Steelhead fishing is an addiction for many, a way of life, and the path to either enlightenment or utter despair. For the true steelhead junky, those thousand-cast days that result in two scant, brief hookups can be just as rewarding as the 15-fish days. For those afflicted, a steelhead stream provides the place to clear the mind, to enter an almost Buddhist-like trance, where the line between mind and body blurs into the cold water. For me, it’s more about quiet time for introspection and less about mechanics, lures, or presentation. But, in those moments of total clarity, when the line tightens and the pulsing rod bends, it’s as if awakening from a cathartic slumber, completely rested and refreshed.

In the fall of 2004, members of the Fish Alaska magazine staff journeyed to Kodiak Island to fish for steelhead on the Karluk River. Located on the western side of the island, the 24-mile river runs from Karluk Lake to Karluk Lagoon, then into Shelikof Strait and finally the Pacific Ocean. From prolific runs of salmon—kings, reds, and silvers—to one of the strongest runs of steelhead in Alaska, the Karluk offers ample opportunities to catch fish. Factor in Dolly Varden and resident rainbow trout, and it is hard to figure how an angler could get skunked on this manageable, fly- and gear-friendly drainage.

From the lake to Portage camp, the Karluk River is primarily characterized by deep holes and slower-moving water. From portage to the lagoon, the river’s complexion turns to faster runs and riffles, with fewer deep pools. Much of the river is wadeable, and there is ample room to cast. An intimate, uncrowded experience is what you should expect on the river, as a maximum of 70 anglers is allowed at any one time on the Karluk (determined in 2002 by agreement between the landowner and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge). Forty-two of these permits are designated for guided activities and the other 28 go to public, unguided users.

A good run of king salmon sees an excess of 10,000 fish pass through the ADF&G weir. Average fish size is 20 to 25 pounds. Starting in mid-June, the run lasts into the middle of July. Large runs exceed 14,000 fish and in 2004, 7,525 kings passed through the weir. Early run reds are best in the second and third week of June, while the late run starts in early August. Few fishermen are on the river during the late run since it falls between the king and coho / steelhead returns. Sockeye numbers on the river can exceed 1,000,000 fish. Average fish size is 6 pounds. In 2004, approximately 720,000 sockeye were counted through the weir. Beginning in mid-September and continuing into October, coho fishing on the Karluk is usually very good. These fish are aggressive and will move to take a fly, spinner, or spoon. At a 10- to 12-pound average size, and an occasional fish close to 20 pounds, Karluk silvers are similar in size and ferocity to the generally large coho found around Kodiak.

Dolly Varden are readily available when the king run begins to die down, signifying the presence of spawn in the river. Dollies are opportunistic eaters, with a particular propensity for caloric ally-dense salmon eggs. Fish in the 20-inch range are common, with an occasional fish approaching the 30-inch mark. This is a terrific species to target for the novice angler and has saved many a fishing trip for me when the coho, steelhead, or rainbows were unwilling to cooperate.

The fall steelhead run begins in late September and is typically in full swing by the end of the first week of October. The average return is 8,000 fish, but in the last eight years, the numbers have varied from 4,000 to 11,000 steelhead per season. Usually recorded as the second largest run of steelhead in Alaska, it is common to see lots of fish on the Karluk, and if you take the time to read the water and present your lure properly, you can expect days with 10-plus hookups. Expect variable temperatures as well; it can range from 20 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit pretty easily, and lots of rain and wind are typical for autumn. Nothing unusual, just the definition of good steelhead weather.

Wayne, Bryan, and I arrive in Kodiak from Anchorage on an ERA Aviation flight on the morning of October 23. The next leg of the journey puts us on the Andrew Airways turbo Beaver to the Karluk Wilderness Adventures (KWA) camp at Portage. It’s a windy day, and veteran pilot Dean Andrew navigates the powerful plane through turbulent skies. We meet Peter Olsen, Dave Neshiem, and an outgoing group at camp. Peter is the camp host, an all-around good guy, who enjoys verbal jousting as much as fishing for steelhead. As a self-proclaimed steelhead fanatic, Peter is a shareholder in Koniag Corporation and is responsible for managing and developing Karluk Wilderness Adventures. Camp is comprised of a 30-foot diameter Yurt, divided into three bedrooms, a big sitting area, and ample room to hang and dry all of our gear. Connected by a wooden deck is a nice sized cabin, with a well appointed kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping quarters for the staff. The camp is powered by a combination of wind and gas generators which supply plenty of electricity. KWA’s remotely located camps are the only facility accommodations on the river itself.

