Phil Lilley

Trailer is listed. I'm sure the motor is 2013 too.

You'll need to call Rick for those questions. He's not a member on the forum.

74 isn't that old... In getting "more mature", I've noticed my confidence waning in certain situations. Take my recent trip to Alaska. Taking friends fishing on the Naknek River in my boat for a day, I took off from the dock without checking everything like I should have. Almost got stranded because my oil alarm went off 2 miles from home. Even simple things like walking on the round rocks on the gravel banks, started to think twice, hesitate... little things shake your nerves that didn't before. I tend to blame it on my age... I'm only 54 though. I push it out of my mind and try not to dwell on it. I'm thankful, regardless of what may lay ahead.

Nice to hear... glad you made it back.

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First week I had friends Chuck and Brian plus my nephew Ryan with me. Second week friends from Colorado Scott and Roger (son and father). John Moore from Springfield join us as a guest of the camp. Third week was friends from Kingfisher, OK John and Randy. I am TERRIBLE with names, can't remember the names of the guys from KC. I'd call it a senior moment but I've always had this problem.

There's a boat shop in King Salmon- guy's name is John. Works his butt off in the summer and can't imagine he does a whole lot in the winter. Probably the same for boat yards in Naknek. I think it would be tough... everything is tough in the "bush" of Alaska.

Moving to James River where you should get more looks.

I like this... I've pinned it for now. May do something else with it in time. May be a better place for it. Thanks!

Opps.... misspoke!! That's funny! Fortunately... I think I was more worried about spelling the word correctly than getting it right! They were a great couple! They wanted to do something new and exciting and got more than they bargained for. Although it was pretty tough, they did very well emotionally and physically and said they weren't sorry they'd done it. Not sure what he does but she's an attorney for the US Army or defense department. They live in Maine.

Of our fly out yesterday to Contact Creek

Well, since I'm stuck in Anchorage (again), delayed 3 hours and will miss my connection in Denver for Branson, getting home Monday instead of Sunday... I have time to type and post pics. The sockeye run actually started a week before we arrived (June 23), according to guides at the camp. That's early and a week before the "counters" start counting fish entering the river. That caused some confusion about the "escapement" of salmon this season and probably costed commercial fisherman a lot of money. We heard they didn't do well at all, at least the Naknek. But we anglers did very well. Even while they were netting, we saw good numbers of sockeye run past us while fishing. But when the escapement number was around 600,000, AK fish/game closed commercial fishing (last weekend I think) and on Monday we saw the biggest run most have ever seen. My group witnessed sockeye swimming past us 6 feet wide and sometimes 2 fish deep for 5 hours pretty steady. I started trying NOT to hook a salmon on a drift and could not. We use "chuck-n-duck" method. Some say these salmon don't "bite". I don't know... we hook them in the mouth at times but most of the time the hook is in the side of the mouth on the far side. Either way, in AK, that's a legally hooked salmon. You don't want to snap these fish anywhere but the mouth - they're hard enough landing when hooked in the mouth. All 3 weeks, we had no trouble landing our limits (5 each) at least 3 days and most of the time 4 days, enough to fill boxes for all my guys. This last weeks salmon were noticeably bigger too. Rainbow fishing was off compared to years I've been there. We usually have a pretty big school of rainbows in front of the camp chasing smolt running from the lake to the ocean- we did have some but not the numbers. Rainbow Rock and the cabin area up lake - same. The rapids offered the best bet for catching good rainbows. We didn't land any over 24 inches though. We caught some northern pike in the bay across from the camp the first week but didn't try after that. They were about 30 inches. Weather changed from cold/rain to 70's and 80's, back to cold/rain and finishing with bright sun and 80's. Bugs were terrible the last week. I got ate up by white socks and will have the scars to prove it.

This is a report posted today by Steve Fraley from Naknek River Camp. The 2 guys in most of the pics are from the KC area and members here on the forum. http://fishbaldwin.com/Reports/Reports.cfm Enjoy.

