WINTER TROUT FISHING

A mammalian carcass on the river?


By Brett Coffman

Our recent warm weather has been off the hook! I like to ski so those conditions haven’t been great, but fishing on the Truckee has been awesome. The window to fish is short - mid afternoon to late afternoon, but if you catch it right -- look out. Midges have been key. I’ve hooked into many large trout, including the big flash of yellow/orange, but failed to land that punk ass. Oh well, maybe next time. Rainbows and whitefish have been plentiful, including the occasional dry fly action which, is always a bonus. In fact the last time out I found 2 large rainbows gulping midges on the surface. I put down the first, but managed to hook the next. The little bastard popped off right when I was about to land him, but the fight and initial hook up were well worth the effort. Anytime you can sight and stalk a fish to 20” on the surface is a good day. Here’s a few pictures. Wade safe on the ice, and good luck.

P.S. Pyramid has been pretty good too

Angela and her cutthroat.



Rainbow on the dry.



Whitefish sometimes save the day.

ALASKAN ADVENTURE PART 3

The Wall of Death

Denali and Homer Ak.

by Brett Coffman

Sorry about the overwhelming amount of fish porn from the last Alaskan blog - we were just so excited to catch all of those salmon and just couldn't help it.

From Talkeetna we drove north on the parks highway to meet my brother at Denali National Park. He was able to get a day off at work and meet us there from Fairbanks. We took the full day bus ride up to mile 68 within the park. (the road only goes back ~80 miles) As expected the scenery was breathtaking, and the wildlife was remarkable. We were able to see caribou, dahl sheep, grizzlies, wolves, and moose. National Geographic anyone? At the end of the day we sent my brother home with some fresh salmon, and got ready to leave for Homer the next morning.

The next day we drove back down the parks highway towards Anchorage and eventually down the coast to Homer. We got sidetracked for about an hour as the clouds actually lifted and Mt. McKinley, showed itself. A rare occasion. The rest of the drive was incredible. The highway drives by the Kenai, the famous king salmon river, numerous glaciers and jagged mountain peaks. Once in Homer, we met up with my parents who had come up to visit my brother for a week. My dad and I overlapped our vacations so we could fish in Alaska together. The next two days were spent halibut and salmon fishing with North Country Charters. I hadn’t been deep sea fishing in many years, and it was awesome to get out there with my dad again. They clean and freeze pack your catch and we came home with tons of fresh halibut and salmon fillets. I definitely would like to visit Homer again. Tip: If you go, eat at Captain Patties on the wharf. My wife and I are always looking for quality and quantity, and this place definitely has it.



Denali


Typical Feeder King


Guess Halibut Aren't Leader Shy



Black Wolf Crossing