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Rounding the most memorable corner of the Sterling
Highway, you catch a glimpse of the lake. For most, it shouldn’t come as
a surprise. After all, with this lake begins the river that draws more
interest than any other piece of water in Alaska. But whether it’s your
first visit or your fifteenth, Kenai Lake can come as a shock.
Maybe that’s because it appears to be made of liquid
turquoise.
From your perch upon the road, the shimmering,
blue-green waters impart the promise of rod-busting salmon and
super-charged rainbow trout. You continue down the road, cross the
bridge at the lake outlet, and immediately catch sight of the boats
departing for another day’s worth of angling adventures on the upper
Kenai.
The river means many things to many people. From the
bustling thoroughfare and salmon highway of the lower Kenai to the mixed
drift- and power-boat fisheries of the middle, the river takes a decided
turn to a more peaceful and scenic identity in its upper stretches.
Restricted to nonmotorized boats only between Kenai and Skilak lakes,
the absence of motors add to the serenity of the experience. The raw
beauty of the river and surrounding Chugach National Forest and Kenai
National Wildlife Refuge combine to make a raft trip not only a chance
to catch fish, but a scenic, wildlife-viewing experience as well. It is
this identity that defines the area.
Passing through town, the signs you see focus upon
three things—lodging, rafting, and of course, fishing. The river remains
within a stone’s throw the entire time, and even if this is your first
trip through the area, it’s impossible to escape the idea that the
residents of this town are tied to the river.
Welcome to Cooper Landing.
History
Nestled between the rugged Kenai Mountains and Kenai
Lake in the National Wildlife Refuge of the same name is the community
of Cooper Landing. The town, and both Cooper Lake and Creek, are named
for Joseph Cooper, who came to the area in 1884 looking for gold. Gold
had been found in this part of the country three decades earlier when
Russian mining engineer Peter Doroshin and his men found it in the
Cooper Creek area.
People continued to come and by 1900 the US Census
totaled the population at a healthy 21. The first local school appeared
by 1929, a road to Seward was drivable by 1938, and a post office
appeared in Cooper Landing in 1947. By 1948, the road to Kenai was
operational and in 1951, the highway extended to Anchorage.
By 1970, US Census showed 131 people in Cooper
Landing, a number that had escalated to 290 by 1987 and 369 in 2000.
Today it’s a bustling town in the summer and a peaceful one in winter.
The Fish
“Fishing in Cooper Landing satisfies all types of
anglers,” says Kyle Kolodziejski, fishing program director for Alaska
Wildland Adventures’ Kenai River Sportfishing Lodge. “From fishing the
upper river to fly-outs for grayling, and walk-ins at places like Quartz
Creek, the Russian River, and the many stocked lakes in the area,
anglers from the novice to the ultra-technical fly-fisher can find a
fishing opportunity to suit them.”
The main species targeted on the upper river are
sockeye and coho salmon, rainbow trout, and Dolly Varden. King salmon
fishing is prohibited here. Beginning at the opener in early June,
anglers arrive to target spring trout and the first sockeye run that is
mostly heading for the Russian River. The famed shore-side combat
fishing of the Kenai River begins to take place at this time of year as
anglers line up from the Kenai-Russian confluence downstream for the
better part of a mile.
The second run of sockeye begins to show in early
July and usually reaches its peak in late July. With average in-river
runs of about one million fish, the upper river is usually at its
busiest during the sockeye parade, as anglers line the banks to
intercept the migrating reds.
August heralds the beginning of fall trout fishing,
where rainbows and Dolly Varden gorge themselves on eggs and flesh and
begin to resemble footballs in shape. Silvers begin to return as well
and a good fall day on the upper river can yield both bright silvers and
several robust trout.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Assistant Area
Management Biologist Larry Marsh explained that Kenai River sockeye
populations are strong and that the management strategy is targeted to
optimize the health of the runs. Nearly 1.5 million fish entered the
Kenai this year, giving 2005 one of the highest in-river sockeye returns
on record.
Marsh also conveyed the fact that there is some
concern in regards to the accelerated melt of the ice fields, which
could be having a negative effect on the salmon fry. In a simplistic
sense, the added melt brings more glacier flour to the lake, providing
less light penetration and reduced green algae production. Green algae
feed the zooplankton that feed the salmon fry. According to Marsh, the
fry captured for sampling at the lake this year are among the smallest
ever seen.
