Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Alaska Coho Salmon



With our house located on the banks of Yakutat Bay, views in any direction were spectacular!



Each day our group of 10 guys filled the Otter bush plane, for a ride to a nearby river, somewhere along the Alaska coast!


Most "runways" were grassy fields, or sand bars near the river.


Huge snow capped mountains flanked us every day, although the weather kept most of the beauty behind a cloudy curtain.
This particular day was simply incredible.  A massive mountain framing the river....and many hooked coho salmon flying through the air!



One of many silvers I landed, over 10 lbs.



Jeff with a nice coho!

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On one cloudy day we didn't even reach river before spotting silvers rolling in the shallow lagoon.....

....but most flies used were just too heavy, and would catch moss on the bottom, frustrating everyone.  However, a change to a Pink Neutralizer, sinking, and suspending, just under the surface, proved just the right stuff!  A full limit of 40 big silver salmon joined us on our flight back to Yakutat!!


Most of our fish were taken with this neutrally buoyant fly!

Pink Neutralizer


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After a long day of fishing, and dragging our fish back to the pick up point, to catch the plane,
we were all tired and happy!
Oddly enough, no bears were sighted the entire week!


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Matt's silver topped our catch on this small Alaska river.  
Right at 14 lbs.



A face only a mother....and a fly fisherman, could love!

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Mount St. Elias was our evening companion, on this
beautiful evening!


Our deck sunsets were spectacular!


Many thanks to Jeff, George, Steve, Phil, Travis, Mark, Matt, Wayne, and Dan, for a fantastic week:  cooking, washing dishes, cleaning guns, mixing cocktails, and telling tall tales of Trips, Flies, and Fish gone by!

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