Bill & Phil In Alaska

[jdmidwest]

Phil, you are right about everything being off a couple of weeks. Anchorage just reported the coldest summer since 1980, with only 2 days above 70 degrees. Cold ocean currents have been driving a cooler weather pattern that will not change till this winter sometime. I have been reading the same on the Cook Inlet streams, runs are late.

Alaska is funny, being that salmon are usually on a 4 year cycle, runs vary from year to year depending on how the spawn was 4 years ago.

[Phil Lilley]

A great day today on the river and across the lake.

Boat problems... one of the boats going over to Brooks wouldn't start this am so half the guys at camp stayed and fished rainbows on Naknek and the rest of us headed over. Brian and I went on to Margot after leaving the crew at Brooks, included our dearly beloved Duane. They had a good day (no details available). The guys here on the river drfited beads from the access to Shawbach's and slayed big bows. Numerous over 25 inches up to 29 I was told. They really turned on compared to the last few days. Good thing.

Brian and I arrived at Margot Creek- no one in sight. It was almost noon so we ate our lunch so the bears would climb in my boat and eat it for us. I wanted to go up in the creek instead of starting at the mouth- I knew there were fish there but wanted to see the creek. Nope- mom and 3 cubs at the third bend. Fished down- nothing. The water level was low and clear... opposite from last year at this time. Got to the straight-away before the lake and started picking up a few char. All nice ones. But they just weren't eating our beads. Then we had one spit up some eggs. I matched the hatch right away and bam!! They started taking our beads on almost every drift. Had some guys fly in from Sportsman's- went up above us and caught nothing. As they walked back by us, I INSISTED they fish down from us- the guide wasn't going to- edicate... Phooey!! I said they had to and Brian and I and 3 clients from Sportsman's had 5 on at a time several times. Oh yea- gave them the magic bead so they had the right bead too. I bet between the 5 of us we caught 70 char in 2 hours. Largest was about 27 inches. Smallest was 22. They were really colored up nice- in spawning colors. Never saw it last year in Margot. Look at the pics!! I got video too but it'll be alittle bit before I have it edited.

And yes bear- mom and 3 cubs came to eat below us... another bore and 4 more out in the lake eating dead sockeye. Pretty cool.

More tomorrow.



Smelled real nice!!!



On the ride over.



Fall Colors are already showing



Alaska- land of rainbows



Brian with a nice male



We tried to catch a male and female at the same time to take this underwater pic side by side- we'll try again next trip over.



Look at the colors...



Just another char.

Had to add some more pics... these are from Brian's camera.









This was the big bore that came up behind us. Jeff, the guide from Sportsman's, although he was of short stature, did quick work of getting him to head upstream, then across the creek and in front of us. He didn't look happy.

[Dawgsquat]

WOOOOOOOOOOOO.......I can smell that first pic from here...lol.

Nice pics, Phil.

[cnr]

Here's the Char close-up pic from above cleaned up a little in Photoshop. It really is a beautiful fish. I hope someday to have the chance to catch a few.

[Oldschoolcane]

Phil,

I am really enjoying the pictures, Thanks.

Tim

[Phil Lilley]

Have to post some of Duane's pics... he had a great day. Drifted beads from my boat with 4 clients out in front of camp on the Naknek. They had one over 30 inches, one 29 and numerous 28's, 27's 26's... you get the picture. All rainbows. A few sockeye mixed in.

Bill and Brian did the same. They had 3- 26 inchers.







Duane guided a bunch of guys over at Ugashik last week. Here are some picture.

[DD'sMC]

Thank you for your posts while abroad. I appreciate living vicariously through you guys from your stories and your photos. Keep 'em coming!

Oh and by the way...

[Phil Lilley]

No, DD's MC, I won't hug and kiss him for ya.

Man we had one of those days today. Boated to Margot Creek with Bill, Brian and 5 clients from Jim's camp. Got there by 10 am and left at 6 pm. 8 of us caught, no exaggeration boys, over 250 char that average 21 inches and as big as 28 inches. But these things are fat, thick and fought like crazy fish. Throw in 35 rainbows up to 24 inches, BEAUTIFUL weather, bears all around eating salmon and you have a day most only dream of. I got 90 minutes of video, mostly of bears but alots of bent rods too. All on beads, specifically one color- fl peach 6 mm.

Enough talk- here's some pics.

On the way over- spectacular view.

Brian clicked this one. Was filming a mom and 3 cubs about 50 feet away, hooked a char and fought it right in front of her. They don't care about jumping fish right now cause they have plenty of fish that's not flopping around to eat. But she did jump over to investigate a flopping char later in the day- the angler had to break it off. But she was real nice to us, letting us fish her honey hole. She had the cutest cubs- 2 real dark chocolate and one brown. They ate and played all day just down from us.

10 casts, 7 char landed. I started taking pics of #2 after landing a very nice male char. One spot, 6 more char landed (pics) from 19-25 inches, 3 more hookups with the hook pulling out.

Couple of rainbows caught by the guys yesterday that didn't get posted.

[denjac]

Those bears look to close for comfort to me. Was curious if you guys have a rifle or sidearm close by? You guys slayed em, I just cant imagine that many fish.

[DD'sMC]

No, DD's MC, I won't hug and kiss him for ya.

Awww, he could probably use a hug. But you can leave the rest to me!

GREAT PHOTOS! Very nice fish! I agree with denjac, the bears are too close for comfort. Looks like you might be giving the great "Bear Wrangler" a little competition these days. Be safe.