Fishing Alaska: The Need to Know

All year long we field calls and emails from folks planning a trip to Alaska, what do we need, where to go, I am going here, what do I bring, and the list goes on. This is one of the things I love most about being a fly shop in Alaska, we are unique and majestic, and we love helping people out on their trips of a lifetime.

Climate

Alaska can be a unforgiving place when it comes to weather. We have seen an upward trend in people coming in May to fish, this is not a great time to come up. While the weather is typically pretty good, it can be cold, but the bigger issue are the fisheries. Western Alaska lodge operations are not open (Bristol Bay opens June 8th) and the Kenai closes May 1st to June 11th. While there are some opportunities for some King salmon fishing on the Kenai Peninsula, it’s still early so catching can be spotty. The Mat-Su Valley streams are open to fish, but they are typically dealing with run off and are not typically fishing great yet. June and July are typically pretty good weather months, ranging in the 40’s for lows and upwards of 60 to 70 for highs on average. August is another warm month, but rain will start to show more frequent. Our local running joke is the State Fair, after 49 winters here, the fair usually brings the rains. The tail end of August and well into September can be very wet. September, we tend to see the temps starting to drop, mountains will start to show termination dust towards the mid to end of the month. October historically is when we really see a drop, frost in the mornings with highs to 45-50 but that will gradually drop through the month. If we were having a normal winter, the ground will be white by Halloween.

Clothing

Regardless of what month you are going to be here and wherever you are going; you should always be prepared for the worst. Rain gear is a must when you come to Alaska, you just pray you won’t need to break it out. Layers are another great way to be prepared, having a good base layer, mid layer and top layer give you the ability to adjust to what ever mother nature is going to throw at you. Hats, gloves and sunglasses are all articles you should have as well. A primaloft jacket is a good item to have in the bag too. Bug dope and sunscreen are two essential items to plan on, bugs that bite we have plenty of and believe it or not we do get sunburnt up here in the great north.

Fish Species

We have all kinds of fish to target in Alaska, here is a list of what you can go looking for. Chinook (King) Salmon, Sockeye (Red Salmon), Chum (Dog) Salmon, Coho (Silver Salmon), Pink (Humpies) Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Steelhead, Dolly Varden, Arctic Char, Grayling, White Fish, Sheefish, Northern Pike, Burbot, Halibut, Yellow Eye, Black Sea Bass, Ling Cod, Sea Run Cutthroat and I am sure I missed a couple. Not all these species are targeted with a fly rod but there are other ways to target them.

Flies & Tactics

Chinook or King Salmon: Streamers in various colors and sizes. Common types of streamers are rabbit, marabou and Intruders. Colors vary on where you are fishing for them, when you are closer to the saltwater chart/white and Chart/blue are my two go to color ways. Pink, Orange, Purple, Chartreuse, blue, black and White are all great colors, blending some of these colors together is also a great option: Pink/White, Pink/Org, Purple/Pink, Chart/White, Chart/Blue, Black/blue, Black/Chart, Purple/Blue are all some color combinations that you can play with. Typical method for fishing Kings is a traditional swing, fishing a sink tip or a long leader and some split shot will get the fly down to the fish.
Red or Sockeye Salmon: Mini Krystal Shrimp in Chartreuse, Pink, Pearl, Orange and Blue is a great pattern if you are looking to have them eat. Contrary to beliefs, Sockeye will eat a fly. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to Sockeye fishing, it is a harvest. Typical methods are lining the fish in the mouth but with a good extra heavy sink tip and a short down and across method, you can get them to eat a shrimp type pattern.
Keta or Chum or Dog Salmon: Streamers in various Colors and sizes. Common types of streamers are rabbit, marabou and Intruders. Like Kings, where you are in relation to the salt can vary the color ways but all the same colors that work for Kings will work for Chums. One great color option that Chums love is Chart/Pink. Typical method for fishing Chums is a traditional swing, fishing a sink tip or long leader with split shot.
Coho or Silver Salmon: Streamers in Pink, Purple, Chartreuse, Black, Pink/Purple, Black/Blue, Pink/White, Chart/Pink are all great color options. The old stand by Egg Sucking Leech in Chart. w/Pink Egg and Purple w/Pink Egg in a sz 2 still plays the game well. The other style fly that people come specifically to Alaska to use, wogs. Silvers in the right water will come to the surface and crush a well presented wog or popper. Wogs/Poppers in pink and chartreuse are your typical colors. Typical method with Silvers is a traditional swing, stripping or strip popping the fly, they seem to like movement in the fly more than not. With wogs/poppers, either skate them or pop them across the top.
Humpy or Pink Salmon: Streamers in Pink are most common, go figure, Pinks like pink. Pinks are not super picky typically on the fly or the color. Swing em or strip em, they will eat.
Rainbow Trout: Early season will be streamers, smolt and nymphs. Summer months; dries, nymphs, streamers, mice. Fall season; egg patterns, flesh and streamers. Streamer colors in black, olives, browns and white are all good colors to have. Typical nymph’s like copper johns, hares’ ear, pheasant tails and stonefly imitations will all work. Dries like Stimulators, Elk Hair Caddis, BWO’s, Yellow Sallies, Royal Wulff and Irresistible will all work. Trout in Alaska tend to like a streamer on the swing more than stripped but they will attack both ways. Standard dry fly and nymphing techniques are all you need. When it comes to egg patterns and flesh a standard nymph dead drift is what you are looking to accomplish.
Steelhead: Traditional steelhead patterns as well as egg patterns, big nymphs and streamers will get you in the game. Standard nymphing and swing techniques.
Dolly Varden/Arctic Char: Fishing for both fish is just like fishing for trout. While they will come up to the surface, streamers, egg patterns and flesh will tend to be more prominent patterns for them.
Grayling: One of the most underrated species we have. So many people want to target big fish, so Grayling will get overlooked but for the more traditional fly fisher person, these little fellers are right up your alley. They are a beautiful fish with a ton of gorgeous colors in their big dorsal fin. Grayling are far more abundant in the northern part of the state, which means less likely to have salmon in their system so traditional trout flies like dries and nymphs are what you need. If you are in a system with grayling and salmon you can add egg patterns and flesh to the box. Small streamers will also entice an eat.
Sheefish: Baitfish type streamers with a traditional swing will get you an eat for sure. Some people call them the Tarpon of the North, which seems to insult true Tarpon fishers, but I understand where the nickname comes from.