Rolan is a little crazy... 6 weight is a tad light for these biggin's. Rolan, though, works magic with whatever fly rod he uses

I know... just wanted you to know I'm back in civilization now. I'm sure hardly anyone noticed I was gone...

I wasn't sleeping.... I was fishing. In Anchorage waiting on flight HOME!

I've been chased by a dz bears the last 2 days and now can handle anything you can throw at me!!

I'm done fishing and heading home tomorrow... you all will have to reign it in

Had a great week last week. Weather was cold and wet most of the time but Friday the sun popped out and it was beautiful. Four days of sockeye fishing and limits all 4 days for us. That's 15 salmon per day and the average size increased from week one. Landed some brutes at about 10 pounds each. My friends weren't interested in rainbows so nothing to report there. They did get 2 kings at 25 pounds each. We flew to the Ugashik Narrows yesterday, about 65 miles south of here. Usually catch lots of big dollies and grayling there on dries but didn't seem to be as many fish there this trip. We only caught about 8 fish each. Biggest graying was 20 inches and dolly, 26 inches. The mountains surrounding this area are gorgeous - partially snow covered and the sun brought out their grandur. A couple flew to a new location yesterday am - a small stream we boat to and fish the lower part called Idavain. They flew to a small lake at the top to fish the upper creek, something our lodge had never done. But the guide got lost and they missed their pickup last evening. They spent the night in the tundra and walked out to the lake this morning. Quite a night... unfortunately the bears hadn't moved into that area yet so no real danger. The trails in this area all look the same. They didn't lose track of the river, just the small lake they were dropped at. Next week looks good. Sockeye are still coming in. We should do more rainbow fishing this week too. Home on Sunday next!

#8 wooly buggers. Purple and black best colors.

Went from the 70's and sun to 50's and rain this week, weather I actually prefer here. Sockeye are running strong and everyone is getting their limit of 5 pretty easy every day this week. They're running bigger too- about 9 pound average. Having a bunch smoked to bring home, plus a 50 pound box of filets. Rainbows are running smaller than normal. Don't know where all the big bruisers are - I guess out in the lake. There are a few 30+ inchers around but they're smart and hard to hook. We've gotten rainbows up to 24 inches to the net on smolt flies and jigs. Only seen a couple of bears on the river but more over at Brooks Camp. Went over the lake last week, skipping this week and letting my friends go over today... I'm doing laundry. I'll go again next week. Brooks River is low and not many big rainbows there either. But we fish dry flies over there and that's fun. King salmon trolling yesterday - my friends Scott and Roger landed 2 kings about 25 pounds each. Caught them on the river in town (King Salmon). http://youtu.be/6oCPIBt_cfY

Had dinner with some special people this evening.

We arrived not to the 70's and 80's everyone's been hearing about up here. I got off the plane in King Salmon is short, tee shirt and sandals and had to run and get a rain jacket from my check on first thing. It was blowing 50 mph, rain and about 50 degrees. It blew all night Saturday. Sunday was better, Some wind, got up to 60 and some rain. Sockeye are starting to move up through the river and we did well mid day, 2 short of our limit of 16 (4 of us). River was murky from the east wind, mixing up the mouth of the river's water and pulling silt off the bottom. By late Monday it was clear again. Monday we didn't do as well catching sockeye. Only had 8 but threw back 6 smaller sows, thinking we'd limit with bigger ones. They stopped running and it cut us short of our limit. But we have plenty of time to get enough for the guys to fill a box for home Saturday. Today we boated to Brooks Camp (google Brooks Camp Katmai). We fished the river from Brooks Lake to Naknek. My guys did well catching small rainbows on Elk Hair Caddis all the way to the falls (3/4 mile) and Chuck caught a 21 inch rainbow on a caddis nymph before the falls. Saw 8 bears and the sockeye we starting to run that river as well. Sunny and 80 - way too hot for up here!!! Tomorrow back to sockeyes and later hopefully we'll try for some kings down around King Salmon.

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