1st AK Summer AdvenTR

[hartzejr]

3rd Update - Valdez fer Silvers! 8-30 thru 9-1

Another update 8-23 No fish but cool pics. Go Broncos!
New photos added 8-11-08 - Halibut trip, volcanos, AK sunset from Potters Marsh, Denali from an airplane

FYI - Lots of photos included.

So much to do and so little time to do a TR. Here's a quick synopsis of my summer thus far (first 2-1/2 months in AK).

Flew into Fairbanks with a carry on, a checked bag and my fly-rod tube. About a week later, fished Badger Slough and caught my first fish in AK. After which, I proceeded to catch countless more that day. Good start!



Shortly after I was missing my float tube which I left back in Colorado so I bought this bad boy.



I floated it on Chena Lake, landed dinks but I wasn't complaining.



Then, I floated the Gulkana over July 4th. Perfect weather and fishing conditions but I couldn't get into any Kings. Again, I wasn't complaining.









Then I found this place.



Where the average fish was this.




And the view and wildlife, this.







Fished the Chena River for about 2 solid weeks and floated a good chunk of it in hopes to get a King. No luck at all besides grayling on my salmon rig...

I guess this is what you say when the fishing sucks... Well, the scenery was beautiful and the weather wasn't all that bad.



Finally, I made it down to the Kenai this past weekend. Drove down Friday afternoon with the convoy of campers. Fished for reds for about 4 hrs. Nothing. Went back to the cabin and drank beer until about 2:30. Up at 4:30 to drive (I didn't drive!) down to Seward. Bosses boat left docks at 6:00. Fished for Halibut, lings and what ever else would hit. Got a ling cod, halibut and some rock fish but forgot to snap the pic on the boat.





Dead chickens on top.


Dead rock fish of some sort.


Back to the cabin to drink more beer and pass the fuck out. Wake up as early as possible and fish for reds again.

Fuck Yea! First AK Salmon! Only took three floats and about a month. *Disclaimer - I know I suck at salmon fishing. I've never fished for them, I'm learning it mostly on my own and only on a flyrod so cut me some slack.


View from Friend's GF's parent's place where we stayed. Wow is all I can say besides thank you! I think this is the place to retire. Give me 100 cases of beer, a few boxes of handles of Beam, 25 bags of potatos, 25 lbs of bacon and a full supply of fishing gear and I could live here for years, no problem!



This is what happens when you run the Kenai for a couple weeks straight



View from our hole.



Then some Dolly and Rainbow fishing from the dock. And some rainbow fry.




Back to Anchorage and flight home (if you can call an 'extended stay' residence ie hotel home) to Fairbanks (shit, I just called Fairbanks home...)


Hope you enjoyed. This TR is a work in progress... Afterall, its an advenTR!

[Optimus Prime]

Nice trip!!!

Glad you are enjoying yourself!!

[bean]

Looks like an awesome time. How much longer is this adventure going to last?

[schwerty]

Looks like you're have one helluva summer!

[ak_powder_monkey]

If you are still in squarebanks check your PM box...

[hartzejr]

I'm here through at least January Mike. Hopefully I can move to Anchorage after that though. That's my goal. Luckily flights to Anchorage in the winter ain't all that bad!

And yes, thoroughly enjoying the summer up here. But the pow bug is starting to bite me.

[Crystal_Mt_Dreamin]

jeez, AK doesn't suck eh?

[hartzejr]

So I Flew down to Anchorage again for another Halibut trip with some friends from Colorado and California this past weekend. Another great weekend up here!

Here's the story.

Drove down the Kenai with the intent of camping out on the beach at Ninilchik. Late start coupled with three old guys led us to 5 guys sleeping in a hotel room in Soldotna. So my buddy and me decided to check out the local bar scene.



Up in the morning and the view from Deep Creek Marina


Out on the boat the views were good too. This damn volcano is what made me have to sleep in the Anchorage Airport Sunday night.


The fishing was good.



For the record. I got the 80lber, the guy holding the two got the 90lber and another guy not in our party got the 170lber.

Plug for the charter. They put us on the fish and all five of us limited out with the smallest being about 30lb. Nice guys too.


Stayed at my buddies Aunt and Uncles place. Beautiful.





Boar Tide


Hiked up to Rabbit Lake Sunday. It was pretty nice up there.



But man I wish I had fishing pole!


And my mountain bike.


Chris was just salivating.


