Any fly fishing recommendations for chasing King Salmon in Alaska?

wildwilderness said:

Here is one I managed to land. Have lost many to the current. Have you caught Kings before? Fished Alaska?View attachment 598159

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What's your outfit? Fighting butt yet it doesn't look terribly heavy. 7wt?

If for kings, it will be earlier in "season" and hard to get away from crowds no matter where you go. Sockeye are also earlier and IMO more fun catching with normal fly gear. However catching sockeye, even silver, fresh run sockeye is not a game of presenting something they attack or eat. It is a game of "flossing" them for legal hookup status

But my favorite time fishing in AK is later... during Aug-Sept. That's the season for silvers and colored up char. For relaxing fly fishing my favorites are char keyed on sockeye eggs. Even silvers on fly gear can be a slug fest in certain waters unless really heavy gear is used. Anyway, if not absolutely stuck on kings, consider some fly outs for rainbows, char and even grayling in that Aug-Sept. "season". Plus, you may have a good chance at some bear viewing while fishing. Nothing wrong with fly fishing for egg-eating 20-26" char or rainbows in smaller rivers/streams.

Even chums can be fun on a fly rod. Teasing a wad of chums mixed with silvers in a deep hole is a kick. Do it enough, downstream with a tight line streamer, leech or bugger of some sort and you can start to feel the difference in the pick up between the chums and the silvers. With a sensitive rod and practice, you can feel the "clank" of the hook making contact with the toothy jaw of a chum as opposed the grab, turn and run feel of the silver.

Here's a CPR, colored up, egg-eating char in SW AK in August.

fourfive8 said:

If for kings, it will be earlier in "season" and hard to get away from crowds no matter where you go. Sockeye are also earlier and IMO more fun catching with normal fly gear. However catching sockeye, even silver, fresh run sockeye is not a game of presenting something they attack or eat. It is a game of "flossing" them for legal hookup status

But my favorite time fishing in AK is later... during Aug-Sept. That's the season for silvers and colored up char. For relaxing fly fishing my favorites are char keyed on sockeye eggs. Even silvers on fly gear can be a slug fest in certain waters unless really heavy gear is used. Anyway, if not absolutely stuck on kings, consider some fly outs for rainbows, char and even grayling in that Aug-Sept. "season". Plus, you may have a good chance at some bear viewing while fishing. Nothing wrong with fly fishing for egg-eating 20-26" char or rainbows in smaller rivers/streams.

Even chums can be fun on a fly rod. Teasing a wad of chums mixed with silvers in a deep hole is a kick. Do it enough, downstream with a tight line streamer, leech or bugger of some sort and you can start to feel the difference in the pick up between the chums and the silvers. With a sensitive rod and practice, you can feel the "clank" of the hook making contact with the toothy jaw of a chum as opposed the grab, turn and run feel of the silver.

Here's a CPR, colored up, egg-eating char in SW AK in August.

View attachment 598239

Click to expand...

Thanks. Beautiful colors on that fish!

fourfive8 said:

If for kings, it will be earlier in "season" and hard to get away from crowds no matter where you go. Sockeye are also earlier and IMO more fun catching with normal fly gear. However catching sockeye, even silver, fresh run sockeye is not a game of presenting something they attack or eat. It is a game of "flossing" them for legal hookup status

But my favorite time fishing in AK is later... during Aug-Sept. That's the season for silvers and colored up char. For relaxing fly fishing my favorites are char keyed on sockeye eggs. Even silvers on fly gear can be a slug fest in certain waters unless really heavy gear is used. Anyway, if not absolutely stuck on kings, consider some fly outs for rainbows, char and even grayling in that Aug-Sept. "season". Plus, you may have a good chance at some bear viewing while fishing. Nothing wrong with fly fishing for egg-eating 20-26" char or rainbows in smaller rivers/streams.

Even chums can be fun on a fly rod. Teasing a wad of chums mixed with silvers in a deep hole is a kick. Do it enough, downstream with a tight line streamer, leech or bugger of some sort and you can start to feel the difference in the pick up between the chums and the silvers. With a sensitive rod and practice, you can feel the "clank" of the hook making contact with the toothy jaw of a chum as opposed the grab, turn and run feel of the silver.

