Alaska Fly Fishing
Alaksa is truly the “Greatland” of fly fishing!
The reality though is Alaska is immense and while one location may offer prime fly fishing for a few weeks, only the majestic Kenai Peninsula offers consistently reliable fly fishing for multiple species. Moreover, the Kenai Peninsula hosts numerous rivers and streams easily explored via roads and provides fly fishermen unrivaled variety and size of wild salmon, Artic char, rainbow trout and, yes, steelhead. DIY anglers can certainly catch a fish of a lifetime here on the Kenai, but hire a licensed and experienced fly fishing guide if you really want to make your fly fishing dreams come true.
Alaska Fly Fishing Checklist
Fly Rod:
Bring a decent 9’6″-10′ 6-8wt or two. There’s a good chance you’ll need the second rod regardless of your experience. Three to four piece rods are good for traveling, but leave telescoping rods at home. Single handed rods work best from drift boats. I persoanlly use a 10′ 10″ Echo 7wt switch rod for shore fishing, but spey rods are fine too. Keep in mind many big fish in Alaska are literally at your feet as they avoid the stronger currents or feed on eggs in the eddies. Spey rods have their place too, but if you’re not experienced with them, I’d stick with the other setups above.
Fly Reel:
Crappy reels will disintegrate, but no need to go overboard either. Reels should have 100 yards 20#-30# backing capacity, but still be balanced with your rod and on the lighter side so you can comfortable cast all day.
Fly Line:
We, at Alaska Legacy, use floating lines exclusively for their versatility regardless of river size. Weight forward and 1 weight heavier than your rod for shore fishing or even 2 weights heavier for boat fishing is typically better for casting with indicators and split shot or heavier flies. However, I use a Rio Switch Chucker with same rating for my Echo switch rod. So, pay attention to the type of line you’re purchasing because some are already designed overweight for specifc rod types like switch rods. An inidcator line rated for your rod or 1x over it would be a great choice overall.
Leaders:
9′ leaders from 12-20lbs are the right range. I’d use the smaller ones for trout fishing, medium for steelhead and largest for salmon.
Tippet:
I learned way too many times to admit that common fly fishing tippets are simply not up to the task in Alaska. We and most of the guides I know use high quality 10#-12# fluorocarbon tippets for trout in the bigger rivers (smaller like 4x in crystal clear creeks for sure) and or maxima ultragreen in 12-20lbs for larger species.
Hooks:
Hook types naturally depend on a wide varierty of factors. Since we use beads predominantly, there are newer hooks designed for them and #10-#2 is a good selection. Gamakatsu makes great bead hooks as do other manufacturers. I prefer lighter profiles with natural colors like bronze or even silver vs black, red etc…
Weights:
We use Water Gremlin brand removable split shot in sizes b, bb, and 3/0 (double the qty of this size)
Flies, Beads & Indicators:
Beads are the way to go for most days, however flesh flies work great for bigger fish as do streamers like black or purple egg sucking leeches, muddler minnows, and even dolly llamas. For indicators, we use larger 1″ Thingamabob indicators, but there are tons of other good options out there.
Waders, Jackets, Layers:
High quality, breathable goretex waders or similar are the way to go. Don’t bother with junky and clunky older neoprene waders. We exclusivey use Simms brand waders for their consistent leak proof quality and durability. Felt soles on wading boots are no longer allowed in Alaska so leave them at home. Excellent quality rain jackets are essential and wading jackets are best for primarily shore fishing. You’ll want warm and comfortable moisture wicking socks. Costco often have great merino wool socks at bargain prices. You’ll want several layers including moisture poly propylene wicking long john bottoms and tops, mid layers and warmer layers for colder days. I avoid hoodies for all layers except jackets since they get and stay wet around your neck. Pack a fleece hat instead as it’s a better alternative.
Polarized Glasses:
Good polarized glasses are essential for maximizing your Alaska fly fishing trip. They help you spot fish, read the water and understand where a guide is telling you to cast. I prefer grey lenses since they don’t distort colors and help distinguish whether you are casting to a silver salmon, steelhead or trophy rainbow trout. We use Smith glasses, but thre are lots of good sunglass manufacturers. Forget the $10 pair and plan on investing $50 to $100 for a decent pair of polarized fishing glasses.
Misc Tackle:
Forceps and nippers are essential, but ditch the nets because they unnecessarily damage the protective coating on fish and simply keep and release fish in the water.