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A Visit to Alaska’s Goodnews River- A Photo Essay

July 17, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

A Visit to Alaska’s Goodnews River- A Photo Essay

View from the airplane, on the way to Goodnews.

Thank you for reading this week’s post on A Visit to Alaska’s Goodnews River. Couldn’t post last week because there’s no internet service at Goodnews!

The wildflowers are fantastic. These are irises…

 

…and these are lupines. There are lots of other kinds!

We (Maxx and I) left here (San Francisco) Tuesday, got to Goodnews Wednesday at 5 PM the next day. Alex and the rest of the Goodnews crew met us and transported us to the Goodnews River Lodge, too late to fish. We put it off until Thursday, then fished every day through Tuesday. We fished for king salmon, sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, Dolly varden, and Arctic grayling.

The first fish we caught were king salmon.

 

The source of the power!

 

Maxx being silly.

 

Revival, in cold water.

 

We got some slobs on fly.

Expressing how wonderful it was to fish in Alaska with my two sons is next to impossible. It was fantastic! And we caught fish every day!

We spent time gurgling and got Dollies, grayling, and rainbow trout.

 

We had some incredible scenery.

 

Maxx battles a grayling.

 

 

Alex’s girlfriend Allison joined us for some fun!

 

Even I caught some.

 

The Goodnews valley, truly God’s country.

 

We got some Dollies!

 

Everyone loves a nice rainbow trout.

 

 

We had some fun!

 

 

Thank you again for reading this week’s post on A Visit to Alaska’s Goodnews River. Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Take a trip! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Fishing Reports, Goodnews River- Alaska Fishing Report, Photo Essays, travel blog · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

The Last 2019 Alagnak River Fishing Report

September 1, 2019 by · 1 Comment

The Last 2019 Alagnak River Fishing Report

Fellow guide Karl Baird with a nice king salmon.

Thank you for reading this last 2019 Alagnak River Fishing Report from Katmai Lodge- written from the comfort of my desk at home!

With the exception of one day it did not rain all summer. There are fires everywhere, with lots of smoke in the river valley much of the time. Anchorage was the same way- you could not see the mountains from town.

Last year’s silver salmon hotspots are dry now. We kept catching fish, but fishing remained tough to the end. Everyone had to switch to jet boats since the river was so shallow.

In spite of tougher than usual fishing, it was a good season. The lodge and the folks I worked with are great, and so is the river. I look forward to returning next summer. That ride home, though, is so looonnnnngggggg. And I get here just in time for a hurricane!

Last week I promised some exciting news- I have a new book coming out! It’s a guide book to fishing Florida by paddle craft. Click this link for more information, or to order!

That’s the last 2019 Alagnak River Fishing Report. Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: Alagnak River fishing report, Fishing News, Fishing Product News and Reviews, Fishing Reports, Paddle Fishing Florida · Tagged: , , , ,

Silver Salmon Alagnak River Fishing Report

August 24, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Silver Salmon Alagnak River Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Silver Salmon Alagnak River Fishing Report from Katmai Lodge.

Even though I need to start packing, I missed last week’s report entirely so will post one this week.

Silver salmon hotspots are dry.

With the exception of one day it has not rained all summer. Weird! Places that were silver salmon hotspots last year are dry land now. There aren’t very many fish, so fishing has been tough. With two anglers you can get a double limit by working hard, but it’s not coming easy.

A cerise fly fooled this buck silver.

Spin fishermen get their silvers by using #4 or #5 Vibrax spinners or jigs. Fly anglers are using floating lines with weighted flies, both articulated and standard, usually featuring cerise. Everyone has their own secret colors. Mine are orange and blue.

Everyone has their secret colors.

You can still catch chums but it’s getting to the point of the season where there are lots of nasty, moldy ones. Lucky fishermen are catching dead ones. Time for some flesh flies!

Silvers go crazy when they feel the steel.

Chums, limited numbers of pinks, and the occaisional king are all spawning. I see trout behind the spawning fish but have not fished for them- for the past two weeks all my anglers have wanted only silvers.

Moldy chums are everywhere.

I have one more party coming in for four days, and I leave on the 30th. There most likely will not be a report next week. But my next report will feature some exciting news!!

That’s this week’s Silver Salmon Alagnak River Fishing Report Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

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Alagnak River Fishing Report featuring Matt Cicero

August 3, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Alagnak River Fishing Report featuring Matt Cicero

Our man Matt.

