Roll to the fishing report…

Early in the week I was able to take Jane out for a few hours. It’s rare that she doesn’t catch a fish.

Also rare is a photo of me in the weekly fishing report. I caught a nice silver and Jane insisted on taking a photo.  

The Beaver Creek All Stars, consisting of Captain Bruce along with Anita and Gary, had a great couple of days on the river. Above is Captain Bruce with the haul from Day 1.

The rest of the crew after Day 2.  Nice job, guys!

It was so good to have Nick, Brittany, and Ken back in my boat. Not a bad Day 1.

The second day for the trio started with Ken catching a beauty. Optimism was abound…

Unfortunately, it was a long 6 hours before Nick caught the second silver of the day. Not exactly how I envisioned things would go but some days are like that.

I do have a third trip with Nick, Brittany, and Ken, and those results will appear on next week’s fishing report. I have a good feeling…

As always, come back next Sunday to see what this grand river that owes us nothing has given us.  

BONUS PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK.

*thanks Bruce for the use of your photos.

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Mike and Morgan started the week off on the right track. We were back to the dock before lunch with a limit of silver salmon (and a bonus red and pink salmon too!). Not a bad way for the two of them to begin their Alaskan adventure.  

Check out this scene in front of Beaver Creek. The last couple of weeks harbor seals have been everywhere. It’s good and bad seeing them in the river. If they are there that means salmon are around. That’s good. It’s also bad because they are after what we are after and they have no limit on how many they can take.

After I finished my day with Mike and Morgan, I was able to take Jane out. It didn’t take her long to catch her limit.

How about that? On the first day of September my boat seat covers were iced over. I was little worried that the Floridians I was fishing would be uncomfortable in freezing temperatures.   

Nope.

George and Ben were prepared and handled it fine.

George, Ben, and I sat in the dark and waited for the sun to rise. Before we knew it, we were treated to beautiful 60 degree day on the water.  

And a few fish were caught too. Ben had the hot seat and caught his limit. George, however, didn’t have the same luck. He said he’d get ‘em tomorrow.

You know what? He did.

When it was all said and done, on Day 2 both of them ended up with their limit. Ben may have caught more fish in two days, but George got the biggest. Both are winners!

I have to give a special shout out to my friend George. He’s been coming to Alaska since 2005 and is one of the Beaver Creek All Stars. I know I’ve aged since we first met, but George has defied Father Time. It’ll be good to see you and your family next year and hopefully Ben’s too.

Early limits with George and Ben meant Jane and I got to go out. The goal was dinner, but she clearly caught more than that.  

The following day I was off which meant more fishing for Jane and I. Jane got her limit thanks to a “phone call” bite with Uncle Mike and Aunt Mary Jo. At least I wasn’t completely shut out like the previous trips with Jane. 

Well, that’s about it for the fishing report. Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day weekend.

BONUS PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK.

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Gary Blinn and crew have been coming to Beaver Creek Cabins & Guide Service since 1996. Rain or shine, fish or no fish, it’s going to be a good time when they’re here.

The week started out with a bang.  Plenty of silvers and pinks kept the rods bending all morning. From right to left is Tristan, Jody, Alex, and Sam. Jody and Sam are veterans, but this was the first day of fishing for Tristan and Alex.  It was quite an introduction for a week fishing the river, the ocean, and a fly-out across the inlet.

Since we limited out early enough in the day, I was able to take Jane out fishing. That’s a Kenai trifecta she’s holding…a silver, red, and pink salmon. It’s hard to believe but this was the first time this summer we had the time to fish the river together in a boat. That will change soon. I’m not as busy in September so our fishing relationship will improve. I look forward to it.

The next day I was out with Ben, Buddy, and Anna. Quality silvers all weighing over 10lbs. A side note, the day before this trip Buddy caught a 175 halibut. Truly impressive.
Perfect morning, perfect group, perfect amount of silvers. From left to right is Renee, Sallie, and Ella.

The week ended with another fine morning with Sam, Alex, and Jody.  This was the last trip of Blinn Week. As Sam was leaving the boat he told me he’s been here 6 times and this is the most fish he’s brought back home. Glad I could be a part of it…

I’ll end the blog with this. A big thanks to Gary! It’s always enjoyable to spend time with you…I’ll see you down the road.

BONUS PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK. 

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The week started with Mackenzie and Mike. Mackenzie caught a limit of silvers and pinks while Mike fell one silver salmon short of filling out too.

Still, “not getting them all” made for a nice haul of fish heading back to Aberdeen, South Dakota. 

Mike and Mackenzie joined Chris and Brandy for Super Tuesday. Multiple fish on at multiple times kept all of us on our toes. A great way for Mike and Mackenzie to end their fishing adventures in Alaska, and for Chris and Brandy to begin theirs.

The next day was Day 2 for Brandy and Chris. I thought the early morning tide would bring in a lot of fish in to  the system but it didn’t. By noon we had our limits of pinks, but both were short one silver salmon. I suggested we should filet and process what we had and go back out in the afternoon to catch the final two silvers.

I love it when a plan comes together. In about a half hour of fishing, the daily silver limit was complete!

