Chum Salmon are one of the most underrated fish in Alaska. Probably because their meat is more suitable for dogs than humans. But being an angler, this doesn’t bother me as they are pound for pound the hardest fighting salmon in the pacific. Chums start entering the river mid-July and continue in big numbers to mid-August. Chums average 9 to 12lbs., but can get over 16 lbs in weight. They are great fun to target on the fly due to their ferocious strikes and aggressive nature. They are quick to take a swung or striped fly and will sometimes even take flies off the surface as well! We use 8/9 wt. rods for these bruisers’ and are in no way over gunned!...
Sockeye Salmon are well known for their taste and nutritional value, but what is overlooked is the fact that they are also amazing fighters. They jump like crazy and can take anglers well into their backing with their ballistic runs, before finally coming to the net. With runs often hitting and surpassing the two million mark, it is no secret that when it comes to Sockeye salmon, it’s a ‘numbers game’. Averaging 7 to 9 lbs and getting up over 12 pounds, these salmon will give you a run for your money with a 7/8 wt. rod and by the end of the day you are sure to have a sore arm. Sockeye season (first -third weeks in July)...
With between 120,000 - 150,000 Silver Salmon (Coho) migrating up the Alagnak River, we think that we have one of the most exciting late season fisheries in Bristol Bay! Silver Salmon average around 8 to 10lbs. and are by far the most acrobatic of the salmon species. These spectacular game fish are well known for taking top water flies and leaping clear out of the water after being hooked. For these reasons they are personally my favourite salmon species to target on the fly. Silvers will start to show up in the last few days of July and gradually build in numbers through September. The best time to target the Silvers on our river is from the second week of...
Over the next few days we'd like to introduce you the the different species of fish you can expect to catch on the Alagnak River while at Alaska Trophy Adventures Lodge and when the best time to fish for each species is. King Salmon (Chinook) King Salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon and it is not rare to catch them in excess of the 35+ lbs range on the fly on the Alagnak River. We get runs of between 25,000 - 40,000 and their main spawning grounds are from about 6 miles above our lodge to 10 miles below us! Alaskan King Salmon start to enter the Alagnak River near the end of June and run through July 31st....
Today we want to introduce you to our second southerly tributary, which flows out of the twin lake known as the Nonvianuk Lake forming the Nonvianuk River. Nonvianuk River (Non-vi-on-uk) The Nonvianuk River runs 11-miles from its mouth at Nonvianuk Lake to where it meets the Kukaklek River to form the Alagnak. The Nonvianuk river is mostly class 2 technical water, with many bolder gardens and shallow sections. Surrounded by rolling hills of tundra, there is a very “open feel” to the Nonvianuk River and it is a beautiful place to fish or spend a day wildlife viewing. The upper 4 miles of this river is the most productive and much like the Kukaklek it holds an abundance of trout. The...