Alaskan Adventure

[jwb300]

Just got back from a few weeks in the US. Headed over with the Mrs for a holiday and fishing. I’ve always wanted to fish for trout and salmon in their native habitat after working on a trout fishing charter in the Snowie Mtns of NSW when I was younger. We started with a few days in San Fran to do some sightseeing. Decided to head to San Fran because I can’t stand LA and also had the opportunity to visit Kuiu.

Albino Gator at the Academy of Science

Headed into Anchorage and had a few days in the city to do some shopping at all the usual suspects… Cabelas, Bass Pro, Sportsmans Warehouse, Barneys and REI. Photos don’t do these stores justice.

 

[jwb300]

Got to handle to Legendary Arms Works Professional at Sportsmans Warehouse. Slick bit of gear – I’ve actually ordered one and after sorting out the issue with the Fire Arms Registry it is now stuck in customs!

Also dropped into Knights Taxidermy and was lucky enough to have a guided tour through the place with Doug.

This is easily the biggest set of moose antlers I’ve ever seen. It was found some time ago and was chewed up by wolves. Knights has recreated what it could have looked like.

 

[jwb300]

Drove up to Talkeetna and met up with the guide Dave Fish (yep that is his real name…) to fly out for 6 days floating down Lake Creek.

We landed on the lake at the head of Lake Creek where a family of Bald Eagles had made a nest on a small island. We started the float which was some 60 miles with rapids up to Class 4. I’m not rafting expert but Dave the guide was a master and manoeuvred the raft through the rapids with relative ease.

For the first 4 days we had beautiful weather and I hardly put on the waders. After that the weather closed in and we had drizzly rain mixed in with a few squalls of heavier rain. We didn’t see any other people for the first 4 days and then ran into a few other fisho’s on the lower reaches coming up from the lodges. The lodges run jet boats that can get up a little way into the river but the people we saw at the lodges just wanted to kill bulk silver and sockeye salmon, fill up their eskies and take them home.

Here are a few pics of some of the fish which included – Sockeye, Silvers, Kings, Rainbows, Pinks, Chums and Grayling. I also hooked into a good Northern Pike in the lake but he busted me off on the trout gear. I used 6wt and 7 wt rods with varying leader weights depending on the target fish. I also brought some spinning gear to try out some of our gear up there. The aussie favourite Tassie Devil lures also work in AK! Flies were cotton candies, egg sucking leaches, streamers, flesh patterns, smolt patterns a few flies I use here in the salt water like crazy charlie’s and clousers.

 

[jwb300]

Only killed one fish – a male silver salmon. Up there in the top 3 best fish I’ve ever eaten.

There was a few tree’s down in the lower stretches of the river. Some are from bank erosion and some, like this one, have been chewed down by beavers. Quite the novelty for an Aussie!

Some bear kills.

 

[jwb300]

After the fishing trip we headed up to Denali National Park. No trip to Alaska would be complete without a visit here. We took the bus out and back for 2 days and did a little bit of hiking. There is a ton of wildlife in Denali and we were lucky enough to get a ‘grand slam’ which is seeing Griz, Caribou, Wolf, Dall Sheep, Wolf (the hardest to see) and Mt McKinley (or should I say Denali as it is called now) in one day. This is just a snap shot of what we saw over 2.5 days.

Note the two sheep bedded on the sheer face.

 

[jwb300]

Saw some stud moose some were quite a way off so didn’t get great pictures

 

[jwb300]

Had a few days left so we headed down the Kenai Peninsula to check out the sights and fish the mighty Kenai river and its tributaries

There are quite a few goats and sheep down there too

 

[jwb300]

Look closely into the water and check out all of the Sockeye’s waiting to get up the Russian River falls.

This is a random pic but I was impressed at the sheer size of the hide off this wood bison at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre.

A shout out to some of the members of this forum who gave me some hints and tips on where to fish and see wildlife in particular Direwolf and mmw194287. Thanks for all your help fellas!

Hope you enjoyed the pics.
Cheers,
JWB300

 

[mmw194287]

Looks like you had a fabulous trip. Jealous that you had a chance to float Lake Creek...I never got to make it up this year. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

 

[charvey9]

Epic. Looks like you had quite a trip!

 

[jwb300]

Looks like you had a fabulous trip. Jealous that you had a chance to float Lake Creek...I never got to make it up this year. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Yeah it was a great trip. I already wan't to come back but next time it will be for a moose hunt!

Thanks again for your advice mmw!

Cheers,
JWB300

 

[Finch]

Awesome pics! Looks like it was a great trip!

 

[cg2737]

Great pics. of an amazing vacation. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I'd like to thank you personally for posting so many fine images and the story. Excellent! We probably weren't that many miles apart, as my wife and I just completed a 3 week trip visiting many of the places you mentioned. Superb fishing!!!

 

[KHNC]

That's pretty awesome stuff!!

 

[bz_711]

Man - what an awesome trip...I know Alaska is a must do for me and your pics actually make me want to do it sooner. Thanks for sharing!

Very similar to you...I see myself taking family the first time to site see and fish...and then return after that for a moose hunt. Good luck getting the Moose trip planned! I have a buddy heading up to AK in a few days for a Moose hunt...anxious to see his pics and recap of hunt.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Great photo essay, it looks like you had a spectacular trip. You picked the perfect time to come up, as we have had the nicest summer that I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us and all those beautiful pictures, I never get tired of seeing everything that this great state has to offer. Lake Creek was a good choice for a fly out float. I haven't done it in quite a few years but it used to be one of my favorites.

 

[Ray]

I was just wondering if you folks had made it here yet. Good to see how things worked out pretty nicely for you two.

 

[jwb300]

I'd like to thank you personally for posting so many fine images and the story. Excellent! We probably weren't that many miles apart, as my wife and I just completed a 3 week trip visiting many of the places you mentioned. Superb fishing!!!

No worries Kevin - I hope you and your wife also had a great trip!

Cheers,
JWB300

 

[jwb300]

Man - what an awesome trip...I know Alaska is a must do for me and your pics actually make me want to do it sooner. Thanks for sharing!

Very similar to you...I see myself taking family the first time to site see and fish...and then return after that for a moose hunt. Good luck getting the Moose trip planned! I have a buddy heading up to AK in a few days for a Moose hunt...anxious to see his pics and recap of hunt.

I think that is a great way to do it bz - it is truly an awesome place. The vast majority of people I spoke to in AK had moved there from the lower 48. If you take the family there - be prepared to stay - it seems like a lot of people never go home!