WINTER WEATHER

With extremely cold winter weather hanging around it is hard to find any moving water at all.  I usually can find windows of opportunity to fish year round on the kenai river and this year it is looking like fishing will be over for a while. We saw -25 today at the house in anchorage. burrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I think it is even to cold to ski and way to cold for Rainbow trout fishing but we will see what happens next week.   Tight lines Scott www.driftingonthefly.com

Happy New Year!

We would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and a great 2009 kenai river fishing season.  I would like to thank everyone for your interest and support from this past season and we look forward to the 2009 season alaksa fishing season. Thanks again and we wish you the best for 2009. Scott Sager www.driftingonthefly.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL OF US AT DRIFTING ON THE FLY. WE WISH EVERYONE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON! The perfect gift for the outdoorsman in your life is a kenai river guided fishing trip.  Hook it up today TIGHT LINES, SCOTT AND KIM SAGER WWW.DRIFTINGONTHEFLY.COM

Pre Tied Leaders

Pre tied leaders are a must for the serious fisherman.  Having them on hand will keep you in the strike zone longer than if you have to tie them on the river.  I recommend a pips box for holding my tippets  that I tie in the winter each year. It will make you more efficient and you will catch more fish.  

I find for the kenai river bead rig I can get about a hundred pre tied tippets in one pips box.  This saves me A lot of time on the water. For my standord Kenai river leaders I will start with 2-3 foot of 25-30 pound for a but sections.  Amnesia works well for this. Then work down from there in leader material size.  Depending on the water level of the river I will use a 9-11 foot leader.

We wish everyone to have a great holiday season and look forward to the start of 2009 Alaska fishing season. Here at Drifting on the Fly we are settled into our cabin and are enjoying the winter season.  Dec. 21st is a day to mention, we start gaining a little sunlight each day now until June.  It will not make much of a difference for a month or so but it is nice to think about.

Tight lines, Scott Sager www.driftingonthefly.com

Fly Tying For Alaska

Fly Tying for Alaska fishing trips can be a great way to keep your mind on the fun trip ahead.  Tying flies that will produce more Rainbow trout and salmon for your trip will save you money. The first entry will deal with putting together an articulated hook system.  Articulated flies work well imitating leaches, minnows, other fish.  I enjoy fishing them but tying for example an articulated leach takes some time. No Matter what hooks you use and where you make your articulation the steps are basically the same.  On this particular fly I made the head articulated to the shoulder of the fly.  This is different way to make an egg sucking leach.   1)  put your front hook in the vise (cut at the shank or not) and make a few wraps with you bobbin and thread. 2) take your Dacron or other rope like material and loop it through the eye of the trailer hook. 3) Now you can take the tag ends of the Dacron and tie it to the front hook.  3 or 4 wraps to start and pull straight down to lock it into place.  then continue forward with wraps up the shank of the front hook. 4) Once you are 3/4’s of the way up the shank fold the material back towards the bend of the hook and wrap back over the tags.  This will lock in the material and it shouldn’t be able to pull off the front hook.  I always add super glue between any step in the process.  It’s cheep and it also adds strength to your fly. For this fly I prefer the head to be weighted with lead eyes to achieve the action I want. To add lead eyes I first add super glue where the eyes will be laying on the hook then with many figure 8 wraps lock the eyes on.   Tying flies can be fun, it allows you to be creative and it also passes the time in the cold winter months.  I highly recommend it and if you have an idea and would like me to share it on my blog, don’t hesitate to let me know through my website at www.driftingonthefly.com Thanks and tight lines

Winter Kenai River Rainbow Trout Fishing

  A few things to keep in mind for Winter Kenai River Rainbow Trout Fishing. 1, watch the weather patterns and fronts that are moving through.  If it is calling for a high of 30 degrees it is probably going to be warm enough to keep the ice off the guides for a few hours. 2, fish slow and thorough concentrating in good, producing runs.  Fish will concentrate and follow the food source. 3, stay warm,  Slow down and take the time to keep yourself warm.  Sometimes I find myself wade fishing too long and needing more time to warm up. 4, be smart,  carry extra cloths, first aid kit, extra hand warmers and lots of extra gloves.  Wet hands  will make your whole body cold, try a hook and release tool to keep your hands dry. Remember that removing fish from the water in below freezing temperatures will freeze there gills almost immediately.  I know that I have been bad for this in years past like many folks but it is something that is very important and is our responsibility in helping protect our resource. If you are interested in booking a 2009 trip or just have a question feel free to contact me at www.driftingonthefly.com Tight lines, Scott Sager

