When exploring angling techniques one common-enough principle is to take an idea from one region and apply it to another. Such is the case when comparing Alaska with the famous, blue-ribbon trout locales of the Lower 48, places such as the Big Horn, Big Hole, Beaverhead, Yellowstone or Madison rivers of Montana. No, the waterways of the Last Frontier aren’t those of the Lower 48, but they do present some distinct similarities when it comes to early-season rainbows.
Story & Photos by G.B. Barnard IV [emember_protected custom_msg=’This content is available for subscribers only.’]
One major difference, though, is that Alaska’s trout-fishing season is typically broken into two major periods: salmon pre-spawn and post-spawn. However, Alaska’s rivers are comparable to the waters of the contiguous U.S. in the sense that during the first of these periods, the salmon pre-spawn, the trout feed and interact in a fashion similar to their more southern-ranging cousins. The focus of this article is on the period of the salmon pre-spawn, one that has trout stalking and consuming prey like they do in the rivers of the Rocky Mountain region.
During the late Alaska spring and early summer months, the state’s rainbow trout move about widely in search of newly emerging food sources. During this time they will migrate to feeder streams to reproduce and then return to larger waters in search of sustainable resources until the salmon runs bring a much needed influx of nutrients. This pre-spawn period, sometimes lasting from mid-June until mid-August, is when rejuvenating trout take on some of the qualities a fishing enthusiast from the Lower 48 will find familiar.
For one thing, at this time of year, anglers will likely need to remain versatile to encounter sustained success. During June and July Alaska’s rainbows are predominantly feeding on smolt, fry, leeches, sculpins, the occasional stickleback, as well as the variety of bug life produced in a given river. An angler might drift fry imitations in the surface film during the morning and then find fish chasing the smolt out-migration later in the day. Swinging large, weighted streamers is always a good option at this time of year, and the persistent can usually hope to pick up a nice fish or two in every run. Although rare for the most part in Alaska, June and July also present the best opportunity for anglers to target rising fish with large attractor patterns fished dry. But, while rise forms and surface sips present an awfully compelling target, zeroing in on the bottom-feeding trout can often be the most productive and rewarding fishing experience to be found. Yes, many Alaska rivers are teeming with bug life, maybe not in the same abundance as found in the fisheries to the south but enough to make traditional nymph fishing one of the better-kept secrets of the Alaska spring.
The entomology of any healthy Alaska river is dominated by Chironomids (midges), stoneflies, caddis, mayflies, and in places, scuds. These rivers of vast organic vigor often originate from lakes and thus lack massive water-level fluctuations, yielding enough flow to avoid freezing during the winter months. Often, other aquatic insect life exists in a given body of water but not in numbers to subvert the generalities presented here. Utilizing the basic techniques of nymph fishing on these Alaska waters can often keep an angler busy throughout his or her fishing trip, providing an alternative option when the smolt or fry bite is off or when swinging streamers isn’t producing.
The Basic Nymph Rig
To get at the nymph-feeding trout in a river it is essential to copy the activities of river organisms in their natural stages of development (larvae, pupae, etc.). Proper nymphing usually involves a weighted setup to get a wet fly moving in long dead-drifts throughout the feeding lanes of a river. The goal is to imitate dying, emerging, or dislodged insects and/or crustaceans that drift along the bottom of a river bed daily.
The basic nymph rig consists of about 9 to 12 feet of leader with the fly tied to the end. Tippets of 3X are appropriate for most rivers in Alaska, but as the summer progresses, downsizing to 4X or 5X is often needed as the trout’s annual education occurs. About 12 to 16 inches up the line from the nymph a weight, typically a BB or 3/0 size split-shot, is secured. I often upsize the line to 2X at this location and use a split shot clamped just above the blood knot to secure it from sliding down to the nymph. The objective is to drift along the bottom of the river bed. If the line isn’t bumping the bottom, getting hung up occasionally, or pulling up some weeds more weight must be added. On the contrary, if the line is constantly getting stuck on the bottom some weight needs to be taken off.
In order to see the fish strikes it is recommended to attach a strike indicator near or at the top of the leader. Oftentimes with nymph fishing, the takes are very slight and almost unnoticeable without the assistance of this visual reference. When the strike indicator goes under, the angler is to assume it is a strike.
The location of the indicator may need adjustment depending on the river’s depth. The distance from the weight of the rig tothe strike indicator should be 2 to 3 feet more than the depth being fished. It isn’t too catch-threatening to have this distance a little longer than needed. It just may result in missing a few more strikes. Additionally, there will be times, as is typical with nymph fishing, when the trout takes the nymph and spits it back out without any noticeable indication to the angler.
The completed nymph rig is a complicated one consisting of more joints than any other fly fishing set-up. Because of this it is important to practice cast-timing and proper rod loading either on or off the river so that a day isn’t spent untangling rather than fishing. A fair warning: more line joints often means more tangles and necessitates patience. Concentrating on one’s casting and using the proper nymph-drifting technique will definitely help to avoid nasty knots and maximize the daily catch.
