07-09-2010, 06:10 PM
Where are you at in Alaska?
Depending on where you are in the state, there may not be too many salmon in the rivers just yet.
There should be pink salmon, not good to eat once in the rivers, but fun to catch just about everywhere by now. For them try anything with a purple body. I will often use a pink or chartreuse colored bead head on a purple maribou leech pattern. You may need to get a little bit deeper as well, so tie an overhand knot about 12 inches above the fly and put on a couple of bb size split shot above the knot. Just dead drift the fly through any riffle, or deeper hole and you should knock the stinky pinks dead!!
Depending on if there is a lake at the head of the stream there might also be sockeye/red salmon in the rivers as well. For them you do not want an overly agressive colored fly. Try a yellow bodied muddler, ( see the link ) [url "http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=083T&dir_id=1236&group_id=1260&cat_id=5451&subcat_id=6517"]http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=083T&dir_id=1236&group_id=1260&cat_id=5451&subcat_id=6517[/url]
or similiar pattern. For sockeye you will want to fish the head portion of where a riffle dumps into a deeper hole. Cast down and across stream, then hold your rod at a 45 degree angle to the current, this will cross swing the fly right past the fishes line of sight. They HATE that, do it as many as a dozen times in the same area before you move down stream a few steps to start the process again. Work the whole run very well as you do this. Sockeye are notorious for not being agressive on the chase, but holy $H!T hold on when they grab the fly, they are hands down the hardest fighting salmon pound for pound.
Now Silver salmon, should have a few in the river at this time. There are a couple of different techniques. One is the same as what I just told you for the Sockey, BUT use extremely bright flies as Silvers are officialy the psycho paths of the salmon world. Also with this, try tying a smaller pattern 12-16 inches below your bright streamer. An egg pattern on a heavy hook is good, or a chartreuse or bright colored stone fly (again see the link). [url "http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=973B&dir_id=1236&group_id=1264&cat_id=5487&subcat_id=6637"]http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=973B&dir_id=1236&group_id=1264&cat_id=5487&subcat_id=6637[/url]
Or if you have neither of those try a Green Butted Skunk, they are in every fly shop up there, as the trailing fly. Not sure why the silvers will grab the small fly sometimes but that is just the way it goes.
The second way to fish for silvers is to get a sinking line on your reel. Cast a bright colored streamer straight down stream, let it sink as deep as it will go, for the count of say 5 to 10 depending on the depth of the hole, then strip the fly agressively straight up the middle of the hole. Trust me you will know when a silver grabs that one!!
If you have any further questions, PM me and I will give you my cell number. I was a guide in AK for 5 years, and caught lotsof salmon up there!!
Oh yeah don't forget the dolly varden! Fish for them the same way you do the sockeye, but put a very muted fly on as a trailing fly like for the silvers, more of a traditional trout fly, like big hares ears, brassies, etc. and you should knock the dolly varden dead. They will grab both the streamer and the nymph pattern.
Good luck!!
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Depending on where you are in the state, there may not be too many salmon in the rivers just yet.
There should be pink salmon, not good to eat once in the rivers, but fun to catch just about everywhere by now. For them try anything with a purple body. I will often use a pink or chartreuse colored bead head on a purple maribou leech pattern. You may need to get a little bit deeper as well, so tie an overhand knot about 12 inches above the fly and put on a couple of bb size split shot above the knot. Just dead drift the fly through any riffle, or deeper hole and you should knock the stinky pinks dead!!
Depending on if there is a lake at the head of the stream there might also be sockeye/red salmon in the rivers as well. For them you do not want an overly agressive colored fly. Try a yellow bodied muddler, ( see the link ) [url "http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=083T&dir_id=1236&group_id=1260&cat_id=5451&subcat_id=6517"]http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=083T&dir_id=1236&group_id=1260&cat_id=5451&subcat_id=6517[/url]
or similiar pattern. For sockeye you will want to fish the head portion of where a riffle dumps into a deeper hole. Cast down and across stream, then hold your rod at a 45 degree angle to the current, this will cross swing the fly right past the fishes line of sight. They HATE that, do it as many as a dozen times in the same area before you move down stream a few steps to start the process again. Work the whole run very well as you do this. Sockeye are notorious for not being agressive on the chase, but holy $H!T hold on when they grab the fly, they are hands down the hardest fighting salmon pound for pound.
Now Silver salmon, should have a few in the river at this time. There are a couple of different techniques. One is the same as what I just told you for the Sockey, BUT use extremely bright flies as Silvers are officialy the psycho paths of the salmon world. Also with this, try tying a smaller pattern 12-16 inches below your bright streamer. An egg pattern on a heavy hook is good, or a chartreuse or bright colored stone fly (again see the link). [url "http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=973B&dir_id=1236&group_id=1264&cat_id=5487&subcat_id=6637"]http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=973B&dir_id=1236&group_id=1264&cat_id=5487&subcat_id=6637[/url]
Or if you have neither of those try a Green Butted Skunk, they are in every fly shop up there, as the trailing fly. Not sure why the silvers will grab the small fly sometimes but that is just the way it goes.
The second way to fish for silvers is to get a sinking line on your reel. Cast a bright colored streamer straight down stream, let it sink as deep as it will go, for the count of say 5 to 10 depending on the depth of the hole, then strip the fly agressively straight up the middle of the hole. Trust me you will know when a silver grabs that one!!
If you have any further questions, PM me and I will give you my cell number. I was a guide in AK for 5 years, and caught lotsof salmon up there!!
Oh yeah don't forget the dolly varden! Fish for them the same way you do the sockeye, but put a very muted fly on as a trailing fly like for the silvers, more of a traditional trout fly, like big hares ears, brassies, etc. and you should knock the dolly varden dead. They will grab both the streamer and the nymph pattern.
Good luck!!
[signature]