Fish Alaska Octnov 2018.Pdf
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Volume 18 • Issue 9 • October/November 2018 50 Atkins Paul © Departments Features 42 Alaska Traveler 6 Total Access by Andrew Cremata 42 Creel 8 No doubt, having a watercraft of some sort opens Gear Bag 10 up lots of possibilities for Alaskan anglers. Andrew Cremata shares his experience chasing grayling, lake Online 12 © Andrew Cremata © Andrew trout and pike from his new-to-him canoe. Fishing for a Compliment 15 Salmon Sense 16 Arctic Fishing Adventures by Paul Atkins 50 Conservation 18 Fishing the Kobuk River and its tributaries in late Fly 20 summer provides terrific action for chum salmon, sheefish, grayling and pike. Paul Atkins relives the Boats 22 latest rendition of his annual trip to the Kobuk. Saltwater 30 Stillwater 32 The Ubiquitous Egg Sucking Leech 56 Fish for the Future 40 by Terry Sheely 56 Recipe 70 The one “lure” every Alaskan angler should have in their box is likely some version of the egg sucking Advertiser Index 73 leech. A glorified and colorful version of the Woolly © Terry W. Sheely W. © Terry Final Drift 74 Bugger, it has probably caught more of Alaska’s fish species in greater quantities than anything else. Terry is partial to the purple ESL. The Best of the Panhandle —Exploring Sitka’s Productive Saltwater by E. Donnall Thomas Jr. 62 Chinook, silvers and a variety of bottomfish make Sitka one of the most productive sportfishing ports in 62 southeast Alaska. Don Thomas and his wife Lori have been fishing Sitka waters for years and Don shares some of his insight on the fishery. Special Section: © Don & Lori Thomas Holiday Gift Guide 2018 Part 1 34 r We’ve rounded up some options for you to consider as holiday gifts for the anglers in your life. From apparel to accessories, tackle to gourmet foods, guns J to boat parts, our Holiday Gift Guide Part 1 will get COVER / Sharna Parker from Taranaki, NZ, with P you thinking about who is on your gift list and what you might end up getting them. Time to decide who’s an Alagnak River chum salmon she caught on - Part I a Sage switch rod. © Gray Struznik/Olympic g been naughty and who has been nice. Peninsula Fly Fishing/www.opflyfishing.com October/November 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 3 PUBLISHERS Marcus Weiner Melissa Norris ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Patrick Speranza Kathy Anderson EDITOR George Krumm OPERATIONS MANAGER Wayne Norris EFFICIENCY MANAGER Ana Taylor ART DIRECTOR Bailey Anderson PRODUCTION MANAGER Russell K. Porsley III GRAPHIC DESIGNER Melissa Wong CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Greg Brush, Troy Buzalsky, Andrew Cremata, Les Gara, Scott Haugen, Pudge Kleinkauf, J.D. Richey, Terry Sheely, E. Donnall Thomas Jr., Jeremy Anderson, Nicholas Olhrich CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Hastings A. Franks, Ken Baldwin, Anthony Madden, Tony Davis, Kristin Dunn, Brian Woobank REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Rick Birch (907) 394-1763 SALES EXECUTIVE Garry Greenwalt (907) 345-4337 Fish Alaska Magazine PO Box 772424 Eagle River, Alaska 99577 Toll Free 1-877-220-0787 (907) 345-4337 main (907) 223-8497 advertising www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com ISSN 2475-5710 (print) ISSN 2475-5729 (online) SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Check out our specials at www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com Already a Subscriber? Call for our renewal specials! (907)-345-4337 Toll Free: 1-877-220-0787 Fish Alaska magazine is published ten times annually in January-July, Aug/Sept, Oct/Nov and December by Fish Alaska Publications, LLC, P.O. Box 772424, Eagle River, Alaska 99577. Send all address changes to P.O. Box 772424, Eagle River, Alaska 99577. One year subscriptions are $30 U.S. dollars for subscriptions in the U.S., $50 U.S in Canada, and $80 U.S. in all other countries.The single copy price is $6.99 in U.S. dollars. To subscribe by phone please call 907-345-4337. Editorial correspondence should be sent to Attn: Editor, Fish Alaska magazine, P.O. Box 772424, Eagle River, Alaska 99577. Unsolicited manuscripts and photos will be considered, but must be accompanied by a self- addressed stamped envelope. Although we will take care, Fish Alaska is not responsible for the loss or return of unsolicited materials. