I want you to think about the best angler that you know. Better yet, reflect back on a day of fishing where you could do no wrong. A day where you were on fire, and the fish seemingly could not stay away. Can you say specifically what it was that accounted for this stellar performance? Most would attribute it to fly selection, casting ability, or even chalk it up to blind luck. Even if you cannot pinpoint the exact reason, the fact of the matter was, you were in the zone.

What separates the consistently productive anglers from the rest of the river crowd is their innate ability to "get in the zone" as soon as they step into the water. The zone that I am referring to is not related to depth, but rather a mindset. That mental place where you feel like you are swimming right alongside your fly, guiding it to the perfect spot where the fish are holding. All distractions are gone, and all that is left is fishing. Great anglers find themselves mentally relaxed from the first cast to the last, maintaining the confidence that they are always right in front of the fish.

This simple mindset is the tipping point that will take your fishing to the next level. Next time you are out on the water, check your baggage at the door. Leave all the stress and worries of day-to-day life behind, and focus on each cast individually. Better yet, don't focus on anything at all, and just fish.

 

As Alaska begins to show signs of the thaw, that little area in the back of fly anglers brains begins to fill with thoughts of spring fishing pursuits. For many, the first target will be chasing the mighty King Salmon.

Tackling Kings on a fly rod is no simple task, but the rewards continue to attract driven fly anglers back to Alaskan waters year after year. Following a steep learning curve is necessary in order to succeed. Even though the odds may seem against you at first, setting off to land a King on the fly will almost always improve your angling game 1000 fold. Because Kings generally live in deeper, faster waters, the proper use of sink tips and depth control are often the keys to success. Placing the fly perfectly in the strike zone can be difficult, and on tough days, fish will not want to move far to attack the offering. A precise and accurate presentation, adapting the drift multiple times throughout the run, will help the odds tremendously.

The raw power of these chrome freight trains is astounding, and anglers will quickly realize that the King is unlike any other salmon. While other fish may give an exciting, fast paced battle, Kings have a tendency to draw each fight into a knock-down, drag out struggle to simply hold on. There is no gentle touch needed here. Hard side pressure, torqueing the rod into the butt section, is usually the only way to turn these fish around.

Amidst all the trial and tribulation that comes with chasing Kings on the fly, anglers will find rewards in both the fish itself and the hard lessons learned. In the end, nearly every angler who has pursued the mighty King, catches the "fever," returning to Alaska's waters again and again.

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 If you would like more information about Alaska's top lodges for chasing Kings on the fly, shoot us an email. We would be happy to assist in setting up your next King Salmon fly fishing adventure.

 

As many of you have probably seen, California fishing guide, Anthony Carruesco, put one the most beautiful trout that we have ever seen to hand last summer. Hovering just below the 3-foot range, AC's fish is a perfect representation of how spectacular Alaska fishing can be.

Fly Out caught up with Anthony to get the low down on that day, and the epic trout that made it so memorable.

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 FO: What was the day like leading up to hooking into that monster? What were you doing in AK?

AC: My fiancé, Erika, and I had traveled up to Alaska to attend our good friend, Lee Kuepper's, wedding. To my benefit, Lee just so happens to be a top shelf guide on the Kenai River, and was able to finagle a few days off prior to the wedding to soak us some leisure time on the water with a few of us boys. It was a laid back, beer drinkin' type of day, and I certainly wasn't hard pressed to catch many fish. Just being out there with a good friend that I hadn't seen in over a year, catching up, and enjoying the 70 degree summer weather was the only agenda we had.

Interestingly enough, while we were sitting at the ramp rigging up rods, I decided to pull all the line off of my reel for no real reason in particular. When I got about 10 feet into the backing, I found a knot where the backing had doubled over itself and locked the line from coming out. Kharma......? Maybe Fate......? Looking back now, catching this potential game-stopper would prove to be pretty damn important about four hours later.

FO: How was the fishing?

AC: We'd been pounding the banks with flesh and hitting solid fish pretty consistently all morning. We had put some good two footers to the net and I was happy with that. We were getting towards the end of the float – coming along a big shady bend when the bobber disappeared again.

FO: Did you know it was huge when you hooked it?

AC: Yes. Though honestly, for the first 10 seconds I thought it mayhave been a Sockeye snagged in the butt.

FO: How was the fight?

AC: The initial run was impressive. It shot directly upriver and was quickly into my backing, similar to a coastal Steelhead from back home. Lee was pulling on the sticks hard to try and lessen the distance, but the current in this main flow was strong and it was all he could do to slow us down. I bent the rod to the cork and turned his head back downriver. Fortunately, you don't have to be that tender with 12lb flouro. After some strong, steady head shakes and a few more runs, he rose from the blue water and just hovered near the surface. Lee, not thinking that it was even close to ready yet, was focused on finding a place to eddy out. I looked back at Lee and said "I think he may be ready." You don't expect the fat kids to have that much stamina anyways.

