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The May 2026 issue digs into the tactics and flies that define Alaska’s salmon and trout seasons, from circle hooks on plugs to flesh patterns for flesh-fed rainbows. Whether you’re chasing chums on the fly in the valley or thinking about what keeps cold-water fisheries alive, this issue has something worth reading before you hit the water.
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Departments
4 Fish Alaska Online
6 Alaska Traveler
10 Creel
12 Gear Bag
14 Fishing for a Compliment
16 Salmon Sense
18 Fly
20 Saltwater
22 Flyfishing
24 Conservation
28 Wind Knots
54 Recipe
56 Ad Index
58 Final Drift
On The Cover
Cotton Candies will catch more than trout, as evidenced by this coho. © Captain Bruce Chard
30
Plugging With Circles by JD Richey
For decades, anglers have been looking for the elusive best way to rig hooks on plugs. Lots of methods have been tried, but when catch-and-release is necessary, either because of regulations or simply an angler’s desire, there is one style of hook that causes the least frequency of mortal hooking wounds in salmon: circle hooks. But do they work well with plugs? Read on to find out.
36
Chums in the Valley by Kyle Wilkinson
Possibly the salmon species responsible for the most broken fly rods, chum salmon are tough customers and quite willing to chomp on flies. They’re usually present in abundance in streams that have them, and most rivers in the Mat-Su Valley have chums. Though they are usually not good table fare when caught in freshwater in the Valley, they are a plentiful, accessible, willing, and hard-fighting salmon species that will readily eat flies.
46
The Many Kinds of Flesh by Ben Paull
Alaska is the only state in the US where riverine rainbow trout feed on massive amounts of decaying salmon flesh in the summer and fall. Flesh is probably as important in Alaska as midges (chironomids) are in the Lower 48. Whether you’re fishing a larger river or small stream, in the late summer and fall you’ll want to have some flesh flies with you.
24 Conservation
Plants For Salmon by Marian Giannulis
Everyone knows cold-water species like salmon and trout need cold water, but the importance of streamside vegetation in riparian areas is less known. Many of man’s activities destroy riparian vegetation. Conservation organizations like TU have organized community efforts to restore streamside vegetation in recent years at Montana Creek, Resurrection Creek, and even the Kenai River. Perhaps you can help.
| Weight | 3 oz |
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