Alaska Archives - Page 9 of 10 - Drifting On The Fly

Pre Tied Leaders

Posted on December 21, 2008 by Drifting-admin

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

Posted on December 12, 2008 by Drifting-admin

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.Â 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.Â This will lock in the material and it shouldn’t be able to pull off the front hook.Â 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.Â 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

FLY TYING FOR ALASKA SILVER SALMON

Posted on December 8, 2008 by Drifting-admin

Fly tying for Alaska silver salmon fishing is a great way to pass the cold winter months. Filling your fly boxes in the winter can save you lots of time when the bite is on. There is nothing that can slow a great day of fishing down more than running out of your favorite pattern. I start with silver salmon flies first. After I get my bead boxes back in good shape, tying bright, flashy, big patterns keeps me interested and motivated. Articulated flies are always good to have in your box. Purple, Dark brown, chartreuse, pink and black are all good colors to start with when you are filling your box. There are many new materials available to us for fly tying and coming up with your own variations of fly’s is always fun. It is also more rewarding to me when I catch a fish on a fly that I have put together. Give it a try if you haven’t already and I would be happy to give any advice that I can. Give us a call and we can talk about patterns that you might need for your next fishing trip to Alaska. Stay tuned and check in on the website at www.driftingonthefly.com for more information.

Winter Kenai River Rainbow Trout Fishing

Posted on December 6, 2008 by Drifting-admin

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

Posted on October 6, 2008 by Drifting-admin

There 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

Alaska Top Water Rainbow Trout Fishing

Posted on September 18, 2008 by Drifting-admin

Under the right conditions and timing you can find some great Alaska top water rainbow trout fishing. From Dry flies in small streams and lakes to big mouse patterns on the Kenai and other rivers in the state. June proves to be a good month on the Kenai Peninsula for this and I have some great streams in other parts of the state that can provide top water rainbow trout fishing. It is my goal to explore at least one new river every year. This year we chose Lake Creek to see if it was worth adding to the arsenal. At the begining of the trip we were able to get plenty of rainbows taking mouse patterns which made the trip worth while right then and there. We had high muddy water for the whole trip and still the river produced a good number of rainbow trout, grayling, and silver salmon . On our 60 mile adventure through white water, rocks and canyons. We found ourselves thinking that we need to show this to you. If you are interested in a 6 day 5 night back country float I think we found a great adventure for you! I can put this Alaska guide trip together and work closely with you to build a fishing trip of a lifetime. Tight lines, www.driftingonthefly.com

Silver Salmon Fly Fishing

Posted on May 10, 2008 by Drifting-admin

When I think of Salmon on the fly rod I think Silver Salmon fly fishing. The fishing typically gets good by mid to late July on some of our fly out fishing and mid Aug. to the end of Oct. on the Kenai peninsula and the kenai river. In the right conditions silver salmon will take the fly very aggressively. I’ve even had many opportunities to take these fish on top water. Bunny flies, articulated flies, marabou flies, leaches, spoon flies, etc. are just a few patterns that will work well for these fish. I find a slow strip in slow water or swinging your flies in faster water draw the most strikes. I prefer a strip set or scissor strike to set the hook. This way if you miss the fish you don’t pull the streamer out of the strike zone and often the fish will come back to give you a second chance. If you are fishing from a boat make sure you fish the fly all the way back to the boat. I see fish chasing all the way to the boat for a last chance strike. If you are interested in matching your skills with these fish make sure you contact me at www.driftingonthefly.com and we’ll get you lined up on a alaska fishing guide tip. Thanks and tight lines Scott Sager Drifting On The Fly, LLC

WILLIE DRIFT BOAT

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Drifting-admin

After a long haul we finally have the new willie drift boat stored here in Alaska . Things are starting to come together for the 2008 Alaska fishing season. This new drift boat will be used for many seasons on the Kenai Peninsula before we will be due for another one. Willie drift boats are durable and a very safe boat to fish out of. We can accommodate up to 4 anglers on this boat. If you are interested in a Kenai river guide trip this summer you can contact me at www.driftingonthefly.com or email at scott@driftingonthefly.com. Tight Lines Scott Sager

GETTING OUR CUSTOM WILLIE DRIFT BOAT TO ALASKA

Posted on February 28, 2008 by Drifting-admin

Getting our custom willie drift boat to Alaska this week. I will be traveling to Seattle to pick up our new 2008, 20′, Willie drift boat this weekend. We will then make the 2605 mile journey back to Anchorage through the next week. It is a beautiful trip and to travel it in the winter again will be a real treat. The Canadian Rockies offer scenery like I’ve never seen before. I hope to take lots of pictures and let you know how it goes. If you ever have thought of traveling through Canada on your way to Alaska, feel free to contact me and I’ll share any information that I have to make your trip one that you will not forget. Tight Lines, Scott Sager 907-382-6808 www.driftingonthefly.com scott@driftingonthefly.com

RAINBOW TROUT FISHING THE KENAI RIVER

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Drifting-admin

Rainbow trout fishing the kenai river is something to remember. Fish like these are caught daily and are a good representation of what you can expect on a guide trip though larger fish are caught often. The best times to join us on a guided trip is June 11th- June 25th and then again from August 10th-October 20th. The Alaska fishing season is short and we fish for many different species in this time. I stay current with my tactics and with reports on the river. We will keep you on the hottest spots and will always work hard to keep you into fish.

Mitch Dugger with a pair of rainbow trout! Key West, Alaska or New Zealand Mitch seems to find fish. We offer fully guided drift boat, power boat and wade fishing trips on the Kenai river and surrounding waters. If you would like more information on a rainbow trout fishing the kenai river give us a call today. Join us on the hunt for beautiful rainbow trout on the Kenai river, Alaska and ask us about our hosted trips to fish with Mitch in Key West for tarpoon, permit, and other great inshore species found in this region. Tight Lines, Scott Drifting On The Fly, LLC