Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Fly rod for Kenai rainbows

My son has always wanted to fish for rainbows in the Kenai and I might surprise him with a "outfit" to get him started. Not concerned about a rod for other places at this time, just the Kenai and rainbows.
What do the Kenai rainbow fisherman suggest?

5 wt around 9 ft

9ft 7 or 8 weight. That way he isn't stunt shooting a moose with a 223 when that 30" bow grabs his bead.

What’s his casting ability? Is he comfortable with a two handed rod?

Not really. For all intents he is a novice as his only fly fishing experience is flossing for reds.

That’s helpful. Is he primarily going to be walking in or is he going to be floating/guided? And are we talking mostly upper, or middle?

Mostly walking, unguided, fishing from where the Russian meets the Kenai and up to start. Unless he hooks up with someone who knows more than he does about the river.

I second the five weight at nine feet.

Will your son be bank or boat fishing, or both?

Wish I knew. I love fishing but I'm the worst fisherman and fly-fishing is way above my abilities.

6 weight 10 ft

The standard for float fishing the Kenai is a 10', 7wt to stay outside the oars. Most guides use that particular set-up for a reason. On the bank a single hand 9', 7wt is the standard.

The upper fish are usually smaller and the flies are easier to cast so you could get away with a 6wt.

Think I’ll look at a 7wt for starters. I doubt he will find it too stiff. He can work his way downward if he prefers something lighter.
Thanks guys

I’d be looking at a 10’ 7 wt for sure. You can definitely get by with a. 5-6 wt if you want, but not sure why you would. The first 15-20# rainbow you hook into your 6 wt is going to kill it if you manage to get it in. Plus it’s a better all around weight for sockeye and coho. I use my 15yr old Sage TCR 890 for the majority of my Kenai fishing. There’s been many times I wouldn’t have wanted a lesser rod.

You can ask the same question on the following forum for another set of eyes/opinions ( fly rod section):

https://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/index.php

I second Buttstock and have a couple of other suggestions but with this preface: You did not indicate what level experience that YOU had, so forgive me if I'm suggesting something you may already know.

1) I would make sure that you emphasize your son's age and skill level when you ask for advice there or any other source. What may be ideal for experienced adults may not necessarily be best for adultlescent or teenager. Once you've your fill of advice and have concluded what size nd line weight rod you're going to get, refer to number 2 below.

2) When you get ready to buy him and outfit (rod and reel combo), do an online search for best beginner flyrod in what line weight you end up deciding to go with. For instance, you can search on "Best Beginner 7-weight Flyrod 2021", then change the year to 2022 and search again, then 2023. That way you'll get multiple suggestions of rods that will probably be readibly available in the market plasce. If you just search without the year, you'll usually end up with the latest and greatest (and most expensive) and not all of what you see will be out and available. The objective term in the search is "beginner" as those rods for seasoned, experienced flyfisherman are more than likely going to be very fast rods (stiffer, flexing more in the top-third of the rod) and much more difficult for the novice to learn quickly on. The folks who evaluate this equipment know this and recommend rods better suited in this regard. Usually there is some overlay between best beginner and best budget rods which doesn't hurt either. As to the reel (if a combo is not suggested or evaluated), don't opt for something super-expensive, just make sure that it has a decent drag and that your guide has a chance to set it for your son beginning of each day. Last bit of advice if you have NOT yet got a guide: you might want to emphasize that you want what I call a teaching guide - those that don't mind taking the time to teach your son especially on the first day. That can make all the difference if you stress that as that takes the pressure off the guide for numbers of fish and instead places emphasis on the experience. Any professional instruction (Orvis, etc.) plus follow-on practice before the trip will pay dividens in the final experience, I assure you.

I did something similar twenty years ago and I'm relaying to you the advice I got then. Good luck on the trip - sounds like a lifetime memories experience.

While fundamentally sound you missed the OP's main requirement which is a rod for a particular river, well known to many here. A softer rod on the Kenai puts you at a big disavantange with big fish and lots of current. At the same time casting is unusual here because of the size of the flies used and short casts needed. Often just a flop is plenty.

Thanks, perhaps you are over thinking it. Like Sitka pointed out the rod will be used on one specific river in Alaska. Opinions of others who never fished the Kenai for rainbows are not very useful. The 7 weight seems to be a good place to start and I am sure he will end up with other rods, heavier or lighter, as time goes on.
And since you asked, he is 35 and has been fishing the Kenai and Russian for salmon for at least 25 years using a 10 wt. But I hardly considering flipping a fly rod as being a "fly fisherman".

