Although the Kenai doesn’t get a run of chum salmon, some smaller neighboring rivers do. On a rare day off, I like to take a drive to do some fishing for myself. This day back in 2018 was a success!
Ambitious eagle attacks trout
Gotta keep your head on a swivel up here
Steelhead
Part V and the final part of recycling website material for the blog we are going to chat a bit about fishing for steelhead on the peninsula.
Steelhead are considered the gentleman’s fish. A fish of a thousands casts, these fish boast big time power and athletic ability. A true sportfish. Typically not a trip for the casual angler. Expectations are never high on a steelhead trip and some folks are not okay with that. Run timing is everything. Each year can be a bit different. If timed right, the steelhead fishing on the peninsula can be incredible. Typically, we start to take clients on the upper Kasilof river for steelhead right around the first week of September. The run gets stronger as the month goes on but catching it early can be pretty amazing. These trips are fly fishing only and we practice catch and release with all wild steelhead. We cater to both spey fishing or indicator fishing. Both techniques work very well. The upper Kasilof is a very peaceful and beautiful float. I would describe the river as very pleasurable to fish. Easy wading, gorgeous runs to swing. The fish can be anywhere from 5 to 20 pounds and larger. With the Kasilof river being the shorter of the two rivers, these fish stay pretty hot and energetic throughout the system. Nothing like a big broad side smash from a sea-liced steelhead! The Kasilof is big enough for a full length spey rod and fits best with a 10’ 7wt if you are bead fishing. There are some smaller streams to walk/wade for steelhead around the peninsula where a single hand spey would be appropriate as well. Temps can tend to drop during steelhead season so bringing the proper layers is crucial for your visit. All of the fishing will be out of the boat so its best to come prepared with plenty of warm gear for this trip. Are you tough enough to take on some Alaskan steelhead. Feel free to give us a shout and we would love to help you find out!
Silver Salmon
Part III of the recycling of my website material. A little info regarding our silver salmon run here on the Kenai and Kasilof rivers.
The last species to enter both the Kenai and Kasilof rivers, the silver salmon is everything you want in a sport fish. Aggressive, athletic, and strong. These fish allow for an array of techniques which make them suitable for all anglers and skill levels. They are also great table fare which is fantastic if you are looking to send some fish home. These fish also have two runs. An early run and a late run. The larger being the late run. The first few fish start trickling in as early as the first week of August. The early run can be hit or miss. Timing is key as always. Popular techniques include: Flies, spinners, spoons, Maglips, kwikfish, bobber and eggs, twitching jigs, and large soft beads under a float. The list can go on. Unlike Sockeye, these fish have an incredible reactionary bite and will strike at many different styles of offerings. Although some techniques work better than the others at different times during the season, we like to cater to what’s comfortable for the customer and how they like to fish. The early run fish tend to average between 5 - 10 pounds while the late run fish run a bit larger and average 8 pounds upwards to potentially 20 pounds. Silvers are a very acrobatic fish as well. Cartwheeling out of the water and going on blistering runs. These fish tend to be the favorite target species for most Alaskan anglers. There is plenty of water to fish between both the Kenai and Kasilof rivers. As the second run of fish gets going, the temps usually start to drop along with the water levels. The layers and heaters usually start to come out heavy during this time of year. Especially in the early mornings. The low water makes for a great opportunity for the fly angler. Potentially having the chance to sight fish these brutes. Silvers are known to take flies very well. And we love to see it! If casting a fly rod isn’t an option. Conventional tackle works just fine. A slip bobber and some freshly cured eggs can be loads of fun in the back channels of the Kenai river. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or for more information on these special fish. We would love to help you connect on a trophy Coho in the future.