Alaska.

 

A 30.5" Rainbow Trout.  We release all wild rainbow trout. Gray Struznik photo.

Each summer since 2008,  I spend early June through mid October guiding at Alaska Sportsman's Bear Trail Lodge in Bristol Bay, Alaska on the Naknek River.  When the rivers open in early June we fish for large rainbow trout swinging hefty flies with sink tips in big water or flying out in small airplanes to remote streams for trout and char.  Gradually Chinook Salmon (or Kings) enter the river systems and we backtroll plugs for them just miles from the bay on both the Naknek and Nushagak rivers.  At the same time, our yearly escapement of over a million sockeye migrate into the Naknek and we spend part of the day fishing for these powerful salmon as well as continuing to fly to remote streams for trout and char fishing.  By early August, the sockeye have entered most small streams where they will spawn bringing aggressive trout and char into these areas as well. Meanwhile Coho salmon (Silvers) enter our larger rivers and with gear or flies, these fish will challenge even the most able angler.  By mid September many sockeye have spawned and passed, providing meals to all types of wildlife, and bringing voracious rainbow trout into our larger rivers.  While still flying to remote streams for large trout and char, we also fish the big rivers again with sink tips and large juicy flies...the fish can't resist, and neither can I...I keep coming back for more.  What follows is a gallery of my favorite photos throughout the past three seasons, please enjoy. 

Early Season Rainbows:

Sunrise on the River Opener.

Guide Hell-V holding out a first day rainbow.

Swinging up big beautiful bows.

Megan Lee holds up a brute of a rainbow.

One of my first days guiding, I got to hang with the big bear.

Melissa with a beauty of a rainbow.

Fishing dry flies for gorgeous rainbows.

An early season Char.

The cutest things in Alaska.  Young bear cubs learn to swim by following their mothers across small creek channels.

Chinook Salmon Fishing:

k8 and Britney with a nice King Salmon.  Kyle Edlund photo.

k8 and a nasty big King.

KJ and Amy with a nice king salmon.

The infamous Heath and the wonderful Margorie with a bright King.

Releasing a King.

At the end of the day, you always got to fillet.

Sockeye Salmon Fishing:

My best birthday ever.

Ashley with our lunch for the day.

Guide Mike Kennedy and I with the day's limit of sockeye.

Summertime Fishing:

Trout fishing in the summertime on a river all to yourself.  (well, you'll have to share it with the bears)

The beloved twin and I with a beautiful rainbow.

Seems this eagle is always watching me as I jet up river.

The river chock full of sockeye.

A beautifully colored char.

Leaping after his meal.

Matching the hatch of eggs with a bead.

Linda fishing with brown bears.

A nicely colored char and me.

A family fishing together in the rain, stays together.

Sockeye Salmon swimming in a small stream

k8 with a nice char,  Kent Creed photo

Coho Salmon Fishing:

Joe Metes and I with a fat coho salmon he got on the fly and released.

Rogue Angel Lori with a great catch.

The scales of a silver salmon.

Fall Fishing:

Fall on the Naknek river, the colors are beautiful. k8 photo

Me with a big fat fall rainbow.

My mom and I with a nice rainbow she caught, first time using a fly rod!

My dad and my mom fishing with me in Alaska.

A beautiful bright rainbow in the fall.  Kris Fausti photo.

Double Eagles.

Myself and 2010 Guide Academy's top student, Gayle Bartman.

k8 with a bright and healthy fall rainbow.

Brown bear cubs stay with their mother for two years before getting kicked out of the 'house', they are often seen snuggling their moms like this. k8 photo

A nice trophy rainbow from the Naknek River, 30.5 inches.  Gray Struznik photo.

A beautiful fall day on the Naknek River. k8 photo

Dying Sockeye bring in the large rainbows.

Big River Rainbow Caught Swinging.

Brown bears may eat over ten Sockeye Salmon a day!

k8 and Andrew Schweitzer with a beautiful fall rainbow.

k8 with a nice fall rainbow.  Dan Cichouski photo.

Every year two eagles make their nest across from the lodge and we watch as their young is born and its progress throughout the summer months.  This young eagle had no problem learning to fly.

Late fall snowy rainbow.  Isn't she beautiful?

Mark Huber walking his big fish into shore on the big river.

Pedro with a big river rainbow caught swinging.

Rogue Angel k8 with a fall rainbow.  Kris Fausti photo.

Rogue Angel Kris with a big river rainbow.

Head Shake. Justin Crump photo.

Sunrise on the big river.

Late Fall Char Fishing:

Rogue Angel Amy Owsichek with a hefty char

Sister On The Fly, Kristin, and I with her big char.

Long time guest John and I with a great fall char. Justin Crump photo.

The Crumpster and John with a nice fat char.

Char Face.

Fish Eye Char Face complete with Jolie lips. Justin Crump photo.

Dead Sockeye Salmon on the beach of a river.  It might stink, but it's the circle of life.

My favorite late season photo...Termination Dust.

Thanks for checking out my photos, I love Bristol Bay! To help protect this area, please visit www.savebristolbay.org. To book a fishing trip with us in Alaska, please email me at kalamityk8@gmail.com