We are anxious to get a few steelhead before dark, so after donning gear and rigging rods, Peter ferries us a short way downriver to a historically productive stretch of water. The river is buffeted on either side by gently rolling hills and is infused with fall color. It’s got the feel of one of the wild places you rarely find in the world anymore, but are thankfully still present in Alaska.

Wayne and I begin with baitcasting rods and Mepps Aglia streamers. I hook and land our first fish on a #2 with a silver blade and black fly, and Wayne quickly lands two fish on a #3 with a silver blade and green fly. Bryan begins by nymphing a 10mm pale pink bead and promptly begins to hook and land steelhead. The fish are a mixture of chrome, fresh-from-the-sea-fish and more colored steelhead that have been in the river for a few weeks and are beginning to show some blush. They are all strong fish, and roll, flip, jump, and bulldog in the strong current. Within a few hours of fishing, we have landed eight steelhead, two silvers, and ten Dollies. Water conditions are good—about normal levels and running fairly clear—and if they stay this way, we expect some truly outstanding angling.

As can be expected on Kodiak, the weather got nastier that evening and the rain and wind really picked up. By the next morning, the river was out of shape, and we fished long and hard to get but one steelhead for the group. Wayne catches it while dead-drifting an 8mm pink bead tight to the river bank. It is about 26 inches long—maybe five pounds. We are still able to land many Dollies, a handful of silvers, and a rainbow. The group is just happy to be there.

By Monday morning, the weather had calmed and the steelhead fishing became frenetic. Out of the group of five anglers, we hook 54 steelhead and land 30. Wayne and I switch to a multi-colored Glo-bug, and proceed to catch fish all day. I watch Wayne hook and land five fish in the space of 30 minutes along the shoreline as I fish from the other side of the river. The highlight of my day is hooking, fighting, and landing the big fish of the trip, which tapes at 32 inches long and 16 inches around. It is well past 10 pounds.

We fish a 100-yard stretch of a three-foot-deep channel that runs above a 50-yard stretch of riffles. In addition, we fish the deep slot (4 to 6 feet) in the main channel and in the pools below several large boulders that offer cover for staging steelhead. Additionally, fish are found in the eddies located on the edges of the main flow.

On the final day, I have about three hours to fish. Beginning with a 12mm orange-cream Glo-bug, I promptly hook four fish before losing the fly. Switching to a #4 blue Articulated Leech, with dumbbell eyes and a bit of Krystal Flash, provides immediate results. Steelhead are pounding the fly on the drift and swing, and it proves to be a good pattern to remain in one place and walk the fly downriver. From the combination of the action and the right depth presentation, I hook another seven fish before having to head back to camp for the flight back to Kodiak. I have never seen steelhead fishing this good, and in addition to the main attraction, I land a rainbow, Dolly, and coho on the Articulated Leech. Perhaps what impresses me most is the combination of great fishing and the lack of other anglers. In fact, the only other anglers I saw were the ones in our group at Portage camp. Especially during steelhead season, the Karluk offers that unusual combination of fantastic angling with little competition from other anglers.

I consider myself to be among the fishing fanatics, those that spend too many hours fishing to the detriment of most other aspects of life. I’ve had plenty of hard days fishing for rainbow and steelhead, where it seems that I have all the wrong answers to a list of unknown questions. So when one of those unusual trips comes to pass, it’s a bit easier to recognize how special they are. I put the steelhead fishing on the Karluk near the top of my list of terrific spots to catch a wild Alaska steelhead trout and encourage you to go experience the untamed and unspoiled splendor of the Karluk.

Marcus Weiner is a publisher of Fish Alaska magazine; he can be reached at mweiner@mtaonline.net.