Fly Fishing Diaries: Alaska 2010

Alaska 2010

Wednesday 1 September

Brian Henderson and I left Bozeman early in the morning, dropped the car off then caught the 7.20am flight to Seattle then on to Anchorage. Actually missed our connecting flight from Seattle but got put on one leaving an hour later (with exit row seats) so it all turned out ok. Touched down at midday.

Met up with Tony Weaver (FFF MCI) who is a really great guy, a skilled writer and photographer and a superb caster. In fact Tony has written numerous books on fishing in Alaska and is the go to man if you need any information. What he doesn't know about fishing in Alaska is not worth knowing. Later Brian and I did some testing for 2 CCI candidates, Paul Turnow and Lee Kuepper. Both passed well.

Brian and Tony Weaver

Consulting during the test - 'what shall we have for dinner Brian?"

"I don't know... seafood?"

Ok lets do it. Lee doing his test.

Success. Paul, Brian, yours truly and Lee

Thursday 2 September

Paul, Brian and I fished Bird Creek, just out of Anchorage.

Pauls car roof doubles as his fly box. Not a bad idea, wonder how that would look in the Golf GTI?

Bird Creek - about 50 minutes from Anchorage.

Paul trying to blend in :-)

Hooked up

First taste of Alaska salmon

Had fun, Brian caught a real good Silver Salmon. We gave it to someone to eat, since they all spawn and die (plus they asked us for it). Finished at 4pm, drove into Anchorage and picked up Bruce from the airport. Bruce was blind (thats blind drunk!)

Brian, Bruce and yours truly on the way down Turnagain Arm. BT (thats Bruce) was still drunk at this stage.

The Seward Highway (and then the Sterling Highway) to Cooper Landing is one of the most spectacular that I have ever driven.

Had dinner on the way to Cooper Landing. Spent the night at Drifters Lodge , we arrived there about 9pm.

A relaxing drink (not that BT needed any more grog, or encouraging for that matter) by the fire before bed.

Friday 3 September

Met early at the Alaska Troutfitters shop

No we didn't stop at a crochet shop on the way - this is a typical fly selection in Alaska, egg patterns.

Floated the Kenai Rv with Paul Turnow (who we had tested for his CCI and had passed well) . Put in at Skilak Lake and floated to Sterling.

The back of Pauls truck. I know you can only use one at a time, but still... a selection is always good.

Paul rowing across Skilak lake

Hitting it

Saw heaps of salmon, we all caught plenty of fish, Bruce caught a cracker rainbow – 22”!

Letting him go

He also caught this chestnut... biggest for the trip.

Bruce gave Paul a kangaroo skin coat that he had brought from Australia to give to 'someone'. Paul really seemed to like it... I might have to reassess him (thought he was a good bloke.) But it did seem to suit him!

The weather was superb and we had a great day. Finished fishing about 6pm after a 7am start. We then drove through Homer where we spent the night in a lodge/motel.

Saturday 4 September

Had breakfast at the Carabou Family Restaurant, then had a look through town and headed up to Anchor River (on the advice of a guide we met on the Homer Spit – Brian Saunders).

Out on the Homer Spit

Brian Saunder's fly shop out on the Spit

Some good looking 'flies'

An Alaskan fly box

Homer - harbour for some of the boats that feature in the "Worlds Deadliest Catch".

A good tip. We started fishing about 12pm and knocked off about 6.15pm. Saw some good action. I landed 3 good silvers (ie 10lbs plus!) 2 were caught on beads the other one on a purple streamer. Brian landed an absolute corker!

Brian checking out some info.

Bear bait

Hooked up

Silver

A not so pretty silver

Brians corker!

Another nice one

Boys were hungry

Wasabi, soy and lemon juice would keep you fed in Alaska for about 4 months!

The numbers of fish entering the Anchor River

Another great Fly shop at Anchor Point.

Stayed the night at the Drifters Lodge in Cooper Landing (got the Eagles nest room – it was quite nice.)

Sunday 5 September

Up and away by 8am, headed back to Anchorage.

Did some sight seeing on the way and some shopping in Anchorage. Went into a hairdresser to get a hair cut, no one was there that could cut my hair so I told the shop assistant ‘Randy’ ( and I think he may just have been) that all I needed was some clippers, and I would do it myself. So he took me over set out the clipper blades and watched as I cut my own hair! He did give me a nice shampoo after though – and all for $10! So I gave him a $10 tip (which was generous I thought since I did all the work myself J ). Met up with Tony Weaver again (FFF MCI) for dinner. Good to meet him and spend some time with him. Also met Pat Ford ( a lawyer by training) who is also a professional photographer. He had some great shots.

Monday 6 September

Up at 6am, Bruce woke us with a staged fall down (he fell over a few days ago getting out the bath tub.) We both yelled out ‘are you alright’ he started laughing. I wanted to snap him. Dropped the boys at Iliamna Air, then dropped the car off at the car rental place at the airport.

Copper River is the river centre picture with two lakes on it

Heading over

Touch down at Iliamna. The guests that week were Cliff, John, Chuck, Brian, Bruce and myself

Waiting at Iliamna for our next flight to the Copper River

That says ' Bears my bluff charge and come very close to you. Hold your ground' Good luck with that Brucie ( I can say that as I can outrun him!)

Waiting for the connecting flight from Iliamna to the lodge

Our taxi awaits

We were an hour late taking off due to the weather (it was foggy at Iliamna). We then flew to Iliamna and then swapped to a Hawker Dehavilland for the flight back across the lake.

