It’s sure nice to feel some of this warm sun! We think the fish are equally happy as reports from this last week indicate that the Dolly fishing is picking up. I spoke with DIPAC earlier today and it sounds like Thane will be the first place smolt are going to be released. It looks like early to mid next week (May 23 - 26) is when the first batch of smolt will leave the net pens. With the warmer weather we are having, it could happen earlier too. Approximately a week and a half to two weeks later the rest of the Thane fish will be released and with that we will see releases at Salmon Creek as well. Things are about to go wild!
Alon Jaffe (angler) and his daughter Lyra (photographer) are making the most out of their first visit to Juneau!
For the best success close in town you want to try and bracket the low tide, approximately two and a half hrs before to two and a half hours after. When you are dealing with tidally influenced fisheries persistence is key! Some tides fish great and the next low can be quiet, but don't get discouraged. Some of our favorite spots this time of year are Sheep Creek, Salmon Creek, the whale beach next to the Douglas bridge, and Free Candy (the Douglas access point across the channel from Salmon Creek). The other great spots for Dolly fishing are Boy Scout beach just past Amalga harbor and Echo Cove. Please be aware that the salt water within 200 yards of the mouth of Amalga harbor is closed to fishing until July first. If you are taking a drive to fish out the road, focus your efforts during the dropping tide.
The spots out the road can also benefit from fishing a sink tip or sinking fly line. If you don’t want to hassle with re-spooling your reel, Airflo’s 10ft polyleaders are a fantastic option. They come in various sink rates and are as easy to put on your standard WF (weight forward) floating line as a Rio tapered leader. Now that wild smolt have been in the water a little bit longer, consider using larger patterns. Size 6 AK Clouser Minnows, Doppelgangers, Stinger Chumpys, Stinger Clousers, and Clones are all great patterns as we move into late May and June. A fast action 6wt rod (we have one 691-4 Sage X on sale left!) is the weapon of choice, but don’t be afraid to up the rod size to a 7wt to help battle the wind that is so frequently present.
Since winter lingered for a while this season there are still shots at some really nice steelhead too! The run is nearing its completion for the year so there are a few things to pay attention to while targeting these fish now. Please be aware of where you are walking while wading. Fish nests, called Redds, will be around and you should try your hardest to avoid walking through them, as this can be very damaging to future stocks. If you happen upon a pair of steelhead it's likely they are actively spawning so be a good sport and leave them alone! Beads in sizes 14mm, 12mm, and 10mm are still fishing quite well if you are trying to nymph. If you are a purist and want to fish flies the Liquid Wrench is hard to beat. For swinging go with something like a Party Girl, Wildthing, Signature Intruder, or the Dolly Llama. Cowee Creek is still the best bet and if you’re already out at Echo Cove looking for Dollies it’s worth popping down to the river on your way back into town.
Local fish whisperer Evan Fritz with a pig, Taped at 37.5"!
Don’t forget that tonight is the first casting night since 2019! In partnership with Trout Unlimited and Rain Country Fly Fishers this free event is lots of fun for the whole family. Will will have casting lessons through the evening and there is talk of an accuracy competition as well! The event starts at 6 PM and it looks like we will be lucky enough to enjoy a beautiful evening.
We love using our customers' photos in our future fishing reports, but we really want to encourage ethical treatment of fish. When practicing catch and release do your best to handle the fish minimally and get pictures with the fish in the water! Please avoid placing your fingers in gills, setting fish on dry ground, or holding them way above water with your dry hands. Remember this resource is only sustainable if we all help do our part. Submit your photos to cory@alaskaflyfishinggoods.com or tag us on Instagram (#alaskaflyfishinggoods).
As always we hope you all have a great weekend and get to enjoy some stellar weather and even better fishing. Until next week, your Friends at Alaska Fly Fishing Goods.
Cory, Brad, Mike and the rest of the crew at AFFG
