Bill & Phil In Alaska

[Phil Lilley]

Well- we're here. Bill and I rented a cabin from Pike Lake just a couple of miles up the road from Lake Camp Acess and Jim's camp on the Naknek River. We're here for the next month. Brian Ellis from St Louis will join us on Saturday and Tom Knox and group will the following Saturday.

Silvers are still numerous and fresh. It's amazing how late they are running. They were starting to come in the river when I left back in late July. Bill and I fished late yesterday and landed 8, losing twice that many. They were taking #10 black or purple woolies on the drift. Some were as small as 5 pounds up to 14 pounds. Lots of jumping and blowing around- hard to handle.

Weather is good- 60's yesterday and upper 50's today and some rain. We're going to limit on silvers early this am and then head into town and look around some. As soon as I get my laptop online, I'll post pics. I'm working off Jim's laptop presently and can't upload pics from here.

P&B

[DD'sMC]

Looking forward to more of "The Bill & Phil Show - Alaskan Style".

[Phil Lilley]

Quick note on before Phil got here. Worked for the camp for three days guiding clients from Georga. These boys could fish and we averaged 5 bows over 24 inches per day, with char and other various critters on the fly.

Pinks are still really hitting any type of fly when around them and my clients all hooked kings. If you are wading, it is just about impossible to get one in. They will just flat put the hurt on you and your gear. One jumped at least a dozen thundering jumps before breaking 20 pound tippet.

It is amazing how small a fly these fish want. Size 10 seems to be the best. For these big fish in alaska, it is hard to find a quality hook in that size that will tolorate the kind of prussure they put on the steel.

I am having a really tough time with the silvers. Hooking them but having them come off, on the tiny flys. Lost 9 straight. That will burn your britches.

[Phil Lilley]

Bill and I started early this am- 6 am up and at 'em (that's 9 am for most of you all). But sunrise is at 7 something. We were on the water early- beat everyone to the good spot. Silvers everywhere. But they weren't biting as well as last evening. Not at all. By 10 am they shut off completely but we had 9 to the boat averaging 10 pounds- much larger than last night. Man these guys can pull!! And most of their fight is out of the water- all over the place.

This evening hooking was dead. Again they were tough. One hookup and he was foul hooked. We didn't stay out long- cold, windy and rain. Will try again tomorrow.

Duane took a bunch to Margot- tons of Char up to 32 inches. And lots of bears. Tomorrow he and 9 clients are flying to Ugashik Narrows for huge char.

[Dawgsquat]

That really sounds like fun. Keep the reports coming.

[Phil Lilley]

Well, we've been bums the last couple of days. Yesterday weather was perfect but we had things to do in town- look at property and talk to locals... get the skinny on current gossup and such. Small town politics is interesting, even in Alaska.

We didn't fish. Wish we did but things came up at the end of the day when we thought we might that kept us from going. So today- the weather is bad. Temps are decent but the wind is gusting to 50-60 mph and rain. I feel for those who are flying today. So Duane and I did laundry in town and now we're chilling out.

Finally found a way to post pics so here they are. Took some video too but it's pretty dark - will wait on it.

Last pic is the view from our cabin here on Pike Lake. Fish are all silvers.

[Dawgsquat]

Great pics.

[Phil Lilley]

Brian Ellis made it in, al beit 2 hours late, last night. He's pretty pumped from the fishing reports here.

The winds yesterday were something else. No exaggeration- gusts hit 50 and regularly all day into the night. A Carolina Skiff beached at the access- 22 ft fiberglass with a 60 jet- was flipped by the waves and wind- just up from Jim's place. They took all their boats to the other side of the river (east side) because the east wind wrecked their dock and they were afraid their boats (and mine) would end up flipping too. We fixed everything this morning and off we went.

The winds also churned up the lake and the ash on the bottom so that the river was a murky, milky color. We hit the best spots first and did very little. Hit another spot, checked with a couple of other groups from Jim's and saw they weren't doing well either. We chalked it up to the discolored water and headed for camp. Drove into town and King Salmon Creek. Waded about a 2 mile stretch and found very little. Seems most of the salmon have moved up creek and the rainbows and char with them. Did catch a few rainbow and char but not a very productive day.

Brian is heading to Ugashik Narrows tomorrow. Bill and I are scouting again.

[Don House]

Hey guy's this is really cool! I love reading your posts.. Please post more pictures when you can.. Have Fun..

Don

[Phil Lilley]

Fishing has really slowed here. Best catching is drfiting in the current and dragging a bead- yes just like Taney!! If you drift a wooly any place you'll catch pinks and sockeye. Beads- sockeye, rainbows and char. Numbers aren't too bad but to be honest that's not what Bill and I came up here for. We're still trying to figure out the pattern. Last year and even 2 years ago the pinks were GONE along time ago and most of the sockeye were almost done spawning. Kings - also dead and gone. There's still LOTS of pinks and kings spawning and tons of sockeye all over the place. So we think that everything is 1-2 week behind, just like at the beginning of the season and for each salmon species that entered the river- behind. So right now the river is over ran with eggs of all kinds and our beads are just blending in. The spots where we slayed the rainbow last fall were concentrated spots on gravel bars and holes where the rainbows and char had gome at the end of the spawning period- they aren't there yet. So we'll wait- and go to Margot Creek tomorrow.

Brian did fly to Ugashik today and had a great day catching up to 32 inch beautiful char.