June 2019
Recently back from a trip to the Ayakulik River on Kodiak Island to swing flies for chinook. A few lessons learned:
1) Weather wins when traveling in Alaska, get used to waiting.
2) Big bears always have the right of way and get the best fishing spots
3) Small flies also catch big fish
4) I want a helicopter
Flew into Anchorage and caught a connection to the busting Kodiak City airport.
AR2
Weather was beautiful. Locals were walking around in shorts and tank tops.
AR3
The next morning, not so much. Got back to the airport and found we were on indefinite fog delay.
AR4
After about 3 hours, the ceiling lifted enough for the small R44 heli to fly under the clouds. The original plan was to have a small plane haul all the gear and a few people to the little village of Akhiok which is closer tot he Ayakulik the shuttle the gear and people from there to the lodge with the little heli which only seats 4 people. Ended up having to do all the shuttles via heli but the lodge added a trip with a bigger Bell Ranger for the gear and supplies. I rode in the R44 all the way to the lodge.
Here's a short video of the heli ride to the lodge and heli/plane back which has some views of Kodiak Island:
AR5
After arrival, we ran down the river close to the lodge to wet a line before dinner. it's a prime sockeye spot with a deep slot that also holds chinook. Unfortunately, it almost always holds bears too.
AR6
AR28
Got started in earnest the next morning. The routine was a 60-90min hike upriver early. The group would split with 2 fishing the upper pools with the guide and the other two fishing the lower pools on their own, meeting up at the lodge pool at the end of day. One day I decided to grab a sandwich and just wander around alone which was a little spooky with all the bears but ended up being a really peaceful meditative experience.
AR7
The Ayakulik is fairly small, 70-90 feet across and low gradient so I never had to cast more than my shooting head and 15-20 feet of running line unless I was trying to be sneaky casting and a sharp downstream angle. The wind, however, was brutal at times.
AR8
First fish went to me, a smallish 'jack' which was a good bit bigger than a Washington springer jack...
AR9
I was using a Sage Method 8119 and a Sage Evoke 8-10 with an Airflo 540gr skagit head and a MOW tip of 7.5' floating and 2.5' of T11. I tried a 5/5' tip in a few spots but it was in the rocks a little too much due to the slow current. I used pretty much the same fly all week, a simplified version of my confidence fly for all anadromous fish - "black and blue makes them chew" as Jim Kerr often says.
AR16
Bear poop, half fish bones and half grass. We often saw them grazing like cows.
AR11
Another nice fish...
AR12
Big sky up there with no trees to be found.
AR13
Down toward the tailout of a favorite run I noticed a big roll and eased down into the zone which resulted in a strong tug and a nice chinook.
AR14
AR15
A smaller but bright one taken by my buddy on a sparse clouser.
AR17
Saw these guys every day.
AR18
This sow and cubs were often in this area which meant no fishing for kings in the far bucket.
AR19
This was the most tense situation. Most of the bears would move away when they saw you but these two just kept coming down the trail we needed to take to get to back to the lodge. I just moved off into the grass and they walked on by but it was a little stressful.
AR20
Dammit, low holed again...
AR22
View from the lodge with a bear waiting on the heli pad. Pretty sure he won't fit in the R44.
AR23
My last fish of the trip. A bit darker but reasonable size. I had to get up on the back and run him down to keep him in the pool. The bigger fish that went downstream were all lost with one very near spooling event by one of the other anglers.
AR24
Uninvited guest to the beach cookout...
AR25
Wildflowers were blooming everywhere. It was a very different environment than western WA and very beautiful. I really enjoyed just sitting and taking in the quiet, only the sound of the wind through the grass.
AR29
The trip back went according to plan. We took the R44 heli to the Akhiok International Airport and caught an ancient Islander back to Kodiak City. Had dinner at a nice Japanese restaurant in town then back to Seattle the next day.
AR32
AR33
Overall, it was a great trip. The fishing was a little slow by the lodge's standards and the river actually closed to catch and release fishing for kings the last day we were there. So we were the only group to fish for them in the lower river this season. I think they said about 1,300 had passed through the weir they use to count sockeye. Still, it was better than swinging flies for winter steelhead in the PNW... Over 5 days I think I hooked 10 and landed 4. Also caught two pretty steelhead and a 20" resident rainbow. The lodge is a family affair run by an extended family from Wisconsin. They were super nice and great hosts. The lodge itself is very rustic but completely comfortable. I never wanted for anything other than the sun to set before 11PM...
http://www.ayakulikadventures.com/
Recently back from a trip to the Ayakulik River on Kodiak Island to swing flies for chinook. A few lessons learned:
1) Weather wins when traveling in Alaska, get used to waiting.
