Fairbanks Questions

So I'm 80% sure I'm transferring up to UAF next year, and was wondering if any of you guys in Alaska could give me some insight on the area. I know it's not the best place in the world to live, but they have a great fisheries program, and getting an undergrad there will help me make connections in the area. Anyway.

I just have my teenie weenie little rods I use down here in Montana (3wt Winston GVX and 5wt Winston Boron IIx), and I know those won't cut it for chasing pike and salmon. I was thinking maybe something like an 8wt 14' spey rod would be fun, but what are you guys using? This is something I would use only for pike and salmon (I know most of the salmon are going to be a couple hours away), so it doesn't need to do anything else.

And on a sidenote, has anyone done any caribou hunting in the area? I've hunted them near Yellowknife, but I know that is a much different situation than I'll encounter in the Fairbanks area, and I haven't been able to find a whole lot of information yet.

Best suggestion is to get into nordic skiing to keep you sane through winter. And/or fatbiking. Caribou are easy to find. Not sure about fishing tackle, not an issue for another 8 months.

Your flyrod will be great for grayling. Salmon fishing...the fish are pretty played by the time they get there. A light spinning rig would serve for pike and salmon. If you're gonna head down to the coast, then gear up, but when I lived in FBK (a long time ago) I did most of my coastal fishing with a 6 wt and a spinning rig. Not sure about a 14 ft spey rod.

And what Chucach001 said - get some nordic stuff to take advantage of the trails around town. The main reason I got into tele was to make the local ski hills interesting when I lived there. Thompson Pass is fun in the spring.

I definitely plan on heading to the coast for a lot of fishing--you were alright with a 6wt for that? I've never fished for any type of salmon before, so all I have to go off so far is stuff I read online. Most places seem to recommend 8-10wt for king and coho, but I'm not too keen on casting a 10wt all day. It'd be cool to just go up there and figure it out on my own, but I plan on moving in May, and I build my rods, so this probably needs to be a winter project for me.

Nordic skiing is on my list for sure. I'm already two knee surgeries deep at 26, so switching to little weenie skis won't kill me at this point.

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Originally Posted by Aenigma

I definitely plan on heading to the coast for a lot of fishing--you were alright with a 6wt for that? I've never fished for any type of salmon before, so all I have to go off so far is stuff I read online. Most places seem to recommend 8-10wt for king and coho, but I'm not too keen on casting a 10wt all day. It'd be cool to just go up there and figure it out on my own, but I plan on moving in May, and I build my rods, so this probably needs to be a winter project for me.

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I used a 6 weight for trout, reds, actic char, grayling, and silvers. That was pushing it for silvers (aka coho), but a lot of fun. I never used a fly rod for kings, so ignore me on that one. An 8 weight at least would probably be a good idea.

Silvers are the most fun salmon to catch, great fighters.

I highly reccomend you go to Juneau instead of Fairbanks, its the same program and classes, same teachers, but you don't have to live in Fairbanks, which 50 weeks out of the year is the worst. (its pretty great week 1 and 2 of september)

If you do end up in FBX bring a car, XC skis, and all the down you own.

If I lived up there I would probably fish a glass 5 wt for grayling, and probably that's it. Within 6 hours of driving from fairbanks I regularlly use the following:

Scott L2H 1256-4 with skagit for rainbow/salmon
Scott L2H 1359-4 with skagit for Kings (would be useful in FBX during the summer for Chena/Salcha if there's ever a season again)
Buelah Platinum 9 ft 5wt for rainbows
Buelah Guide Switch 5/6 for rainbows
A variety of shitty 9 foot 7 weights that I keep buying and generally hate for salmon and big rainbows
Sage VT2 490 for lakes
Fenwick FF 755 for grayling

I say for Alaska, you should have a 5 wt, and a 7 or 8wt single hand, plus a 9 or 10 weight if you wanna fish for kings.

I am just a gear whore.

I looked into Juneau, and while I would rather live there, it is a bit out of my price range. A few people at the university have also told me that working on a fisheries degree with a freshwater focus would be more difficult from Juneau. Kind of a bummer, but on the positive side, I'll have little to focus on beyond my education.

Hell, I may even try ice fishing.

How is Juneau outside of your price range? Place costs pretty much the same as FBX, plus in Juneau you get things like indoor plumbing. I guess you get taco bell in FBX and can leave without getting on a boat.


Most of the freshwater folks are in Fairbanks, but there are 2 in Juneau who are pretty good.

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

If you do end up in FBX bring a car, XC skis, and all the down you own.

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If you end up going to Juneau, bring a boat, a float plane, and all the wool, pile, and rain gear that you own. And a sturdy bait-casting rug. You won't need a car since you can't drive anywhere. ;)

We have to concede that there aren't many places in AK where the weather and geography doesn't present significant challenges. People prone to SAD are gonna be fucked in the winter no matter where they go. Me, I'd get tired of the constant rain in JNU.

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Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper

We have to concede that there aren't many places in AK where the weather and geography doesn't present significant challenges. People prone to SAD are gonna be fucked in the winter no matter where they go. Me, I'd get tired of the constant rain in JNU.

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Yes, Juneau is dark and bleak sometimes, because its so far east the sun goes down at 3:30 (gets up at something absurd like 7), but it beats the fuck out of Fairbanks, and you need a car in Juneau, for all 50 miles of road, how else are you gonna go skiing?

