Katmai National Park is in the epicenter for the wild , native rainbow trout in Alaska. The trout population really only exists though because of the salmon population.  The Bristol Bay drainage has the largest runs of Pacific Salmon in the world. Without the millions of salmon,  their eggs, their decomposing bodies, and finally the smolt, the rainbows would have little to feed on and would not reach the sizes found here.

The fish found in our waters are: Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char, Arctic Grayling, lake trout,  Sockeye salmon, chum salmon, king salmon, pink salmon and silver salmon.

Rainbow Trout

Fly fishing for rainbow trout is one of the most exciting and yet relaxing things activities known to man.  These beautiful fish seem to be scattered about in extremely beautiful places around the world,  they just grow very big here in Alaska.  They have a fight to the death attitude and incredible jumping instincts that let you know right away it's a rainbow. The strain of rainbows here have a wider tail than I have seen in other places and adds to their fighting prowess.

The bigger the rainbow the more they follow the food.  In the spring  large trout are found wandering down to salt water following the exodus of the sockeye smolt from the lakes.  In mid to late summer they follow the sockeye run into small creeks like the Moraine or Talarik or Grizzly Creek in anticipation of the feast of salmon eggs that explodes in August.  A 6 pound rainbow can put on about a pound every week or so during this time so they can survive the winter. 

Since they eat different things at different times of the year, we fish for them accordingly.  The early summer is for mice, dry flies and  streamers that imitate smolt, sculpins or leeches. Once the eggs start to drop the bite goes to eggs and salmon flesh.  We have baby trout and we have big trout and everything in between.  The largest trout are about 30"  and can weigh as much as 15 pounds.  Large concentrations of these fish are found during the egg season on Moraine and Grizzly Creek as the big trout may make a 20 mile swim to get up the river coming from the Alagnak or the lakes they drain into.  Small fish can't make this swim so you get streams stacked with trophy fish.

Rainbow trout are protected in all the waters we fish, all rainbows must be released.

Grayling

We have some very large grayling in the Alagnak and Moraine Creek.  These guys are happy to eat a dry fly pretty much year round but they will take advantage of the egg season as well.  These prehistoric fish are known for their large folding dorsal fin and are a welcome addition anytime of year.

Char

Char are found in all the rivers in the area.  Members of the same family as brook trout, they ave skin rather than scales  and they are a bit slippery!   They can be silvery gray to deep colored, multi spotted, orange bellied beauties.  They seem to love dry flies as well as eggs and streamers.

Sockeye Salmon

Sockeyes are the first to arrive in the Alagnak and boy do they arrive. Over a million fish swim up through the entire river in just a few weeks.  The salmon range from 5-15 pounds and are bright silver with trout like bodies when they enter the river but after a few weeks in fresh water they turn bright red and develop the hump and hooked jaw we are so familiar with.  When these fish are fresh from the ocean the action is non stop.  They fight every bit as hard as the trout and you can catch as many as you want. This is also part of the downside,  they are so easy to catch that some folks start to wander off in search of trout. 

Chum Salmon

Chums are the most aggressive salmon in the Alagnak.  They too are chrome to start but quickly change developing tiger stripes and huge teeth.  Very hard fighters they are found throughout the Alagnak. They seem to be the shortest lived salmon as well lasting only a couple weeks in fresh water.

King Salmon

fish this size shouldn't be in  a river this small.  iT just doesn't seem possible.  You can spot these fish from the float plane as you fly in.  Bright silver to pink as they enter the Alagnak they quickly turn red. In the clear water they might as well have a sign over head " Catch me here"  Of course  knowing where they are is easy,  getting one to eat your fly is another story.  We hook these fish mostly while wading with sink tip lines.  They will gather in holding pools.  The males are sometimes aggressive and attack the first streamer that swings by  others have to be fed with accurate casts that swing into the strike zone.  They range in size from 10 pounds to 70 pounds.  The fight can start off with some great acrobatics but ends one of 2 ways: a non stop run to the ocean ( goodbye salmon)  or a hour long tug of war.

Pink Salmon

Pinks swim up in huge numbers on even number years.  I still don't know why.  There are a few in the odd years but hardly any.  Pinks are small pretty fish with the females getting a nice red side that one could mistake for a rainbow.  The males grow  a huge hump ( hence the local name - Humpies) and pull pretty hard when they turn in the current. 

Silver Salmon

Silvers get to the Alagnak in mid August and spawn through till mid September.  Silvers will chase flies almost as much as chums and are much more aggressive than the king and sockeye.  Surface wogs and big purplely pin streamers do the job.  We will intercept them in holding areas of slower water found through out the Alagnak.  Great fighters that love to jump  it is a great time to be on the river.