A nice Dolly

Just a nice Dolly I thought I would throw up here. I missed out on catching one of those really clowned up Dollies that look like a Brook Trout wearing drag.

Well this was a fun night. We have been having really warm weather for a Wisconsin October. My buddy and I went out and after a few hours of no action the bass just started hitting poppers. The action was almost every cast! Here is Smanz with a nice little Large Mouth.

My girlfriend Andi and I Headed Up to Hayward, WI to fly fish for Muskies. She hooked into the first Musky right at the put in and had it up against the boat but it would seem our guide did a poor job of having the net ready...pretty basic if you ask me. We had 7 follows a few strikes but went home only landing one pike. Oh well thats Musky fishing.

Lake Notagonnatellya Pike

Took the float tube out on a spring fed lake I like. Got into a nice pike using an EP fly. These fish really get my heart pumping. I was alone and on the float tube so the photo sucks. I am working on my camera skills....it's a work in progress.

More AK Pics

Just thought I would post some more pics from Alaska.

too long

Well i am back. It's been a long 3 months in bush Alaska but the trip paid off. Internet connectivity was sketchy so I have not been able to post for the past month or so. We had a limited amount of data usage so uploading photos was not an option anymore.
Fishing was great. I caught lots of silvers and loaded up on all 5 species of pacific salmon. Char were plentyful and always eager to bite and the rainbow fishing was nothing short of awesome.

take down of camp was smooth and I had a blast cooking for 6 guys including the 3 rafters who ended their trip short due to "bad weather" ok so it was not that bad but these guys just could not handle it....it really blew their minds to be rafting for 4 days eating dehydrated meals and then saunter into our camp only to be treated to a steak and salmon dinner complete with fresh vegies.

Our flight out of Quinhagak was a little behind schedule as the driving winds decided to really pick it up the morning of the 7th. I can't even describe the feeling as our caravan soared into the low cloud ceiling andI knew I was on my way home to the great state of Wisconsin, to family, and loved ones.

hear from you soon!

News From Lake Kagati

Well I have not been all the way up to the lake yet but last night I went up to the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge for the first time. We drove up river and floated down. I got into three rainbows all of decent size for these parts, but back home these things would classify as trophies.
Saw my first bear up close in personal a few nights ago. It was me, Mike, and a guide named Whitney. We were floating down hammerfing big bows on mice and as we pulled up to a gravel bar a 600-700 lb bear wandered out onto the gravel one bar below ours. From a distance of roughly 50 yard he did not seem overly large but when sized up to the surrounding bushes, it was a large critter and made fishing mice through the bush only that more intense.

Throwing mice is no easy chore and much harder I am finding to throwing a large bass bug.
These large wind resistant flies with trailing hooks don't take kindly to be hurled through the air in the first place and then the minute they hit the water the current rips them into snags and the technique to getting a real "natural" mouse presentation is something I have not mastered yet.
I did manage to move a few fish and hook into one nice one.

Well I also came upo here with the intention of checking a few species off my list. I have since been into a nice Dolly or two, a bunch of Grayling, Sockeye, Pink Salmon, King Salmon, and Dog Salmon.

Hope you all are well and fishing hard.
Don't worry about me up here as things are good, the work is tough, but the fishing is good. Hope to have more pics up soon. Here is to screaming reels.

cin cin,

Rainbow

It was a rainy evening and as the sun went down and I had just got back from plugging for some Kings. Lucky I had my camera at the ready.

Alaskan Cherry

So I landed my first Adult King Salmon the other day and a Chum Salmon. It was an awesome night, the river warmed up during the day and the fish were holding in the slews. I went out with a guide named Justin and after losing my first King that I hooked ( a larger one maybe in the 25-30 lb range) I landed this jack and the Chum seen here. The river is coming down now and clearing slowly. Will share some more pics soon. Enjoy!

Collage

Here is a little collage of photos from week one of AK West, the pictures in the mountains are from Hatchers Pass near Wasilla.

Not too many fish in river yet and the water is still in the low fourties, but lots of fish porn to some soon.

Enjoy.

Rob

Kepler Bradley Lakes

It was another overcast day and rained off and on all day. I was not just going to sit around and wait to get to work so I decided I better head off to the Three Rivers Fly Shop in Wasilla to get the low down on the local fishing. I am always hesitant to ask fishing advice when I go to a fly shop, I liken it to walking into a mechanics shop and asking a vague question about what is wrong with my car and getting an equally vague answer from a guy who could just as easily tell me I need to replace my "watcha-ma-call-it valve". But the folks in this shop seem eager to help and don't seem to expect you to buy things first before they open up the valves of local fishing knowledge.

The word today was that I had better hit the run of the kings before they closed down the fishing on the local rivers. Seeing as I would certainly get my share of fishing for these prized fish I figured I could hold off on that and asked where I could fish for some bows or even grayling. The young lady helping me sent me off to the Kepler Bradley Recreation Area.

Turned out to be a series of roads that take you to some lakes with good access for fishing. My only two regrets are that I did not have my float tube with and I was not driving a four-wheel drive vehicle with some clearance. It seems if you want to get to the really good fishing you need both of these. All in all I caught a few fish from the two lakes I fished, nothing but small rainbows, but I enjoyed the time there. It was a great way to kill a few hours and be outdoors in the rain breathing the Alaska air.

I am not sure but maybe I should have taken the advice and headed for the bigger rivers to swing for some Kings, I guess I will never know, for my money though it was still a great day. Oh yeah, note to self....bring bug dope next time.

Forward

Forward into a new adventure. I landed in Anchorage yesterday around noon and walked around town for about two and one half hours. A very touristy place, but still that could not sour the experience as I was fresh with excitement and anticipation as to what the next three months have in store for me.
I stopped in to the BrewHouse and had a really good Imperial Blonde although after tasting the IPA I would have been happier going that route.

Today it has been raining so my plans of going hiking and having some photos to post were disrupted for the time being. I am not too let down by this as the good people of Wasilla need the rain, my only hope is that this weather system can some how make it down to Northern Wisconsin where it would be welcomed there too by all the green thumbs and fisherman.

The friends I am staying with are generous and truly great people and I will be eternally thankful for their generosity, providing me with a home, food, good beer, and a vehicle to get around for a few days. Tonight I am cooking Halibut that they caught out in Prince William Sound.

To all my friends out in the world, this is my compromise. As I still am weary of social networking/stalking sites I am using this medium to post my thoughts, photos, and experiences while up here in Alaska. I hope you check in once in a while to see what I have been up to.

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