Inland
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here are lots of good reasons an angler would want to go to Alaska and fly fish. The inland fly fishing opportunities there include all five of the six Pacific salmon, steelhead trout, and Arctic char and they all spawn here, in abundance.
They make Alaska their home, too
Also, there are 2-foot long, heavy, homegrown trouts here that can easily out-leap any steelhead you’ve bragged about. These trout are of a strain not found anywhere else in the world, and that includes famed Kamchatka, Russia.
If you focus on the thousands of rivers and streams that feed into and out of Lake Iliamna you’re not going to be disappointed. And that’s not to say you shouldn’t leap at a chance to fish anywhere in Alaska. There are prolific runs of salmon and outstanding trout fishing almost everywhere, especially Southeastern Alaska. And don’t forget the brine, either.
Accommodations
There are hoards of places to launch your Alaskan ambition from and they run the gamut: your own RV, fly in and fly out camping, guided float trips; day trips that can be arranged spur of the moment by fly shops in Alaska or stateside; luxury lodges where cocktails and gourmet are the focus, boat daily only lodges, fly out lodges, and rudimentary tent lodging.
For those who have business demands, the best route to Alaska is by booking with a quality outdoor travel agency specializing in angling or better, fly fishing. Yes, you can book Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge direct, but you have to make most of the other arrangements (details) which are time-consuming and an invitation to stupid mistakes. Try Yellow Dog for excellence and care-free service.
There is one river you might want to put near the top of your list, Kvichak (pronounced queeJACK). Watch this short video called Trout of Steel, produced by Fly Out Media for Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge. Yes, it’s OK to drool!
NOTE: Featured Image is a screenshot from Trout of Steel.
[vimeo id=”215522734″ width=”620″ height=”360″]
