Advice Regarding FF for Searun Dollies & CT in Sitka AK Area

[krusty]

In June I will be meeting up with an old friend who lives in Sitka. We're intending to fish river/stream mouths and upstream for searun Dollies and CTs. I've purchased a good selection of appropriate flies for that specific purpose (and region) from a well regarded flyshop in Juneau, and I own plenty of recommended wt flyrods for our use.

While my friend is a highly experienced saltwater fisherman he's not FF in many years, and I'm completely unfamiliar with FF for such those particular gamefish in AK (or any other environment for that matter!). Water transport is not an issue since he's very well equipped in that regard.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Millsfly]

Paging @gsmolt

 

[Salmo_g]

Black or other dark bucktail over white or marabou fished on sink tip lines will catch Dolly Varden all day long. CT too, but some smaller buggy flies appeal to them as well. Can't go wrong with a size 6 or 8 Spade or some smallish soft hackles. They're seldom choosy unless rising to dries, then BWO or caddis, generally.

 

[Greg Armstrong]

Muddlers in all versions will catch both using a sink tip as well.

Try some sparse versions, tied with or without bead heads.

 

[troutpocket]

From the beach, I always had luck with clouser minnows, an intermediate line, and a 6wt. Chartreuse/white, grey/white were probably my favorites.

 

[G_Smolt]

There are a few good Dolly beaches right in town that fish well in June. Starrigavan from the rec area to the boatramp is a good beach, as is the Eliason harbor Beach (the McDonald's beach). Totem park beach from the old Sage building to the mouth of Indian River is good at everything but high tide.

During most of June, the dollies will be beach-cruising for fry near river mouths, with the occasional fish to be found in freshwater in the first few holes above intertidal. The last week in June can be "golden week", when pods of hundreds to thousands of char start staging in the lower portions of rivers as they await the salmon.

Floating line, 9' leader, baitfish flies.