Description
Departments
4 Fish Alaska Online
6 Alaska Traveler
8 Creel
10 Gear Bag
12 Fishing for a Compliment
14 Salmon Sense
16 Fly
18 Boats
28 Saltwater
32 Flyfishing
36 Conservation
70 Recipe
72 Ad Index
74 Final Drift
On the Cover
Alaska Drift Away Fishing knows how to catch Kenai beasts, and they use best fish-handling practices, like nets with rubber-coated bags, when landing Alaska rainbow trout. © Alaska Drift Away Fishing
38
Flyfishing the Taylor Highway by Joe Jackson
The Road Less Traveled…The idyllic Taylor Highway falls into that category. Rarely visited, its bounty of grayling streams see few anglers. Many flyfishers equate Alaska flyfishing with split shot, beads, flesh flies, or two-handed rods for swinging big sculpins and the like. A refreshing change of gear is right at home on the Taylor Highway: three- and four-weight fly rods, no split shot, and small dries and nymphs are all you’ll need here. Joe Jackson and wife Emmie visited the area last summer and chronicled their adventure to this exquisite, forgotten grayling Shangri-la.
46
Troutin’ for Generations by Jeremy and Andrea Anderson
Kenai River trout fishing is magical. The river produces good numbers of rainbow trout and Dolly Varden and has the capacity to grow rainbows of otherworldly proportions. It is also a great place for families to experience the joy of fishing together. Jeremy Anderson of Alaska Drift Away Fishing provides five reasons why the Kenai River trout fishery is so wonderful.
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Bristol Bay Arctic Char by George Krumm
Arctic char are fish of northern latitudes, in unspoiled habitats and spend most of their lives in lakes. If Bristol Bay wasn’t famous enough for its mega runs of salmon and its spectacular rainbow trout and grayling fishing, its even more alluring with the presence of certain locales that can produce Arctic char well over 30 inches long.
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Getting Kids to…Swallow the Fly by E. Donnall Thomas, Jr.
Introducing kids to fishing is fantastic. Introducing them to flyfishing is a little more challenging and best attempted after the kids have at least some familiarity with fishing in general. Alaska is one of the best places to teach a kid to flyfish, because many of our fisheries have abundant species such as pink salmon and Dolly Varden char. Don Thomas shares his experience mentoring a couple generations of young fly anglers.
