Going into the wilds of Alaska to fish requires a little more thought than your average trip. In most places across the state, if you haven’t brought it with you, then you are not going to get it. For this reason, planning the gear that you will bring with you is especially important.

This applies less when you are going to a lodge or on a charter, but for the many among us who are going to fish Alaska on your own this year, then this discussion is definitely pertinent.

First of all, space is always at a premium, so narrow the list to the essentials as the starting point and then add the luxury items that would be most useful. To a degree, this is a matter of individual needs, as some people would rather carry a wider range of fishing gear, while others would opt for the luxury of a cot rather than just a sleeping pad.

What exists below is a bare-bones list of the items I will bring on an upcoming float trip on a southwest Alaska river this summer. I use this as the example because it is the most extreme example of a fishing experience—unguided, remote, and at least a week long. I will target grayling, Dolly Varden char, rainbow trout, Chinook, and sockeye salmon. This list is not in order of importance and is not meant to be comprehensive.

Essentials

• Warm, layered clothing

• Quality raingear

• Waders, wading jacket, wading boots

• Insect repellent

• Quality footwear

• Fishing license and regulations

• Camera

• Hat and gloves

• Sunglasses

• Sunscreen

• Personal hygiene necessities and any

• needed medications

• Rafting and Camping basics

• Raft with extra oar, rope, air pump,

• appropriate sized ratchet and sockets,

• and patch kit

• First Aid Kit

• Bow saw

• Stove and fuel, cookware and eating

• ware, soap and sponge

• Water purifier and container

• Food—we prefer a mixture of fresh

• and dehydrated—and a cooler

• GPS with coordinates for the key locations

• Satellite phone

• Detailed map of the area

• Bear protection

• Quality tent and 3 tarps

• Sleeping bag, mat and cot

• Shovel and toilet paper

• Bug Shirt

• Aerial flares

• Lighter, waterproof matches,

• and fire-starting materials

• Duct tape and extra rope for a clothesline

• and to hang a tarp for shelter

• Flashlight and batteries

• Gallon Zip-lock bags and large trash bags

• Dry bags for everything

• River Fishing Gear

• 6-, 8- and 10-weight fly rods and reels

• Same size floating and sinking line systems (check on river specifics when determining what sinking line systems to bring), tippet material from 4- to 30-pound-test

• 8- to 15-pound spinning rod and 20- to 30-pound baitcasting system spooled with new line; determine what applications you will be doing and in what conditions before choosing length, speed, and weight of rod

• Mixture of popular Alaska flies depending on the species and the time of year—i.e.; mice, smolt and streamers for trout in the spring, eggs and flesh in the fall, a box of beads is a good thing to have when the salmon begin to drop eggs, bright streamers and flashy patterns tend to work well on Chinook, coho, and chum salmon while pinks and sockeye tend to hit more sparsely-tied flies

• A gear fisherman would do well to have a variety of spinners and spoons in sizes 3, 4, 5, and 6, like the Blue Fox Vibrax and Pixie, the Mepps Aglia, Long Cast and Cyclops, the Luhr-Jensen Coho-Bolo and Crocodile, as well as the Kodiak Custom Tackle spinners

• A multi-use tool like the Leatherman Charge and a pair of hemostats or clamps; I prefer scissor clamps like the ones made by Dr. Slick

• Split-shot (rather than carry a number of bags or a large container of lead, try mixing an assortment of sizes in a film canister and just carry that)

• Strike indicators (for bead and nymph fishing, if you prefer that style)

• Dry-fly floatant

• Nippers

• A landing net, preferably one that is collapsible and has rubber netting

• Measuring tape

• Fillet knife

• Polarized glasses

Be safe on the water, enjoy Alaska, and good fishing.

—Marcus Weiner

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