FO: What was the most remarkable thing about that fish?

AC: I was shocked by how flawless the fish was. Not a single scar or blemish on her. Many of the big fish on Alaska's popular waters seem to often have some battle scars from their angling encounters earlier in life. This fish was clean as a whistle. The girth was ridiculous. My arms were sore from holding it out of the water for the few seconds for that "Hero Shot." As I was releasing it, it finally set in how spectacular this fish was. As it eased back into the blue, and the broad shoulders faded away, we all just sat around for a few minutes in quiet awe.

Hands down the biggest trout I've held, and probably will ever hold. As a guide myself, I was just happy to be the one holding the rod that day. Catching a fish like that is a once in a lifetime experience. I feel very fortunate.

Whether you are tying your flies, or buying them, there are 5 traits to keep in the forefront of your mind when making decisions on which flies are worthy of getting wet. Patterns that take advantage of each one of these 5 traits are both effective and easy to cast. Here are the top 5 traits that the flies in your box should always have.

Color.
It is important to use colors the fish are interested in. Resident species such as trout and dolly varden generally prefer more natural, earth tone colors. While salmon, on the other hand, are normally willing to chase around bright, vibrant patterns in pinks, purples, and chartruse.

During dirty or high water conditions, you can do especially well using multi-colored, high contrast flies. Black/White, Green/Yellow, and Purple/Pink can all produce during these adverse conditions.

Hook Orientation
The direction that your hook bend is facing should depend on where you are fishing in the water column. A fly fished near the bottom should always have the hook point facing up, as a downward facing hook will snag up and require sharpening more often. You will find this in numerous sculpin patterns, so beware.

Materials and Movement
Choose a material that moves the way you want it to while being fished. In slow to moderate currents, natural materials like rabbit, maribou, and arctic fox have a silky, smooth flow. Other materials such as deer hair, calf tail, and schlappen hackle have stiffer fibers that hold their shape well, even against heavy current.

Castability
Many flies recently have trended towards being very large and bulky. While they may look impressive, they are a burden to cast. Natural materials like rabbit fur provide great movement, but they also absorb a lot of water. This usually makes them heavy and cumbersome to cast. Synthetic materials, like craft fur, not only give a fly good underwater movement, but also make them easy to cast.

Stability
Stability relates to how the fly tracks when underwater. Flies that are unstable tend to roll or flip over when pushed on by the current. Lead eyes are often used in many trout and salmon patterns. If the lead eyes are on the wrong side, the fly will roll to the wrong position. Make sure that your fly tracks the way it is supposed to. It will result in more fish.

Hey there! I knolw this is kinda off topic however I'd figured I'd ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring a blog article or vice-versa? My website discusses a lot of the same topics as yourfs aand I believe wee could greeatly benefit from each other. If you happen to be interested feel free to shoot me an e-mail. I lok forward to hearing ffrom you! Excellent blog by tthe way!

When fishing guide/filmmaker Mark Titus learns why wild salmon populations plummeted in his native Pacific Northwest, he embarks on a journey to discover where the fish have gone and what might bring them back. Along the way, Titus unravels a trail of human hubris, historical amnesia and potential tragedy looming in Alaska – all conspiring to end the most sustainable wild food left on the planet.

Alaska Showings & Schedule

• 2/19 – Anchorage – Bear Tooth @ 8 p.m.
• 2/20 – Juneau – Rockwell Ballroom @ 7 p.m.
• 2/21–22 – Ketchikan – New York Café @ TBD (with Bristol Bay Sockeye dinner special)
• 2/24 – Fairbanks – Blue Loon @ 6 p.m.
• 2/26 – Dillingham – Middle School Gym @ 7:30 p.m. (with subsistence food potluck)

South-Central Alaska holds a very special place in my heart. It was where I first cut my teeth guiding in this great state. The waters of the South Central region of Alaska are often under publicized, and overlooked. For the adventurous angler looking to score some great trout fishing, this region of Alaska is a true diamond in the rough.

River drainages such as the Susitna, Yentna and Copper reach far inland towards the towering mountains and glaciers of Denali and Wrangle-St.Elias National Parks. Eventually, they wind their way south, finding their terminus in the salty waters of Cook Inlet or the Gulf of Alaska. The clear, pristine headwaters that feed these massive systems provide some spectacular fishing for a wide variety of species. The trout fishing in particular is uniquely exceptional, perfectly catering to the angler that wants to try a wide variety of fly fishing techniques. Mousing, nymphing, beads, dry flies, smolt, and baitfish imitating methods are all productive ways to fish for the resident leopard rainbow trout of South-Central.