Sitka and Snowolfe, you are probably correct. When I first taught my daughter to use a flyrod she was 13 and there was no way she could learn to use a Euro-long rod or two-handed long rod right off the bat. A 9ft 7wt would be a stretch and anything longer or heavier would be a no-go. Also, I was not disagreeing what was best for that stretch or river and the size fish there that time of year, and not knowing the age of your son, just offering the consideration of your son's ability to use the larger gear. Down here, I went through the same problems with youngsters handling heavier 8/9wt rods and it was from that perspective that I offered advice. My apologies for the distraction.

No harm, no foul...

Just an idea. Go to e bay. Look for a 7 10 ft echo ion. The original not the xl. They can be found new or slightly used. Unbreakable med fast rod. Pair it with an echo ion reel. Won't break the bank and indestructible

In fact I just looked. There is a echo original ion 7 10 ft 185.44 free shipping

UPS drivers will gladly accept the challenge

Never fished the Kenai for 'bows, but 7 wt is the lightest fly rod I fish with. Enough backbone to muscle in humpies.

For the time being I am sticking with Maxcatch rods. Bought a few earlier this year and was very impressed with them.

Echo has lifetime breakage warranty. I have a 7 9ft and a 10 9ft. U won't be disappointed

Echo has not been good about their "Lifetime" warranty of late. Most manufacturers seem to regret going there and are trying to walk back their liability. I have no issue with that on new rods, but I bought Echo rods in large part due to the warranty.

Used rods are a whole other thing and they are not inclined to cover them at all.

I agree on used. The one I sure on flea bay has a warranty card

I buy a lot of my Fly Rods at Soldotna Hardware in the fall and spring.

I have only fished the Kenai once, but as I recall we used 6 and 8 weight rods. The 6 weights worked fine for char. We used 8 weights for salmon.

Just make sure you choose a 4 piece rod. It makes air travel so much easier. Have a fantastic memory making experience of a lifetime.

I used a Sage 9 foot 7wt on the Kenai for Rainbows. It was perfect weight for throwing Flesh flies, streamers and nymphing with GloBugs.

I fished from an inflatable boat with a 10hp motor and from the bank below the salmon snaggers.

The banks are lined with trees so back casting can be difficult. Roll casting works best. The current isn't conducive to wading.

I got a 14' Spey rod for roll casting next time.

I got some real nice Rainbows and a few Reds that took my fly even though not feeding.

I agree right up to the point about reds not "feeding"... but that does not mean they will not readily take the right flies. Most fly shops are now carrying flies tied specifically for reds to take. A Fish Alaska magazine this past year includes tying instructions on a fly I designed and have been using for reds for a number of years. I rarely snag them, and never intentionally. I did grow up snagging willingly.

Is it tied on a size 24 midge hook?

If you could, please post a photo. I would love to see the fly in question.
I been away from Alaska for way to long.

Sssshhhhhhhhh!!!

Some people just cannot keep a secret!

Don't let him fool you. Sitka's favorite fly is a 4/0 silver spider.

And I thought we were friends...

In three words you gave them color, size, and pattern!

Sheesh!

THIS^

My friend Paul manages the fly fishing department at Anchorage Bass Pro. He fishes the Kenai a lot and can help you out.

OooooKKKaaayyyyy.......

My fly rod is about 60' long, with about 6" - maybe less- mesh. works good. Fshing done in 1/2 to 2 tides, for the year, while I drink coffee and read. Concrete 1/2 block and 5' rebar driven into the mud for weight. Keeps it on the bottom, more or less.

I don't waste a bunch of time flaying the water either. Checking net in surf, in a canoe is right sporty, sometimes.

YMMV........

Get him a 6 or 7wt, the echo ion is a solid and durable rod. A great price performer for a reel is the Redington rise.

Anything heavier will be a lot to learn with. Good luck!

...but Sitka dear, it could work out well when the small mouth run is in full swing. As I recall, they generally run the last weekend of moose season. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks.
bhtr

No, you absolutely got it right!

Great intention that certainly is, a specific flyrod for a specific need. There are several gems of wisdom above (as to functionality via size of a rod) by those that have any amount of experience fishing the Russian River. Some posting have seemed to miss the above post quote as seen by their responses.

