Description
Departments
4 Fish Alaska Online
6 Alaska Traveler
8 Creel
10 Fishiing for a Compliment
12 Gear Bag
14 Salmon Sense
16 Fly
18 Saltwater
20 Flyfishing
22 Conservation
54 Recipe
56 Ad Index
58 Final Drift
On The Cover
Katmai Trophy Lodge guide, Sage Johnson, swung up this massive rainbow in the Naknek last fall. © James Johnson
28
Go Micro for Coho by JD Richey
Bigger is better, right? Big lure, big fish? Well, as far as coho are concerned, those cliches aren’t always true. At certain times, stoic silvers can be tricked by downsizing everything—rods and reels, line, and lures. JD Richey has spent a lot of time observing and fishing for silvers at one of the best places imaginable for perfecting riverine silver salmon techniques. Going micro for lock-jawed coho is a thing.
36
Silver Giants of the Fjord by Andrew J. Cremata
Haines and Skagway, Alaska, sit on the upper end of Lynn Canal. The four major, glacial tributaries of Upper Lynn Canal are home to large, late-returning chum and silver salmon. All those late-running salmon attract the largest congregation of bald eagles in the United States, which converge upon the Chilkat River in late fall to feast on these fish. Former Skagway mayor, Andrew Cremata, has been targeting late-returning coho in Upper Lynn Canal rivers for more than 20 years.
42
Bears and ‘Bows by George Krumm
Katmai Trophy Lodge on the Naknek River is one of the only places in Alaska that provides an affordable option to pursue giant Alaska trophy rainbows, as well as all five species of Pacific salmon, Arctic grayling, and Arctic char. Plus, included in the price is the opportunity to go to Brooks Camp, a world-class bear-viewing destination as well as world-class rainbow trout fishery. Every avid trout angler should put this on the bucket list.
48
Kenai Rainbow Magic: What Keeps Us Coming For More by Jeremy Anderson
No doubt, Kenai trout are special. But fishing the Kenai for its magical rainbows means different things to different people, and one person’s memories of the Kenai and what makes it special are often quite different from others. In this reflective story, Jeremy Anderson interviews several of his clients and friends to find out why they keep coming back to the Kenai. For those of you who have fished it, what makes you keep going back?
