Fall on the Kenai River in Alaska is a bittersweet time. Alaska summers are so busy, that it feels like they consume us. The season is frantic and it can wear you down but it goes by so fast. It seemed like only yesterday, the Ruck’s rolled into Cooper Landing and had us out so early or late, that night and day were irrelevant.
Anna Grace was clearly worn out from early morning sockeye fishing.
JoelZ returned with the family and they did their thing.
Salmon season is a frenzy, but Stacy manages to keep his cool and keep on keeping on.
It helps when people are having fun!
Case filled a stringer.
Shon Kim and his crew are sockeye slayers.
It is a little know fact that Spiderman rods are incredibly effective Alaskan Fishing Tools.
Getting kids connected to the water is very special. Some kids are absolutely captivated. I know Stacy was. Now, he’s sharing his passion with new generations of anglers.
If you spend enough time on the water, you witness some interesting stuff. In case you were wondering, fish are slippery. This is why guides are often in photos, holding your fish.
Bob loves to fish the Kenai in late August, and always seems to tempt some special Silver Salmon.
Suddenly, summer is fading, and daylight is rapidly falling away. No more 20-hour days. It’s dark at 7:30 a.m., and the sun is rapidly on the drop before the fishing day is through.
The risk of bad weather is constant, but with risk, comes the highest reward. The rainbows are chomping while the salmon are spawning. Catching these special fish is amazing.
Gary Vitale stayed buttoned up to this beautiful rainbow.
Who has toasted a great Kenai River Fly Fishing Day at Gwin's Lodge?
It looks a lot different now than it did when the season opened in June. The Sockeye and the leaves are falling. The trout are fat and have been gorging, but soon they will shift into winter mode and many will move into Kenai or Skilak Lakes. A few silver salmon, a few char and a few rainbows will remain and keep the fly fishing game alive until ice locks things away. Fall is a bittersweet window. The fishing builds to an amazing crescendo and then falls off as the long days turn into long nights. Its hard not to feel melancholy about the changes, but bodies need rest and the cycle will repeat. June 11 comes every year.
Captain Corbin
Mystic Waters Fly Fishing
