How to get started and be prepared for Alaska fly fishing

Alaska Fishermen: Make your Alaska fishing vacation even more fun and extend your fishing experience. Whether you are an experienced fly fisherman or not you can fish Alaska's salmon and trout with a fly fishing rod. The Kenai Peninsula is home to many easily accessible streams and rivers where you can fly fish. We can also arrange fly fishing lessons and arrange guided fly fishing trips..

Alaska fly fishing need not be a complication on your Alaska fishing vacation and, in fact, can be a wonderful enhancement to your Alaska fishing experience.The techniques used in Alaska for fly fishing for salmon and trout often depart considerably from tactics used elsewhere, so basically first time fly fishermen in Alaska are on an equal footing with more experienced "lower48" fly fisherman. With the exception of king salmon, most Alaska fly fishing for red, silver, pink and dog salmon as well for steel head and rainbow trout can be done with a 7-9 weight rod and matching reel. For king salmon a 10-11 weight slow action rod and a stout reel capable of holding 150 yards of backing is recommended. As for fly fishing line, a floating line, or sink tip line with 1x-3x tippets can handle most fly fishing conditions. For sockeye or red salmon some lead core line or split shot is helpful depending on the water conditions. Most fly fishing for the important salmon and trout species in Alaska usually involves sinking presentations. That doesn't mean you should leave your dry flies at home.In certain conditions when fishing for silver salmon, grayling, or trout dry flies fished with floating lines and long leaders can be highly successful.            It is highly recommended that you consider the purchase of the Alaska angler's Bible "ALASKA FISHING" which is available for sale on the Click Here maps  page. This is by far the most complete guide for Alaska fishing and Alaska fly fishing available anywhere. It is a purchase you will not regret.

Alaska fly fishing flies and their patterns need not also be a mystery or a problem for your Alaska fly fishing vacation. Included on this page are pictures of what can be considered as some of the top producing Alaska flies. This opinion  will undoubtedly produce hours of argument and controversy, however these patterns were culled from fly fishing sites from all over the internet and the merits of these fly fishing patterns were put forth by successful Alaska fly fishing aficionados. According to the "ALASKA FISHING" bible, "It's far better to understand the generic groups these (fly) patterns belong to--what they represent (more or less), why they are effective, and how and when to use them-- than to try and memorize  the bewildering number of flies used in Alaska.

Forage imitations are the most effective patterns over a wide range of conditions because they mimic important prey species, such as sculpins, smolts and leeches.. In a strict sense, this group also includes nymphs, egg patterns, and dry flies. Fish these patterns deep---cross current, up or downstream, with a lively strip

Egg/flesh patterns are flies and streamers tied in colors and shapes to imitate salmon roe on flesh. They're extremely effective in Alaska, especially late in the season when the rivers are pumped full of spawning salmon, and all the resident species (such as trout, charr,and grayling) are keyed into feeding on loose drifting roe and the flesh of spawned out fish. They're best fished on a deep drift or with a very slight strip.

Attractors are a broad catch all group of flies that trigger instinctual, agressive responses in salmon and trout with their bright colors and tantalizing action. Like forage imitations they can be effective nearly any time and place and should be fished similarily--deep, with lively action."

Information above quoted from "ALASKA FISHING"

For more information about Alaska fishing and Alaska flyfishing please consider ordering ALASKA FISHING and if you are an Alaska bound flyfisherman we also have available FLYPATTERNS OF ALASKA for $19.95. Call toll free       1 800 770 3701 or e mail               funmoose@alaska.net