Reports coming from Alaska Troutfitters in Cooper Landing are of high water and an upper river that continues to rise. There is a tremendous amount of sockeye spawning in the main river, so even with high water, there are trout and dollies to be had. Fishing from a boat is the best way to go, as many of the foot accessible runs are hard, if not impossible, to get to. If youre a bank angler, wear a PFD as high swift water makes for dangerous wading.
A variety of bead sizes have been working. Start with 6mm beads on the main river. With all the sockeye that are currently spawning, fresher orange and red colors have been the ticket. With the high, fast water, 8mm and 10mm in both fresh and dead colors can be good to try if the 6mm arent doing the trick.
Most of the Kenai tributaries are blown out with the exception of the Russian. Fishing the Russian is tricky though, due to the large number of sockeye actively spawning. Getting clean drifts without snagging salmon can be tough. Try fishing the faster runs and breaks on the side of the river where there are less concentrations of sockeye. Once again, egg patterns are the key to success.
If you get out on the water this weekend, please have a fun and safe time.
Tight Lines,
The Alaska Fly Fishing Goods Crew
