Itinerary
This second week of August is the week that everything seems to come
together. Year after year this is the week that the bubbles burst and
the best of both worlds folds into one spectacular week. If you are
looking for excellent silver salmon fishing and equally as great trout,
char, and dolly varden fishing this is it. Under brilliant blue skies
we chased fish all over Southwest Alaska, looking for that trip
defining moment. For long time guests Greg and Max Engel it was hiking
up a small creek in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, sight casting
to char that averaged five pounds. While on the same trip new guest
Daryl Flood hooked and lost then hooked again, and this time landed,
the largest fly-caught char of the season, an orange bellied slab that
weighed nearly ten pounds. A couple of other long-time guests Dan Leahy
and Hank Wiesneski fished our exclusive, by permit only area, on the
Upper Togiak with guide T.J. Zandoli where Dan tied into what would be
the new record dolly varden, a gorgeous specimen that was just shy of
seven pounds. If sight fishing appeals to you the Moraine has come into
it’s prime, turning out some healthy rainbow trout. The Grant River is
also and excellent adventure for spotting and casting to rainbows.
After a day on the Moraine Richard Ackerman was determined to sight
fish the rest of the week and readily volunteered to be the first to
fish the Grant. He and his uncle Lenny Ackerman, along with Jason
Travis, had an excellent day, catching almost every fish they saw.
Mid-week we welcomed four anglers for a few days of fishing. On their
first day they went to Secret Creek, an excellent place for beginning
fly-fisher-people, were Bill Baribault wasted no time in making an
impression on the guides when he landed a seasonal record shattering
rainbow that was almost ten pounds and he still swore he was a
beginner. For those that were after salmon, and everyone this week
spent at least one day catching silvers, the Nushagak is still a hot
producer and the Togiak River had it’s first push of dime-bright
silvers. This time of the season the Togiak offers a unique experience
allowing guests to fish silvers in the morning and pursue that thirty
inch trout along with tons of dolly varden in the afternoon. Although
the weather turned a little sour the final two days of the week it was
still a phenomenal week of fishing that brought smiles to all those who
participated. We are thankful to our guests this past week for making
it a fun experience. We look forward to fishing with you all soon.
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