A nice 'bow taken by the author on the Naknek River
Alaskan Rainbows hold a special place in my heart and are my favorite species to target with the fly rod. In fact, this is probably the norm for Alaskan fly-fishermen, which can be surprising to people outside of Alaska who mostly associate the 49th state with salmon. But, after years of talking to Alaskan fly-fishermen I have found that Rainbows are the favorite fish for fly-fishermen up here. There is certainly no one reason for the Rainbow's popularity, and many of the reasons are the same for it’s popularity elsewhere. They are great, beautiful fighters that are tailor-made for fly-fishing. I suppose if there is one thing that makes Alaskan rainbows so special it is their size. In some systems the average fish is 4 pounds and anything less than 27 inches is just a “nice fish.” Still, when many fly-fishermen think of big Rainbows they think of Montana, New Zealand or somewhere in South America. Those places do have some monster 'bows but I and many others believe Alaska will give you the best chance to land than 30-plus incher.
There are two factors that play a huge role in producing huge 'bows. The most obvious is the plentiful amount of protein-rich food. In mid-Summer, Fall and Winter there are plenty of eggs and flesh, while Spring has a migration of Salmon smolt. The top Rainbow locations have huge lakes that big rainbows swim around in search of Salmon fry that are available year-round. The most overlooked factor is age; Alaskan Rainbows live much longer than Lower 48 rainbows. An average life expectancy up here is around 10 years, with some fish living as long as 15 years. Simply put, our 'bows get more nutrition longer than other rainbows, so it’s no surprise that 'bows grow so big in the last frontier. I love sharing my passion with others and this article is a vehicle to tell others where, when, and how to catch the 'bow of their dreams.
A Gargantuan Rainbow taken out of the Kenai
The author with a beautiful Naknek River bow
The Big Three: Naknek, Kvichiak and Kenai
There are countless areas such as the Wood-Tikchik Lakes and the Upper Nushagak in Alaska with big Rainbows, but when it comes to picking the top producers of trophy fish it really comes down to three; those three are the ones I will concentrate on in this article.
The Naknek, Kvichiak (pronounced “kwee-jack”) and Kenai produce far and away the most 30-plus inch fish in the state and still give anglers a chance at a 40-to-50 fish day. The Naknek and Kvichiak are both located in southwest Alaska while the Kenai is located in the South-central area of the state. While there are differences between the rivers there are a few common themes that explain the huge size of their trout. The first and most obvious geographical feature is that all rivers feed out of huge lakes that are more like inland seas. The Kvichiak flows out of the largest lake in the state, Illiamna; the Naknek flows out of Naknek Lake and the Kenai flows out of Kenai Lake and Skilak Lake. These lakes are vital to the health of Rainbows as they provide year round food; in fact, most of these systems' rainbows are migratory and spend as much or even more times in their respective lakes than in rivers.
In the Spring 'bows feed in the river on outgoing smolt, and on eggs and flesh in the Fall. In other months they roam the lakes feeding on Salmon fry that spend a year or two in the lake before leaving as smolt. This explains the chrome color they develop for the same reason ocean-going Steelhead do. Many people would, in fact, swear that these fish are Steelhead but there are no know steelhead runs in these rivers - probably because they don’t need to go to the ocean, because there is plenty of food in the systems to help them reach steelhead proportions. Of course, the rivers all have huge returns of all 5 species of Salmon, especially Red Salmon, which seem to produce the favorite eggs of Rainbows. This, of course, produces huge numbers of fry and smolt as well as eggs and flesh; the amount of protein is simply amazing.
Along with the many similarities, there are some significant differences between the systems that should be considered when deciding which river you want to fish. The biggest difference is access. the Naknek and Kvichiak are much harder to get to than the Kenai. The Naknek flows through the town of King Salmon, which is a remote, sparsely-populated area that is expensive to fly to, and the Kvichiak requires a commercial flight to King Salmon followed by a floatplane trip. The Kenai is located near the town of Soldotna, and because it is near the most heavily populated areas it is by far the most fished system in the state, and the trout fishery there gets more and more pressure every year. Because of their remote location and lesser fishing pressure I would recommend the Kvichiak and Naknek over the Kenai for the ultimate fishing experience. However, the Kenai has two major advantages over the Naknek or Kvichiak: cost and number of one-day guides.
The Kenai is much less expensive to get to and, since it’s easily accessible, it’s a great place for do-it-yourself trips. You can make great trip with all your buddies by renting a couple of vehicles and a drift boat. The best fishing for 'bows on the Kenai is the upper section between Kenai and Skilak Lake. Although the area has numerous accessible shore fishing locations a drift boat helps you cover more water and fish from shore where there are less crowds. The other advantage is the number of good day-trip guides, which are virtually non-existent on the other two rivers. This is great if you are on a family vacation and can only fish a day or two or if you are going to a remote salmon location and want to squeeze in some trout fishing. Another important difference is what type of fishing you want to do. All of the rivers have good wade fishing but their drift fishing differs. Both the Naknek and Kvichiak allow motorized boats and most people fish out of them by floating a good stretch and then motoring back up to fish it again, and this process can be repeated all day. The upper Kenai doesn’t allow motors so all drift fishing would be done in the classic trout way practiced in the lower 48.
A happy angler on the Kvichiak River
Naknek river rainbows like this one are my favorite!
Techniques and Tackle: How to land that monster Trout
The techniques and flies used to catch fish vary as to what type or part of the year it is. I will breakdown the different parts of the year for trout fishing, but when it comes to your basic gear it’s the same no matter what time of year it is. You must remember that these are not normal rainbows; they are big, strong and fast. Another thing you must not ignore is that these rivers are big, at least 50 yards wide with some stretches over 150 yards, and with very fast current. This current can make a small 'bow fight much harder than in slower water; I have had 20-inch fish peel off 20 or 30 yards of line on a 9 weight! For rods I would recommend a moderate to fast action 7, 8 or 9 weight. Make sure your reels have at least 100 yards of backing, but 150 to 200 yards is a better choice especially if you are shore fishing. Obviously a good drag is a must! For line, I would use a WF floating line; many people say you must have some sort of sinking line but they are more of a nice thing to have, because floating line will be fine for most all your fishing. For tippet, 10 to 14 pound fluorocarbon is the way to go.
Early Summer
All of these rivers open to Rainbow fishing in early June after a few months of closure due to spawning and the fishing is usually hot right off the bat, but it all depends on the timing of the smolt migration. The smolt migration is the first real feast after the long cold winter and although the rainbows won’t be as fat as in the fall they are still in plenty good shape. Autumn is the most popular and best time to catch the big rainbows, but the early summer still yields big fish and the action can be hot. The biggest difference between the Spring and Fall is how you fish; Fall fishing involves lots of dead-drifting, while the Spring involves lots of streamer fishing. If you like stripping streamers more than dead-drifting egg patterns, then the Spring is for you! The rivers - especially the Naknek, look a lot different this time of year than later on. They are much lower because the temperatures have not peaked yet and there is still snow and frozen tundra; on some parts of the Naknek and Kvichiak only jet motors will work and it will be a few months before a prop can be used.
The first key in catching Rainbows during the smolt migrations is finding them, which can be both easy and frustrating. During the peak migrations finding feeding schools of rainbows can be simple; the 'bow will quite frequently create huge "boils" and flocks of birds will dive and join the feast like they do in the ocean. If they are not boiling you just have to look for ambush spots, such as dropoffs or narrows in the river. The hard part of this fishing involves following the fish. Unlike the fall, when fish remain in the same spot, 'bows this time of year are constantly on the move! Many times you will see fish 'boiling'; wait 10 minutes to see where the fish have gone to next and get to them, catch a few and repeat the process. When you are into some fish short quick strips usually do the trick. If you are fishing very fast current, dead drifting with a few strips mixed in works real well; I suppose it’s because the smolt aren’t strong enough to swim freely in the current. Imitating the smolt is not too difficult, as most minnow patterns will work. Flies like the Thunder Creek, Clouser and even small Surf-candies will take their share of fish. Don’t get fooled into thinking that only minnow patterns will work because the truth is far from that. Sculpin and Leech patterns do very well this time of year! Black, olive and purple Woolybuggers can be fished on the strip or drift with great success, as can all sorts of sculpin patterns. The fish this time of year are feasting and hungry so getting into a school of fish is much more important than how you fish and with what pattern.
Summer
Besides Winter, of course, this is the leased fished part of the year for Rainbows even though you can still have outstanding fishing for them. This time of year the Salmon runs are in full swing with fresh Reds, Kings and Chums, Pinks on even years and Silvers in the latter part of summer. With most locals and all the tourists targeting the salmon it’s easy to see how 'bow fishing can be overlooked. The action won’t be as hot as in the spring and fall but this is Alaska where even fair 'bow fishing can surpass anything you have at home in the Lower 48.
