Katmai ‘24

That's an admirably compact kit for a week (week+?) in Alaska. This is a man who knows how to pack.

I hope you catch 'em until your arm is sore and you are ready to just soak it all in.
 
That's an admirably compact kit for a week (week+?) in Alaska. This is a man who knows how to pack.

I hope you catch 'em until your arm is sore and you are ready to just soak it all in.
Reels and travel waders in my pack, one days worth of clothing and rain jacket…rods also go with me as carry on…just in case…
 
…hopefully the sockeyes haven’t dropped any eggs yet…
With fewer than 60K sox past the Nak tower and <42K in the Branch as of yesterday, that's probably not gonna be an issue. Sounds like there's a few Kvichak fish on the way according to the Port Moller test fishery tho...Naknek, not so much.
 
Im with you on that…hopefully the sockeyes haven’t dropped any eggs yet…
I’ve been watching the numbers and though they’re picking up on some rivers, the run seems a bit later than years past. Either way, I’ll be fishing in a spot that gets sockeye a bit later so not an issue for me most likely. I imagine it will be a dalli and sockeye fry week for me. Plus some funky stuff for lakers. My wife obsesses over the Naknek numbers for the Brooks Bears. She’ll be flying over there daily to photograph them. The fish seem about a week behind 2023 at least. That said, a lot of fish on the bear cams the last two days. Not sure why with the low numbers. A push before the count? Another thought I had was river conditions. The last two years the Brooks River was pretty high in early July. This year, it seems more “normal”? Maybe what fish they’ve gotten are pushing into the river fast versus staging in the lake? Regardless, I just want to get on a plane already…

Edit: just read @G_Smolt post. He’ll be more informed than my wild speculation ;).
 
I’ve been watching the numbers and though they’re picking up on some rivers, the run seems a bit later than years past. Either way, I’ll be fishing in a spot that gets sockeye a bit later so not an issue for me most likely. I imagine it will be a dalli and sockeye fry week for me. Plus some funky stuff for lakers. My wife obsesses over the Naknek numbers for the Brooks Bears. She’ll be flying over there daily to photograph them. The fish seem about a week behind 2023 at least. That said, a lot of fish on the bear cams the last two days. Not sure why with the low numbers. A push before the count? Another thought I had was river conditions. The last two years the Brooks River was pretty high in early July. This year, it seems more “normal”? Maybe what fish they’ve gotten are pushing into the river fast versus staging in the lake? Regardless, I just want to get on a plane already…

Edit: just read @G_Smolt post. He’ll be more informed than my wild speculation ;).
I was at Brooks a couple years ago in mid June…no sockeyes yet, and not a single bear. Dry fly fishing was very good…
 
I was at Brooks a couple years ago in mid June…no sockeyes yet, and not a single bear. Dry fly fishing was very good…
I won’t be fishing Brooks. I’ve fished it 3-4 days before and though there are some very nice fish in that river, I probably won’t fish it again. So many bears bumping you around and so much scrutiny from the rangers it’s not really worth it IMO. I am happy leaving that river to the bears. Tough though when I do spend time there with my wife. You definitely spot some very nice rainbows off those walkways. I’m usually the guy above telling the fisherman below …”about another foot and your good” :).
 
I won’t be fishing Brooks. I’ve fished it 3-4 days before and though there are some very nice fish in that river, I probably won’t fish it again. So many bears bumping you around and so much scrutiny from the rangers it’s not really worth it IMO. I am happy leaving that river to the bears. Tough though when I do spend time there with my wife. You definitely spot some very nice rainbows off those walkways. I’m usually the guy above telling the fisherman below …”about another foot and your good” :).
Im with you…too many people. My first and last time there…
 
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