The Proper Nymph Drift
The goal here is to get down to the bottom and drift a nymph along naturally. In order to do this the rig must first hit the water and then sink to the bottom. After reaching the bottom the nymph is in the fish’s strike range and will continue there until the line pulls it off the bottom. Basically this means that the most successful drifts are ones in which the rig is in the water as long as possible without pulling on the line from the leader to the hook. A long drift will entail mending the line at least once during the drift and taking care of the slack created and taken away due to the current flow of the river. Drifting a nymph is an easy task if the angler is moving in a boat with the current but if one is anchored or wading the technique gets a little more complicated.
For those wading or anchored the nymph drift will first start with casting the line approximately 45 degrees upstream of the current flow. The cast normally should be made at least 30 feet out from the river position so as to not scare fish with the angler’s motion. Make sure to keep about 10 to 20 feet of excess line at your feet because you will use it during the drift. The line will drift downriver, creating a bit of slack between the angler and the strike indicator. When the rig is directly in front of the angler, or perpendicular to the water flow, throw a mend upriver all the way to the strike indicator. This will allow for less drag on the subsurface nymph as the drift progresses. An upstream mend, used to supply necessary slack, is basically the act of making a semi-circle motion with the tip of the fly rod from downriver to upriver.
As the drift continues the strike indicator will move farther downriver, causing the line to lose its slack again. Try throwing an additional upstream mend just prior to this happening. During this mend release some of your extra reserve line to create extra slack. You may be able to repeat this procedure again when the line is about to become taut again. By the time the angler gets to this point the rig is far downstream and the drift has basically met its end.
A common occurrence, however, is getting strikes as the nymph swings at the end of the drift. When the nymph swings it raises off the bottom. To a fish it can appear to be a nymph emerging to the surface to hatch as an adult insect. If one gets many hits on the swing an insect hatch has either just transpired or is currently taking place and repeating this swing at the end of each drift may be quite productive.
After the drift has ended the angler can then strip back in some of the line and then make a normal back-cast to forward cast in the same general 45 degree upstream direction. This is much easier said then done but practice will lead the way. Furthermore, it will help to change the distance of the cast to cover more water and, if you aren’t getting any strikes, think about moving to a different spot on the river.
The proper dead-drifted nymph technique may take a little time to get used to. A fisherman can easily tell if the drift is moving successfully when the strike indicator moves downriver relatively freely. Any V-wake created by the strike indicator suggests that the nymph is being pulled by the fisherman. A mend or a new cast is often needed to correct this.
Of course the most important part of all of this: if at any point during the drift you see the strike indicator go under water rapidly apply quick tension to the line. Fish On! It may only be underwater for half a second but this is likely a trout strike. Hooking the bottom or having the nymph caught in an underwater eddy can sometimes look similar. With experience, though, any angler can learn to distinguish between a fish strike and the bottom. Usually it is a matter of how fast the indicator submerges.
What Kind of Nymph to Use?
In nymph fishing, matching the hatch means matching the preliminary stages of an insect’s life. The larval or pupae stages of insects’ lives are almost always present within the rocks of a water supply while the adults may only emerge to reproduce and expire for short periods during the year. Also, other organisms, such as scuds, live out their entire lives within a given riverbed. All of these creatures supply much needed nourishment for fish and have allowed for the health of many rivers worldwide. With this in mind, there are basically three different methods one can go about when determining what to use as a nymph imitation when fishing the salmon pre-spawn rainbows of Alaska.
The first method mentioned is to experiment with what you have in your fly box or what you think might interest the trout. I would have never thought a gray-bodied soft hackle or a bright-red blood worm would work so well in Alaska until I witnessed it with my own eyes.
Secondly, there’s the tried-and-true approach of using those few standard nymphs that always work in Montana, Colorado, West Virginia, or any other of your favorite Lower 48 waters. These are the general nymphs that work almost everywhere. Princes, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, Scuds, and stonefly nymphs highlight this category. These nymphs will likely catch fish everyday on an Alaska river with some healthy entomological life. Try using different colors to zero in on what the fish are after. If the river doesn’t get too much fishing pressure an angler can find these nymphs working throughout the summer until the salmon eggs drop.
Lastly, the method I prefer for stalking my pre-spawn Alaska ‘bows is to take the simplified approach: turn over some rocks. I will never forget the first time I pulled a rock up from the headwaters of the Agulukpak River and my hand was literally covered with size 24 olive midge pupae. A few minutes later, after changing to the corresponding pattern, we were into fish. An hour afterwards and I was out of all of my tiniest nymphs. It goes to show why those ‘Pak rainbows follow around the guide as he wades the boat downriver. It’s another “San Juan Shuffle” situation found in the farthest frontier. But it follows with the guidelines of these fish: where there’s bug life, opportunistic rainbows are sure to follow.