If you want to fish exclusively for 'bows you are better off coming in the early Summer and Fall but in the Summer you can target both Salmon and Rainbows with good success. The one advantage Summer offers over the other two seasons is that you can have outstanding dry fly action! Although these big rivers are not as famous for their dry-fly fishing as smaller Alaskan rivers such as the Copper, they still can yield many 'bows via the dry fly. Probably the most famous Alaskan dry fly pattern is big mouse patterns, and these do work very well and are the best dry for big fish. These patterns are best fished on the drift while imparting some action to the fly and many hits will come while the fly is on the swing. Other patterns to bring would include size 10 to 14 Elk Hair Caddis as well as large Stonefly patterns. Fishing sub-surface patterns is a little more tricky since many of the effective patterns will also take Salmon. Your best bet is to try and fish behind schools of Salmon where many 'bows linger. The best patterns this time of year are anything that resembles a Leech or a Sculpin, sometimes in very large sizes. Fish these on the drift while imparting some action and at the end of the drift bring the fly upstream with short erratic strips.
Fall
Fall is by far the best time for Rainbows in terms of both size and numbers so if you notice cover at this time of year more than the other two it is for good reason. When I say Fall, I am referring to September and October; both months are prime time for Rainbows but I would strongly recommend going in early to mid-September over October, especially on the Naknek and Kvichiak for several reasons. Although October probably yields the most big fish, September yields almost as many big fish and more numbers of fish, and most guiding operations seasons stop in late September. The biggest reason is weather; it can get really nasty in late September and October. We are talking monsoon rains with 50 to 70 mph winds, which is no fun in remote Alaska. If you do want to fish in October the Kenai is the best choice because of milder weather than the other two, as well as more guides that time of year. Like the summer, the key to successful fishing is finding the fish as, once you do, the fishing is fairly straightforward. It should be noted that rainbows on the Kenai are much harder to fool than Bristol Bay rainbows because the Kenai gets so much pressure. Once you get into a lot of rainbows on the Naknek or Kvichiak catching the fish is much easier than on the Kenai. Locating fish is also harder on the Kenai because it’s very murky, which isn’t a problem if you have guides, but is if you don’t. For that reason, if you are doing a do-it-yourself trip on the Kenai, ask a lot of questions of the locals. The other two rivers are crystal clear and anywhere you see gravel or rocks along with spawning Salmon you should fish. For some reason Rainbows seem to prefer Sockeye, King and Coho eggs over Chum and Pinks, so those salmon are better to find. Also, Pinks can be so numerous it makes it hard to fish and since they only run on even years, odd years are usually a less frustrating time to catch 'bows. One thing I love about Fall that can’t be said for Spring is, once you are in a good spot you can stay there all day and catch fish, since the rainbows are sitting still.
As mentioned earlier, fishing this time of year involves lots of dead-drifting. It’s important to know that once you find a good area you should work the area very thoroughly! Most of the time there are so many eggs and bits of flesh that most rainbows get in their feeding lane and won’t move more than 3 to 6 inches either way for a fly. They try to eat as much as they can while expending very little energy, much like they would do during a dry fly hatch. I can’t tell you how many times I have cast to a 10 by 10-foot area, 15 casts with absolutely no interest from any fish; then, on the 16th cast I’ll hook a rainbow. You can work a 40-yard stretch all day and catch fish all day.
You can fish the whole area and catch fish but look for areas with a large amount of Salmon, as they will be more concentrated in certain spots. If you see a large group of Salmon close together, cast upstream as if you were trying to catch them and more times than not you can pick off rainbows, sometimes as many as ten, four or five feet behind the salmon. You will also find that the bigger fish are usually located where the most salmon are; I suppose the big 'bows bully the smaller ones for the best feeding lanes. It’s also important whether your fishing from a boat or shore to maintain a drag-free drift as it will dramatically improve your catches of big fish. If you do work an area hard and find the fishing shuts down, go get some lunch, as usually after the place gets a rest the fishing will pick back up.
The flies used this time of year most always fall into the egg and flesh category. Before we get into that we should mention strike indicators. Unless you are experienced in fishing without them I strongly recommend the use of them. Strike indicators really help detect bites that can be very small and should always be used unless you have several years experience without them. As for flies the variety of colors and styles used can be quiet extensive. First off we will talk about "flesh flies." Flesh flies get more and more effective as the days pass and account for some true monsters. There are many styles of flesh flies but the one I prefer is simply a flesh colored bunny fly; it’s easy to tie and can be varied in may ways. The best colors of rabbit fur for me are Flesh, Ginger and White. You can also mix colors like pink and red along with the aforementioned colors as well as tie egg-sucking flesh flies and articulated ones. Using 6-inch articulated flesh flies lands some of the biggest 'bows. When weighting flesh flies use .035 lead wire or barbells as they need to stay near the bottom.
