the river that it's difficult to swing without unintentionally "foul hooking" salmon. Yes, that is prime time for egg drop time, and yes, that is mainly an indicator game (and you should be playing that game as the enclosed photo shows, taken on the Kenai in early SEP!), but swinging flesh flies for trout & char can be very productive in the right situations. Also swinging for silvers is very possible.
    Thanks for your advice. Now that is a fat rainbow! So when you say "foul hooking" salmon, are you referring to pinks or silvers?
    ..."I'd rather be fishing..."

    Peter V

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Garden Valley
    Posts
    1,076

    Default

    I’m curious how you guys are dealing with the testing requirements? My wife and I were hoping to do a wilderness trip later this month but had to pull the plug due to not being able to get the testing requirements. The 72 hour rule is great from a heath perspective, but logistically we couldn’t make it work.

    As for the questions on rods and techniques: I’ve found it’s also quite tricky to find good swing water with enough room to make a switch rod feasible. I personally am not a big fan of indicators unless I absolutely have to, so 99% of my fishing up there is without. I have no doubt that I could catch more trout with a dedicated egg/bobber set up, but I’ve been happy enough with my results without. Good call on the 8wt, as that rainbow is not an anomaly there! Late August will have lots of both silvers and pinks in the Kenai. The pinks can be a lot of fun in other waters, if you hook them right out of the salt; unfortunately any pinks you hook on the Kenai will be more of a nuisance than anything else.

    One fun thing about fishing the Kenai, is that with the same fly you could easily hook a Silver, Rainbow, or Dolly on any given cast! Lots of fun.
    JB
    "Lord help me to be the person my dog thinks I am"
    - unknown

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    On the River in Shastanistan
    Posts
    162

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Pvillarr View Post
    Thanks for your advice. Now that is a fat rainbow! So when you say "foul hooking" salmon, are you referring to pinks or silvers?
    The problem with foul hooking is with pinks and sockeye salmon. Just too many of them, and the trout/char are right in amongst them sucking down eggs and flesh. And under AK laws, you can not retain any fish not hooked in the mouth so you can't say well, I'll just eat the salmon for dinner (most of the time those salmon are pretty beat up and inedible anyways). So, you're wasting valuable fishing time fighting foul hooked fish. And, there is plenty of water on the Kenai (it's big water) where chucking a switch rod is not only feasible, but highly recommended (like this one caught on a flesh fly in early SEP on the Kenai!).
    Last edited by WLREDBAND; 07-10-2020 at 05:49 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    306

    Default

    We are having some difficulties with the testing requirements as well but we are hoping it all works out. Luckily, we will credit with the airfare tickets if we have to reschedule and our airbnb is refundable up until mid August so we have some time.

    I am curious of your fishing process without an indicator. Are you high sticking? Swinging with a single hand rod? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

    Quote Originally Posted by JasonB View Post
    I’m curious how you guys are dealing with the testing requirements? My wife and I were hoping to do a wilderness trip later this month but had to pull the plug due to not being able to get the testing requirements. The 72 hour rule is great from a heath perspective, but logistically we couldn’t make it work.

    As for the questions on rods and techniques: I’ve found it’s also quite tricky to find good swing water with enough room to make a switch rod feasible. I personally am not a big fan of indicators unless I absolutely have to, so 99% of my fishing up there is without. I have no doubt that I could catch more trout with a dedicated egg/bobber set up, but I’ve been happy enough with my results without. Good call on the 8wt, as that rainbow is not an anomaly there! Late August will have lots of both silvers and pinks in the Kenai. The pinks can be a lot of fun in other waters, if you hook them right out of the salt; unfortunately any pinks you hook on the Kenai will be more of a nuisance than anything else.

    One fun thing about fishing the Kenai, is that with the same fly you could easily hook a Silver, Rainbow, or Dolly on any given cast! Lots of fun.
    JB
    ..."I'd rather be fishing..."

    Peter V

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    306

    Default

    That is a pig right there!!!

    Ok that makes sense. I could always bring a single hand line, like an OPST commando head, and use it on a single hand rod but I definitely prefer swinging with a designated two hand rod like a switch or spey. I can just get more distance with ease with the two hand rod.




    Quote Originally Posted by WLREDBAND View Post
    The problem with foul hooking is with pinks and sockeye salmon. Just too many of them, and the trout/char are right in amongst them sucking down eggs and flesh. And under AK laws, you can not retain any fish not hooked in the mouth so you can't say well, I'll just eat the salmon for dinner (most of the time those salmon are pretty beat up and inedible anyways). So, you're wasting valuable fishing time fighting foul hooked fish. And, there is plenty of water on the Kenai (it's big water) where chucking a switch rod is not only feasible, but highly recommended (like this one caught on a flesh fly in early SEP on the Kenai!).
    ..."I'd rather be fishing..."

    Peter V

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Garden Valley
    Posts
    1,076

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Pvillarr View Post
    We are having some difficulties with the testing requirements as well but we are hoping it all works out. Luckily, we will credit with the airfare tickets if we have to reschedule and our airbnb is refundable up until mid August so we have some time.

    I am curious of your fishing process without an indicator. Are you high sticking? Swinging with a single hand rod? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
    Depends a bit on the water, but basically yes to either/both. The issue with foul hooking salmon varies too, depending on where you are fishing, and the run timing; but it can be a substantial problem at times. I generally try to avoid “dredging” through a hole: adjusting my casting angle, unweighted flies, using tight line control, etc. The bigger rainbows and dollies do love to crowd right in with the big schools of salmon, but if the salmon are too thick in one area I prefer to move on. It’s really not fun, or cool, to be foul hooking a bunch of stale salmon...and there is much better fishing to be had!

    If you guys have access to a boat that really opens up a ton more water. Not sure if that’s something you’ve already looked into or not.
    Good luck,
    JB
    "Lord help me to be the person my dog thinks I am"
    - unknown

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    306

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JasonB View Post
    Depends a bit on the water, but basically yes to either/both. The issue with foul hooking salmon varies too, depending on where you are fishing, and the run timing; but it can be a substantial problem at times. I generally try to avoid “dredging” through a hole: adjusting my casting angle, unweighted flies, using tight line control, etc. The bigger rainbows and dollies do love to crowd right in with the big schools of salmon, but if the salmon are too thick in one area I prefer to move on. It’s really not fun, or cool, to be foul hooking a bunch of stale salmon...and there is much better fishing to be had!

    If you guys have access to a boat that really opens up a ton more water. Not sure if that’s something you’ve already looked into or not.
    Good luck,
    JB
    Thank you for the info. We are meeting up with our "family friend guide" who is up there and has a point. So half the trip will be from a drift boat and the other half will be more of a "walk and wade" style trip.
    ..."I'd rather be fishing..."

    Peter V

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Central Ca
    Posts
    356

    Default

    You can fish an indicator with a switch rod. I’d definitely take one, got my biggest rainbow fishing a dark leech on my Meiser switch with a 10’ type six polyleader on the swing. By September there will be opportunities to swing egg-sucking leech, flesh flies and othe patterns as the egg bite will be on the downhill, depending on the section you fish. Also a switch is perfect for fishing silvers in mouth of smaller rivers on the southern peninsula. I wouldn’t leave home without mine.
    Robert

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •