Alaska 2011: All the Rest

My final post on the 2011 Alaskan experience will be filled with all of the stuff that didn't fit into the other posts.  I just needed a place to post miscellaneous and sundry pictures of folks, fish, wildlife, a few airplanes, and some snippets of video footage.

I would be remiss not to mention my bunkies during the stay.  I shared a cabin with Jim and Wink Lewis.  The Lewis brothers are 2 ornery brothers from Texas.  One thing is for sure, if you believe everything in Texas is big...that would certainly apply to these two jokers' personalities.  It was a good choice placing me in a cabin with these old boys.  We got along well and all 3 of us subscribed to the theory of "early to bed, early to rise."  The only real problem with these 2 is that they both snore like grizzly bears.  Luckily I had some ear plugs.  But in reality, I was so tired at the end of each day, I doubt I would have even noticed the snoring.  I look forward to hanging with these 2 southern gentleman again in the future.  And since they make a trip to Steelhead Alley every Fall, I should be able to get on the water with them again soon.

One of the nicer pieces of footage I got this week was of Mike Schmidt landing his 1st chum (dog) salmon on Contact Creek.  Again, the video depicts classic Mike with the cigar and all.

The scenery was spectacular.  Had we caught no fish at all, just getting to walk on the Alaskan tundra and seeing the mountains would have made the trip.

Contact Creek

Margot Creek



Moraine Creek



The tundra above the Moraine

I personally enjoyed all of the airplanes.  I grew up flying, so seeing all of the different planes used for the various fly-out trips was fascinating to me.

de Havilland Otter at Moraine Creek

Cessna 206 headed for Moraine

de Havilland Beaver departing from Contact Creek

de Havilland Otter at Margot Creek

I plan to live here some day!

And some compiled footage and a few more pics of the bears.

Some miscellaneous pictures:

Crowberries on the tundra

Ptarmigan

Sockeye

Arctic Char

Contact Creek Rainbow

It was a great trip to Alaska.  I look forward to returning.  I look forward to new adventures in the last American frontier!

Alaska 2011: Salmon

My 1st sockeye

Of course, the first fish you think of when planning a trip to Alaska is salmon.  And, as expected, there were plenty of salmon.  We encountered sockeyes, chum (dog), pink, silver (coho), and kings (Chinook) on our adventure.

During the week we were in Alaska, the sockeyes and kings where actively spawning.  The silvers were running.  And, there were a few scattered pinks and chum salmon around. 

Big Moraine sockeye

The prime time for king salmon and sockeyes is in July.  The season on kings closes July 31st.  Although there are a plethora of sockeyes around, once they are in spawning mode and turn deep red, they are no long desirable as table fare.  Sockeyes are considered the most delectable of the salmon when caught during their early run.  The silvers really ramp up their run in August and are excellent table fare during that time.

Everyone on the trip caught their fill of sockeyes.  Sockeyes were everywhere in the systems we fished.  They were in large dense red schools.   Once sockeyes enter the rivers to spawn, they stop feeding.  However, the big humped-up males are quite aggressive to defend their territories and will hit wet flies and streamers as a defensive action.  Unfortunately, due to the pure density of the schools, it can be easy to snag sockeyes if you tend to have a hair trigger hook set with any bump of your line.

Sockeye teeth!

Sockeye salmon do not put on a show like silvers.  Sockeyes are just plain strong.  When you catch one there is no aerial show.  It is a pure tug of war match.  There is no quick landing of a sockeye. 

Spawning sockeyes develop a green head and deep red body.  The males develop a large hump on the back and large hooked kypes with A LOT of sharp teeth.  The big toothy kype is developed as pure weaponry between the males.   It was not uncommon to see 2 bucks fighting and chasing in the shallows to establish territory.

30" Moraine sockeye

Mike and I did get in to a few sockeyes on the Naknek river during our day 1 drift trip.  They were a sure thing when our confinement to the boat limited us from realistically targeting other species.  I landed my 1st sockeye early the 1st day and was thrilled with the catch.  I was my 1st salmon on the fly and the deep red fish was amazing to see.

On day 3 of my trip I was able to jump in a Cessna 206 and fly over to Moraine Creek.  Moraine Creek is world renowned for big rainbow trout and a lot of grizzly bears.    While we were the only folks around at many of the places we fished, there were plenty of folks around at Moraine Creek.  There were other groups fishing.  There were photography groups, bear tour groups, and several groups that were enjoying float trips down the creek.  And yes, there were a lot of bears on Moraine Creek.

He refused to share.

The day of bear observation on Moraine Creek was far more relaxed than on Margot Creek.  This was a day that allowed me to casually observe bear behavior.  In one area we were able watch a large alpha boar catch 7 sockeyes in 7 swipes of his enormous paw.  It was interesting to watch other bears behavior around this boar.  Any other bear that walked up on this fellow immediately tucked tail and went the other way.

Grizzly day bed on Moraine Creek

The fishing on Moraine Creek was slower than anticipated.  We were hoping to have a day of large rainbows.  But, for whatever reason, the rainbows were in short supply in the area we were fishing.  I did hit into one 30"+ rainbow.  This fish was strong and mean.  He put on quite a show.  He was a jumper.  I was able to keep him on through all of his pulling and jumping, but as Jacob went to net the big fellow, he made a quick turn and found his way off the hook.  And sometimes, that's just how it goes.

A little further down stream I was casting to a rainbow in a group of sockeyes and hit into my biggest sockeye of the trip.  This 30" buck was so big and strong that he broke my 7wt Helios.  Luckily, due to the 15lb fluoro tippet I was using, I was able to hand  line the beast in.

Pat with a rod bending silver

Fishing for silvers was pure joy.  Now, when I say joy....I mean the catching part.  The fishing part was pure frustration at times.  Silvers are far more easily caught on spinning gear with squid jigs, spoons, and spinners.  Catching silvers on the fly takes more work.  It was pretty common to see guys with spinning gear catch 5 or more silvers for every one caught on fly gear.  But, as fly fishermen, we know that is part of the story.

Nice Naknek Silver

When you do hit into a silver on the fly, hold on.  These fish are strong and aerobatic.  The jumps are incredible.  The problem is not so much the pulling and the jumps, but the death rolls.  At some point in the fight the silver decides maybe rolling will set him free...and often it does.  Once the fish starts rolling, it can easily unseat a short shanked hook.  After a day of loosing several silvers, Mike drew the conclusion that a stinger hook is a better option for silver flies to reduce the loosing fish during the roll.

The following video is not poking fun at Mike.  But, it certainly depicts the emotions of a fly fisherman who can successfully get the silvers to strike and not get them to hand.  This was more of the norm than any of us want to admit.



Alaska 2011: Arctic Char and Grayling

Gorgeous Arctic Char!

Char, the other salmonid.  No matter which char you chase: brookies, lakers, bulls, dollies, or Arctics...they are by far the most spectacular looking members of the salmonids.

Arctic char may be the most stunning of the char.  Arctic char are found in the icy waters of both Europe and North America.  Interestingly, as extreme cold climates effect the growth rate of trees and vegetation, the frigid conditions in which Arctic char live also effects their growth rates.  Arctic char in the northern parts of their ranges can grow as little as one inch per year and can take 15-20 years to reach breeding age.  Arctic char in the southern parts of their range have a much more rapid rate of growth.  So, when you are in Alaska and you land a 25-30" char, that fish has been around for awhile.  As you may have guessed, we caught some old char in Alaska!

Close-up with Buff's streamer

Arctic grayling are an unusual member of the salmonid family.  Grayling are distinguished by their sail-like dorsal fins.  While Arctic grayling thrive in the cold waters of Alaska, their numbers have dwindled in the lower 48.  Grayling are particularly sensitive to water temperature and water purity.  Currently, measures are being taken to increase populations of graying in the lower 48 and to reestablish them in systems in which they have been long absent.

As with the rainbow trout in Alaska, the char and grayling love to gorge on salmon eggs.  But they are more than willing to chase down streamers and hit the occasional dry fly as well.

Alex and Greg with a beauty.

As great as Contact Creek was for rainbows, it was even better for Arctic char and Arctic grayling.  The 1st hole I hit on Contact Creek I landed a rainbow, a char, and a grayling.  It was nice to get the trifecta out of the way and get focused on the big boys.

The char on Contact Creek were aggressively hitting streamers.  Once again, it did not matter if we were swinging streamers or stripping them, the char were all over them. 

The streamer of the day for me was a green and cerise egg-sucking leach with a stinger hook.  My pal Buff Ratliff wanted to tie a few flies for me to take along.  This Ratliff special was the ticket on Contact Creek.  The majority of the fish I caught on this streamer were arctic char, but several rainbows and one 20" grayling fell to it as well. 

My 1st Arctic Grayling.

Two days after fishing Contact Creek, we ventured to Margot Creek.  Margot Creek was similar in size to Contact Creek.  The sockeye salmon were dropping eggs in Margot Creek and that meant 2 things.  One, the fish would be keyed in on eggs.  Two, there would be plenty of bears around to catch sockeyes that where otherwise preoccupied.  And let me tell you, there were A LOT of bears around.  We caught plenty of Arctic char on Margot, but it seems like we spent the majority of the day playing chess with grizzlies. 

I would not say we were in any specific life threatening situations with the bears, but Pat Robinson, Mike Schmidt, and myself were caught between a rock and a hard place at one point that did get out dander up a little. 

As the bears would make their way up and down the stream, we would follow all of the rules of making noise to alert them of our presence, never running away, never looking them in the eye, and generally trying to give them the right of way.  This was ongoing throughout the day.  At one point, Pat, Mike, and I found ourselves on the opposite side of the stream from the other six members of our group. 

A sow & cubs on Margot Creek

Here's where it got sticky.  One of the guides alerted us that there was a sow and 2 cubs coming down stream on our side of the stream and another sow and 2 cubs coming down the opposite side of the stream.  So, we were not going to be crossing the stream to create some space.  The obvious thing to do was walk down stream.  About that time, the other guide alerted us that there were large boars making their ways up both sides of the stream.  Now, our compadres across the stream had a few small shrubs and an open field behind them, so we could assure them that nothing was coming behind them and they could back up if the bears did not alter their paths.  We, on the other hand, had a dense thicket behind us that was full of well worn bear trails.

Margot Creek cub

The boars turned and went the other way and they were fine with it, because there were a lot of sockeyes down there.  The 1st sow and cubs on the opposite side of the creek were finally coerced by the remainder of our group that maybe she should just take the cubs and go on back up stream.  The sow on our side of the stream came on down and really wanted to be where Mike, Pat, and I were trying to maintain our composures.  I immediately shared with the fellas that I could not think of 2 better guys I would like to be eaten by a bear with.  Mike immediately shared that he could definitely think of 2 better people to die with...I never liked that guy anyway :)  In any event, the sow made her wishes known that she wanted to come our way, but we jumped and yelled and finally convinced her to lead the cubs back up stream.  Crisis averted!  I made a quick trip back into the thicket and left my underwear there as a little memento to the neighborhood bears.

Margot Creek fishing boar.

Our days on Contact Creek and Margot Creek were quite rigorous, but in the end they were worth it.  The fish were fantastic and the adrenalin raising incidents on both creeks will keep the memories long burned into our minds.

Alaska 2011: The Rainbows

The right fly

The Naknek River is chocked full of rainbows.  BIG RAINBOWS!  25-30" rainbow trout are common on the Naknek.  During August there are other places to chase big Alaskan rainbows as well.

As the different species of salmon migrate up the rivers and streams, the rainbow trout, char, and grayling follow them on their journey.  Once the salmon start to spawn and drop eggs, the rainbows, char, and grayling feast on the eggs drifting down stream.  So, if you want to find big bows, all you have to do is follow the salmon.

The Naknek Blue

Mike Schmidt and I spent our 1st day in Alaska drifting down the Naknek River with Wes.  Mike and I neither one had our luggage yet, so we were confined to the boat to stay dry.  This really limited us on day 1, but we had a great time either way. 

The first thing I noted about the Naknek River is that it was turquoise blue.  In the Midwest we see this in the Great Lakes and of course this is how the oceans look, but we don't have any rivers that look like this (at least none that I've been on).  We spent the day swinging wet flies and stripping streamers for rainbows. We landed a few smaller bows on day one, but the best bows were yet to come. 

de Havilland Beaver



On the 2nd day of our adventure, a group of us piled into a de Havilland Beaver and flew off into Katmai National Park to Contact Creek.  The de Havilland Beaver is the workhorse of airplanes for fly-out adventures.  The Beaver was in production from 1947-1967, has a classic 450hp radial engine, and can haul 6 or 7 passengers.  This is the plane you've dreamed about flying you to a remote fly fishing destination.  And believe me, all of us were immersed in the dream at the time.

Stuffed Beaver...



The Beaver landed on a small pond near the upper Contact Creek and we made our hike a little further up stream to start our adventure.  The hike on the Tundra was a new experience.  Walking on the tundra was like walking on a 12" thick foam mattress.  With every step you would sink down 10-12" into the springy vegetation.  There were numerous mosses and lichens.   

Contact Creek


Contact Creek is a small tributary, but the flows were high and swift.  We had several close calls throughout the day that nearly swept some of the most experienced river men off their feet.  We did sustain one twisted knee and the loss of a brand new Sage rod due to the strong flows of the contact. 

As I mused over the day I realized how remote we were in the Alaskan outback and how helpless we would have been if there had been any type of emergency.  It was a part of the adventure I had not really anticipated.  I figured someone might get ate by a bear, but by the end of the day at Contact Creek, I was thankful for all of my survival and wilderness training, because it could have easily been put to use at any moment.

Tumbling on the tundra was common.



 But I digress...now back to the rainbows.  The Contact Creek rainbows were the most beautiful of the trip.  The colors were bold and these bows were the definition of a leopard rainbow trout.  These rainbows were also very aggressive.  We were catching them on the swing and having them scream after streamers. 

The best bows of the day came unexpectedly when casting to salmon.  The rainbows concealed themselves so well.  We would be casting to a couple of salmon and BANG, out of nowhere an huge rainbow would slam the streamers.  My largest rainbow of the day was 25", but Patrick Robinson and Mike Schmidt caught 2 of the most beautiful wild rainbows I have ever seen.

 

Mike's gorgeous Contact Creek bow.

Pat with a beautiful Leopard.

My 25" trophy from Contact Creek

Alaska 2011: Travel and the Destination

We're not in Kansas anymore.

Fly fishing in Alaska is a bucket list item for most folks.  You dream, plan, anticipate, and finally you are on the way.  There is no quick trip to Alaska from Ohio.  Between multiple connections and layovers, you have a trip of at least 12 hours ahead of you.  And it becomes even longer if there are any delayed flights.  After being up for a solid 24 hours of anticipation and anxiety, you will finally be able to lay you head upon a pillow in the middle of nowhere in Alaska!

My journey started in Cleveland and took me on a long flight to Seattle.  The 1st leg of the trip was uneventful.  As we began our descent into Seattle, it was obvious we were entering a different world from the familiar Midwest.


A glacial lake greeted us as we dropped into Anchorage

 The Seattle layover began the anxiety portion of the trip.  Upon arrival in Seattle, we were informed that our connection to Anchorage was going to be delayed by about 2 hours because the incoming flight from Newark, NJ was delayed by 2 hours to give the crew some much needed rest.  The anxiety arose from the fact that now we were scheduled to arrive in Anchorage 10 minutes after our flight from Anchorage to King Salmon, AK was supposed to depart.


Mike is all smiles as we take off for king Salmon!

 As fate would have it, I met Josh Stephens during the layover in Seattle.  Josh was the photographer/videographer coming along on our trip to the Katmai National Park region of Alaska.  I spent a lot of time with Josh over the coming week and not only did his excellent camera work add to our trip...Josh was a personality that added much to our trip.  Josh was not a fisherman, but by the end of the trip, I suspect he is reconsidering.  Not only is Josh an excellent photographer, but they guy tells the best stories you have ever heard.  All I can say is that if you find yourself in Josh's company, be prepared to laugh and be prepared for a quick poke to the eye!

As we finally boarded our flight for Anchorage, Josh and I contemplated the possibility of not making our flight from Anchorage to King Salmon, and the real possibility the we just may have to stay in Anchorage for the night.  Yee of little faith! 

Alaskan Tundra

Our descent into Anchorage presented further landscape that was unfamiliar to Midwesterners.  As we circled around Anchorage to land, we were presented with a view of this stunning glacial lake.  The anticipation and anxiety was intensifying.

We deplaned and rushed to the PennAir gate as fast as we could.  The guy at the gate waiting to greet us was none other than Michael Schmidt.  Mike encouraged us to check-in ASAP because a flight was getting ready to leave for King Salmon.  The PennAir attendant was cordial and expedient and put both Josh and I on the flight to King Salmon that was leaving in 5 minutes.  We had made it just in the nick of time!

Mike too had had a long day of travel with crazy delays during his layovers.  Mike was pretty concerned that his luggage was still in Chicago.  Josh and I were pretty sure our luggage would not make it on our King Salmon flight because we were back in the air so quickly.  We were all correct, but we just didn't care because were we going to make it to our destination as planned.

The 3 of us boarded the small commuter prop-plane knowing our luggage was not with us, but relieved that the travel was nearing it's end.  And it was good for all of us to see some familiar faces as well. 

Alaska's Naknek River Camp

The landscape from Anchorage to King Salmon transitioned from mountains to tundra.  Every time I flew over the tundra during the next week, I couldn't help but think it reminded me of flying over the worlds largest golf course with all of it's (what appeared to be) sand traps, ponds, fairways, and greens.

Between 8:00 and 9:00pm, we finally arrived at Alaska's Naknek River Camp.  This would be our home over the next week and a new friend that none of us will ever forget.


Early morning view of the Naknek River from my cabin.

 Naknek River Camp is a fishing purist's kind of camp.  If you are looking for a spa, you'll have to look too another camp.  The folks that stay at Naknek River Camp are in Alaska to fish.  There is no pool, no massages, no bar, and no weight room.  What you do get is a great host family that loves to fish and loves to host fisherman.  You get to stay in a rustic fishing cabin and are greeted every evening with a hot home-style meal.  You get the best guides in the business and you will be fishing the absolute best waters in Alaska.

This bear greeted us several morinings during our stay.

Journey with me for the rest of this fantastic fly fishing adventure in untamed Alaska.