Thank you for reading this Alagnak River Fishing Report featuring Matt Cicero.

Matt fly fishes, too.

Matt, a resident of Edgewater, Florida, guides here at Katmai Lodge. In other lives he plays bass and guitar, and guides in Florida. He looks like a rockstar, but is a down-to-earth, righteous kind of guy. We are lucky to have him here.

Fishing
The chums still pour in. It’s the time of year when your arms ache from catching too many, big fish after big fish. We’re still swinging cerise streamers for them.

Matt battles the mighty tiger salmon.

 

The tiger, nearly vanquished.

 

Matt with a tiger.

King salmon season closed as of August 1. No more fishing for kings.

The silvers have been very hit or miss because they have not appeared in any numbers yet. Mr. Ed Wasicki kindly gave me several spoonflies to use for them. Haven’t tried them yet, Ed, no fish yet! We’re looking at 24 foot tides this weekend- prognosticators predict the fish will move in on these big tides. We wait eagerly!

With the kings and the chums starting to spawn, trout fishing this week is all about the bead. Next week’s report will feature some details.

Trout fishing now is all about the bead.

That’s this week’s Alagnak River Fishing Report featuring Matt Cicero! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

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Bears Everywhere Alagnak River Fishing Report

July 28, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Bears Everywhere Alagnak River Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Bears Everywhere Alagnak River Fishing Report.

The river is as low as has been seen in several years. While there’s rain falling now, it will take a lot of water to raise the river to “normal” levels.

Here at Katmai Lodge on the Alagnak River we live in bear country. We’re talking Alaska brown bears- large, powerful animals, wild and unpredictable. It’s thrilling seeing them. We see five or six every day. Respect the bear if you want to stay out of trouble. Trouble may find you anyway.

The bear swims out, possibly to join me.

I went to a mid-river gravel bar today to clean fish. All alone, I wanted a place that a bear couldn’t just pop out of the bushes and surprise me. It turns out the gravel bar was a perfect location.

The bear gains shallow water and starts to run- towards me!

In the middle of my task I looked up to see a bear swimming towards me. “Hey bear!” I shouted, to let him know I was there. Surprisingly, he changed course, swimming across the river downstream of me.

This was as close as he got.

Apparently, when he hit the far bank he came back up the river through the brush, reappearing on the shore uncomfortably close to me. He climbed in the water and started swimming my way.

I started yelling at him again, and prepared to cede my location. It was a small brown bear, but he still had 300 pounds on me! To my surprise he again changed course, stopping on a nearby gravel pan. He eventually swam to the far shore again, and I finished my fish cleaning. So no trouble today.

Fishing
The sockeyes are for all practical purposes done. May they have a strong and successful spawn.

The chums are here in strength. We had our limit this morning by 1000 AM, swinging cerise streamers. Big, strong, and aggressive, I love the chums!!

A young Jack Walker with a chum salmon.

Kings are still being caught. The run was not strong, but if you persevere you can get them by casting Vibrax in soft water. Green has been the best color.

Nice kings like this one are still being caught.

The first silvers of the season have been caught this week. I have not seen one, but I have not looked for them yet. Silver fishing is my favorite as far as salmon are concerned. I look forward to doing some wogging!

No one has been trout fishing this week, so I have no report. I suspect beading will be in full swing during the coming week.

That’s this week’s Bears Everywhere Alagnak River Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

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Brooks Falls Alagnak River Fishing Report

July 21, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Brooks Falls Alagnak River Fishing Report

Take-off from the Alagnak!

Thank you for reading this Brooks Falls Alagnak River Fishing Report from Katmai Lodge.

Subscriber Sandra from Michigan sent me the following-
“Please post a pic with Lucas in it. My son and I love looking at your posts.”

So here is a pic of Luke, taken last year-

Gratuitous pic of Lucas…

The observant reader may have noticed the title of this week’s post includes the “Brooks Falls” word sequence. Wikipedia says this about Brooks Falls-

Brooks Falls is a waterfall located within Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Located on the Brooks River a mile and a half from Brooks Lake and an equal distance from Naknek Lake, the falls are famous for watching salmon leap over the 6 foot falls to get to their Brooks Lake spawning grounds.

Consequently, large populations of brown bears and grizzly bears are attracted to feed on the spawning salmon. Brown bears usually congregate at the falls in July and early September, and many well-known photos of bears have been taken there. Bears in July are the greatest concentrations seen at any year at the falls; up to 25 bears have been seen at one time at Brooks Falls in that month. In September, a smaller number of bears (maximum about 18 at one time) can be seen at the falls to feast on the later salmon runs. July and September are by far the best months for viewing grizzly bears in the Brooks Camp area.

Brooks Falls

Katmai Lodge guests frequently take a float plane to Naknek Lake and walk to the falls to view the action. I was included this week and got the photos below.

 

Pilot gets shut-eye while guest views bears.

 

You can get serious lens envy here.

 

Kayaking with bears.

 

Fishing bear.

 

Snacking bear.

And, in an unusual turn of events-

Tammy with toddler Cash. Is she considering adopting???

Fishing
Sockeyes continue strong. That can’t last much longer. But everyone is filling their fish boxes in the meantime.

The chums have showed up in strength. People are having exhausting 30- and 40-fish days, mainly by swinging pink streamers. I love the chums!!

Kings are still being caught. The run was not strong, but if you persevere you can get them by casting Vibrax in soft water.

Trout fishing is in that transition period when they’re waiting for the egg drop. As a result the trout bite is slower than is was. It will pick up again as the chums start dropping eggs.

In non-fishing news, some blueberries are ripe. We spent nearly an hour today picking and eating blue- and salmonberries. Yum!

That’s this week’s Brooks Falls Alagnak River Fishing Report from Katmai Lodge! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

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Independence Day Alagnak River Fishing Report

July 6, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

Independence Day Alagnak River Fishing Report

Thank you for reading this Independence Day Alagnak River Fishing Report. Hope you had a safe and happy Independence Day!

Anchorage is in the upper right, King Salmon in the lower left.

Last week I wrote, “For those of you not up-to-date on your Alaska geography, the Alagnak River is about 200 miles southeast of Anchorage…” A kind reader pointed out that I was directionally challenged. The river is southwest of Anchorage, not southeast. Sincere apologies to any who suffered due to this error.

Speaking of suffering, we are experiencing historically high temperatures here at Katmai Lodge. I brought long underwear and fleece. I need board shorts and Tevas. We have fishermen who are wet wading, unheard of around these parts.

The king salmon run has been historic too- historically low so far. Quite a bit of effort was expended this week in fishing for kings.

While some nice fish were caught, every one has required a lot of work. Some boats experienced very little success.

Back-trolling and casting Vibrax spinners have been the best techniques. Fly fishers have only caught jacks.

Fellow guide Karl Baird with a nice king salmon.

The sockeyes are just beginning to filter in. I expect we’ll be fishing hard for them next week.

I brought Larry, Matthew, and Andrew up into the Braids yesterday, where we fly fished for rainbow trout and grayling. Lodge policy prevents me from posting photos of guests, so I have to share file photos. But we got some beautiful fish, on articulated leeches and egg-sucking leeches.

My guests next week are from Brasil. Tudo bem!

That’s this week’s Independence Day Alagnak River Fishing Report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2019. All rights are reserved.

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Alagnak Season Fishing Report and Photo Essay

September 5, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

Alagnak Season Fishing Report and Wrap-Up

Alagnak River fishng report

A silly bear on the Alagnak RIver.

Dear Readers-

I’m back from the Alaska bush after being there for almost three months. This is the Alagnak Season Fishing Report and Wrap-Up. The observant among you noticed there hasn’t been a fishing report in close to two months. My computer died. I was hoping it was merely ill, but today the Apple store confirmed that it’s dead. I write this on my wife’s machine.

Alagnak River fishng report

Tony Gulisano with a colored-up king salmon.

King salmon season was only OK. Anyone who knows about Pacific salmon knows kings are in trouble in most of their range. So it was on the Alagnak. There were plenty of jacks, but only a handful of large, adult fish. Six came into my boat. That’s merely a good day on some rivers.

Alagnak River fishng report

Sockeye fishing was good for the bears, too.

The sockeye run was strong. We used both green beads and small simple sockeye flies to catch these delicious fish.

Alagnak River fishng report

This chum salmon was fly-caught by John Turcot.

Chums and pinks were the stuff of which fishing fantasies are made. Fishing for these fish during an almost three week long span you could catch fish on almost every other cast, even with a fly rod. I ate several bright, male chums for shore lunch after grilling them and cannot understand why folks say they’re not good. They are as good eating as any other salmon- Dee-wish-us!

Alagnak River fishng report

Big bear at the prime location at Brooks Falls.