KENAI RIVER GUIDE TRIP

  kenai river rainbow trout fishingThere are many kenai river guide trip opportunities available.  Rainbow trout, dolly varden, king salmon, silver salmon, sockeye salmon and many more.  We offer both fly and spin fishing trips so no matter how you would like to pursue these beautiful fish we can accommodate you. We also can provide drift boat and/or power boat guided fishing trips. Fall and early winter brings my favorite fish to chase to our nearby waters,  giant rainbow trout on the kenai river and Silver salmon.  The rivers along the Kenai peninsula are now starting to lose water and the fish are gearing up for the cold months ahead.  Finding big rainbow trout, fresh steelhead and silver salmon isn’t a problem as much as keeping the guides on your rod open from ice.  We are still chasing some really big fish now and I hope you are too.  Our guide service continues to run trips until the end of October, weather permitting.  All you will need is some warm cloths, waders (we can provide them), a packed lunch, and a fishing license. If you are interested in a late season kenai river fishing trip contact us here.

Tight Lines, Scott Drifting On The Fly, LLC

KENAI PENINSULA CLAM DIGGING

Kenai peninsula clam digging can be spectacular.  If you enjoy clams and are heading north to go fishing check the tide tables and plan your trip on the low of low tides.  Any dates with a negative tide should produce good clam digging.  Find a divet in the sand and start digging.  I like to dig a couple times with a shovel to get close and then dig by hand.  I tend to break less clams this way but many techniques work well and along with a good meal it is a ton of fun.  Last week we had some great tides and my wife and I filled the bag with them.  The law requires you to have a fishing license to dig and you have to keep any razor clam that you pull up.  Those that get the hang of pulling up these fast, tasty guys up can keep 60 of them a day.  The average clam is about 5 inches and you can score clams up to about 8 inches. If you have any questions about seeking clams out feel free to contact me at www.driftingonthefly.com Thanks and good fishing, Scott Sager

FLY FISHING FOR KING SALMON

RICH KETTERMAN KING SALMON Fly fishing for king salmon on the Kenai Peninsula! How about a few busted knuckles? I narrowly escaped with mine intact yesterday while . We were fishing about 100 yards from the saltwater and when I hooked him, he decided he didn’t like the fresh water anymore. I have to say that I have never had any fish, run that hard in the fresh water!  This king salmon took an olive articulated egg sucking leach at the end of the swing. The fishing has been great this time of the year. The King Salmon are starting to increase in numbers though it has taken a little while for them to get going. It has been a cool Spring in South central Alaska and this affects everything, even the salmon run. This has however been my most productive Spring season with a fly rod for King Salmon though and I can only hope it keeps going that way. Are you interested in learning how to fly fish for a few tackle busting King Salmon? Give me a call 907-382-6808 and we can arrange for that to happen in short order on your next kenai peninsula guide trip with Drifting on the Fly! Tight Lines, Scott Sager Drifting On The Fly, LLC

KENAI RIVER KING SALMON

Kenai river King Salmon are coming in better numbers every day.  The rivers both kenai and kasilof are fishing well right now. Drift fishing has still been hit or miss depending on the day. A few Sockeye Salmon are showing up in the Kenai River this week. Be sure to familiarize yourself if you plan to fish the Kenai river since a lot of regulation changes are now in effect for the 2008 season. Pay special attention to the 2-Stroke Motor restrictions. June 11 will open the Kenai River Rainbow Trout Season, until then this season is closed river wide. Check out this link for details on the regulation changes. Give me a call 907-382-6808 if you want to fish the Kenai or Kasilof, I still have a few days open in June as of tonight if you are interested in using our kenai peninsula guide service.

Tight Lines, Scott Drifting On The Fly, LLC