DRIFTER_016 Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Well I finally got time to put a little report together of my fall excursion to Alaska. This year’s trip was excellent and probably one of if not the best one so far. The weather was excellent, the company and the fishing were even better!!! It was a pink year so there were millions of pink salmon in the river (mostly in the middle section) so I spent a lot of time down river hunting the giant bows that feed on the roe that litters the river during the spawn. I did spend about 1/3 of my trip fishing the upper river at the beginning of the trip while waiting for the middle river to turn on and caught plenty of fat bows and dolly varden. I had a weekend trip fishing for feeder kings and halibut out of Homer while I was there also. Enough jabbering, on with the pics!!!! A little grizz chasing some anglers off their spot. My buddy Joe from North Carolina came up for a week. I taught him how to cast his centerpin and he managed a bunch of fish on it. I even caught a fish or two. I did a ton of fishing with my buddy Ed from Palmer AK, both on the upper and middle river. Here’s a nice upper river bow. He brought his pooch along when we fished the upper river. It was a bit of a gong show with both our mutts in the same drift boat at times. Heading out of Homer to chase some salty fish with my buddy Keith his girl and a couple of friends for the weekend. As usual in the off season FV/Time Bandit is docked in the harbor down in Homer. Heading out to the fishing grounds. First order of the day was to try and hook up on some sammins!!! After catching a couple it was time to try for some tasty halibut. We did well on them on Saturday with a 60# fish as the biggest of the trip. We also caught a couple of large skate. At dusk we headed for the village of Seldovia where we had a cabin rented for the night. Seldovia is at the end of the rainbow!! The next day dawned clear and sunny. I knew it would be a nice day but the fishing would not be stellar. We saw plenty of sea otters including this fella in the harbor at Seldovia. I was right about the fishing as I caught the only halibut this day. The spots that produced the day before only held Irish Lords on day two. Tons of them. We must have caught 100 of the things. Continued.............
motv8tr Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Wow, some really great shots there, what an amazing trip! Maureen
DRIFTER_016 Posted November 7, 2014 Author Report Posted November 7, 2014 Back to the river fishin’, Middle river this time. I got out with a good friend and guide Billy from Cooper Landing AK. We spent the day along with his brother Carl and Billy’s buddy from California chasing big bows. Some more middle river fishing, this time with Ed and his buddies Eban and George. During the time I fished solely in the middle I didn’t have a day off in three weeks. It was a bit like work without the dread and boredom. The weather was good for the most part with only a day or two of rain. A little rain and clouds can make for some pretty nice pictures though. The silvers were in thick this year which is always a bonus. I got this fresh chrome on my new 11 ½’ 6-10# XST and it about maxed it out. Ed got a big chromer too!!! And the big one of the trip. Time for a few pictures of big bows now. We got a bunch of dolly’s as well. By the last week of my trip the bite in the middle river had died somewhat so I headed back to the upper river and fished with my buddy Jack. We decided we would walk into some spots rather than use his drift boat as the fish were now holed up in a few spots that were easy to get to. We got some snow late in the week just before I had to head home but the bruins were still out. The trout were still about too. A couple more parting pics. Time to head home for another year.
blaque Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Warm coffee at my desk, and a vicarious alaskan adventure. What better way to end a miserable work week................hmmm lemme think, DOING IT MYSELF SOMEDAY I dont think i could concentrate on fishing knowing there could be a brown bear lurking behind any tree lol
Joeytier Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Well that was a fantastic read. Those dollys with the full spawning colours are incredible
NewHips Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Looks like another fantastic trip......some great pics as well. Thanks for sharing.
RickOnt Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 (edited) That's the kind of work ya really don't mind! Actually Like a lot!! LOL Some beauty pics of Fish and scenery Edited November 7, 2014 by RickOnt
MCTFisher9120 Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Very nice pictures and catches. Must of been a hell of a time, neat to see the crab boats too. Love the scenery shots Thanks for sharing MTBF
mattybculp Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Great Report! Really enjoyed the read this morning that one dolly is huge, and the colour on the bows are spectacular. As far as I'm concerned your living the dream !
4x4bassin Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Thanks for that great report Drifter , That is some beautiful country up there ! Ya , and the fish are not bad either
Ralph Field Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Looks like another fantastic trip......some great pics as well. Thanks for sharing. x2
Old Ironmaker Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 A fantastic trip you had, I'm sooo jealous. I wouldn't want to come across a few of the guys in your crew in a dark alley anytime soon. Tuff looking bunch I tell ya. The last fish on your first post wouldn't also be known as Monk Fish would it? Just had some poor mans lobster Sunday, 12 bucks a pound in Hamilton. It doesn't taste like any Lobster I ever had. Looks the same but it ends there. The fish is head and all tail.
DRIFTER_016 Posted November 7, 2014 Author Report Posted November 7, 2014 A fantastic trip you had, I'm sooo jealous. I wouldn't want to come across a few of the guys in your crew in a dark alley anytime soon. Tuff looking bunch I tell ya. The last fish on your first post wouldn't also be known as Monk Fish would it? Just had some poor mans lobster Sunday, 12 bucks a pound in Hamilton. It doesn't taste like any Lobster I ever had. Looks the same but it ends there. The fish is head and all tail. Yeah we're a mean bunch all right!! Irish Lords are members of the Sculpin family. Monkfish aren't in this family so the answer is no. Thanks for all the comments folks.
misfish Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 I read this early this morning and thought I replied,but I see I did not. I wish that was me. Super trip Dave. Thanks for taking the time to share dude. I,ll go back to my little river that winds through my area. BLAH BLAH BLAH.
tb4me Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Awesome report..2 questions, the one fish with the orange belly is that a pink salmon? Also whats a dolly? sorry if they are stupid questions, I only river fish for bass walleye and pike..So im clueless as to what they were
DRIFTER_016 Posted November 7, 2014 Author Report Posted November 7, 2014 Awesome report..2 questions, the one fish with the orange belly is that a pink salmon? Also whats a dolly? sorry if they are stupid questions, I only river fish for bass walleye and pike..So im clueless as to what they were That fish is a male Dolly Varden (cousin to the Arctic Char) in spawning colours. The other two below are not as far along in their colours. Eban's is a female and the big one I'm holding is a male that was only just starting to turn.
tb4me Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 That fish is a male Dolly Varden (cousin to the Arctic Char) in spawning colours. The other two below are not as far along in their colours. Eban's is a female and the big one I'm holding is a male that was only just starting to turn. Awesome, Thanks Dave..
davey buoy Posted November 7, 2014 Report Posted November 7, 2014 Good stuff Dave,love the pics and read.Awesome trip,and with some good friends.Could it get any better?,I think not!!!
Sharkbait22 Posted November 8, 2014 Report Posted November 8, 2014 Wow! Truly trout bumin it! That picture on the drift boat with the rod doubled over and the upper river walk and wade pic with the great clouds are my favs. Some fat bears! Nice mix of fish to keep it interesting. Pin most of the time? Any spey action? Wicked. One day...
RDR Posted November 8, 2014 Report Posted November 8, 2014 Awesome report Dave!!! I can certainly see why you look forward to that trip every year. Great pics of the scenery and fish! Cool to see that rod corked on a fish Looks like a blast. Thanks for sharing!
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