Finding midges that small on the ‘Pak uncovers another misconception. In Alaska the fly choice is often to think BIG. Even the nymphs sold for Alaska are often a little larger than what is normally intended for the waters around Jackson, WY, or somewhere similar. Still, what one will find on the bottom of a healthy Alaska river is often much smaller than the accepted norm suggests. Many times the smallest of the nymphs will be the most productive. Every river is different, of course, but not that many anglers are drifting anything smaller than size 16 and it is too bad for them. They may have just missed out on many giant ‘bows targeting size 20 scuds.
Another method for zeroing in on the nymph bite is to drop an additional nymph off the original wet fly. Only attempt this if the river bylaws allow for more than one fly to be used per angler. Often, though, an angler will find this the fastest route to discover exactly what the fish are eating. But, fair warning, it also will create yet another joint in the rig making line management even more of an issue.
The secret to your wet flies is simple: Have fun with your nymph selection. Experimentation, a little knowledge, and some guesswork will go a long way in finding out exactly what type of bugs your wild Alaska ‘bows are targeting.
How About Dry-Fly Fishing?
Dry-fly fishing in Alaska can be very productive and trout will often attack a dry here with much more aggression than found in the Lower 48. Stimulators, caddis and terrestrial imitations are generally all one needs unless they know of particular hatches that occur for a given river. However, as is the case with rivers of the Lower 48, the trout will still consume most of their food, around 90%, from under the surface. Put a dry-fly fisherman up against a nymph fisherman and, at the end of the day the nymph fisherman will usually have much more success.
Having stated that, it is important to mention that there will be days when the fish are all looking up and it would seem a shame not to drift a dry imitation over the surface of a river. As a general rule, try fishing a dry fly for a period of the day to see how the fish react. Every Alaska river is different, though, and most often an angler will find many more trout perusing for nymphs over dry flies. Have fun and experiment around with your destined river and you will find just what works best.
Choosing an Alaska River to Nymph Fish
It is expressed in many fishing circles that there are only a couple rivers and streams in Alaska that hold enough bug life to even mention for early-season dry and nymph fishing. This may be true when counting all the waterways of the state, but with a little research it will become apparent that many world-class Alaska rivers sustain plenty of aquatic bug life. Try spending June or July on the Brooks River, Copper River, Lake Creek, the Wood River waterways, or a couple of other well known, similar rivers and you will be convinced. Montana-style fishing is prevalent in Alaska.
I look for two major components when choosing an Alaska river to fish for salmon pre-spawn rainbows–the river is both emptying out of a lake and has some algae growth on the riverbed. There are many more factors that determine whether a river holds plentiful bug life and trout but these two variables usually house the type of situation needed to find good nymph-fishing water. A river exiting a lake has the quality of only slight water fluctuation. When a river floods it can kill off a good percentage of the organisms living in the riverbed. This will result in limited bug life, and therefore, an inadequate number of rainbows targeting this food source. Additionally, a river that sustains algae growth on some or all of the rocks indicates health. A healthy river will maintain a temperature suitable to growing plant life that many insects need to live and grow. In Alaska, where nearly all the rivers lack contamination, the presence of algae is an angler’s friend.
Furthermore, when searching for a river to nymph fish early season, it is crucial to know, usually by word of mouth or logical conclusion, whether the body of water freezes in the winter. If so, avoid it. It will likely turn out to be a biological wasteland until the salmon runs bring nourishment back. Rivers flowing with silt or off-colored water also fit in this category. These glacial rivers are often too cold for an abundant supply of bug life and rainbow trout (there are exceptions, of course, like the middle andlower Kenai, tempered by a pair of lakes and responsible for a monster caddis hatch each June).
If one would like more information about where to go it is often a benefit to talk with locals in the area or Alaska fishing veterans. Word of mouth can usually clue one into whether a body of water holds a significant population of pre-spawn rainbows. While on the subject try asking about types of wet flies to use also. Guides tend to hide their secret spots and flies guardedly, but one can sometimes find out what they need to know from others who have fished the area with nymphs. Additionally, I have found some very useful information for fishing various locales at my local Trout Unlimited chapter. Asking a few questions to those educated about your intended destination can lead to a more successful fishing trip.
Fishing for the salmon pre-spawn rainbows is an understated pleasure for many anglers’ trips to Alaska each year. It may just be because those same anglers haven’t been drifting nymphs into the mouths of these voracious feeders. After a few hours of nymph fishing on a given Alaska river, the energetic and savvy rainbows will certainly prove that they feed and interact in a similar manner as their cousins in waters over a thousand miles away.
G.B. Barnhard IV spends his summers guiding in western Alaska, the winter on the trout streams of Chile, and the shoulder seasons as guide in his native Florida. This is his first appearance in Fish Alaska magazine. [/emember_protected] [emember_protected scope=”not_logged_in_users_only”]
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