Kenai Report 7-12-12
Windy weather over the last few days has kept a lot of anglers off of the river, but with better weather in the forecast, this weekend should be good. The Kenai is starting to see good numbers of second run sockeye past the counting station (with 68,800 fish as of 7/11) with the bulk of the run still to come. The second run fish that are in the river have been holding in the Canyon. The best fishing has been in the back eddies and deep pools. This will change to the shallower runs and gravel bars when more fish move in. The upper river should see a fish push in the next week or two.
Trout fishing has been steady on the upper river with flesh and leeches being the key to success. As more and more sockeye enter the upper river, flesh and egg patterns will become the norm. Try fresh flesh patterns right below the sockeye hot spots and washed flesh farther down river. Patterns we like this time of year are Chokers, Twofers and MOAL Rhoids.
The Russian has been fishing well. Dries and nymphs are the flies of choice this time of year. Hatches have been good when the weather is cooperating. On the dark, gray days, going deep with nymphs has been good. To change things up, fishing small sculpins can produce when the fish are not onto bugs. Other tributaries such as Quartz Creek havent started to fish yet, but are not far off. Beads will be the ticket when the fish do show
