More Tips for a Successful Fishing Trip
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11. Confirm that the species you are after are in the river at the time you are coming.
12. Ask for a complete set of current references and check them out. Also call Fish & Game Department.
13. Bugs are bad in some parts of Alaska. Ask about them.
14. Ask about the types of gear that works best. If you wan to fly fish, don't go to a place that the river is a
quarter mile wide and twenty feet deep.
15. Ask about rods, reels, lines, flies, lures, and if they are available at the lodge.
16. Ask if you can bring any fish home.
17. Ask if provisions can be made if you have special diet restrictions.
18. Ask about guide experience level.
19. Ask about the number of hours fishing on the river and after
dinner fishing.
20. Ask about wildlife viewing opportunities.
21. For a list of appropriate gear to use, see our "The Right Gear" page.
22. Fly-fishing for king salmon requires a 9-11 wt. fly rod. I prefer a 10 wt. A good all-around summer
season rod is a 9 wt.
23. Three or four piece rods make travel to and from the lodge infinitely easier than two piece rods.
24. For steelhead and sockeye, a 7 wt three or four piece rod is best, but a 9 wt. is the preferred all-around
rod as there are also king salmon in the river.
25. Floating line with a mini-sink tip in addition to a floating line works well on the Ayakulik.
26. Hook-up rates are double on flies tied on super sharp hooks such as Gamagatsu and Diachi. Our lodge
flies (available for purchase) are all tied on these hooks.
27. A "strip/hook/set" results in more hook-ups than lifting the rod.
28. Fly-fishing for coho salmon requires a 7-10 wt. fly rod.
29. A fly reel with a good drag system and room for a lot of backing is good. I prefer an anti-reverse reel for
the "smoking" runs salmon make.
30. We have lodge rods and reels for primary or back-up gear (at no charge) for all of our fisherman.
31. For a copy of our Ayakulik Salmon Fishing video please contact Alaska Master Guide, Dennis Harms at
alaskatrophy@yahoo.com.
32. Our best king salmon flys are a peach Fat Freddie, tied on a 3/0 Gamagatsu hook, and a black Beadhead
Woolybugger, tied on a #2 Gamagatsu hook.
33. Our best king salmon lure is a #5 Vibrex in pink with a single
hook.
34. Our best fly for Sockey salmon is a Green Brassie, tied on a #4
Gamagatsu hook.
35. Our best steelhead fly is an Ali Shrimp, tied on a #4
Gamagatsu hook.
36. Our best lure to use for steelhead is a 1/16 oz. pink jig, tied below a strike indicator.
37. Our best coho salmon flys are the red-headed, weighted, Purple Egg-Sucking Leach and a Black Rabbit
Leach, tied on a #2 Gamagatsu hook.
38. Our best dally varden/arctic char fly is a single bead floated below a strike indicator above a #6
Gamagatsu hook.
39. Our best dolly varden/arctic char lure is a #2 pink Mepps.
12. Ask for a complete set of current references and check them out. Also call Fish & Game Department.
13. Bugs are bad in some parts of Alaska. Ask about them.
14. Ask about the types of gear that works best. If you wan to fly fish, don't go to a place that the river is a
quarter mile wide and twenty feet deep.
15. Ask about rods, reels, lines, flies, lures, and if they are available at the lodge.
16. Ask if you can bring any fish home.
17. Ask if provisions can be made if you have special diet restrictions.
18. Ask about guide experience level.
19. Ask about the number of hours fishing on the river and after
dinner fishing.
20. Ask about wildlife viewing opportunities.
21. For a list of appropriate gear to use, see our "The Right Gear" page.
22. Fly-fishing for king salmon requires a 9-11 wt. fly rod. I prefer a 10 wt. A good all-around summer
season rod is a 9 wt.
23. Three or four piece rods make travel to and from the lodge infinitely easier than two piece rods.
24. For steelhead and sockeye, a 7 wt three or four piece rod is best, but a 9 wt. is the preferred all-around
rod as there are also king salmon in the river.
25. Floating line with a mini-sink tip in addition to a floating line works well on the Ayakulik.
26. Hook-up rates are double on flies tied on super sharp hooks such as Gamagatsu and Diachi. Our lodge
flies (available for purchase) are all tied on these hooks.
27. A "strip/hook/set" results in more hook-ups than lifting the rod.
28. Fly-fishing for coho salmon requires a 7-10 wt. fly rod.
29. A fly reel with a good drag system and room for a lot of backing is good. I prefer an anti-reverse reel for
the "smoking" runs salmon make.
30. We have lodge rods and reels for primary or back-up gear (at no charge) for all of our fisherman.
31. For a copy of our Ayakulik Salmon Fishing video please contact Alaska Master Guide, Dennis Harms at
alaskatrophy@yahoo.com.
32. Our best king salmon flys are a peach Fat Freddie, tied on a 3/0 Gamagatsu hook, and a black Beadhead
Woolybugger, tied on a #2 Gamagatsu hook.
33. Our best king salmon lure is a #5 Vibrex in pink with a single
hook.
34. Our best fly for Sockey salmon is a Green Brassie, tied on a #4
Gamagatsu hook.
35. Our best steelhead fly is an Ali Shrimp, tied on a #4
Gamagatsu hook.
36. Our best lure to use for steelhead is a 1/16 oz. pink jig, tied below a strike indicator.
37. Our best coho salmon flys are the red-headed, weighted, Purple Egg-Sucking Leach and a Black Rabbit
Leach, tied on a #2 Gamagatsu hook.
38. Our best dally varden/arctic char fly is a single bead floated below a strike indicator above a #6
Gamagatsu hook.
39. Our best dolly varden/arctic char lure is a #2 pink Mepps.
If you're going to take the fishing trip of a lifetime, you will need to prepare to
make it the most enjoyable trip possible. With the hundreds of guiding outfits
in Alaska, the task of figuring out which to use can be quite daunting. Here are
a few tips to make your trip north a memorable one.
make it the most enjoyable trip possible. With the hundreds of guiding outfits
in Alaska, the task of figuring out which to use can be quite daunting. Here are
a few tips to make your trip north a memorable one.
