Advice Needed

[Ted Calcaterra]

I leave Friday the 13th for Naknek River Camp. What have been the hot flies for this time of year? I have been tying like a mad man trying to cover all the bases. Will the rainbows be on eggs yet?

[Rusty]

Ted, I would talk with Phil on this personally. I would give him a call and ask him. This part of the forum doesn't seem to have many lookers. Just saying.

[Phil Lilley]

No eggs. Kings just got up there and won't start laying for another 2-3 weeks.

They killed sockeye on simple black, olive, white or purple woolly buggers in #8's and #10's. You don't need to take anything else for sockeye.

Rainbows- smelt patterns. These are baitfish ranging from 2 to 4 inches. They are rainbow-style, big eyes and silver. Anything to match them should work. Also leech patterns. Same colors as sockeye woolies. Wooley bugger will work but they have to be long. Articulated leeches should be good. But you have to get those down 8-10 feet up by camp. Down in the rapids not so deep. There they can be smaller. Deer Hair Mice. Jim said they waded King Salmon River this week and killed the rainbows on bug DHM. That'd be fun.

Kings- not sure what to tell you. Have to get down- 6-8 feet. Bigger and flashy the better.

Grayling- #8-#10 elk hair caddis worked for us. They're not that picky.

Brooks rainbows- same as sockeye.... wooly buggers.

Don't make it any more complicated than that.

Leader- sockeye didn't care. We started with 6 lb Vanish and ended with 14lb. Rainbows- 6 lb vanish would work at Brooks and faster water I'd use 8. They did catch the biggest rainbows on spin cast- 2 lb line up by camp- black, sculpin, olive or white jigs in 1/8th oz fished bouncing the bottom. I think 4 lb would work fine... the Dudley's are fanatics.

Take deet- bugs are bad.

[Ted Calcaterra]

Thanks for the info. I did buy a bug suit and plenty of deet. Hope its not like hummingbirds swarming ones face.

I am tying a smolt pattern like a double bunny. White on the bottom and barred olive strip on top. I then put a big gold eye and epoxy'd the head. I think that should pass. Do you have a good pattern??

My dad will do some spin fishing. Any recommendations on tackle there? We bought some mepps spinners, rooster tails, and floating rapalas to look like smelt.

How many wolly buggers would you bring. I am worried I don't have enough?

[Phil Lilley]

I left a couple of thousand up there. Jim's selling them for 50 cents or something like that. Wolly buggers I mean.

Spin- jigs. Don't over complicate it. You'll probably take more tackle that you'll use. Jim will supplement what you don't have.

[Ted Calcaterra]

What about what shoes to bring? Low cut hiking boots. Will these work?

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

Man I envy you! I wish I was going back. I've already booked next year's trip and can't wait. As for the boots, your wader boots will work fine. You'll spend most of the day in your waders anyway. I'd get a good pair, one that supports your ankles and offers good cushion on the feet. Again, you'll wear them most of the day. Also, felt soles are a must!

As for the flies, and I agree with everything Phil as told you. We did our best on the purple woolies w/ a little flash in the tail. Black, olive and white also produced good at times, but the all around best was purple.

A good raincoat was a must for us and I can't see it changing in just a week.

John

[Ted Calcaterra]

John - please send me a private email to tcalca@hotmail.com with your number. I would like to call you if that is ok.

[Phil Lilley]

The only places you'll actually hike would be Idavain and Brooks. Brooks is easy- a good road- about a mile. Idavain is a mile plus along a well used path (yes bear). If it rains alot, the paths around camp will be wet and soggy. I wouldn't take sandals or tennis shoes at all. Take a pair of light weight rain proof boots for around camp. Less clothes the better. If I were going, I'd take 2-3 pair of fleece pants, a pair of jeans, long sleeve shirts and a couple fleece jackets. That's it. Jeans are for going to Eddies one evening- you could even wear fleece.

Take the full body bug suit back... buy a simple head net. Coleman makes one -

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-827b360t-Ins...t/dp/B0009PUSZI

like this one or even smaller. Tom Burckhardt has a net he used for turkey hunting that was tighter on his head. Personally, I wouldn't wear one. Too distracting. I put up with the bugs. You'll only have mosquitoes, no white sox so deet will keep them off you.

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

Ted, email sent.

John