Alaska Adventure 2021: Gearing Up For An Alaskan Fishing Trip
This is the third part in a series of articles in which the author will return to Alaska to adventure with his family. Check back here every Friday to follow Joe Byers and his family on their 2021 Alaska adventure. Check out last week’s entry HERE.
By: Joe Byers
An Alaskan fishing trip can be the adventure of a lifetime and an experience you will never forget. “You never go all the way back” is a popular Alaskan expression, and you will want to repeat and share this unparalleled excitement with friends and family. Fish and the elements will challenge you, and the Boy Scouts’ motto, “Be Prepared”, will never be more relevant.
Know the Rules.
Alaska has a myriad of rules and regulations that are rigorously enforced, some would say overzealously, and you need to know what is legal and ethical where you fish. The Coho salmon is a prime example. It is one of the state’s premier fish, especially for table fare. However, it does not bite once it enters fresh water, and snagging it is illegal. So how do you catch it? Anglers must cast lures and flies that float into its open mouth. A fish hooked in any other place must be released.
Tackle regulations vary from stream to stream. In some you can use bait like salmon eggs. In others, only artificial lures are legal, sometimes limited to a single hook. While it can be tedious, anglers must read regulations carefully, and it never hurts to ask at a local tackle shop about regulations. In most cases, special rules are posted online, and you can do your homework well before the first cast.
Rain
Inclement weather is the norm in Alaska, yet it need not dampen your fun or success. Typically, rain is light and intermittent, not like thunderstorms and torrential rain associated with the contiguous states. For comfort and success, you need a quality rain jacket with a hood. My favorite fishing clothing is a pair of lightweight and breathable stocking foot chest waders, an old pair of sneakers, and a rain jacket. This combination provides good insulation, and keeps me dry without being bulky. I can step into a stream to make a special cast, jump out of a boat along the shore, or fish in blowing rain without getting wet.
A light fishing vest works well with this set up. Whether on a boat or shore, having a few key angling tools at your fingertips will increase success and reduce frustration.
Tools of the Trade
Alaskan angling opportunities are so varied that it is difficult to create a general list of important tools to pack for a trip. Will you be fly fishing for grayling, bottom fishing 200 feet into the depths for giant halibut, or tackling salmon with egg sucking leach flies? Also, will you be fully guided, have a transporter, or doing the adventure solely on your own? There are a few tools you will need regardless of the type of fishing you’ll be doing. Line clippers or “nippers” are essential, and it’s best if they’re connected to your jacket or vest with a retractable tether. You will use this tool frequently, and they are easy to lose.
Needle-nose pliers or fishing forceps are the second essential. You will be releasing fish on occasion, and you need to remove the hook. If you need visual magnification, a lanyard on your glasses will enable you to tie, trim, or retie knots and lures with greater precision. Even if you do not need glasses, an inexpensive pair of 1.5 reading glasses can make knot-work a lot easier. Finally, a small hook sharpener can boost your success and help ensure that your flies or lures are at peak performance.
Most Alaskan fish are filleted or steaked, so remember your fillet knife and make sure it goes in your checked luggage and not your carry on.
Rods, Reels, and Line
If you will be fishing with a lodge, you may have the option to use their tackle or bring your own. In that case, a person can show up in their street clothes and still catch fish. I have fished numerous times with Island Point Lodge in Petersburg, and they provide, rods, reels, tackle, bait and even a boat. Although I have fished in this full-service lodge numerous times, I always bring tackle for salmon, but use their gear for halibut due to the heavy, bulky nature of the gear.
Fly fishermen have the edge in fishing travel, since their rods can break down into a very manageable size. If you will be purchasing a rod for an Alaskan trip, be sure that it breaks down, so you can carry it onto an airplane as a personal item. I have put three or four rods into a heavy tube with foam on each end and checked the entire bundle, instead of carrying them onboard. I put the accompanying reels and lures in a separate checked suitcase.
Line selection depends on the species, but do not underestimate the power of Alaskan fish. Additionally, you will often be fishing in swift current that will further stress the strength of your line. Make sure that your drag adjusts properly, so you have more line on the reel than you think necessary. 20-pound test is minimal for all types of salmon. For kings, 30-50 pound is preferable.
High-tech lines, such as Spider Wire and various braids, are smaller in diameter than monofilament, which allow more line on a reel. Team them with a fluorocarbon leader, and you get near invisible lure attachment and excellent abrasion resistance.
Lures and Flies
Herring and salmon eggs are the two greatest food sources in Alaskan waters, and most anglers capitalize on these imitations in one form or another. Fly fishermen have great success with an “egg” fly that is basically an orange ball of yarn. Alaskan waters contain a creature called an “egg sucking leach”, which is a popular salmon fly that is normally extraordinarily successful.
Spoons and spinners combine the flash appeal of a herring with the color appeal of eggs. The combination of the two is the premise behind Alaska’s most popular lure- the pixie. They are sold in various sizes and rely on the flash and egg attractant for success. Spinners also combine these alures, but they usually require a swivel to prevent excessive line twist.
Halibut are meat eaters and usually live at great depths of 100 feet or more. John Beath has developed his FAT Squid plastic lures that have a rattle, scent attractant, and a special hole to insert a light to attract fish in deep water darkness. I used his lures and out-caught standard bait fishermen six-to-one on my last trip to Alaska.
Bringing Fish Home
Salmon, halibut, and cod are among the best tasting fish in the world, and many anglers head to Alaska to bring home a cooler of frozen fish.
You can ship your fish home by FedEx, but it is quite expensive. If you go as a group, it makes sense to pack your gear in coolers on the way up and fill them with fish on the way home. Additionally, you can purchase a cooler in Alaska, or let professionals at processing plants clean, pack, and freeze your catch. Processors use waxed cardboard boxes that will keep fish frozen in reasonable temperatures for a full day’s flight.
Another option is to have your fish smoked, canned, and shipped home. Since there is no refrigeration involved, processors can use single-cost UPS boxes, which greatly minimizes cost. Additionally, smoked and canned salmon will last until your next visit and makes a healthy, tasty snack. If you need more fishermen for your next trip north, just serve the smoked salmon with crackers. You may have more volunteers than you can handle.
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