Rods & Reels

Chinook (King Salmon): 9,10 or 12wt single hand rods with a matching reel that has a good drag rigged with a fast sinking line and an option for a floating line. 9 or 10wt Two handed rod with a matching reel, Skagit head and assortment of tips as well as a intermediate style head option like an Airflo Fist or Rio Skagit Max Game Changer.
Red (Sockeye Salmon): 8 or 9wt single hand rod with a matching reel that has good drag. You can use either a super-fast sinking line or a floating line that will require a long leader and plenty of lead. Since sockeye run virtually on the bank, a two hand rod is not really needed.
Dog (Keta or Chum Salmon): 9 or 10wt single hand rod with a matching reel that has good drag matching with a sink tip line and a floating line option. Heavy 7 or 8wt two hand rod with matching reel and a skagit head with assortment of sink tips. Remember, these are the second biggest salmon we get.
Coho (Silver Salmon): 8 or 9wt single hand rod with matching reel that has a good drag matched with a sink tip line as well a floating line option. 7 or 8wt two hand rod with matching reel, skagit line and assortment of tips.
Humpies (Pink Salmon): 6 or 7wt single hand rod with matching reel and a sink tip and floating line option.
Rainbow Trout: 6,7 or 8wt single hand rod (this will depend on where you are fishing and the size of trout) if you were bringing only one go 7wt. Matching reel with sink tip and floating line option. 4 through 8wt two hand rods (again this will depend on where you are fishing and the size of trout) with a matching reel, skagit head and a floating head option (Airflo Rage, SA Scandi Lite, Rio Scandi Short or similar) with a selection of sink tips.
Steelhead: 8wt single hand rod with matching reel rigged with a sink tip and floating line option. 7 or 8wt two hand rod with matching reel, skagit line and selection of tips.
Dolly Varden/Arctic Char: 6, 7 or 8wt single hand rod (Depends on where you are fishing) only bringing one go 7wt. Matching reel with floating line and sink tip option. 6 or 7wt two hand rod with matching reel and skagit head with selection of tips.
Grayling: 2, 3 or 4wt with matching reel and a floating line.
Sheefish: 8 or 9wt single hand rod with matching reel rigged with floating and sink tip option. 7 or 8wt two hand rod with matching reel rigged with skagit head and floating head option and a selection of tips.

Leaders & Tippet

Salmon: 6 to 9 ft. leaders ranging 15 to 20lb with matching tippet. Maxima Ultra Green in 15-20 pound is a very common leader material used here. When you are adding spilt shot a taper is irrelevant, so running straight material is fine. I am not a fan of Fluorocarbon materials with salmon, I like my leaders to have some stretch.

Trout: 6 to 12 ft. leaders with matching tippet from 5x to 12lb (this will depend on the size of trout in the system you are fishing) Fluorocarbon leaders and tippet in the same size range are good to, our fish are not super spooky in most places but any advantage can help.

Steelhead: 6 to 12’ leaders with matching tippet in the 10 to 15lb range.

Dolly Varden/Arctic Char: 6 to 12 ft. leaders with matching tippet from 3x to 12lb. Fluorocarbon leaders and tippet in the same size range are good to, our fish are not super spooky in most places, but any advantage can help.

Grayling: 7.5 to 9 ft. leaders with matching tippet in 4 and 5x. Fluorocarbon in the same.

Sheefish: 9 to 10 ft. leaders in 15-20lb with matching tippet. Maxima Ultra Green is a good one for this.

Other Essential Gear & The Little Things

  • Good water resistant or submersible hip pack, sling bag or backpack. If you are doing a float trip good water-resistant duffel are a must. If you are going to a lodge and doing fly outs a small waterproof backpack will make your day more pleasant.
  • Baseball cap and beanie are both a must
  • Polarized Glasses, both a bright light and low light lens would be good. Chums on them will help from losing them.
  • Gloves
  • Buff style neck gator. This not only helps with the sun but keeps the bugs and winds off your neck.
  • Bug Dope and Sunscreen
  • Strike Indicators
  • Split shot
  • Forceps, Nippers and Pliers
  • Hook Release Tool
Well, there you have it! Pretty much anything and everything think you'll need to know when you come to Alaska to fish. I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact us for any additional information you're seeking. You can call us Monday through Friday 9 AM to 6 PM, Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. you can also email me a [email protected] anytime. Also, find us on facebook and instagram. Fish on and Tight Lines!