Silver salmon season was good up until the day I left. Fresh fish were getting scarce but there was plenty of action from beautifully hued colored fish.

Alagnak River fishng report

Tom Van Horn shows off a beautiful rainbow trout.

Rainbow trout and grayling were both strong through the season. Trout fishing remains the weak spot in my resume, but I still managed to catch some beautiful fish.

I got to pan for gold, and found some flakes. Won’t be retiring, or moving to the Yukon, any time soon though.

Alagnak River fishng report

Roaming the tundra on a spectacular day.

I got to walk on the tundra and eat blueberries, things that everyone who visits Alaska should do.

Alagnak River fishng report

A brown bear takes a break from fishing to check me out.

Plenty of brown bears roam the banks of the Alagnak. Once the salmon runs started, seeing bears was a daily occurrence. A fly-out to Brooks Falls was a bear-watching highlight.

Alagnak River fishng report

The sun is close to setting- something you don’t see a lot of during Alaska summers.

The management and staff at Katmai Lodge were wonderful to work with, and the food was great. It was nice to have old friends there in the form of Tom Van Horn and John Turcot, and to make friends with the bunch of really fine fishing guides that were there. God willing I will repeat the performance next season.

Alagnak River fishng report

The Alagnak River at a high bluff.

And that is the Alagnak Season Fishing Report and Wrap-Up! Thanks for reading!

Life is short- go fishing!
Life is great and I love my work!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com

All writing and photography in this work copyright John Kumiski 2018. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Alagnak River fishing report, Fishing Reports, Photo Essays · Tagged: , , , , ,

Early July Alagnak River Fishing Report

July 9, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

Early July Alagnak River Fishing Report

This is an early July Alagnak River fishing report, coming from Alaska’s Katmai Lodge on the Alagnak River. The photos are file photos.

The river is finally starting to drop. That can only help the fishing.

alagnak river fishing report

A prime example of a king salmon.

This time of year, the salmon species available are kings and sockeyes. The king run has not been stellar so far. That having been said, guests in my boat have gotten three kings in excess of 25 pounds this week, all by backtrolling Kwikfish. Fair numbers of jacks have been taken by a variety of methods.

alagnak river fishing report

Another prime king, taken on a fly.

The Alagnak River is known for its sockeye runs. Last year over two million ascended the river. So far we’ve had two decent spurts, which is to say the floodgates have not been opened. All sockeyes are caught using fly tackle, small red or green flies or green beads. We wait impatiently. Let’s go, fish!

I have not been trout fishing and can only assume that it maintains its usual excellence.

And that is an early July Alagnak River Fishing Report from Katmai Lodge!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2018. All rights are reserved.

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Guests Arrive Alagnak River Fishing Report

July 2, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

Guests Arrive Alagnak River Fishing Report

This is the guests arrive Alagnak River fishing report, coming from Alaska’s Katmai Lodge on the Alagnak River.

alagnak river fishing report

I even got one, on a jig.

Fishing! The king salmon have continued trickling in. Staff members have gotten five or six jacks this week. I even got one, an almost 20″ fish (very small for a king) on a jig. John Turcot hooked a real one. It straightened his hook out.

We have only seen a few sockeyes, and no chum salmon yet. They are expected any day now. Where have I heard that before?

alagnak river fishing report

Carl got a beauty, but this is a file photo.

After adjusting our tactics we have had some good trout fishing this week. Carl caught a beauty yesterday, unhooked it, and dropped it before I could get a photo. So I used a photo of a more modest fish.

alagnak river fishing report

The church is in ruins.

Down river from us is the site of an abandoned native settlement. At the site are the ruins of a Russian Orthodox church. We visited the site and explored it.

alagnak river fishing report

 

 

alagnak river fishing report

 

alagnak river fishing report

This plant looks something like cotton.

Tammy arrived at the Alagnak Lodge, 20 miles downriver from us, Thursday night. She motored up the river and visited us Friday, a wonderful surprise. We have a central Florida posse here!

alagnak river fishing report

From left- Tom Tammy, John, John.

The season’s first guests arrived on Saturday. Ian and Elizabeth joined me for an afternoon of king salmon fishing. We got two rainbow trout, no salmon. The last hour or so was spent on a fly casting and fly fishing lesson, which will come in handy later in the week.

alagnak river fishing report

Dave the maintenance man is an important guy at Katmai Lodge.

And that is the guests arrive Alagnak River Fishing Report from Katmai Lodge!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2018. All rights are reserved.

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