As we roll into the last week of May, the Dolly Varden and cutthroat fishing remains strong. Although this has been a chilly May, the trout fishing has been solidly improving every week.

The Cutt's are getting grabby!

Cutthroat trout fishing has been very good in Auke Lake and in the Dredge Lakes. The water temperatures have warmed up just enough to get the fish active. UV Mini Leeches in Pink, Black and White have been the most effective patterns. A slow strip retrieve has been better than quick retrieves as well.

A nice sea run Dolly from off the beach.

Dipac has released chum fry at all their sites and you can find schools of fry all over the channel. We are in the midst of huge spring tides and these 20 plus foot tide swings are flushing the fry all over Gastineau Channel. Look for spots where the current runs like a river (Douglas Bridge, Salmon Creek, Bayview...) and work these areas on the low end of the tide. Keep your exit route in view as the tide comes up quickly with this much water moving.

It is hard to believe that June is just days away. June 1 marks the opening of king salmon fishing in the terminal area. There have been some kings spotted rolling off the beaches in Gastineau Channel already, so an early arrival is possible. In a typical year, kings are pretty spotty at first and really pick up in numbers around June 10-15.

Windfall Creek opens to sockeye fishing on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the month of June as well. We'll have more intel on the Windfall Creek fishery soon. A large landslide last winter dramatically changed the flow of the river and may affect where the sockeye like to hold. In general, Windfall Creek starts off very slowly and the run really materializes in mid June.

On a shop note, even though this hasn't been the sunniest start to summer ever, a good pair of polarized sunglasses is a must when fishing. Good quality polarized sunglasses take the glare off the water so you can see fish, protect your eyes from harmful UVA and UVB rays, and provide you with a measure of protection from an errant cast (or someone else's errant cast.)

Sunglass cases are full and ready for summer.

We spend a lot of time choosing frames and lens colors that are most suitable to fishing and general use around SE Alaska. We just received a boat load of new glasses from Smith and Costa (on the high end) and Suncloud (on the affordable end) of the spectrum. Come in and check them out before you hit the water.

See you out there!