Here's a CPR, colored up, egg-eating char in SW AK in August.

View attachment 598239

Click to expand...

Once the bows and dollies are into salmon eggs, their eating quality degrades rapidly. I would put a chum on the grill first. Grayling are very tasty ... if cooked fresh. Something happens when they are frozen. It's not a good something either.

Sometimes sockeye will attack the right fly pattern. Get em mad. I have watched one tear through from the other side of a school to attack my red thunder creek pattern. I once saw a guide pull them in one after another with nothing but a piece of red wool fabric. I watched from the viewing platform above and those fish were clearly in attack mode. Fighting for sex. They have to be in the right mood and just the right presentation. But yes, flossing them (dragging the leader into open mouths of tightly packed salmon) is the most preferred method.

Ontario Hunter said:

What's your outfit? Fighting butt yet it doesn't look terribly heavy. 7wt?

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That was an 8wt, very lucky and had a good buddy with net. Was fishing for reds that day. I have broken an 8wt rod on kings before I learned when to give up

I normally use a 10wt if targeting kings

I have a whole fish camp / boats / motors / gear on the Nushigak for the brave to take over! We set up camp early June, for years, and had a great time with the Kings and sockeyes (silvers in early Aug). Been there, done that- plus sold my beloved 1956 DeHaviland Beaver on floats. Fishing isn’t what it used to be.. but when it’s good, the Nush is as good as King fishing gets!

I floated the Klutina in Copper Center in late July 23’. You can keep one King. We drifted eggs but not with fly rods. The current would have made landing one on a fly rod nearly impossible where we fished.

We in Michigan have seen Lake Huron Kings population drop, Atlantic, Brown trout and Walleye fishing is still strong on Huron.

Kings are still doing well in Lake Michigan. But a 30 pounder is a good one here. September King runs see the River get very busy.

But on the plus side. guided trips are a small fraction of the cost of fishing Alaska.

If you need a guide “I know a Guy”

The Big Manistee river in winter time. Of course these are Steelhead not Kings. Just showing the River

The colder the better for having the River to yourself

As @Lee M mentioned and I posted earlier, kings in some rivers like the Klutina, require heavy, brute force tackle. Using fly gear would simply be an exercise in futility and impracticality. Since the Klutina is a tributary of the Copper, most kings will have some color after making their way up into the Klutina. Also, Copper River salmon are known for being some of the best eating because of their route and diet out in the Pacific.

The largest king I ever saw was quite a few years ago in the Kenai. I was wade fishing for dollies and rainbows off a gravel bar and had a spent, swimming-while-dead king swim up against my leg. It probably weighed 80 plus pounds. Back in the good old days I think.

A friend with a tunnel jet lives across the river from the campground near the bridge there so I've had lots of opportunity to fish the Klutina. Here's one

@lawrence_court, this thread has come full circle There are still quite a few opportunities for smaller kings on fly gear.... fish in the 20-30 lb range. The Nushagak that I mentioned earlier, a sizable river that empties into Bristol Bay at Dillingham, would be one of those rivers.

For a somewhat more adventuresome experience you might even consider a DIY float. But still, finding exactly what you are looking for and the right fit for kings on a fly rod is going to be a challenge. You asked about lodges, companies, recommendations etc. I can think of one area out in the Y-K delta of far SW Alaska that might suit your expectations, except the kings are not going to be the big 50 plus pounders you see referenced in other systems. I spent some time out in the Bethel area and got to know the original owners of Papa Bear Adventures, Karl and Steve Powers, pretty well. The company is still in Bethel with the current operator. I know they offer service to a river or two that have kings along with several other species. Might be worth looking at their website then make a call and chat if interested. https://www.pbadventures.com/our-history

Just FYI, If not experienced in these floats, I would not suggest trying one of the longer float packages. I think the Goodnews float is doable and offers some king possibilities.

Papa Bear is top notch. Great planes and rental equipment. They book up years in advance. For a reason