Alaska Bound!

[Ted Calcaterra]

I finally pulled the trigger and have my Alaskan trip booked. I don't get out to fish with my father much so this should be the trip of a lifetime! As many of you know on this board, preparing for a trip like this is almost half the fun. I will be spending many a winter nights tying flies and reading books in preparation of the trip. I plan to ask alot of questions and advice so please be patient and prepared.

We are going in mid July. What types of flies should I start tying for sockeye, kings, and rainbows? I plan on being over prepared in that department.

[AKflyfisher]

Ted, what part of Alaska are you coming to? South central(north and south of anchorage) Bristol bay, Southeast, or Kodiak

Flies list should go like this Rainbows want eggs so glo bugs or Troutbeads will work. maby acouple nymphs like a prince or so and maby a couple flesh flies.

For sockey buy some legal hooks and put some glo bug yarn on them. If you are fishing the kenai pen. a legal hook will be 3/8 of a inch gap so a size 4

Kings will take flies with orange in them but some pink or black work to. Try Fat Fredies, egg sucking leeches and fushia bunnys

Bring floro for rainbows if you are fishing clear water streams in like 2x because sockey will get in your way and you will snag them. you dont want to keep loosing your gear it gets annoying.

For salmon I use some maxim for leaders. kings you will need 6ft peice of 30lb and for sockey 3ft 30lb tied to 3ft 20 or 15lb

[Ted Calcaterra]

I am fishing the Naknek River in Mid July. I was wondering if it was too early for egg patterns on rainbows?

[Phil Lilley]

I'd say alittle early but I'm not an expert... yet. But I'm sure the smelt migration will be hot and heavy so streamers would work great.

Smelt

[AKflyfisher]

I would bring some eggs. the run chart I just looked at says kings will start making their way into freshwater in may-june, so buy july some will be droping eggs and if they are rainbows will want them. To imitate king eggs you will need 10mm egg patterns. Smolt paterns will work also but I think smolt make their way out to sea around may-june. Nymphs will be a good bet also, as the salmon are digging their reeds the stir up all sorts of nymphs

[Phil Lilley]

AKflyfisher,

I fished the Naknek in mid August and we still saw rainbows chasing smelt. The owner of the camp said he was till slaying rainbows on smelt patterns well into July and first of August... I know that's late but I guess there's alot of smelt in the Naknek system.

Eggs- I'll let you be the expert on them. We started using eggs when we were there for sockeye in late August but the rainbows loved them too.

[Ted Calcaterra]

Do you have some good smelt patterns to start tying or know where I can find patterns? What size tippet would you fish them on? I plan on rainbow fishing with my 6wt.

[AKflyfisher]

tippit size depending on the day and salmon influence will be 0x-4x you will probably want to go big as possible these rainbows are huge. Also if their is a crap load of reds in the rive you will keep acedentaly snaging them so if you are using 4x you probably brake off, this can happen alot in a day.

Standard size tippit for me on clear water is 2x

Not my fish but this is a nice rainbow from naknek

http://www.alaskaflyfish.net/coppermine/cp...um=1&pos=36

try these for smolt

http://www.alaskaflyfish.net/minnowsmolt.htm

http://www.alaskaflyfish.net/FlyOfTheWeek.htm