Help me put together a fly rod quiver for Alaska please.

[thinhorn_AK]

Hello everybody,

I know there's some avid fly fishermen here and im one or them but 90% of my fishing has been done in places like New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona etc.

I am moving to Alaska full time this summer for work and I will be in an area that seems to have some awesome fishing so I'm hoping to get advice on which fly rods I'd get the most milage out of.

Right now all I have is a 9' 5wt st croix 4 piece rod with a Ross reel, I love it but I know that it won't cut it for everything in Ak.

If I was buying say 2 more rod set ups in order to have 3 rods that would cover most everything what should I get?

Maybe a 9' 9/10 weight? I'd also like to learn the Spey and switch thing.

So if you were living on the naknek drainage area and wanted to get in on all the good summer fishing, what would you get?

I'm semi interested in brands but looking for mid-high end. Sage, maybe the orvis recon series, something like that.

Thank you.

 

[HJW]

If I were you, I'd just add one rod instead of two, and get something higher quality.
I think a 9-10' 8 WT single would cover throwing big streamers and mice for bigger bows,
and also cover most salmon. A Sage X/Method/One would all fit the bill.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

A 10' 8wt would be cool, thanks for that advice.

Still hoping to hear more!!!

Thanks.

 

[mjsekerak]

Spent 3 seasons guiding on the Nak, I'll second the 10 foot rod, 7-9 wt. my go to do all rod was a 10 ft 7 wt 4 piece. Any of the top manufacturers will work, check out Echo.

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[thinhorn_AK]

Thank you.

I'll take that advice.

I'm still interested in getting a Spey rod....just because if anybody has any advice.

 

[kylem]

I guided up there for a couple seasons too and a 10' 7-9 wt. would cover just about anything. For a spey rod it all depends on what you want to do with it. If it was for trout I would look at something in the 11-13' and 5-7wt. range. For kings it would be 13-14' and a 9 or 10 wt. I would second the recommendation at looking at the Echo rods. They also have a really good selection of spey/switch rods.

 

[ChrisS]

Honestly, I'd get a decent switch rod in an 8 weight. Beulah makes some decent speys and switch rods. You can spey cast with a switch, but it's still manageable to overhand cast with one and they're not 13-14' long. TFO Deer creek is another one.

They're beefy enough to handle some salmon. I've used a 9 wt TFO switch for Great Lakes kings up to 25lbs and it felt like too much gun at times, but I'm sure someone else can chime in for fresh from the salt chinooks.

Pair it with a nice large arbor reel with ample room for line like a Lamson Arx and you should be able to handle anything in Alaska.

 

[Huntindog45]

If i had to take two rods to alaska one would by my 9.5' 6-7 weight and the other would be a 9' 8 weight


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[Molon Labe]

If I had one rod up there it would be a 9wt TFO BVK.
They are great rods at a great value.
Then pick up a Lamson off sierra trading post...last year closeouts are still available at deeply discounted prices.

 

[Ray]

Naknek drainages means healthy king runs. Not monsters, but a lot of medium heavy fish. I would think about going larger than an 8wt. I have fought a few 25-30 pound kings later in the summer on an 8wt while hunting silvers and its hard on me and the fish. Pro level fisherman should be much more capable than me in handling a fish on lighter gear, but when you are hooking up 15-20 kings a day you and your gear take a beating.

The lightest rod I consistently use in water with mixed fish is a 6wt. Anytime you could hook into a grayling, trout/dolly, or any of the smaller salmon in a current you will do well.

You also have to think about rod length. Main rivers are not much of an issue, but the side channels and streams can be narrow and brushy. A rod over 9ft could ruin your day.

 

[Trial153]

Second the 10foot 8 weight ... you'd be hard pressed to find a more versatile set up.

 

[AKMAN]

I like TFO BVKs. They land right on the "good but not so good I have to stress" level.

I mainly fish the kenai and kasilof but a 6 weight for trout and a 9 for kasilof and "eastern" alaska (Copper drainage) king runs seems to do most of the heavy lifting. Good luck getting a monster kenai king requiring more rod on a fly. :/

Lamson reels give me the sealed drag I want at a price I don't mind.

A switch @ 7 weight would be a nice shore-based trout set up for Alaska if you were into that kind of thing.
TFO Deer Creek comes to mind.

Never fished west of the Peninsula, but I bet Kasilof and Naknek kings are probably about the same size.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Awesome everybody. I'm thinking I'll hold off on the Spey rod idea and get an 8 and. 10 weight and keep my old rod for smaller stuff.

So does a 9'5wt, 10'8wt and a 9'10wt seem reasonable?

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[Russp17]

Yes it does. That would cover you well. I think you are going to want a Spey rod in the future though. They are great for the naknek. I would go with Lamson for reels. For the 10'weight I would probably go medium brand like tfo or echo. Kings are rough on rods


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[Wrathchild]

Not sure where in AK you're headed. But here on Kodiak my go to salmon rig is a 9' 8wt St. Croix legend elite with a Lamson reel. Great for everything including Kings. We don't get the monsters that they do on the mainland though. My Dolly/Trout rig is a an 8'6" 4 wt St croix Imperial with a reissue pflueger click pawl medalist. Get a spare spool with an intermediate sink line for your salmon rig. Kings love streamers on the swing here. If you're fishing a bigger river a heavier sink may be necessary.