The Food– I can’t lie, our food was good to amazing nearly the entire two weeks I was there. Breakfast was simple American fare as you’d expect. Lunch each day was a mix of bagged lunches or hot shore lunches depending on your fishing plan for the day. Dinner was when our chef really got to shine.
We never knew what the next meal was going to be. But we did know it was going to be off the charts. It was a mix of fresh seafood, steak dishes, homemade stews, BBQ chicken off the Trager and more. Nobody lost weight, that’s for sure.
THE FISHING! –I’ll do my best to keep this short and sweet. I could easily do an entire chapter on the fishing opportunities we encountered. I’ll try to break it down into a few simple categories by species.
Leopard Rainbows– We had two primary options when it came to targeting the infamous spotted bows of AK. The first was a boat ride over to the Books River. The ride consisted of a 15 min shuttle ride to their other lodge upriver on the Naknek. Then about an hour boat ride across Naknek Lake.
Although the we had huge rainbows on our minds, the famous Brooks Falls is what puts this place on the map for most of the season. It was nice to go in October, the tourists were gone and we only shared the river with a few local bears, and a few hundred thousand sockeye salmon.
This was almost all bead fishing. We couldn’t get them to consistently eat flesh or the streamers on the swing. That said, they would definitely eat a bead on the swing, as well as under a bobber as you’d expect.
Most fish averaged 18-23 inches, with some mid 20s in the mix. I think the biggest one landed though was 28”!! I would have a 6 or 7 wt on hand. The fish below the falls can be quite a bit bigger so a 7 is perfect for most fish.
The next leopard rainbow location as a fly in to the famous Kulik River, about a 45 min flight. The upcharge was $450/pp.
We all went for the rainbows, but the bears are what we all talked about. It’s hard to describe being surrounded by bears the entire time you’re fishing. They were worth the price alone, even without making a cast.
That said, this river was a mix of fishing beads under an indicator, and swinging flesh. After an hour of crushing fish on beads, I swung the rest of the day and it was about as much fun as I’ve ever had swinging flies. One after another. The fish averaged 17-23 inches. A 6 wt is all you need.
Arctic Char– This was one of the highlights of our trip. Again, another fly out option, an hour flight from King Salmon. This one ran $600/pp.
Going in October again was to our advantage. Although this river can get extremely busy in September, by the time we got here it was a ghost town other than a few bear hunters.
Pods of 20-31” artic char enter this river in the late season to gorge themselves on sockeye eggs. Beading under a bobber was the name of the game. My one regret was not trying to swing a bead. It sounded like they wouldn’t eat flesh or streamers, but a bead, you never know. 7 or 8 wts did the trick for most of us.
Their colors are truly some of mother natures best work. We were all jaw-dropped on the flight home.
Naknek Rainbows (steelhead in disguise)- This is why we all booked this trip, during this time of year. For the chance to swing up some of the biggest rainbows in the world!
These big fish move in from Naknek lake throughout September and are fully committed to crushing any chunk of meat that swings by their face.
Unlike the other options, this is not a numbers game, but size. Fish averaged 23-29 inches, with 10+ fish over 30 inches being landed over two weeks.
This was fished with your typical steelhead swinging gear. I fished two different 7wt speys, with tips ranging from T-11 to T-18 depending on the run. You can swing this with a single-handed rod and appropriate sink tips. You just can’t cover as much water.
Depending on how grabby the fish are, you can expect anywhere from 1-12 eats a day. Definitely more than a traditional steelhead trip.
Guide @freshwatercoast pic! 
Guide @dryflyjohn pic!
All in all, this was one of the best trips we’ve ever put together. And that’s why we’re rebooked for two weeks again in October of 2021, the 2nd-9th and 9th-16th. We’re fully expecting to sell out both weeks so reach out to us asap with questions or to hold your spot!! [email protected] or 518-225-6587.
Rates – $4,725/pp
What’s Included
– Seven nights lodging
– Six day of guides fishing on the Naknek (Includes one day at the Brooks River, weather pending)
– All meals
– Pick up and drop off from King Salmon Alaska
– All fishing gear as needed
– Travel host fee, 10% base fee
What’s Not Included
– Flights to Anchorage and King Salmon
-Fly-out options
– All liquor
– In room snacks
– Park fees and taxes $161
– Tips for guides and staff
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