2) Big bears always have the right of way and get the best fishing spots
3) Small flies also catch big fish
4) I want a helicopter
Flew into Anchorage and caught a connection to the busting Kodiak City airport.
AR2 Weather was beautiful. Locals were walking around in shorts and tank tops.
AR3 The next morning, not so much. Got back to the airport and found we were on indefinite fog delay.
AR4 After about 3 hours, the ceiling lifted enough for the small R44 heli to fly under the clouds. The original plan was to have a small plane haul all the gear and a few people to the little village of Akhiok which is closer tot he Ayakulik the shuttle the gear and people from there to the lodge with the little heli which only seats 4 people. Ended up having to do all the shuttles via heli but the lodge added a trip with a bigger Bell Ranger for the gear and supplies. I rode in the R44 all the way to the lodge.
Here's a short video of the heli ride to the lodge and heli/plane back which has some views of Kodiak Island:
AR5 After arrival, we ran down the river close to the lodge to wet a line before dinner. it's a prime sockeye spot with a deep slot that also holds chinook. Unfortunately, it almost always holds bears too.
AR6 AR28 Got started in earnest the next morning. The routine was a 60-90min hike upriver early. The group would split with 2 fishing the upper pools with the guide and the other two fishing the lower pools on their own, meeting up at the lodge pool at the end of day. One day I decided to grab a sandwich and just wander around alone which was a little spooky with all the bears but ended up being a really peaceful meditative experience.
AR7 The Ayakulik is fairly small, 70-90 feet across and low gradient so I never had to cast more than my shooting head and 15-20 feet of running line unless I was trying to be sneaky casting and a sharp downstream angle. The wind, however, was brutal at times.
AR8 First fish went to me, a smallish 'jack' which was a good bit bigger than a Washington springer jack...
AR9 I was using a Sage Method 8119 and a Sage Evoke 8-10 with an Airflo 540gr skagit head and a MOW tip of 7.5' floating and 2.5' of T11. I tried a 5/5' tip in a few spots but it was in the rocks a little too much due to the slow current. I used pretty much the same fly all week, a simplified version of my confidence fly for all anadromous fish - "black and blue makes them chew" as Jim Kerr often says.
AR16 Bear poop, half fish bones and half grass. We often saw them grazing like cows.
AR11 Another nice fish...
AR12 Big sky up there with no trees to be found.
AR13 Down toward the tailout of a favorite run I noticed a big roll and eased down into the zone which resulted in a strong tug and a nice chinook.
AR14 AR15 A smaller but bright one taken by my buddy on a sparse clouser.
AR17 Saw these guys every day.
AR18 This sow and cubs were often in this area which meant no fishing for kings in the far bucket.
AR19 This was the most tense situation. Most of the bears would move away when they saw you but these two just kept coming down the trail we needed to take to get to back to the lodge. I just moved off into the grass and they walked on by but it was a little stressful.
AR20 Dammit, low holed again...
AR22 View from the lodge with a bear waiting on the heli pad. Pretty sure he won't fit in the R44.
AR23 My last fish of the trip. A bit darker but reasonable size. I had to get up on the back and run him down to keep him in the pool. The bigger fish that went downstream were all lost with one very near spooling event by one of the other anglers.
AR24 Uninvited guest to the beach cookout...
AR25 Wildflowers were blooming everywhere. It was a very different environment than western WA and very beautiful. I really enjoyed just sitting and taking in the quiet, only the sound of the wind through the grass.
AR29 The trip back went according to plan. We took the R44 heli to the Akhiok International Airport and caught an ancient Islander back to Kodiak City. Had dinner at a nice Japanese restaurant in town then back to Seattle the next day.
AR32 AR33 Overall, it was a great trip. The fishing was a little slow by the lodge's standards and the river actually closed to catch and release fishing for kings the last day we were there. So we were the only group to fish for them in the lower river this season. I think they said about 1,300 had passed through the weir they use to count sockeye. Still, it was better than swinging flies for winter steelhead in the PNW... Over 5 days I think I hooked 10 and landed 4. Also caught two pretty steelhead and a 20" resident rainbow. The lodge is a family affair run by an extended family from Wisconsin. They were super nice and great hosts. The lodge itself is very rustic but completely comfortable. I never wanted for anything other than the sun to set before 11PM...
http://www.ayakulikadventures.com/