The Soldotna-based biologist also pointed out that
upper river trout populations are as robust as they have been in some
time. An average day for anglers will yield many healthy fish in
multiple age classes.
Fred Telleen, owner of Mystic Waters, agrees. “From
our observations while guiding on the river, it’s clear the trout
populations are healthy,” Telleen says. “The fish have been well
represented from smaller trout to true giants. We landed three with
22-inch girths in 2005.”
Telleen additionally mentioned that the sockeye runs
over the last five years have been strong, which also corresponds
favorably to tremendous trout angling.
Gear and Tackle
The Kenai is a deep, swift river that requires a
larger rod to turn fish that enter the current. For salmon fishing,
medium-heavy rods in the 10- to 25-pound class with matching reels and
line are the norm. For those that favor the fly, rods in the 7- to
10-weight range with matching reels work well. Most anglers use floating
line, but a variety of full sink or interchangeable sink tips can be
fished effectively.
For trout and Dolly Varden, a rod and reel in the 8-
to 15-pound class, and a fly rod in the 5- to 8-weight range will do the
trick. I personally opt for an 8-weight rod since you never know when
that 10-pound or larger rainbow will take your fly and head for Cook
Inlet.
On an outing with Telleen this past summer we fished
9-foot, 6-inch 7-weights with matching reels and floating line, a long
leader, strike indicators, a few small split-shot, and beads. It was a
productive day, with our party landing many fish over 24 inches, both
while on the drift and when wading.
In years past, I have been one of those fishermen who
always resisted using the indicator, but after this float with Mystic
Waters, I am converted. The use of an indicator while nymphing allowed
us to present a better dead-drift, and ultimately, meant more big fish
on the end of our lines.
In another slight deviation from many Kenai fly
anglers, Telleen uses a snell knot instead of the improved clinch to tie
on the barbless Tiemco 2457 hooks he favors. The advantage of the snell
knot for Telleen is that it provides a direct line of pull between the
hook and fish.
Regulations on terminal tackle for the upper Kenai
are specific, so check the regulations before fishing. From June 11th -
August 20th, the stretch of river from the Kenai-Russian ferry
approximately one mile downstream to the power line is fly-only water.
By regulation, a fly must weigh less than G-ounce and have a
point-to-shank measurement of less than 3/8-inch. In the rest of the
upper river, anglers are restricted to using an unbaited, single-hook,
artificial lure with the same hook-size restrictions. The most popular
artificial lure in this section by far is a single bead. When fishing
beads, remember they must be pegged within 2 inches of the hook, or be
allowed to slide the length of the line or leader. When using weights,
they must be at least 18 inches ahead of the lure.
For sockeye fishing, sparsely tied streamers like the
coho fly are effective and popular. Coho respond to more gaudy patterns,
so wet flies with flash and movement are preferred. Trout and char are
keying in on flesh as well as eggs, so don’t forget bunny leeches in
ginger, orange, tan, and white to go along with the standard range of 6
to 10 mm beads, usually colored from orange to cream to represent the
eggs of kings, reds, and to a lesser extent, silvers.
Services
Of course, fishing isn’t the only draw on the Kenai
Peninsula. “This area is a Mecca for the outdoor enthusiast,” says Kyle
Kolodziejski. “And Cooper Landing is the hub for those activities.”
From day charters on the river to guided raft tours,
kayak adventures on Kenai lake, or boat rentals for the do-it-yourself
angler, a full range of services can be found in Cooper Landing. For
those that want to explore on land rather than water, horseback riding
and hiking are both popular pastimes. If you want some more variety in
your fishing experience, then a saltwater trip to Cook Inlet or Seward
can be arranged. If it’s remote lake fishing for Arctic grayling that
you desire, then a fly-out can also be obtained.
One of the many companies that offer such air service
is Ingram’s Base Camp. “We offer floatplane service that begins right
from our dock on the Kenai River,” explained Diane and Steve Ingram. One
of the trips that they provide is a fully-guided fly-out to Crescent
Lake for Arctic grayling, which, for those interested in a side-trip,
can be just the slice of wild Alaska to round out the ideal vacation.
Accommodations in Cooper Landing range from hotels to
full-service lodges, bed-and-breakfast operations, and do-it-yourself
cabin rentals. Likewise, restaurants range from basic to gourmet. Flies
and tackle are available in several locations, but don’t expect to find
a sporting goods warehouse.