All in all, it’s important to have a variety of sizes and colors! Generally, egg patterns start to be effective much earlier in the year and are effective throughout the Fall. For true flies glo-bugs are very effective in a variety of colors as are iliamna pinkies and veiled eggs. However, nothing gets the job done like beads; they are simply the best way to catch fish. For those who don’t know, beads are plastic egg-colored spheres that are extremely popular up here and are gaining recognition all over. You can buy them on the Internet or at fishing stores up here. To fish a bead you simply thread the line through your bead and then tie on a heavy wire, straight-eye glo-bug hook. You then peg the bead with a toothpick 2 inches above the hook and add a split shot 18 inches above the bead. One tip I have learned is to peg them with flat picks that have been covered with Softex. This helps the bead stay in place easier and longer. This technique was developed to reduce or prevent gut hooking, which it does, and it fools the fish much better than glo-bugs. I suppose it’s because beads are perfectly round and look more realistic. Lots of colors work but tangerine, natural roe, dark roe and apricot really stand out. You can even buy painted beads or paint them yourself. Painted beads imitate eggs with sperm on them and are a must for the Kenai fish with Ph.D’s! It’s also important to fish the right size beads and as a general rule of thumb, 6 mm. beads represent pink and small sockeye eggs, 8 mm. for big sockeyes and coho, and 10 mm. for chum and king salmon.
As mentioned earlier, fishing in the Fall can be done on foot or in a boat. Which way you want to fish is up to you; it’s really a matter of personal preference. There are advantages to both but I can’t say one is much more effective than the other. I tend to prefer wading but I seem to be in the minority as most fishermen, especially guides with clients, fish from boats. One important note is that the currents are very strong in these rivers and it can be dangerous wading, so if you're not the best wader fishing from a boat is probably a much safer option. The biggest advantage to drifting is you're able to cover the most water. Even if you are drifting the same spot over and over as is done a lot on the Naknek and Kvichiak, you can cover many different lanes on these huge rivers. It ‘s also a little easier to fight big fish in a boat as they can’t take as much line as if you were on shore, so less fish are lost. The reason I like wading is because it allows me to be very thorough. I can work an area as long as I want. In a boat I only have a fraction of that time. The only way to work a small area in a boat is to anchor up. However, most of the best drifting spots are used by more than one boat, so anchoring up in the way of drifting boats wouldn’t be very courteous and may get you yelled at!
Where to stay
So now you have an idea of how you will be fishing, but the next question is where will you stay when you’re not fishing. Obviously, budget is the number one concern and lodgings can range from very affordable to extremely expensive. My first bit of advice is no matter what your budget, if it’s your first time use guides; they really are a must for at least a day. If you're fishing the remote Naknek or Kvichiak I would use a guide every day; if you are fishing the Kenai a good option is to take a guided trip for a day or two then fish by yourself. The cheapest trip possible with these rivers is to fish the Kenai in a do-it-yourself sort of way after taking some guided trips. If you split the cost among your buddies it can be quite affordable. The best way to do this trip would be to rent a vehicle or two along with a drift boat or some other type of craft for floating. You can get by with one vehicle because there are a few businesses on the Kenai that will shuttle you to your car while storing your boat. There are at least five companies in Anchorage that rent drift boats and pontoon boats so that’s not a problem either. The drift boat is recommended because you can fish much more river and float to different wading areas with fewer crowds. Without a boat you would most likely be fishing from shore areas with tons of people. Personally, if I could afford it, I would choose the other two rivers over the Kenai because there are far fewer crowds and the fish are not as fickle.
The price will be much higher, however, as you will be staying at some sort of lodge. The good thing is, not all lodges are obscenely expensive. There are a few on the Naknek and Kvichiak that are around $1800 pp for 6 days fishing and the fishing is excellent; you just won’t be paying for all the world-class accommodations. On the other end of the spectrum you have fly-out lodges that are 5-to-7 grand for a week’s fishing. I have only been to one lodge like that and for the money it is awesome; not only great fishing, but world class food and wine, as well as rooms better than mine at home. The coolest thing about these lodges is they have arsenals of float planes so if you choose you can spend a day or two fishing other rivers, in most cases very remote, smaller waters such as the Moraine or Copper, most all of which have awesome rainbow fishing. Most people can’t afford that kind of lodge but if you can, I highly recommend you not pass up the opportunity.
I hope this article alerted you to our great Rainbow fishing and gave you with the basic knowledge to make your trip. It’s important to understand that to make your dream trip come true you must do much more research than just reading this article. Try ordering a book on the subject, getting lots of references from the lodge you're going to, and being frank when talking to your guide or host is important. If you do all that you should catch some great Rainbows and, who knows - maybe I will see you on the river.
Tight lines!
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