| I just recently returned from my first fishing trip | | | | we could have used several different |
| to Alaska.If you have ever dreamed of heading | | | | methods-we used the single egg on seven weight |
| to the last frontier, but have continuously put it | | | | fly rods and it didn't take long before all of us |
| off because of this reason or that---STOP | | | | were catching 20 inch -or better- trout. None of |
| PUTTING IT OFF!!I myself, found reason after | | | | us caught any of the "mythical" 36 inch monsters, |
| reason to delay one of my "dream trips" until I | | | | but everyone caught quality fish--and plenty of |
| could no longer stand it any longer."Damn the time | | | | them.Greg landed a nice 25 inch Rainbow and I |
| constraints and load up the Visa card boys--were | | | | had landed a beautiful 24 inch Dolly.The canyon |
| headin' to Alaska!!"What I expected was a : 'you | | | | was a blast and even though we didn't catch as |
| should have been here in the seventies', "spawned | | | | many fish as we had caught in the morning, the |
| out" fishing destination--but what I found was a | | | | fish were all quality. Of course, the real thrill came |
| place I can't wait to return to.The Kenai | | | | when we were false charged(if you can call it |
| peninsula-which to a lot of fishermen is a place | | | | false) by a big sow Brown bear(see Grizzly) who |
| that is overfished and to easily accesible-was just | | | | was protecting her cub. All this happened while I |
| fine to me. Eleven different types of fish, from | | | | had a nice 23 inch rainbow on.(see brown spots in |
| fourteen inch Grayling to seventy pound Halibut | | | | waders!!)We also each caught a few more |
| found it's way on to my fishing rod, and | | | | Sockeye as we took a break from trout fishing |
| considering I only had one week to fish in Alaska, | | | | and did some more "swinging". In fact, Greg |
| I would say the only way I could have | | | | started catching so many Sockeye-even with his |
| experienced more fish ...would be to order the | | | | fly gear- that we started to call him "Sockeye |
| Alaskan sampler plate at the Red Lobster!!Each | | | | Greg"! We also chided him that he was cutting |
| and every day seemed to get better and | | | | into our trout time, everytime it took him more |
| better.Lets take a look at my own personal | | | | than five minutes to land his fish!!The trip ended |
| Alaskan Sampler Plate....We started with a nice | | | | with a motoring across Skilak lake-which is a |
| little three mile hike complete with float tube | | | | "wide spot in the road" on the Kenai river. Skilak, |
| "necklace" and blister inducing wading boots to | | | | along with Kenai lake help to make the Kenai river |
| Fuller Lakes. We were after Grayling, which would | | | | what it is--an incredible fishery.The trip was all |
| serve as a nice little appetizer of fourteen inch | | | | catch and release--so when we returned to |
| "dancers" on our five weight fly rods. The three | | | | "Camp Yuppie Fisher" the only thing we had take |
| mile hike would also help to take a little of the | | | | with us was our bear story and any hygenic fall |
| "starch" out my overly stimulated fishing | | | | out from the experience.So, if you are keeping |
| gland-which was "swollen" with anticipation of fish | | | | score-that's four differnet species of fish in two |
| filled waters.Evidently,they don't believe in | | | | days!!That trip ended Allens' work week, and like |
| switchbacks in Alaska, because the trail seemed | | | | any overworked - underpaid guide, he started his |
| to go straight up,and when we got to the end of | | | | "days off" by...going fishing!!We all went to Quartz |
| the trail-the sweat I wrung out of my shirt made | | | | creek that evening and fished for more BIG Dolly |
| me wonder why I even bothered to bring | | | | Vardens on a little spawning tributary of the |
| waders!!When we got to the lake, a small five | | | | upper Kenai. I was fishing a new technique-called |
| acre lake, it was shrouded in fog and I could only | | | | "cast and look back over your shoulder", which I |
| trust that Clayton- our friend, pseudo-guide,and | | | | had just developed since seeing more Brown Bear |
| part time mountain goat- had led us to a five | | | | tracks on the sand bar I was fishing on. After this |
| acre lake, since you could only see about twenty | | | | mornings encounter, I was happy to move |
| five yards in front of you.Nonetheless, tubes | | | | further downstream and let any bears in the |
| were filled and we set off into the fog like ghost | | | | vicinity have this sand bar for there watering and |
| ships disappearing into the great unknown.It might | | | | feeding hole. Clayton also mentioned that he saw |
