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View Full Version : Another Alaskan Friday.....



DocSpotty
05-18-2008, 06:36 PM
Alright…..now we’re smoking…..got to go fishing for the second Friday in a row. Summer must be here….we just move right on past spring and fall here in Alaska. Was able to get up north into the Matanuska Valley again….fished a few river systems south of last week…..we split time at the mouth of the Kashwitna and then up at the “secret” spot on Sheep Creek….had to swear a blood oath not to reveal this last one.

Had a bout of insomnia the night before and didn’t sleep at all before leaving on Friday….insomnia sucks!! During the wee morning hours I found my cat at the foot of the bed evidently getting ready for the fall college football season a little early:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/uscpuffer.jpg

What a smart kitty…..we know she’s a Trojan fan like Daddy. Anyway hopped in the car and drove 65 miles north to Willow to meet Mike. When I got there he said his raft trailer had suffered a serious malfunction the night before…the wheel struts on one side had broken completely. Therefore we would have to hoof it all day….good thing I have been doing the old cardio workouts at lunch the last few months.

We hit the mouth of the Kashwitna River hoping to find not only trout but perhaps a very early king salmon holding there. There weren’t any kings we could see….maybe next week…but we did find several rainbows and a nice grayling. This first rainbow trout was my first about 6 casts into the morning….it was going to be hard to beat:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/24Bow.jpg

Measured from the butt of the flyrod it was around 23 or so inches:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/BigBowonRod.jpg

Caught 3 or 4 more rainbows at this area…then it went dead:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/BigBowRel.jpg

So we moved upriver about a quarter mile to the next good run. At first I had been using my trusty moss colored sculpin pattern but had switched for a couple hours to a few other things which just weren’t panning out. Switched back to ole mossy in this hole and promptly took 5 rainbows in 5 casts:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/KashBow.jpg

Caught a few more over the next hour or so then the fish decided it was siesta time. We hopped in the truck and drove north to the next drainage north, Sheep Creek. There we moved through ever lousier roads to “the secret spot”…..oh yeah. It was a beautiful holding hole way up stream….the kings spawn heavily there but they were no where to be found….not yet anyway. But the rainbows were setting up there….waiting. We nailed several in this hole the first 30 minutes and I farmed one that was well….really, really big….she jumped and threw ole mossy right back at me….probably 26-27 inches. We did manage some nice bows here though:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/SheepCrBow.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/SheepBowRod.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Sheep18Bow.jpg

And another of the last one against the rod:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/SheepRodBow.jpg

Then things quieted down in this hole so we hoofed it upstream, not easy wading, about half a mile and fished it back down. We caught a couple more fish but decided to call it a day as I knew all the extraneous exercise would be haunting me later. Could barely stay awake on the ride home despite the always beautiful scenery:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/DrivingHome.jpg

Had to slap myself silly to stay awake from not sleeping the night before. Got home and collapsed into a very sore and tired mass on the bed for a few hours….till my wife got home and beat me into the shower because I was “gamey”. How come I can’t every smell it when I am “gamey”? Took a hot shower and returned to the sheets for several more hours of blissful sleep.

Hopefully the kings will be there next Friday……

Brian

britheguy
05-18-2008, 10:08 PM
Beautiful Fish, and nice flyrod BTW!

JSAUCE818
05-18-2008, 10:14 PM
wow....do me a favor and please keep posting reports even if you get skunked...lol....love the pics....NOW THOSE ARE RAINBOWS.....good job..

Frenchie174
05-19-2008, 12:27 PM
wow....do me a favor and please keep posting reports even if you get skunked...lol....love the pics....NOW THOSE ARE RAINBOWS.....good job..

DITTO!!:Envious:

Wingnut
05-19-2008, 09:44 PM
Wow, gorgeous Rainbows! Very well done sir. ;) :D

troutdog
05-20-2008, 12:26 AM
A trout fishing USC fan, you got good taste Brian!;) Congrats on catching some amazing looking fish....please keep the reports coming!


TD

Badfish2
05-20-2008, 03:46 AM
Man you should take some more pictures of the surroundings for those of us that won't be making it up there anytime soon... thanks a ton for posting up these photos. Awesome looking fish. What was that lure you were using?

steve092
05-20-2008, 05:41 AM
Except for the SC slippers, nice pics.

DocSpotty
05-20-2008, 07:57 AM
That was maliciously hurtful Steve........

Trout-Slayer77
05-20-2008, 09:10 AM
wow !! beatuiful rainbows, such vivid colors !!! congrats

Troutman65
05-25-2008, 05:39 PM
Hey Doc, Troutman65 here. I really want to thank you for sharing your fishing trips and pics. on FNN. Those are some of the most beautiful rainbow trout I have ever seen.

Your Kitty is cool too !!!!


GO USC !!!!!


Troutman65

billy b
05-26-2008, 04:10 PM
Great pics ... great cat ... great fish ... and great team. Congrats and FIGHT ON!!!

We get our NC back this year.

SoCalGuy7
05-26-2008, 05:08 PM
Most beautiful rainbows I've seen....:)

SCG7

steve092
05-27-2008, 05:32 AM
That was maliciously hurtful Steve........

Awww, come on.

I'm a UCLA fan.