Fish for Five Species of Pacific Salmon, as Well as Rainbow, Halibut, Arctic Char, Grayling and Northern Pike
RAINBOW TROUT
Rainbow trout, often exceeding 10 pounds, are found in abundance in many of the streams flowing into Iliamna Lake. Some of the streams are restricted to fly fishing only with catch-and-release requirements. We encourage catch and release whenever fishing for rainbow. We will travel to many of these streams using jet boats for transportation, then wade or if the water volume permits, fish from the boat. Dry flies work great before the arrival of the huge salmon runs, after which egg patterns become more effective. We recommend at least hip waders be included in your gear list.
GRAYLING, CHAR, and NORTHERN PIKE
Grayling, Char, and Northern Pike -- These species add to the diversity and challenge that only a trip to Alaska can provide the fisherman.
Here, you could fish for ten days and target a different specie of fish every day depending upon your personal preference. The aggressive nature of these fish make them a real thrill to take on a small lure or large spoon. The normally high rate of success for these species make them particularly attractive to the beginner or anyone who likes a lot of action.
The NUSHAGAK! for KINGS
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We will be fishing for Kings in the Bristol Bay tributaries as well as Cook Inlet. 2005 was a banner year for the Nushagak run of King Salmon. What will the year 2006 bring? Book now for a dream trip, if you love salmon fishing! You won't be disappointed. (Read a client's account by clicking here .)
SOCKEYE
Salmon are available to the angler throughout the season. We fish for Sockeye when they arrive at the mouth of the Iliamna River. This is one of the best fisheries Alaska has to offer, and it is right at our front door! Sockeye has the reputation of being the best eating of all the salmon. Other species of Salmon are no more than a short trip in the boat, depending upon the timing of the runs. There is usually one or more specie of Salmon available to our guests. And, yes, great fly fishing is always a possibility!
SILVERS
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We fish for silvers on the west side of Cook Inlet in clear water streams. Fly fishing for silvers in this manner and in these conditions is absolutely wonderful. These fish see very little human traffic and are very aggressive. A day spent silver fishing in the remote regions of West Cook Inlet is a fisherman's experience that is hard to recreate in any other setting in terms of solitude, scenery, and fishing satisfaction.
HALIBUT
Our Lodge's unique location gives the angler an opportunity to fish both salt and freshwater from the same facility and to fish without a lot of costly flying to the fishing grounds. You can test your prowess on Pacific Halibut in the world-famous waters of Cook Inlet.
Halibut range in size from 10 to 300-plus pounds and are the favorite take-home fish of the guests at Guth's Lodge. Halibut fishing is included in the cost of your trip and all gear/bait is provided. We fish aboard our custom-built jet boat, the REEL FAST, a comfortable and fast forty-foot, sleep-on, twin-engine vessel -- Coast Guard inspected and operated by a licensed professional captain. We are the only lodge in the Iliamna area to offer service in the Kamishak Bay region behind St. Augustine island.
A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HALIBUT
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Halibut are the largest flatfish, and are among the largest fish in the sea. This halibut, wrestled onto the deck of the Reel Fast, weighed in at 224 lbs. The largest Pacific halibut was caught commercially in the Bering Sea. Its estimated weight was 500 pounds, and its length was eight feet!! As far as sport catch goes, the International Game Fish Association lists a 459 pound giant as their "All Tackle" World Record Pacific Halibut. It was caught on 130 lb. test line on June 11, 1996 near Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Halibut live on or near the bottom, and prefer temperatures from 37 to 46 degrees F. Although halibut have been taken as deep as 3,600 feet, most are caught during the summer when they are at depths of 90 to 250 feet. Some sport-caught halibut have been caught in a mere 20 feet of water.
As adults, halibut move seasonally from deep water to the edge of the Continental shelf, then to shallower banks and coastal waters during the summer, then back to deep water in the winter. The seasonal movement is associated with winter spawning and summer feeding, and sometimes covers great distances. Guides having a good background and familiarity with halibut movements, and the electronics to help pinpoint the best holes, are the most successful.
The average halibut will tape 42 inches and weigh 30 pounds. These are the supreme eating fish, called "Chicken Halibut" for the high quality of their flesh. Not all that many years ago, halibut were caught incidentally when fishing salmon, or perhaps targeted when salmon fishing slowed. Today, halibut have their own following of avid halibut fisherpersons, who will tell you there's NOTHING like the battle that ensues when a big halibut picks up your bait! They're incredibly strong, hard-fighting fish.
With Guth's Lodge, you'll have the opportunity to take home salmon steaks and ever popular halibut fillets as well! What a great way to remember your Alaskan trip.
Fly Fishing
Before I get to the “What to use” and the “How to…” I must explain a few things.
Due to the size of our state and the inaccessibility of a large share of the fishing here, the things I write may not be the very best procedures to use everywhere in Alaska. My goal is to provide some insight into technique as simply, understandably, and as universally as possible. Some exceptions to what I write will surely occur. In these pages, I hope to give those who have never fished the waters of Alaska some idea of what to expect and I hope to give the rest of you something to use for future reference.
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Your next question might be: “What exactly is this guy’s level of expertise?” I don’t profess to be a Lefty Krey or a Jim Teeny, but I have fly fished since I was an adolescent in the rivers and streams of either Idaho or Alaska. If you’re looking for some ideas on saltwater fly fishing I extend to you my apologies; that is out of my area of knowledge (for now!).