On Day 3, Chris and Brandy decided they had enough pink salmon to bring back home and wanted to focus on silver salmon. No problemo! I enjoyed our time together and look forward to seeing you guys next year.

The fishing week ended with a wonderful day with Chris and Nate. I’ve known Chris for 26 years, so it was fun sharing decades worth of Kenai River stories. 

I think Nate humored a couple of old guys talking about Guide 003, MP, the Half-Abascan, the Monkey Wharf, Gussie Lamore’s, and Charlie’s.  A very fun day for me and a great way to cap off the fishing week. 

So, I’ll see you next Sunday with a recap of fishing on a grand river that owes us nothing.  

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It was also a week with a lot of families in my boat. That made the fishing extra special.

I started the week fishing with Mark, Kristi, Ben, and Alyssa. A nice mix of silvers and pinks made it into the fish box. 
Grandpa and grandma were swapped out in the afternoon for Kelly and Clark. I had an awesome time watching Clark catch, net, and bonk fish. He’s clearly a boy who enjoys fishing.

The following day I was fishing with Scott, Carol, and Steve. Carol and Steve are returning guests but Scott is new to Alaska. Not a bad first day of fishing at all.

Day 2 with Scott, Carol, and Steve was a lot like Day 1. Plenty of action and endless conversations. I look forward to the next time you’re in Alaska.

These guys return more often than the pink salmon do. That’s Jacob, Martin, and Chris. All joking aside, this is their tenth trip to Alaska. I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.

Jacob finished out Day 1 with this nice silver salmon.

Day 2 was a lot like Day 1. Early morning high tide action on anchor, casting lures when it dropped, then anchoring and trolling on the incoming tide. Three generations of outdoorsmen made for a great couple of days.

The upcoming week is the historic peak of the early silver salmon run. I hope there’s an uptick because the numbers have been “just okay.” I’ve  got my fingers crossed. The pinks, I’m not worried about. There are plenty to keep us busy all day.

Come back next Sunday to see what this grand river that owes us nothing has given us.

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The fishing week started on Sunday. I got to spend a wonderful day on the water with our friends Taylor and Colette. We were hoping to target red salmon, but due to a declining run,  decided to go after pinks and silvers. Not a bad Plan B at all.

On Tuesday, the pink and silver numbers picked up considerably for Greg, Pat, and Nick. A consistent bite made for a great day.

Nice silver Nick!

Day 2 for Greg, Pat, and Nick was a lot like Day 1.  Lots of action and lots of fun. 

The next day, long time guests/friends Mike and Mary joined Chris and Martin for an action packed morning.  

After a quick break at the cabins, Chris and Martin were swapped out for Lance and Audrey. The willing biters did not disappoint.

Mike and Mary joined us again trying to complete a limit of silvers. Here’s Mary with the last fish of the day. Nice silver, Mary! 

The following day it was Lance, Martin, and newcomers Jessa and Barry. Jessa had the hot hand and Barry caught the largest silver of the day. Since he is a novice, he said it was all luck.

We took a break, cleaned the morning catch, and went back out to focus on silvers. The action was consistent. We ended the day a couple silvers short of a boat limit. 

The week ended with a third trip for Greg, Pat, and Nick. Another fun day catching fish and telling stories. I look forward to the next fishing trip with this trio!

For the week ahead I expect plenty of action to continue. We’ll be casting, trolling, and anchoring for anything that gets in the way of our lures.

Come back next Sunday to see what a grand river that owes us nothing has given us.  

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The lower Kenai River red salmon run went from white hot to ice cold.  

And it happened quickly.  

The week started with mayhem and chaos. In a couple of hours Dave, Lindsey, Ken, and Sue were back at dock with their limits. Always fun to see you guys…

The next day I was on the banks with Todd, Renee, Alec, and Mollie. I was scratching my head wondering where did the fish go? That’s Mollie above with her first red salmon.

The four of them fished hard in the morning and took a much needed lunch break at the cabins. This is Alec and Mollie with the results.

After lunch, we went back out and caught these. 

Would the action improve on their second day on the river?

It did not.

We fished on the banks and decided to spend time in the boat too. Despite another solid effort we ended up with a couple of red salmon, pink salmon and a trout.

On day three we ditched the waders altogether and stayed in the boat. It was a steady day of bites from nearly every species swimming in the Kenai River. A salmon Grand Slam was caught (red, silver, pink, and king). That’s Renee and Mollie in the photos above. The four of them ended up keeping 8 more salmon.  

Catching fish and seeing moose and caribou on the river can be exciting. I’d like to think it was the highlight of Alec and Mollie’s trip to Alaska.

But, it wasn’t.

Before they came to Kenai they got engaged. Congrats you two! Alaska is always special, but now it’s extra special.

Besides fishing with Todd, Renee, Alec, and Mollie, I was able to spend three wonderful days with long time guests/friends Kathy, Karen, and Susie. We gave it a go for reds in our waders and ended up with a couple of them. We spent the next two days fishing from the boat catching and releasing pinks and keeping a couple of silvers. 

Here’s Karen with a nice silver salmon.

