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
32 Saltwater
36 Fly-fishing
38 Conservation
70 Recipe
73 Ad Index
74 Final Drift
On the Cover
This donkey slab waged a war once it was hooked. The conditions were less than desirable, but it shows what can happen when you grind it out during a tough day in the third week of September. © Nick Ohlrich
42
Macro Trout—Looking at the Big Picture to Understand the Details
by Nick Ohlrich
What do events from last year have to do with the quality of Kenai trout fishing this year? Plenty! But current conditions on the river also contribute to both the quality of the fish and the quality of the fishing. Nick Ohlrich describes what happened in 2020 that set the table for an outstanding 2021 Kenai trout-fishing season, along with the conditions influencing trout during the epic 2021 season.
50
Fall Lake Trout Techniques
by Andrew Cremata
September brings a chill to the air and deposits termination dust on the mountains. The days are rapidly getting shorter and cooler, and lake trout begin to leave their deep summertime haunts and move to shallower water. Fall is an excellent time to target lakers. Andrew Cremata shares fall lake-trout tips for both bank-bound and boat anglers in this piece.
58
Go Micro for Coho
by Scott Haugen
Coho (silver) salmon in streams are known to be aggressive fish. However, they are also known to be moody; easily put off the bite by bright sun or angling pressure. When coho develop lockjaw, tiny jigs, small drift bobber/bait combos, little plugs, small beads, and downsized spinners can often save the day. Sometimes you have to go small or go home empty-handed.
64
The World’s Most Responsible Fishing Tournament
by Coy West
Traditional salmon derbies focus on awarding prizes for the biggest fish, and sometimes the most fish. The result is that sometimes numbers of small fish are released by anglers hoping for a contender. This may not be a problem with durable fish such as largemouth bass, but for more fragile species, it can be problematic as some species, such as silver salmon (especially if caught in tidewater), can suffer high mortality rates when released. In an attempt to minimize mortality of silver salmon, developers of the Kenai Silver Salmon Derby have chosen the novel approach of awarding prizes based on random “Magic Weights” selected on each day of the derby. A four-pound silver could net you $5,000!
