Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Fly Fishing on the Solstice

Spent a few days this past weekend fishing for lake trout and grayling on flies and had a great time... Riley, his girlfriend, another friend, and I went and just relaxed. Nights under canvas are always good.

At about 63* North we were pretty well up there and at 2,700 feet elevation it is still early in the warm part of the year there. But Sunday morning we had to quit fishing at about 3AM because our guides were icing too much to continue fishing... That takes some doing, probably in the mid to high 20s.

Caught quite a few lake trout swinging old style spey flies on an 11' switch rod. To match the hatch, sockeye smolts, I used a Sid Glasso style Orange Heron, a Blue Charm, and a Lady Caroline variation with a polar bear underwing. They all worked about the same when dropped in the middle of erupting boils of smolts, lakers, and terns.

They were not big as lake trout go, but they were plenty big enough to be fun.

During the day we caught tons of grayling and many of them ran well past 18" with a fair number that nudged 20... The state catch and release program recognizes 32" as the minimum size for a rainbow trout... and 18" for a grayling. So many of the fish we were catching would be the fish of a lifetime to some.

We only had a few light sprinkles and clear skies at night, which is why it got so cold.

Aside from an alternator replacement beside the road at Nelchina we ran pretty much perfectly the whole way.

Big grayling are cool! I miss Alaska.

Always fun to find a quiet spot on a nice stream and cast for a few nice fish. Those smaller lake trout fried up are great!

We really need some pics.

Is that where you suggested I try fly fishing for lakers at the lake outlet? Sounds like fun.

If...nope, when we visit Alaska again, I will give that spot another try.

15 miles or so West of Gulkana was where the Audi lost it's fuel pump on Marty and I.
I must say, cell service was good, the voice saying "Alaska State Troopers, Glenallen Post" was a very welcome thing to hear.
The dispatcher spent over 1/2 an hour finding us a tow service, finally finding one in Palmer.
That was a long tow truck ride from well East of Matanuska Glacier to Palmer.
I have to say that the $480 tow bill was less than I expected for a 139 mile trip.

I bet Audi alternators don't grow on trees in that area:)

Sounds like a good one!

It was!