Susie, Kathy, Orvis, and Karen with the final silver salmon of their trip. Our conversations were great, the catching not so much….

I almost forgot about this trip. On one of the days I fished Kathy, Susie, and Karen, I snuck in Nere and Tatiana. It was a steady morning of bites and the two of them kept their limit of pink salmon.

For the week ahead I anticipate a building pink and silver salmon run. I haven’t completely given up on red salmon, but there has to be a large school moving through before I put the waders back on.

Come back to the blog next week to see how a grand river that owes us nothing treated us.

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We’re all breathing a lot easier now. 

I started the week fishing Team X. Dad Adam and youngest son Ashton with the first double of the year. 

The fishing wasn’t as fast as I was hoping for, but it was a nice beginning to the week. From left to right are Aiden, Adam, and Ashton.

By the way, the young man on the left holds the distinction of being the youngest fisherman to be in my boat. When Aiden was 6 months old, mom and dad bundled him up and brought him out on a king trip. It’s hard to believe it was 22.5 years ago.

The following day I had the pleasure of fishing with Mike, Dick, Gary and Kurt. Here’s Dick with the first red salmon of the morning. 

And then it was Kurt with his first salmon in Alaska.

We gave it a long day and unfortunately this is all we had to show for it. 

The consensus in the community was Tuesday would be the first big surge of fish. It didn’t happen. I netted one red salmon for Scott, Mason, Connor, Megan, and Lindsey. They said it was a good  prep day for all the fish they’d catch at the end of the week. Gotta like that attitude.

Later Tuesday afternoon, I had Mark, Amy, Heidi, Max, and Katherine fishing in the rain. This was the entire catch. Like my morning crew, they thought this was good prep for when they’d fish with me in a couple days.

The Wednesday prediction of a huge push of fish didn’t come together either. Mike, Dick, Kurt, and Gary gave it an all day effort in the rain. We missed a half dozen fish and put 2 on the stringer.

Guess what? It finally happened BIG TIME on Thursday. The first large sonar day of the year arrived. It didn’t take long for Scott, Mason, Conner, Lindsey, and Megan to catch 30 fish. The happy fisherman were greeted at the dock by Kayleigh, who proudly joined them for a photo. 

And, later on Thursday, Mark, Amy, Wendy, Max, and Catherine put 30 fish on the bank as well. 

Friday was a repeat of Thursday. Lots of fish in the river.  In the early, early morning Scott, Mason, Conner, Lindsey, and Megan had no trouble finding their limits.

Friday, late morning Mark, Amy, Max, and Catherine methodically caught their limits as well.  

I can’t say enough about these two families. Everybody pitched in helping me net fish, clean fish, and package fish. I look forward to seeing all of you next time!

The week ended with the annual Matt’s Birthday Trip.  Joining Matt is his wife Kelly, and friends Nolan and Annalise. Always fun to see you guys.

Come back next week to see how this grand river that owes nothing treated us.

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Every trip we caught enough fish for the grill. But, we couldn’t find enough fish to fill the freezer.

About 5 minutes into the first trip of the week Sue caught this nice red salmon. 

Shortly afterwards Randy got this one. I thought we were on to something, but that was it for the day.  

Here is the whole crew. Sue, Steve, Amy, and Randy are doing their best to catch a salmon.

The next day, I fished 82 year old Bruce and his sons Pete and Mike.  I can’t say enough about the their attitudes. They worked hard for two straight days to land 6 salmon. They were smiling when it started, they were smiling when it rained, and they were smiling when it all ended. They shook my hand before they left and said “we’re coming back next year.”

Pure joy!

The three of them never slowed down. The longest breaks they took happened when we were traveling in the boat searching for a new spot to try. 

Here’s Bruce holding the largest salmon he’s ever caught. It was an honor to be a part of that.

Hundreds and hundreds of flips finally got Mike on board.

Pete was the last to land a red salmon. It was a lot of work, but he didn’t mind.

I finished the week fishing with a high school classmate of mine. Here is Mike with the “one that didn’t getaway.”

We fished and fished and finally perseverance paid off for Sean.

A great family photo. From left to right is Mike, Mollie, Laney, and Sean. I sure enjoyed our conversations and talking about the “old days”.  I’m sure the younguns probably tuned us out more than once.

For the week ahead I’m expecting a lot more action. All ocean indices are showing there are a lot of red salmon staging, but have been reluctant to move north.

Come back next week to see how this grand river that owes us nothing treated us.

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The second run of Kenai red salmon has begun.

The run is barely underway but the fish returning have been larger than normal. Many have exceeded 10lbs.

I’m sure the entire run won’t continue this way, but right now I’m going to enjoy the above average sizes.  

Here are a couple of above average people with above average fish. Joining me on this wonderful morning are my son’s in-laws. In the back is Jennifer, and that’s Joe kneeling to my left.

Daughter in-law Addie with my son Mac. That is Addie’s first ever Kenai River red salmon!

With numerous family and friends on the peninsula this weekend, we hosted an impromptu fish fry and gathering.  

It was cool enough to enjoy an evening campfire. Good times!

Well…enough said. See you next week with a fishing update from a grand river that owes us nothing.

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