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the opinions of Fish Alaska magazine publishers and editors. ©2018 by Fish Alaska Publications, LLC. All rights reserved. season, melted on a warm day and then froze chrome steelhead near Portage on the Karluk solid for the rest of the winter. Needless to say, River. The Karluk is one of the best fall it was a challenge to get the drift boat thawed steelhead fisheries in Alaska with fresh fish Early Winter in Alaska in the spring so we could float the upper arriving into November. And an additional —10 Tasks for Anglers Kenai in April. benefit is the relative absence of both other By Marcus Weiner anglers and bears at this time of year. 2) Get your snowmachine or other ice fishing ATV ready: Having a snowmachine or ATV 6) Dust off and go through your ice fishing Many of us have spent the summer catching equipped for snow allows you to access a lot tackle: Hopefully you took the time last and putting up fish for the winter. For me more places and gets you to remote locations spring to back off the drags on reels, clean that meant king salmon on the Nushagak where fishing can be better. If you didn’t do and fix rods, clean tackle and replace anything in late June, halibut and rockfish in Yakutat the necessary maintence last spring when you lacking, and sharpen or replace hooks. For Bay in July, and piles of coho on the Togiak in put the machine away for summer, do it now. many, winter rolls into summer rather rapidly August. September was spent chasing ‘bows Breaking down in Alaska is no fun and in the and the ice-fishing equipment gets tossed and dollies that had grown rotund on eggs winter it adds another element of danger. into the back of the garage as soon as the ice and flesh, mixed in with some time in the starts melting. Now is the time to make sure field chasing big game. 3) Purchase a new boat: There’s generally a everything is primed and ready to fish, so that For some people, they are satiated from a significant lead time on getting a new boat when ice fishing heats up you are ready to roll. summer of harvest; long days on the water built, especially bigger boats. This is the with limited sleep and now they are ready perfect time to place your boat order so that it 7) Start planning your 2019 adventures: to relax. For others like me, this time of year is ready for you by spring. I’d say this is a high One of the most exciting tasks for me each presents many options for both on- and off- priority for serious anglers. winter is to plan the following season’s trips. the-water tasks. Here are some to consider in This year I’m thinking about a trip to Kodiak, no particular order of importance. 4) Fish the Kenai for giant ‘bows and late an interior float for char and caribou, a trip silvers: Don’t forget that fish are still biting to a southeast town that I’ve never visited, 1) Winterize your boat: From emptying gas in rivers like the Kenai, and sometimes you’ll and a destination for next year’s Sportsman’s and water in the lines and winterizing your catch the biggest trout of the year now since Warehouse contest. If you’d like suggestions motor to cleaning and organizing gear on they are stretched to capacity having fed for from us on where to go, check out our travel the boat, there are plenty of tasks for anglers the last several months on eggs and flesh. planner forms at www.fishalaskamagazine. in Alaska before putting their boat away for Bright coho can also be found in some places. com/trip-planning-service/ winter. Many have their boats shrink wrapped so that they remain clear of snow and ice. In 5) Fish the Karluk for steelhead (silvers 8) Go through your open water gear from 2008 I neglected to get the drift boat shrink and Dollies there too): One day in early 2018: Remove old line, loosen drags, maintain wrapped and it filled with snow early in the November a while ago, I landed a dozen rods and reels, sharpen hooks, replace hooks, and make a list of inventory to restock. The best time to do this is now so that your gear will be in prime shape for 2019. It’s human nature to procrastinate but the truth is that it will be easier on you and better for your gear if you address issues now and don’t wait until next spring to do maintenance when you really should be out prospecting for rainbows and the first Chinook of the summer. 9) Look at your 2018 pics: This is part of my annual routine and helps remind me of all the good trips. It also gets me thinking about next year and how I am going to duplicate my successes and learn from last season’s mistakes. 10) First ice fishing foray in the northern parts of the state: For residents of the interior, the ice may now be thick enough to fish upon. For ice anglers in Southcentral, be certain that there is enough ice to walk on. I want about six inches of ice before I walk out on it. I’m cautious and want about a foot of ice before I go out on a snowmachine.