Naknek River Report, Last 3 Weeks

[Phil Lilley]

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.

[Phil Lilley]

Of our fly out yesterday to Contact Creek

[tho1mas]

Nice - makes me want to do that sometime.

[Quillback]

Some beautiful scenery, thanks for sharing.

[jerry241]

What a place gotta try to get there someday

[fishinwrench]

That is Outstanding !!!!

Can a lowly outboard tech make a living out there? Cuz I'm ready to move.

[mic]

Nic pics. Who all was on the trip?

[Phil Lilley]

That is Outstanding !!!!

Can a lowly outboard tech make a living out there? Cuz I'm ready to move.

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.

[Phil Lilley]

Nic pics. Who all was on the trip?

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.