A variety of accommodation styles can be found throughout the region. Comfortable riverside and mountain lodges as well as multi-day remote wilderness float trips are all available to the traveling angler searching for their trout fishing vahalla. Access to many of these rivers is generally floatplane based. After the flight to the main lodge, anglers will then explore the area via jet boat, raft, or even helicopter.

Recently, I contacted a good guide friend of mine, Casper Leffel, to discuss his personal choices regarding fly selection throughout the waters of South-Central Alaska. Casper is a very experienced guide throughout the region. He began his career on Lake Creek, and has since guided on multiple other South-central watersheds including the Talachulitna. Casper is without a doubt a trout addict, and the passion shows in his guiding.

Here are his thoughts regarding fishing the waters of south-central Alaska for trout, and the flies you will want to bring along for your next trip out.

The Artist-in-Residence program was created on the premise that every one is touched by art, but few have the opportunity to witness it's creation, or have meaningful conversations with those who produce it. The idea is to blend fly fishing and the arts in an Alaskan setting; to expose the lodge's guests to writers, poets, painters, print makers, photographers, song writers and musicians in a manner that enriches their experience and encourages them to support the arts.

• July 20 to 27 - Photographer, Louis Cahill and painter, Bob White
• July 27 to August 3 - Poet and Writer, Larry Gavin and painter, Bob White
• August 1 to 8 - and - August 8 to 15 - Nashville Song Writers, Scott Laurent, Wynn Varble, David Turnbull, Bruce Wallace, and Earl Bud Lee.

If you have questions, or have an interest in joining us, contact Bristol Bay Lodge here

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Recently I had a discussion with a good friend of mine, Anthony Carruesco, regarding the unique and exciting fishing that we have each year in Alaska. We both were reminiscing on the springtime baitfish migration, agreeing that it can provide some of the most spectacular fishing for the big red-sides of Alaska.

Every river that has a salmon run, will also have a baitfish migration at one time or another. Specifically, river systems with heavy sockeye salmon returns provide some of the greatest near surface streamer fishing found anywhere in the world. As the snow melts, and spring starts to become summer, the fragile aelvin stage salmon begin to take shape. Now considered "fry," they move from their natal hatching grounds towards the lakes where they will grow before migrating to sea.

Not only do the fry stage salmon move during the Alaska spring, but various species of salmon "smolt" also migrate towards their salty feeding grounds, where they will spend a few years growing before returning back to their home water to spawn. Depending on the species, the "smolt" will vary in size and coloration, but in general they are larger than their "fry" cohorts.

Getting your fly hammered by trout that are acting more like a school of saltwater tuna is some of the most exciting trout fishing on the globe. Soft hands need not apply as there are no soft strikes here, every fly gets hammered, nearly pulling the rod out of your hands every single time. At times it can be slow, and patience is a must. But if you are positioned correctly, and the fish gods smile down upon you the way they sometimes do, you are in for the ride of your life.

Growing my skills in the field of photography has been a passion of mine for many years now. We fly anglers are so fortunate to be surrounded by such relentless, awe-inspiring beauty. For this reason alone, I like to pick up a camera almost as much as I do the rod. Throughout the years, I have learned a lot and have realized a few common tips that really helped improve my imagery.

Look at the big picture
When searching for that perfect shot, I always make sure to try and capture the scale of where I am fishing. One of my favorite methods in doing so is by stepping way back with telephoto glass, allowing the lens to pull the angler and their surroundings into perspective. It's amazing how background objects like trees or mountains are pulled into the frame, allowing the viewer to grasp the full scope of the environment.

Channel your inner Miss. Cleo
After spending years on the river, anglers begin to almost develop a psychic sense of what a fish is going to do. Most of the time this very unique skill is used to help land a fish more efficiently. Not only is this trait ideal for fishing, but as a photographer this trait can be used to predict special moments throughout the day. Acrobatics, blistering fast runs, and the look of despair on your buddies face when he's been manhandled all have an air of predictability when one is channeling their inner psychic. Make sure you're ready.

All in the details.
Macro photography is yet another way that we can change the way our sport is viewed. Instead of grabbing large scale images, stick to the specifics. Scales, fins, and eyes, all are intricacies that are unique to fishing. Capture the details and give focus to another level of beauty.

{gallery}BlogContent/2015/January/PhotographySeries/Part3/gallery1{/gallery}Part 2 - Understanding Your Camera's Priority Modes