What a winter! I’m sure like us, many of you are ready to get out on the water. This season has been a little slow to get going, but finally after a grueling six months the fishing is starting to pick up! Spring fishing is personally my favorite time to be on the water. Sure you aren’t having those insane Dolly days of catching fish every cast, but this time of year is all about quality over quantity. That’s right, I’m talking about the elusive steelhead trout. Ocean going rainbows that have been taunting fly anglers since the days of cane poles. In Southeast Alaska we have the unique opportunity to target these spectacular fish in rivers you can generally throw a stick across. What does this mean, you ask? Well it means that we get to see the fish we catch! Better put, steelhead fishing is less like fishing and more like hunting in this part of the world. Of course retention is illegal, but you get my “drift”. Early mornings, bush wacking through snow and log jams, and persevering through unimaginable amounts of rain are standard practice. Let me tell you though, as soon as you connect, it is 100% worth the effort.
Not to bad for my first fish of 2022!
Last week was the first real decent chunk of weather and we heard of several fish being caught out of lower Cowee Creek. This is the best shot at a steelhead on the road system. Remember, Peterson Creek, including the salt chuck and the ocean within 200 yards of the stream mouth, are closed to fishing until July 1st. Reports coming in from the Situk River in Yakutat indicate the run is slow to get going up there as well. If one were to have the means to get there this weekend it is worth considering. The best days to try for steelhead are after a big rain event as the water is dropping back to normal flow rates.
Beads in sizes ranging from 10mm to 14mm are a great place to start when selecting a pattern. Reds, oranges, and pinks are the favorites around here. We just got in a fresh batch of BNR Tackle bead polish for either soft or hard beads. This really makes them shine and can give you an edge over duller beads. For those of you not yet on the bead bandwagon don’t worry we have you covered too! Liquid Wrenches have consistently been one of the better flies over the last few seasons. Fish them under an indicator, tight line them off the bottom, or even try swinging them in deep runs! Other patterns that have proven effective are: STS Leeches, Wildthings, Prom Dresses, Fish Tacos, and of course the world famous Dolly Llama.
Steelhead may be the grand prize of spring fish in Southeast Alaska, but they are by no means the only thing to try and target. Cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden are in the middle of their yearly out migration and have begun the quest to get as fat as possible before they return to their homes under the lake ice for the winter. Lake Creek (the inflow to Auke Lake) is a great early season spot to try and target cutts. Dredge Lakes can also give anglers an opportunity for the cutts. Both these places have the potential to give up fish to dry flies, which is pretty cool and doesn’t happen very often through the season here. The Hippie Stomper is a new dry fly that comes in various colors and has proven quite effective. You can also try throwing on a sink tip and dragging a black or olive leach (think Sculpzilla or Tungsten Dolly Llama) slowly along the bottom for some of the bigger trout.
Spring cutt enticed by a trusty glow roe bead in 10mm.
Lastly, we have heard reports of small schools of Dolly Varden cruising the beaches out near Sheep Creek and Fish Creek. As we get further into May the Dolly fishing will just continue to get better and better. Right now try using size 8 AK Clouser Minnows or Epoxy Mini Minnows. As the wild smolt get bigger make sure to keep upping the size of pattern you are using. This helps you “match the hatch” as they say. A standard floating fly line on a 6wt rod is the best set-up for this fishery. Try bracketing the low tide here in town, or fishing the dropping tide out at Echo Cove.
Lastly just a few shop notes. We have our Steelhead Grab & Go and Dolly Grab & Go selections back on the counter for those times where every second counts! We hand pick either 6 or 12 flies that are fishing well at the moment.
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 (#.....)
If you are new to fly fishing and would like a lesson, or if you want to brush up on your skills, our next free casting class is Friday May 13 at 6pm. The class is free but you do have to RSVP to hold a spot. Call the shop at 586-1550 to grab a spot. Additionally, after a two year break we will be bringing back our casting night with Trout Unlimited and Rain Country Fly Fishers. It will happen Thursday May 19th at 6pm at Twin Lakes. This event is free to anyone who is interested in the sport, meeting new folks, or wanting to prove they are the most accurate caster in town!
We are looking forward to another great season getting people out on the water and can’t wait to see everyone! Get out there and let the season begin!
Cory, Brad, Mike, and the rest of the AFFG Crew