| as well have been the start of a trans-Atlantic | | | | some wolf tracks, which was beginning to make |
| journey for all I knew, because as soon as | | | | me feel like a buffet item at the "all you can eat" |
| Clayton paddled thirty yards out--Greg and I were | | | | Wildlife Diner.At this point, something should be |
| on our own with nothing but the occasional splash | | | | said about the famed "long days" of the Alaskan |
| of a hooked Grayling to act as a sound beacon to | | | | summers. Even in mid August the summer days |
| guide our way.Eventually, after kicking around in | | | | are still very long with dark not coming until after |
| my float tube for a half hour,I found a nice | | | | 10:00 p.m- so it is not uncommon to fish until dark. |
| twelve inch Grayling. Then another and | | | | This makes for a lot of red eyed fishermen and |
| another...until I giggled happily as the hooked | | | | guides, and might have something to do with the |
| Grayling danced around me. My "giggles in the | | | | "crankiness" of some of the sleep deprived |
| mist" attracted Greg and Clayton and after | | | | fishermen--and the endless string of espresso |
| twenty or thirty fish ,we decided to leave Fuller | | | | stands that you almost could jump from roof to |
| lake. Thank goodness Clayton and Greg knew | | | | roof and never touch ground in Alaska.That might |
| how to get back to the starting point on the | | | | be a slight exaggeration--but there are ALOT of |
| lake,otherwise I might still be up at Fuller Lake, | | | | espresso stands.Day three on the Alaskan |
| living on Grayling sushi.I never did actually see that | | | | sampler, required a drive and another semi- short |
| lake-and I hope it wasn't an abirition--cause I sure | | | | hike.I could tell you where-but then I would have |
| had fun!!Fuller lake was the perfect warm up, so | | | | to send you to Afghanistan and place you in an |
| to speak, and after a brief rest at Camp Yuppie | | | | underground tunnel where you would never be |
| Fisher, | | | | found or seen again.It was a special place and |
| we were ready for a little "Sockeye | | | | actually can be figured out if you do some |
| Swinging".Now, before you think that this is some | | | | research, but we had the whole place to |
| sort of kinky Alaskan male-female-fish menage -a | | | | ourselves, and I am not quite ready to give up |
| - trois, or the latest winter solstice- blues busting | | | | the name of this "sanctuary"!!We wound up waist |
| dance craze, understand that the Sockeye Swing | | | | deep in saltwater fishing for Pink Salmon--lovingly |
| is a technique of catching Sockeye Salmon on a | | | | referred to as "humpys" in Alaska. You can |
| fly.Or- snagging them in the mouth -as the local | | | | quickly understand where they get their nickname |
| guides like to refer to the techniques rather | | | | after seeing the "quasimodo" hump(speaking of |
| unique use of fly, 3/8 oz weight, and nervous | | | | sanctuary) that bulges from their back as they |
| "shoulder twitch"!!Boy--it sure catches a lotta | | | | ready themselves for the spawning run up creeks |
| fish.Keep in mind, in Alaska--snagging a Salmon | | | | and rivers.I'm not exactly sure why they get all |
| anywhere in front of the gill plate is considered a | | | | grotesque like that--I'm just glad our spawning |
| fair hooked fish-- and before you get on your | | | | rituals don't result in such an obvious display of |
| purist high horse--also consider that over a million | | | | transformation!!This day was truly a saltwater fly |
| and one-half Sockeye will return on the Kenai | | | | fishing dream. Seven weight rods, and a fly we |
| alone this year!!Viva la Sockeye Swing!As with | | | | cleverly named "Pink Floyd", which might give you |
| most Salmon, the Sockeye really isn't interested | | | | a hint as to which color it was, and fish stacked |
| in eating when it hits the river,so the only way to | | | | up like cord wood waiting to head up out of the |
| really catch them is to drift something into there | | | | saltwater into freshwater. You could see the fins |
| mouths. (Although a friend of mine tells me that | | | | protruding up out of the water and this was the |
| later in the spawn they will get angry and hit just | | | | closest thing to "bonefishing" that I have ever |
| about anything.)The only downside was the | | | | done.Moving into the "herd" and casting out about |
| continuous fighting of six to ten pound fish on fly | | | | forty to fifty feet, then stripping slowly back |
| rods, which is not much of a downside as far as I | | | | would yield fish after fish after fish....until we were |
| am concerned.We also released all but three | | | | actually exhausted from hooking and landing |
