End of August at Mission Lodge

I will be back in Michigan one week from today and chasing Kings the next day.  I can't believe the summer has gone by so fast, but I guess time flies when you are having fun!!  The fishing up here has been outstanding, the rivers are loaded with bright chrome Coho Salmon (silvers) and the Rainbow Trout are gorging on Sockeye Salmon eggs and dying King, Chum and Pink Salmon carcasses.  I am looking forward to fishing with everyone who is on the books for Kings or fall Steelhead after one more week of guiding here in Southwest Alaska.

A big Rainbow from a small river.

Can't get enough of those big trout.

A nice Rainbow posing for a picture after being released.

Double header on the Togiak Silvers.

Jim and River doubled up on the Goodnews River.

Fall Steelhead

Ed and Jeff joined me today for some fly fishing on the Muskegon River.  Jeff had never caught a fish on a fly rod before today so we broke him in with a few different species, he caught Steelhead a king salmon a coho salmon and a smallmouth bass.  The boys are pictured below with a couple Steelhead that were eager to eat beads behind spawning salmon.

10/9/2011  Jeff with his first ever fish on a fly rod!!

10/9/2011  Ed with a great steelhead that gave us a nice aerial show.

Alaska Trout Fishing

Trout fishing is still going strong in Southwest Alaska, while rivers with spawning Chum and King Salmon being the Rainbow's meal ticket are in the later stages of the egg drop other rivers that support all spawning Sockeye Salmon are in their prime.  Also as the spawning Salmon die off carcasses are caught in snags and in soft water where the rainbows feed on their flesh, this is the time of year some of the biggest, healthiest Rainbows are caught!!  We are right smack in the thick of the Silver or Coho Salmon run right now as well, these fish are very aggressive making fly fishing very productive with sometimes 30 or more hookups per rod in a day,  we also get these fish to come up to the surface and eat poppers, that's good fun!!

2 weeks of guiding left for my 2011 Alaska season, looking forward to fall in Michigan!!



Myself and Jack with a 28" Rainbow



A 27" upper Togiak River Trout.



Trout are gorging on eggs and flesh right now.



A nice Rainbow from the Goodnews River.



A 2 Footer from the Togiak River.