Epic Kenai River fishing.....

[DocSpotty]

Spent Friday fishing with a longtime friend of mine on the upper Kenai River……it was my first trip of the year there for trout. The last time this friend went with me….about 5 years ago….the guide (the same one I am currently using and a good friend) and I got into a heated argument where he threatened to kick me out of the boat (we were miles from any roads but close to many bears….ahhhh) and I replied that I would have his license the next day. My mouth does get me into issues at times…the guide parked the boat and went into the forest….didn’t return for any hour until my “longtime” friend went and retrieved him. Needless to say we have never discussed the incident or had words since….until my friend brought it up first thing Friday…..sometimes friends just need to be gagged.

Anyway the fishing was just….naughty. We arrived at the rendezvous point about 20 minutes early and I was able to get a three dolly lead on my buddy just casting at the launch….finally took a pic of the 3rd one….they were very fat:

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

By this time Dennis, the guide, had arrived and was ready to float:

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

Our first stop was an island just a half mile downstream…..generally one of the best areas on the trip. This turned out to be an understatement for the day as we spent nearly 4 ½ hours there. The weather was intermittent sun, mostly clouds, occasionally some rain but quite pleasant. I picked up a few dollies before my friend, Mike, finally popped his first one:

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

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

Then the fishies really started hopping…..I tagged these three in a row:

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

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Matching20.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Matching20Too.jpg

These were all 19-20 inch dollies. My buddy Mike hasn’t done a lot of this fishing so Dennis put him in a prime spot at the bottom of the island and he soon connected with a massive, gorgeous dolly in the 8-9 lbs class:

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

Then he followed up a bit later with a nice 5-6 lbs doll:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/MikeWaterRel.jpg

The poor guide was bouncing back and forth through the island brush with my camera snapping fish pictures. This beautiful colored up dolly came for me next:

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

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

Then he had to crash through the bushes to make a star of Mikes’ next dolly:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/MikeDolly2.jpg

Never have I seen the average size dolly so large on the river and fat. It was amazing and was seriously fatiguing my poor, baling wire attached, rod holding shoulder. We were beginning to wonder where the rainbows were. Didn’t have to wait long as my 10th fish of the day was the first rainbow….and the largest fish of the trip. She hopped onto the new 6 wt flyrod and was halfway through my backing and way downstream before she stopped. Never thought I would work her back upriver but about 20 minutes later I was able to beach her and transfer her to digital immortality:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/Behemoth2.jpg

She was a 27-28 inch class bow and with her girth probably in the 10 lbs range….what a hoot. If you look at her mouth you can see some damage from previous encounters with fishermen. Many of these fish have severe hook wounds from evidently careless handling with other fishermen….but many of the marks you see on their fins and body are done by spawning sockeyes constantly attacking them when they near their redds.

Well we continued fishing the front of the island and after Mike abandoned his prime spot Dennis and I moved in and for about an hour had constant hookups with nice dollies and a few rainbows:

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

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

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

Dennis’ lab, Chip, had serious issues when we tried releasing our fish:

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

We finally got him to leave the trout alone so he started dragging half rotting sockeye carcasses back to the boat….yuck. After 3 hours or so Mike needed a break:

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

….so Dennis decided to set-up and cook fresh dolly for lunch:

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

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

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

The natives were getting restless to eat:

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

This last picture is looking up the front of the island we were fishing:

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

After lunch with hit the island for another half hour and then headed downstream….we really couldn’t stop much as we had already fished a good part of the day at the island. A ways downstream we came around a corner to find 3 two year old brown bear cubs (they weren’t small….probably 200+ lbs each) with their mother….a giant sow of probably 700 lbs. She hopped out of the river and glared at us, stomping around until the kids had skiddalded into the bushes…..unfortunately, I couldn’t get the camera out in time except to get a nice picture of mom’s butt heading away:

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

We just kept hooking very nice dollies as we covered the last mile to Skilak Lake:

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

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

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

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

The size of the fish was simply amazing….nearly every battle was taking 10-20 minutes…it was epic to say the least. As we neared the lake Mike and I both scored a very nice double which Dennis will use for advertising:

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

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

There were still more as we hit Skilak Lake:

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

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

I didn’t even take a pic of the last one…..a large, hen going around 8 lbs who nearly jerked the rod out of my hands when I set the hook….and nearly spooled me running out into the lake. We made the drive across to the launch…..and Chip kind of summed it up….we were all hang dog tired:

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

Day started at 5 am and we got home about 11 pm. Could hardly move this morning when I got out of bed….my feet ached as did my should…..a good pain.

Brian

PS: Thought you guys might enjoy this picture of one of our fishing oddities up here in Alaska….my boss caught it last week way up north while sheep hunting….it is a very large sheefish, or inconnu (native name). They are only found in Alaska and Siberia…largest member of the whitefish family….look and jump like a tarpon:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j32/DocEsox/IMG_2107_1.jpg

[Liteliner]

Awesome pictures and report. Those are some nice looking fish. You are a lucky man to be stuck out there. :LOL: Thanks for the read...

[gotstofish]

Thanks for the post.Sure is beautiful up there.One day I got to get up there.Keep the posts coming Doc.

[fishmounter]

Simply AWESOME! Reminds me of my one and only trip to Alaska way back in 1969 with my dad. We stayed at the Golden Horn Lodge, that was still being built. Loved those Dolly Varden/Artic Char! I remember the tired arms from catching Dog and Coho Salmon!

[Hog Caller]

PLEEEEEEASE keep the reports coming Doc!
Your reports are unreal and the only way some of us can enjoy or appreciate Alaska.
Went there once in 93 and have been trying to get back since.

Brent

[Beeracuda211]

Nice fish man! Be careful with your dog around the fish, ever heard of salmon poisoning in dogs???

[fishfinder]

i checked out there website and looks like a trip of a lifetime. i was wondering how much a trip like that costs. they didn't post prices on there website.

[steve092]

Great report and nice fish!

That last one is something else!

[DocSpotty]

Most of the guides are priced very closely......they run from $225 to 275 per day per person depending on the guide. I have known Dennis Randa for nearly 2 decades and he knows every seam in the Kenai.....there are less than 20 fulltime guide permits for the upper Kenai River.

Brian

[lalo56]

Doc you living the life!!!

[Joshua]

i went to the sight and clicked on the Rate link at the bottom of the homepage
http://www.randafishing.com/more.html

[Wingnut]

Epic report Doc... I envy very few people and you're one of them. :LOL: :Wink: :Envious:
Hopefully someday, I will folow in your adventurous footsteps. :Big Grin:

[trail blazer]

WOW:EyePop:!!!!!!!!!
EPIC by my standards!

CONGRATS

[Troutman65]

Yes Doc, one of these days I want to go up there and fish. Nice fish. :Envious:

[JigStop]

The sheefish larvae are commonly used to treat animal bites in the wild. The bladder also makes an excellent casement for those of us that harvest liver of the larger salmon for liverworst, inuit style.

[fisherman from long beach]

that is what you call an epic fishing day.i bet some arms were sore the next day.good report and pics

[fishinone]

Great Report.

I think Randa's will be getting some calls.

[olfishergal]

Simple awesome, and the scenery was fabulous..........thanks for the trip. OFG

[BIGBASS MB]

cool dog... everyone els said what I wanted to say...

MB

[BigBass777]

Awesome report!! That kind of fishing is fisherman's dream.

[troutdog]

I seem to always forget about this section in FNN, my bad! Great report and trip Doc, hope 2010 is treating you well!


TD

[Prowler_Tuber]

awesome pictures and great report