Nothing new here...

Enroute

First view of the lodge

Carl, Tom and Sarah come down to say hi to their new 'guests'

No excess baggage here.

Our accommodation

We were picked up by Nate with a boat and then at the lodge by 1pm. A superb lunch was waiting for us. We then headed out fishing.

No he wasnt still drunk, just high on life as we gear up

All ready to go

Tom rigs up a rod

Nate and Lola

Never seen scenes like this. Salmon everywhere - including carcasses!

Bear print

hmmm.... wonder what he wants.

Looks like someone was hungry

Saw a bear about 100m upstream after stop to fish for the first time on the Copper. Would see plenty more over the week.

We must have caught 20 rainbows each, I also hooked a red salmon. It was incredible seeing the number of salmon in the river, simply unbelievable if you have never seen it. Fish absolutely everywhere!

Brian and I fished a salmon bead without a strike indicator and caught heaps. Brucie used an indicator with his salmon bead.

Back at the lodge by 7. A superb dip was waiting for us -followed by a nice dinner.

Some of the 'secret weapons'.

Tuesday 7 September

Lots of rain overnight. Up at 7.15, awesome breakfast of hash brown, eggs and ham. We left the lodge at 9am. Joe took us out today, we did about 4 pools above the lodge today. We spent about 6 hours at 2 pools. Catching heaps of fish. We fished till 6.45. When I say we caught heaps of fish I mean like 30+ each (easy). Brian got the longest one for the day, 25 inches – probably about 8 lbs. A great fish. It was cold out today, I was wearing a thermal t shirt, a thermal long sleeve shirt, a polar fleece top, a polar fleece vest, my gortex wading jacket and also a neck scarf! You couldn’t survive up here without waders.

Joe and yours truly with a trout with a deformed bottom jaw from going through the gravel searching for salmon eggs

Yep - that ain't a rock in the background

He was diving down to get salmon and then ripping the skin off

Hendo with a nice salmon that he unintentionally caught.

Hard at it

Copper River Rainbow

Brian's beaut rainbow

Not so big, but fun.

Joe being the good host pouring soup.

Lunch! What an affair they were - everyday started with soup, then sandwiches, then chocolate bars or trail mix - plus as many fizzy drinks as you wanted. No wonder I didn't loose any weight!

Now we clean up after ourselves after lunch - not like this bear. Half eaten fish everywhere.

Wednesday 8 September

Tried to go around to Gibraltar creek today, but this involves a 15 mile trip across the lake, but it was too rough on the lake and so we turned back. Got back to the lodge about 10am. Hopped into a river boat and then went fishing.

Brian fished with a streamer most of the day today and consequently didn’t do as well as Bruce and I. The first place we went to , the Aquarium, we cleaned up. Caught about 20 each, some good ones too.

We then tried some other pools up and down the river and caught some, but none were as good as the Aquarium pool. It was wet and cold today and I had my thermal tops on and my Simms parker under the wading jacket. I even put the beanie on at one stage. But I was warm with all that on.

Trying to stay dry and warm

Tom on the net

Double hook up, Bruce and I

More bears today - this one went into the water looking for salmon

The 3 Amigos

Ooooops.. slipped out while trying to take a photo

And again.... ! Old Slippery fingers Zarifeh

Rain stopped about lunch time and it was fine for the rest of the day.

Thursday 9 September

Was going to do a fly out today but the weather was no good. It cleared later but was still windy for a while. We caught heaps of fish today on the Copper instead (lost count after 42). Joe looked after us today. We had a great day.

Dead salmon are everywhere

A typical scene on the Copper River - rotting salmon everywhere.

Joe going above and beyond to get Brucie's fly (ie bead) from the tree

Salmon eggs - what the trout were eating

Brucie working his magic

Like looking in a mirror

Bruce and Joe

When we got back to the lodge we saw a bear walking around. It was not 100m from the lodge. Took some good photos of it.

This photo and the one below were taken from the deck on the lodge.

The boys

Inside the lodge

Friday 10 September

Went over to the Gibraltar River today, took an hour there and an hour back. My goodness the fishing was soooooo good. The salmon were spawning and so the trout were really on the chew. It seems that the salmon in this river spawn 4-6 weeks later than the salmon in the Copper River.

Nursing Lola - actually she was keeping me warm

Heading across Lake Iliamna

Gibraltar Creek - without a polarising filter on the camera

Same pic - but taken using my polarised sunglasses.... see any fishies?

Check out the salmon in the background

Double trouble

So many salmon

Double hook up - again

Some nice scenery while Brian had lunch

We had some technical issues with the starter cord on the outboard so we had to leave a bit early. Pity about that

Brian's pose isn't because the starter cord gave us grief, but rather cause Nate unleashed Bruce on the outboard!

Back on the Copper at 4pm, fished till 7 caught a truck load more. An awesome day weather wise!

Caught a couple on a streamer

Saturday 11 September

Fished the Copper River again today. Caught the hell out of them. Saw 4 bears during the day. We had started off by attempting to take a fly out to the Upper Copper but there was too much fog so we couldn’t go. But we had fun nevertheless!

Triple in the net - Tom did well to net them all at once

Tom and Bruce

Please take note of the nail polish. Someone had a few drinks the night before and decided to let his man loving side come out and wanted his nails done - as the fishing had been so hard on his hands :-)