Oh yea, skis would've been sweet too!



Head back to reality. Airport is ridiculous because about all flights headed south are cancelled due to a volcano erupting. Had to sleep in the airport. Rebooked for the 7am to Fairbanks. Turned out okay. Here's a tip. If you're flying from Anchorage to Fairbanks, sit on the left side of the plane!






...Man I love it up here....

[Happy Fun Ball]

Where was that shot from the dock on the Kenai? It looked a lot like Beaver Creek. Just curious. Oh yeah, you're pretty good at photography!!

[hartzejr]

Where was that shot from the dock on the Kenai? It looked a lot like Beaver Creek. Just curious. Oh yeah, you're pretty good at photography!!

You turn off about 5 miles before you get to Sterling down a paved road. Then down some dirt roads. Thats really the best description I can give.

Thanks for the compliment. I just find myself in beautiful places and manage to capture it on the camera. All about the place, time and luck for me.

[hartzejr]

Another update with no pics of fish. But this is more for me than all yall.

Camping on the Chatinika




had to throw this one in too. I'm a sucker for redheads and Donkeys. Don't misinterperete you sick minded bastards.

[hartzejr]

So Friday afternoon I'm chatting with a guy from work and he asks what my plans are for the weekend. I was planning on just hanging around, maybe a little rainbow or grayling fishing near Fairbanks, nothing special. He started talking about Valdez and a half hour later I had reservations at the Keystone!

Drove down early Saturday morning. The views were good. Great weather and leaves are beginning to turn. I was doing this the whole drive to Valdez.

Just outside of Delta Junction. AK range but you all have seen these mtns in pictures above.



Past Glenallen coming up the pass. Glaciers are cool.


To get an idea how hudge this is, scale it against the cars on the road.



I was blown away the whole drive. Keystone Canyon is friggin' sweet!



Checked in to my tiny room at the Keystone, got some dinner and proceeded to the city docks (I think that's what they're called). No luck here as I was ill-equipped. Just not enough weight and herring might've helped out too. But I was pretty content just taking it all in.





If you're wondering how they land the fish being 20' above the water, here's how.

[hartzejr]

So Sunday I slept in a little and got all prepped for a full days fishing out at Allison Point. Showed up around 10am and fished until 5pm or so.

It was a veritable shitshow.



But a lot of fun.


I was just excited and overly content the whole time. You're not catching tons of fish but the scenery is great, lots of like minded people to chat with, PBRs are cold plentiful.

----------------------------------------

Woke up early Monday to get my fish on so I could limit out and still make it back to Fairbanks at a reasonable hour. I was fishing by about 8am. This time I was out on the point of Allison Point.

Bear on the way in.


Again busy but there were plenty of fish for everyone!


I had my limit before 10am. Guys around me were probably pissed.




I wanted to fish more but thought I'd get jumped if I started releasing Silvers so I packed up and hit the road.




Got home to do this (I know, I suck at filleting).

Haul looked like this.

Freezer now looks like this (minus the Vodka, killed that last night).

And dinner this.


The whole drive home and even now when I look back on the trip, this is what I think of this latest trip.
Feel free to help with an embed I can't seem to figure it out.


Until the next trip...

[Optimus Prime]

Once again, Nice photos!!! I think you are beginning to see the light..........

If you ever are in Talkeetna or driving by, hit me up, I can get you way closer to Denali then that big plane (just make sure to bring your skis)

Also, I don't think that you suck at filleting, it's your knife...get something with at least a 7in. blade, 9in. if they got 'em, I use the Rapala knives you can get them at Fred Meyers.... Then knife in your pic is about the worst one you can buy......

[Annie Green AK]

awesamazing pictures!

[hartzejr]

Optimus - Yea man. Definitely seeing the light. But in reality its fading fast now, days are getting short. I'll probably down closer to you a lot more come winter so I'll have to hit you up then.

And ya, buying that fillet knife was a last minute thought. I was at Sportsman getting tackle and walked past the knives and figured "I might need one this weekend". Not knowing much about them, I decided to get the cheapest as a temporary knife until I can figure out which in best.

Annie - Thanks. But most the credit goes to the amazing places I've been to up here in AK!

[schwerty]

Your freezer is making me drool.

[angelinalove]

Those are awesome pics. Specially aunt & uncles place.

[deeppo]

If that is the nice you are using get a real fillet knife. It makes it much easier dp