DRIFTER_016 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 As some of you know I spend a month or so each fall chasing salmon, trout and dolly varden in Alaska. This year was no different. I left my home in Yellowknife on the Saturday of the Labour Day weekend and pointed my trusty Honda Pilot west. This year was different than all the previous ones however as I purchased a good used tent trailer to call home while away. I ended up with a bunch of damage due to all the gravel I had to negotiate, including having my tire shoot a rock off the front of the trailer and through the back window of the truck and this was only day 2 of my 5 1/2 week vacation. No biggie though, just roll with the punches. The window break happened about 5 KM from the US border and the border guards were nice enough to hook me up with some clear plastic bags and tape to temporarily fix things up and the following day I bought more duct tape and 1/8" plexi to fix it up for the duration of the trip. It was pretty funny to watch me and my buddy bust out the generator and power tools at the boat ramp parking lot on the lake his cabin is on. After repairs it was off to the cabin for a couple of days chasing lakers on his lake. Unfortunately they were not cooperating and we only caught one or two small ones. Next it was onward to the MatSu Valley and Wasilla (Sara Palins home town) to meet up with another buddy for some quad riding, beer drinking and BSing. The next morning it was off to Anchorage to do some shopping and meet with a bunch more friends at the Peanut Farm (local sports bar) and finally off to Cooper Landing some 2 hours South of Anchorage where I would be based for the next month or so. The weather was quite different than usual this year. The first 3 weeks saw nothing but sun and warm temps, nothing like the usual rain they get every fall. It did change the fishing as the water was dropping constantly to the lowest and clearest I have ever fished it. This called for flouro leaders and 6mm beads most of the time. I did get a decent amount of fish on 8mm beads but the 6's were working better for at least a couple of weeks. The fishing was good to excellent but due to lower numbers of sockeye salmon this year the trout numbers were no as epic as they could have been, but with the beauty weather who cares. I didn't get any giant trout this year (26 or 27 inches was the biggest) but the numbers of mid sized trout (20 to 24 inchers) was very good. The silver fishing was ok but also not epic but they were all chrome like newly minted dimes so that was good. So without further delay I take you to the video I put together of this years trip. Feel free to go to the site to rate and leave a comment to help me win the fall video contest. Site link here <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="390" height="320" wmode="transparent" data=" http://www.trophy-clips.com/embedplayer.swf?config=http://www.trophy-clips.com/embedconfig.php?vkey=6785b92134bd6c1d0fa4">'>http://www.trophy-clips.com/embedplayer.swf?config=http://www.trophy-clips.com/embedconfig.php?vkey=6785b92134bd6c1d0fa4"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.trophy-clips.com/embedplayer.swf?config=http://www.trophy-clips.com/embedconfig.php?vkey=6785b92134bd6c1d0fa4" /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent" /> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <param name="menu" value="false" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <embed src="http://www.trophy-clips.com/embedplayer.swf" FlashVars="config=http://www.trophy-clips.com/embedconfig.php?vkey=6785b92134bd6c1d0fa4" width="390" height="320" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" ></embed> </object> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troutologist Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Epitomy of EPIC!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tb4me Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Awseome work Dave..Enjoyed that for sure! That last tune was right for the photos you had there! thanks for sharing! Ill rate and leave a comment no problemo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 I don't know? All those fish getting in the way of a perfectly good vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carp Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Love the colours on the dolly varden. Looks like one heck of a vacation. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Wow, great video. Too bad about the back window, but looks like you managed to come up with a temporary solution. Awesome vacation Joey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish_fishburn Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Thats totally awesome. Ya got me thinking how long it's been since I caught a Dolly. Twenty five years ago and it's time to go catch a few more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msp Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Trout Slayer Ale eh....... I like the pic of the flies spread out and the.....um nevermind Very cool looking water and great pics. Looks like your living the dream! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctdd2006 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 awesome! Congrats on a great trip of a lifetime for most, but you get to do it every year!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctdd2006 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Trout Slayer Ale eh....... I like the pic of the flies spread out and the.....um nevermind Very cool looking water and great pics. Looks like your living the dream! I thought I caught that too!! And the Trout Slayer Ale...very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jds63 Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 just awesome .... i like the soundtrack to stuff like that hits hard and makes me realize i gotta stop saying "someday i'll do that" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted October 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 Thanks a lot guys. It was my best trip yet, and they only get better each year as I meet more great people every trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dozer Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 Wowowowow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 Wicked video buddy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leecher Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Awesome video Dave Thanks for taking the time and sharing it with us!!! Leechman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Very.. VERY NICE Dave !!! Alaska is on my fly list... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Thanks a lot guys. Irish Watch out for them big hills over there. They tend to really eff up a flight. Just ask Ted Stevens, or any of the others that didn't make it home over there this year. It was a terrible year for fatal plane crashes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Yep.. I know all about the Ted's last flight to camp. In the air one minute and smushed into a hill side the next. It's just one of the many places on my "fly to bucket list". Just hope it's not where I get in the bucket... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted October 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Yep.. I know all about the Ted's last flight to camp. In the air one minute and smushed into a hill side the next. It's just one of the many places on my "fly to bucket list". Just hope it's not where I get in the bucket... There were about a dozen major crashes in Alaska this year. It seemed as if every week you heard of a plane load of people dying in a crash. There was an accident in anchorage at the air force base, another in down town, one about a mile from the entrance to Denali Park. In those 3 accidents 8 were lost and three injured badly. They are still looking for a float plane that went down in the ocean with all on board lost. In contrast we had one fatal crash in the NWT this summer. It was a guy who committed suicide by crashing his plane into the ground 70 or 80 KM North of town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spincast Posted October 29, 2010 Report Share Posted October 29, 2010 Awesome scenery and fantastic fishin' thanks Dave - Alaska fishin trip is oneof my bucket list items.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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