emirribolov
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 494
I had my first taste of steelhead here in Alaska. My buddy and I flew out to Yakutat for the sping run of steelhead there. Water levels are at a norm about 350 CFS. We pushed our trip back because of record snowfall and rain. The day we arrived the river had swelled to over 1700 CFS. Almost unfishable. Many flights were canceled and many fisherman arrived and left with the next flight. This wasn't an option for us. We stuck it out. I have never fished so hard in such extreme wading conditions. We fished in belly button deep water where it would normally be to your calves. The water was powerful and many times fighting a steelhead would be pushed down river even while anchoring my heels into the gravel.
Planning on hitting the river for 4 days we only managed one day on it. The day was epic. Many fish caught and released and to think we did it during those conditions made it more remarkable. It was awesome. Anyway.....This fish was spotted alone near the bank and I was working it for a good 15 to 20 minutes. It would not hit any fly I threw at it. I switched flies at least 10 times before selecting the one it wanted. The first cast with a white ESL passed next to the fish and down about 5 feet when all of a sudden the fish wanted the fly. I saw this beauty of a fish turn completely around and follow the fly 5 feet down river before it smashed it!
Every July My buddies and I rent a boat and hit a world class grayling fishery in interior Alaska. You couldn't ask for a better dry fly fishery. We use blue duns and the grayling go nuts for them. Here in AK a trophy grayling is one that reaches 18". We catch trophy grayling all day at this river. This river is spring fed and is gin clear. The weather is usually sunny in July in interior AK and temps around 75-80 degrees. The water on the other hand is around 36 degrees. Brutal on the feet even though it is hot out! This grayling was my biggest this year at 19". It is memorable because I caught it way out on one of my longest casts I have done. See the fish hit a dry so far away and setting the hook was a memory I will keep for a very long time. I love watching these fish smash the surface for a fly. Extremely fun!
This rainbow trout, although not a trophy, is memorable because it was on our first outing of the year on the raft. After being locked in winter for so long the first float down the Kenai river truly revitilizes me. This fish was caught while drifting off the raft. It was caught on a flesh fly that normally I do not have much success on. I mainly fish beads but this morning I tied on a flesh fly to try out my luck. My buddy who was manning the oars yells out if it is a nice fish.... I tell him no. This information lets him know whether or not to bank the raft to fight the fish. He then lets the raft drift by a sand bar....just as we were about to completely pass the sand bar the fish takes off and shows its strength as a pretty descent fish. I yell at my buddy to bank the raft. LOL he quickly poweres the raft at an angle uphill to the last corner of the bank so that I can jump off the raft and fight the fish.
I truly enjoy the memories that some of the fish caught create. I can look at any photo of fish I have caught and remember the weather, the buddies with me, conversations, my feelings, everything. Its great.
Here's a quick video on of this fish. Hope the link works.
http://www.facebook....&type=2
O man i love that grayling. I use to fish for them back home (not this continent) but they don,t get that big. I did not know they can get that large. BRAVOOOO