| Salmon, and they were not sporting the bright | | | | "humpys". AND these fellars would take the |
| red color yet.I could have quit fishing now and | | | | fly!!!Then the "humpys" would move and you |
| been satisfied with the trip, but we were just | | | | would follow their dorsals until you were casting |
| getting started.The next day was one of the | | | | into group again.There were more Pinks then |
| best- and most underrated trips- on the Kenai | | | | "extras" in a remake of Ben Hur!!Numerous times |
| peninsula.The upper Kenai for trout.Allen, a first | | | | all three of us(Greg,Clayton and I) would have |
| year Alaskan fishing guide, and the son of | | | | "triples" on and we literally quit because our arms |
| Clayton, was going to be our guide that day.The | | | | were getting sore!Bummer.We even had our own |
| first thing I noticed about Allen was that he was | | | | "Pink Floyd" parody by the end as we sang: "all in |
| walking around with nail polish. It was the evening | | | | all.. it's just a ..nother fish on the pole..." do do do |
| before our trip and Allen slipped into the "guides | | | | do.....On our way out of saltwater flyfishing |
| fish hut", where they tie flies and ready their gear | | | | nirvana, we stopped to view the Pinks and Chum |
| for the following days floats and trips. Now, the | | | | Salmon that had already made it into freshwater |
| fact that Allen was carrying a bottle of Revlon | | | | and were beginning to bury eggs. We even |
| "creamsicle shaded" teflon coated "nail | | | | spotted a wayward Sockeye which looked about |
| enhancement" might not be of concern to | | | | as out of place as a "Jay-Z" fan at a "Yanni" |
| you--but all I could think was that it must be | | | | concert. I hoped at least one more wayward |
| tough being a first year guide in Alaska!! I had | | | | Sockeye of the opposite sex would wander up |
| already heard the term"fish- bitch" bandied about | | | | that stream, otherwise the big moment in that |
| in guide circles, and thought the worst for poor | | | | Salmons existence was going to go unfulfilled.We |
| Allen.If he showed up in stilletto heels and | | | | headed back for "Camp Yuppie Fisher" and |
| mascara in the morning--I WAS OUT!!My curiosity | | | | decided to take the evening off from |
| got the best of me and I took a peak into the | | | | fishing.Instead, we hiked to the Russian River Falls, |
| fish hut,(O.K. -so I'm a sicko!) and was releaved to | | | | where we watched another "fisherman" catching |
| see Allen painting "fishbeads" with the nail polish. In | | | | fish in a more native Alaskan way. Actually, it was |
| fact, the whole bench was covered with various | | | | a "fisherwomen" and she would just swim back |
| shades and colors of choice-and each guide had | | | | and forth at the falls picking out Sockeye like an |
| their own personal favorite shade that they used | | | | informed consumer at a local fish market.Finally |
| to seduce FISH!Whew, what a relief!!Early morning | | | | selecting her "catch o' the day" by burying her |
| found us on the upper Kenai, floating in 20 foot | | | | head in the water and pulling out a nice "catch" by |
| Willie Drift boats(Made right here in my | | | | her teeth. Then she would sit back and eat her |
| hometown.) with four fishermen, and Allen at the | | | | catch like a giant sushi popsicle, tossing it aside |
| helm. I checked out Allens fingernails-just to be | | | | half eaten while a watchful sea gull waited like a |
| sure- and felt comfortable that the beads were | | | | hungry bus boy about to swoop up some |
| the only things being painted! The fishbeads are | | | | leftovers.This time we were viewing the Brown |
| supposed to simulate single Salmon eggs floating | | | | bear from a safe distance on top of an overlook |
| downstream,and the nail polish gives them a | | | | and didn't really feel any danger since Salmon |
| "milky" look-much like real eggs look like as they | | | | probably taste better than Sal-MAN.I think??So, |
| float downstream.We put in above the Russian | | | | day three results--five different fish species, three |
| River, and the plan was to drift down through | | | | different bear experiences, and three sore |
| "The Canyon" all the way to Skilak Lake. I guess | | | | shoulders!!End of part 1A.J. Klott |
| the theory is that the big trout in Skilak see the | | | | Author, writer of fishing humor,and "fly tack" |
| Salmon heading through the lake, and follow them | | | | peddler. A.J. writes about the people, characters |
| like kids follow an ice cream truck in summer. | | | | and modern day events that surround the fishing |
| Whatever the reason- there are some big | | | | world. His first book is due out in December of |
| Rainbows and Dolly Vardens in the river. Although | | | | 2005. |