Fly fishing the Russian (and thus the upper Kenai) is not difficult, or does it demand a master's in "rocket science."
It is varied in water type and surroundings however. A "walk-in" fisherman does not need a 10 foot rod to ply the waters the OP mentioned, nor is a Spey rod required to roll cast here. Sight fishing is very possible on the Russian, and learning how to present what the fish want (or will hit) at anytime is far more important than the size of the line the rod is capable of handling. One needs simply understand what line weight is the optimum size for casting the flys in the size needed to ply the water. It helps to understand that the rod simply utilizes a certain weight of line to cast a given size of fly and leader. The "reel" is what fights the fish.

I am guessing that the OP has made a decision by now, and I applaud him for it. It is a great gift to a young man that has mentioned his desire to expand his enjoyment of fishing into the "fly fishing realm." The son's desire of choice of water is a very good one, having more than a small amount of fly fishing history.

The Russian was rated as one of the top ten Rainbow Trout fisheries in the world right after WWII. Affluent European fishers flocked to it's clear waters, as did many notable American and foreign writers of the era. Sitka' father, though more of a Hunting writer, may have even authored an article on this gem of a river in the 60' or 70's. Please correct me on this if I am incorrect, Sitka...

To Snowwolfe,

Well done sir...

Excellent post, pard.

I promise you if your son decides that he wants more out of the Kenai, that a 7wt is the minimum he should have. Fishing from shore is a different beast than when you’re in a boat. He won’t feel overgunned with a 7-8wt if he ties into a big fish, plus it’s better for the fish if releasing. My old Sage TCR 890 was not too much for these trout I caught from shore on walk-in trips to the middle river. If your son wants to know a few good walk-in places on the upper and middle, let me know.

Very nice!

That second one is sure pretty!

That is a nice offer Ptarmigan, make no mistake. That's the Alaska spirit.

Please don't take the lad after spawners though. Hard on the fishery...

Late February-early March is the latest I fish them. Then I like to head down with all the guys that refuse to fish the spawners and go catch steelhead! Go figure! LOL!

I use an 8 weight on the kenai. Once a big rainbow gets out in the fast current it can easily take out 50 yards of backing. Get a decent reel too like a lamson Good luck trying to stop its run and reel it in with a 6 weight.

Cystal meth in chartruse, orange and pink San Juan worm seem to produce well


You can jump in the boat and chase it if you have a buddy

ever fish the anchor for steelhead in September?

It sure is a generous and kind offer. I will forward it to my son.
Thank you very much

I used to, but the last time I did some guys pulled into the little parking spot while I was getting ready and then take off running to beat me to the hole. I'm not into that! There's other places to fish for steelhead that get less traffic.

The depth of the creek can be very important to "lessening" competition for Steelhead...

We will talk again this red season. Need to try different patterns I suspect. OTOH might have to have people that can fish them correctly too. And room to fish. LOL

Not sure the reason for that. Despite the name that particular store doesn't sell a lot of bass gear. Paul has lived in AK since about 1993, long before Bass Pro Shops built a store there, and knows what works on the Kenai, and also sells a bunch of stuff that will work. He doesn't mind pointing out items they don't carry but also work well. He's a helpful source of information in Anchorage. That's all, carry on.

Spend some time in an actual flyshop and see how many come in with genuine messes sold to them at the big box stores. They do not pay enough to attract people with enough experience. Nothing personal, but far better information will come out of a real flyshop.

I used to do that in the early and mid 90s. I only fish the swing for steelhead (no indicators, weights) and would do well fishing a 10-13' Type III or Type IV sinktip depending on water height. The last time I was there was Oct 1999 after coming back from Kodiak Island and we visited my cousin on the peninsula and I had to go to the Anchor.

I imagine it's more crowded now than I'd like. I have fond memories of watching new steelhead rolling in the lower river's slackening water during the later stage of the flood with a beautiful pink evening sky and Mt. Iliamna across the inlet.

My buddy is retired military and retired civil service, so what he makes at Bass Pro is just beer money. I assure you he has plenty of experience, but I get what you're saying. Most of the folks at the big box stores aren't as knowledgeable as those working in the smaller, more specialized shops.

Exactly... and when the fishbowl is as small as Anchorage... 150 miles away from the real aquarium... and you select clientele tending toward the newbie side of things (JBER) there is a major gap...

IFF the guy has the skillz, it could be that he'll do more good at the big box store than at a dedicated fly shop.

Art, my dogs were alerting to something, and I couldn't fall back asleep. That's why I'm up. What the heck are you doing up at 2:20AM?

No rest for the wicked?
😉😏

Rittenhouse Rye wrangling...

"Good" is a loaded word.

The BBS gig never pays enough to keep good people. Kenai fishing guides do not run to Anchorage to go to Bass Pro, yet they stop at a real fly shop every time they come to town...