[AlaskaDawg]

New to fly fishing. I like to try and keep learning new things. Kenai River.

 

[Last Honest American]

very beautiful color in that fish, congrats.

how did it taste?

 

[AlaskaDawg]

Funny for me is I just eat fish as food. I gave this to a friend who loves fresh trout, Dolly, salmon, Halibut, etc. It was very liked.

 

[AlaskaDawg]

Two friends just teasing about what is more important. This is a salmon stream on the property with some good trout as well.

 

[marlinluvr]

Salmon, Trout, Halibut....what ever you call 'em, them's some mighty good lookin' fishies!:biggrin:

 

[AlaskaDawg]

Salmon, Trout, Halibut....what ever you call 'em, them's some mighty good lookin' fishies!:biggrin:

Just realized I will call them Dolllys....but will clean my shed first

 

[Grunt69]

We've been flyfishing for years. Great sport and you have some of the best in the world. Congratulations! And it's always best to share good things with friends.....

 

[mr surveyor]

my wife and I visited your stomping grounds (a wish for at least the last 30 years) end of July-first of August. Watching folks salmon fishing at 11:00 p.m. in the "river", before sundown, in downtown Anchorage was a real hoot. Mrs surv and I actually spent my 60th birthday stomping around on top of a glacier with them foot mounted tire chains on our boots. I can only dream of having the opportunity to fish and hunt there.

JD

oh, your "local" microbrews are pretty darned good too.

 

[AlaskaDawg]

my wife and I visited your stomping grounds (a wish for at least the last 30 years) end of July-first of August. Watching folks salmon fishing at 11:00 p.m. in the "river", before sundown, in downtown Anchorage was a real hoot. Mrs surv and I actually spent my 60th birthday stomping around on top of a glacier with them foot mounted tire chains on our boots. I can only dream of having the opportunity to fish and hunt there.

JD

oh, your "local" microbrews are pretty darned good too.

Have a spot downtown with smaller 10-14 inch trout that I catch and release - I just ignore the sound of traffic in the hide spot and enjoy. Yes the midnight fishing is fun and my weaknesses are two Oatmeal Stout tastes more like Irish Guinness than the American Guinness does. Explained to me while there it is because the Americans require pastuerization - not sure but know the American version has a strange after taste. Alaskan Oatmeal Stout - not only a beer but seems like a meal with half a loaf of bread. Hope you and yours return and if so check in with me here and will treat to my favorite refreshment.

 

[msharley]

Hey AD,

Great pics!

Life is good!

Later, Mark

 

[AlaskaDawg]

Am about to send two rods back to Albright for repair - still unlearning the hard set habits from other kinds of fishing. And will admit to a 9 weight for hauling salmon when friends are asking for salmon and I just need to bring some in. I am a sad case for a fly fisherman - but like how it all humbles me in a wonderful setting.

 

[AlaskaDawg]

Hey AD,

Great pics!

Life is good!

Later, Mark

Good to know Mark - first real snow here and that is late for us. This evening taking a friend to the opera "Of all the noises known to man, opera is the most expensive." Moliere Enjoy

 

[msharley]

Opera

Good to know Mark - first real snow here and that is late for us. This evening taking a friend to the opera "Of all the noises known to man, opera is the most expensive." Moliere Enjoy

Hey AD,

Is that similar to what Mark Twain said about golf? "A good walk, ruined." :biggrin:

Later, Mark

 

[M700]

I dearly love fly fishing, especially for salmon & steelhead! I hope you learn to love it as have I.

Every few years I board a plane and head for Alaska to fly fish the silver salmon run... Wow...



With Dad, last year. He's 86 now and was up there again in September, fly fishing for slivers. We've enjoyed a LOT of fishing together.


Also do a lot of fly fishing for salmon, steelhead, & trout (or pretty much anything else that bites) here at home in Washington.


I think you're going to enjoy fly fishing, it's pretty addictive.

Guy

 

[AlaskaDawg]

Thanks for the encouraging photos and makes me miss my Dad all over. He routinely outfished me - but we never did fly fish. I had gotten a bit tired of fishing and it was more for the meat for friends. FLy fishing has put the excitement of learning back into it all. Fly fishing people here are very ready to give a help on what is working and friendly suggestions - never without asking. What kind of rod and reel is that in the last picture?

 

[M700]

I don't remember if that one is the 8wt Sage or the 8wt St. Croix. It's my Ross Reel for sure. It looks brown, and so it's got to be the Sage.

Had the 8wt Sage first, but it was a little "soft" for me, so I went with the 8wt St Croix for about 10 years. Finally broke it landing a salmon. Replaced that with another St. Croix, but did some fishing with my old Sage in the meantime. I like both the Sage & St. Croix rods. The Ross Reel? Wow... Love that thing. It's not even a large arbor reel, just a good one.

The top photo with the silver on the log is my St. Croix 8wt, and it looks like I was using my son's large-arbor Orvis reel that year.

For trout I've been using the same 6wt Sage for many years. 12? 15? More? Dunno. And an old Orvis reel. The reel is probably at least 20 years old.

Good gear lasts for a long time with just a little care.

Fly lines need replacing every now and again. Leaders need to be replaced frequently. I tie a lot of my own flies, but my skills at fly tying are not impressive. The fish don't really seem to care...

Enjoy!

Guy

 

[lever addict]

View attachment 79395 Two friends just teasing about what is more important. This is a salmon stream on the property with some good trout as well.

Oh my. I never encountered anything that beautiful out on the local stream!:biggrin:

I think I am ready to learn to fly fish! Do they give lessons by any chance?

 

[AlaskaDawg]

Both are also students of the art of fishing...and fine ones at that.

 

[SCVDon]

I got to fish Alaska only once (so far) some years ago with my BIL and we had a ball. One day I hope to get back and visit my cousin that's been there since '57 or '58.

OBTW, a couple of old fly fishing sayings: "Trout live in beautiful places" & "The way to a fly fisherman's heart is through his fly"

 

[mrguvna]

I love fly fishing, used to be my only hobby. I began when I was 12 yrs old and got my first fly rod and auto reel using green stamps. I have never cared for spin fishing since then. I have also been out of Hatteras NC on a charter boat and caught dolphin on a fly rod, talk about fun.......enjoy the new skill