Bill & Phil In Alaska

[loo10]

Maybe others are wondering this as well so I'll ask.....

With all those magnificant salmon in the river,

why are you guys so torked about catching the rainbows?

When I went to Alaska, we chased silver salmon and

as I've mentioned...if I lived with a 100 miles of a salmon river,

I wouldn't be able to hold down a job as I'd be chasing them.

I loved tying the flies, fishing for them, and the tablefare....Oooooooh my!!!!

Brutha's, would appreciate you sharing with us why you do what you do !

[Phil Lilley]

Naknek gets a few thousand silvers but nothing like reds or pinks. Same with kings. Sockeye are spawning, turning nasty and dying. We do hook a few but they don't fight very well. They are a bother. Silvers are only in a couple of spots. We aren't messing with them because.... they're hard to catch for the clients we have. And they're aren't many. Kings are almost dead and gone. Besides, season is closed on fishing for them.

We had an incredible day. Not on numbers but on size. Houston had 20 rainbows with three in the 28 inch range and I'd say at least 12 of the rest were over 24 inches. Tom had 16 rainbows with one at 28 inches and numerous over 24 inches. Troy had a 31 incher and again, lots over 24 inches. It really is incredible to see fish after fish look the same- big, fat, long, silver and fight like the dickens. Houston's trophy jumped 5 feet in the air when it got stuck.

[Phil Lilley]

Just got back from camp and got their report from today"s fishing. Duane took Moose Watson and others to Idavain Creek- hiked up to the meadow and fish some dries and beads and did fair. Duane said the had 17 bear encounters and one scary moment when one bear cam running right at them thru tall grass. He got him stopped but only within a few feet. Duane thought the bear didn't see them. They caught rainbows and grayling.

Guys went to Brooks and caught a few bows. They are hold up behind the trees again like last year. It was tough casting but they did drag some from the wood. Those that went on to Margot Creek didn't find the char like we did last week. Some at the mouth but not in the big numbers. Did find some up the creek where we did not. Thought is that the colored up ones went up to spawn and more fresh char from the lake is what they found at the mouth. Also some rainbows.

We are going to try to go across the lake to Brooks and Margot tomorrow, depending on the wind forecast in the am. We have schedule a flight to Ugashik for Wednesday for BIG artic char.