So says Kate Stevenson of Stevenson’s Retreat. “It’s
an easy two-hour drive from Anchorage,” she pointed out, “but you
encounter another state of mind in Cooper Landing. While it has
something for everyone, this is really a quaint little town. I open my
home to travelers because I want to share the experience of Cooper
Landing.”
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
The upper Kenai River flows through the Kenai
National Wildlife Refuge from the Russian River confluence to Skilak
Lake. I spoke with Supervisory Park Ranger Bill Kent to get a feel for
how use has been increasing on the upper river.
“In 1994, a field survey conducted by the USFWS Kenai
Fish and Wildlife Field Office at Jim’s Landing showed 23.5 boats and 65
fishermen per day leaving the launch,” Kent explained. “By 2004 the
numbers have risen to 40 and 116.”
We talked about the Russian River Ferry, a private
contract assigned by the Refuge, and the numbers are staggering: 28,000
to 32,000 passengers per year use the ferry. With this many people
fishing in one area, there are bound to be rules broken. Kent conveyed
that the two regulations most often ignored are retaining snagged fish
and keeping more than the per-day limit.
However, as the amount of use might suggest, it seems
all the agencies charged with a management role on the river are
understaffed for enforcement. Therefore it is the job of all
conscientious anglers to stop others from breaking these laws.
Three Float Options
I’ve found that a good day-float can be accomplished
in three different sections of the upper river. Putting in at Kenai Lake
and taking out at Sportsman’s Landing is about 8.5 river miles and
offers plenty of runs, riffles, and pools to fish Dollies and rainbows
on the drift. Likewise there are some gravel bars that allow wading
anglers to cast to sockeye.
The second option is to put in at Sportsman’s Landing
and take out about 4 miles later at Jim’s Landing. This is probably the
most common section floated on the upper river. Several stretches offer
good numbers of large Dollies and rainbows, and it’s not uncommon to get
several fish over two feet in length when the trout fishing is good.
This section holds considerable spawning gravel for sockeye.
The final day-float starts at Jim’s Landing and ends
roughly 4.5 river miles later at Skilak Lake. From there one needs to
power roughly 7to 8 miles across the lake to the takeout at the upper
Skilak Lake Campground.
This float is a bit more involved and is weather
dependent: You don’t want to be on any lake the size of Skilak when the
wind is blowing hard, and especially not in a raft or drift boat.
However, the last mile of river before it enters Skilak Lake is all
spawning gravel and a logical place to find trout. In order to get there
you float through the Kenai Canyon, which offers a few obstacles while
rafting but is easily handled by the experienced rafter in normal water
conditions.
River Etiquette
In fishing heavily visited water like the Kenai, it
is important to be conscious of the other anglers out there and to show
them some respect. I talked with George Heim of Alaska River Adventures
about some of these points. “As more and more people come to float the
upper river, and there has been an explosion in the amount of use this
river sees, it is important to give other boaters and anglers the
respect and space that you would want for yourself,” Heim says. “Don’t
pull up on a gravel bar and fish between people already there. If you
want to fish a certain hole and it is occupied, then fish above it until
it becomes free.”
Some of the other points that we discussed include
using a small, barbless hook, using proper catch-and-release techniques,
and packing out all trash (including waste products from going to the
bathroom). Trout on the Kenai receive a lot of pressure and it is not
uncommon to catch one missing part of its jaw or an eye. This can be
minimized in the future by the use of the small, barbless hooks.
In terms of proper catch-and-release, leave the fish
in the water, wet your hands before touching the fish, and if you are
going to take photos, do so quickly, handling the fish as little as
possible. We also recommend using the newer nets that have a rubber mesh
rather than nylon basket, as they are much easier on the fish (the
netting does not get into the fish’s gills like it can with the smaller,
nylon mesh, nor will it strip the fish of its protective slime to the
degree that the nylon can). Only be aware that the larger, heavier
rubber mesh offers a lot more drag in the water and takes some getting
used to.
A final point about river etiquette touches more of
the lunatic fringe—illegally stocking pike. Some lakes on the Kenai
Peninsula now have populations of pike, as well as the subsequent
destruction of trout populations that seems to come along with these
aquatic predators. Sadly, this stems from an angler or anglers with the
mistaken idea that they were doing something good. In order to protect
the fragile nature of Alaska’s fisheries, don’t transplant pike.
Marcus Weiner is publisher of Fish Alaska
magazine. He can be reached at info@fishalaskamagazine.com.
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