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Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

Yes, Juneau is dark and bleak just about all the time...

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There, that reads better.

To be fair, I've hit Juneau once or twice when the weather was really nice, and it seemed great. But that isn't what you'd call a regular occurrence.

And no one would call FBK a garden spot. That's Homer, right? ;)

While I'm a flyfishing rookie, 8 wt is what I've used for salmon. The real kicker is the 5 lb flies you'll be tossing while trying not to whack yourself with those monsters. But, if you get a king or coho on the line, it's a helluva run.

UAF has a sweet campus here, so you can move down if Fairbanks is too much of a pit for you. NOAA is predicting a mild winter down here so you might not miss much this winter. That of course is about as reliable as getting financial advice on TGR.

There are some streams south of Squarebanks that are in driving distance to chase bows. A good 6wt is pretty standard on those streams. For grayling 4 or 5 weight is perfect. 7wt for chums, sockeye, and coho and a 6 wt for pinks. You could use an 8wt for sockeye (Klutina, Gulkana) and for chums and silvers, but it's not as fun as a 7wt. 7/8 wt for pike, since you will be throwing big nasties. I've caught plenty of kings on an 8wt.

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Originally Posted by anal fin

There are some streams south of Squarebanks that are in driving distance to chase bows. A good 6wt is pretty standard on those streams. For grayling 4 or 5 weight is perfect. 7wt for chums, sockeye, and coho and a 6 wt for pinks. You could use an 8wt for sockeye (Klutina, Gulkana) and for chums and silvers, but it's not as fun as a 7wt. 7/8 wt for pike, since you will be throwing big nasties. I've caught plenty of kings on an 8wt.

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Driving distance = 4.5 hours FYI

Unless you're a musher - Juneau over Fairbanks ANY day. Get a second job if you need to. Great skiing, ice climbing, boating, etc. Probably less weird women too. The vibe is more west coast than outpost. Just gotta deal with a LOT of rain.

I hate rain and am pretty ambivalent toward women, so I think I'm still leaning toward Fairbanks since being there will make school more convenient. I'll be doing the school thing full-time, so I'll probably only be able to swing one part-time job.

I guess I'm pretty set on where I'm going; I'm pretty much just looking for some fishing/hunting/living tips for the area.

Yeeah don't listen to these fools Fairbanks is a good time and I manage to get plenty of riding in the winters between the deltas, thompson pass, and weekend trips down to anchorage.

My favorite thing about Fairbanks is that the hockey team won't admit they are from Fairbanks and call themselves "Alaska" totally ignoring that the rest of their teams are proudly from Fairbanks and have UAF emblazened on their uniforms (also ignoring the other two schools that are UA).

I also am pretty partial to working for the ADF&G office there, good folks, go introduce yourself.

And bring a car. Seriously. And a boat if you have one. And a snowmachine. And some XC skis. And a dog. And a shitload of money so you can afford plumbing. Good Luck

PM me for fishing tips.

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Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

PM me for fishing tips.

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Pike eat beads?

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Originally Posted by Underoos

Pike eat beads?

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Is there anything pike don't eat?

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Originally Posted by Aenigma

So I'm 80% sure I'm transferring up to UAF next year, and was wondering if any of you guys in Alaska could give me some insight on the area. I know it's not the best place in the world to live, but they have a great fisheries program, and getting an undergrad there will help me make connections in the area. Anyway.

I just have my teenie weenie little rods I use down here in Montana (3wt Winston GVX and 5wt Winston Boron IIx), and I know those won't cut it for chasing pike and salmon. I was thinking maybe something like an 8wt 14' spey rod would be fun, but what are you guys using? This is something I would use only for pike and salmon (I know most of the salmon are going to be a couple hours away), so it doesn't need to do anything else.

And on a sidenote, has anyone done any caribou hunting in the area? I've hunted them near Yellowknife, but I know that is a much different situation than I'll encounter in the Fairbanks area, and I haven't been able to find a whole lot of information yet.

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Your 3 & 5 will be good up there. I suspect you will use that 3 a lot.

For pike/reds I prefer a single hander, primarily pieroway 8wt tactical series
For small water/grayling I like the 4wt glass
For salt water I like the 9wt

For everything else I prefer 2 hands. I regularly use:
Pieroway MD butterstick (510gr skagit)
Pieroway MD switch (400gr skagit)
Echo 3 switch 6wt (360gr skagit/330gr scandi)
Beulah platinum switch 5 (315gr skagit/270gr scandi)

Fishing is fishing. It's just a different state. It's not hard. Lots of driving though. Bring/buy reliable transportation. You will need it to take advantage of all AK has to offer. Go explore, see cool shit, catch awesome fish, have good times. There is a ton of info, websites, books, magazines, etc on AK fishing.

Hunting is a little harder to break into. My advice would be to read the regs. Read them again. Check your understanding of them with a friend. Apply for tags. Have multiple backup plans. Always know where you are and who owns the land/manages the land. Minimal access with lots of pressure means folks are concentrated in spots. Be prepared for that. Don't be afraid to do something that is outside the norm. If you are willing to put serious miles on your boots, success can be had consistently without having toys or flying. But flying is way more fun.

Look into a haul road hunt. Pretty low key fun caribou hunt. Logistically not difficult. Success rates are good. Fairbanks can have some pretty fun predator hunting in the winter; something to do anyway.

Awesome, thanks!