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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Unlike the king and red salmon runs, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game does not have an optimum escapement goal and forecast for pink salmon. In fact, they do not monitor the run. The only way to know how well, or poor, a run is is what anglers are experiencing on the river.

Overall, my experience was the 2024 pink salmon run was below average.  

When we actually targeted pink salmon the fishing was very good. However, the constant flow of fish wasn’t there. And, the duration of the run wasn’t there either.

I will say I was disappointed that the run wasn’t large enough to catch pink off of the dock. It’s always a fun bonus for our guests.

But, I’m not concerned just yet about the future of the pink salmon runs. You can always have an off year, but a trend would consist of at least 4 down cycles in a row (think the king salmon runs). Time will tell if this is the start of a decline.

A couple fun facts about pink salmon on the Kenai River.

• They’re the only salmon fry that doesn’t overwinter in the river before migrating out to sea.
• They’re the only salmon that has a single run, and not a double run.
• The run happens every other year on the even years. 2026 will be the next opportunity to tangle with a pink salmon. 

Next week will be my final fishing recap of 2024. The spotlight will be on silver salmon.

See you then.

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That being said, it’s time to share the daily photos of happy anglers.

Day 1, Blinn Week 2. Steve, John, Brandon, and Shane.

Day 2, Blinn Week 2. Brandon, Will, and Cody

Day 3, Blinn Week 2. I actually fished John, Steve, Derek, and Russell. This was a day we released pink salmon and targeted silvers. 

Here was the highlight of the week. The first silver salmon double of the year. That’s Derek and Steve (John let Steve pose for the photo).

Day 4, Blinn Week 2. Don, Brandon, and Steve. They kept just enough pinks to grill that night for everyone in the cabins. 

Day 5, Blinn Week 2. Steve, Shane, Steve, and John.

Day 6, Blinn Week 2, Transition Day. Jo Ray, Leslie, and Steve.

You might be wondering why there are only 3 silver salmon in the photo above. There is news I’m not excited to report on. The usually robust pink and silver salmon runs in SouthCentral Alaska have been anything but. Many rivers and creeks have been closed or restricted. On 8/23 the Kenai River daily limit has been reduced to a single silver salmon. Starting 9/1, the limit will be reduced from 3 to 2 silvers. Let’s hope that ADFG wasn’t too late in taking action to preserve and maintain future salmon runs. 

In the meantime, we’re going to keep fishing and take in all the Kenai River has to offer.

You never who’ll join you for breakfast…

See you next week.

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This was our pattern every day. Head out fishing at 5:30am and set up on anchor targeting silver salmon. When the silver bite slowed down mid morning, move to the islands and cast spinner baits to catch whatever might be there. Around 1-2pm we were worn out and headed back to the cabins. We’d take photos and then process the salmon.

I’m going to change up my normal fishing report. Instead of describing each day of the week on the river, I’m posting a daily photo.

Day 1 of Blinn Week 1. Robert, CR, John, and Scott.

Day 2 of Blinn Week 1. Jo Ray, Dan, Bill and Paul.

I really wasn’t planning on running two trips on Tuesday, but the Ranua family (not part of the Gary Blinn crew) wanted to have a Kenai River experience, and not a harvest. That was reason enough to give them a couple of hours on the river. The best part of this trip is that I got to hear the trifecta of guiding compliments…first fish, the most fish, and biggest fish they have ever caught.

Day 3 of Blinn Week 1. Robert, CR, Brad, and John.

Day 4 of Blinn Week 1. Ben, Renee, Mike, and Dan.

Day 5 of Blinn Week 1 morning crew. Mike, Bill, and Jo Ray (not pictured, Paul).
Day 5 of Blinn Week 1, afternoon crew. Bill and Paul (not pictured, Richard).

For Blinn Week 2, I expect the pattern to repeat itself. Pinks, silvers, and a lot of fun people to spend the day with.

A final bit of advice. If you’re reading this report and are coming soon, be sure to pack warm clothes. We have had ice on the dock in the morning, twice this past week. 

See you next week.

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Not this year.

It’s been a struggle to find good numbers of salmon all week. Rising and dirty water doesn’t help either.

I’ll start out the blog post with the first silver caught this year from the boat. I think Dennis and I were both surprised when it hit five minutes after the anchor was set. 

This was the last trip of the year wearing waders. From left to right are Frank, Dennis, Cindy and Steve with a mix of red, pink, and silver salmon. Not a bad way to end the bank fishing part of the season.

Frank proudly holding a nice early season silver salmon.

Cindy and Steve with a couple of hard earned silvers along with a couple of pink salmon.

How’s this for determination? Francis broke his leg at the end of June and wasn’t going to let it get in the way of fishing in Alaska. Francis and his extended family have been staying in the cabins the past two weeks and have been fishing every day. 

Even though he mostly sat in the boat trying to catch pink and silver salmon, Francis couldn’t help himself and decided to get on shore to try his hand at red salmon fishing. Even from a chair he still had the touch. Amazing.

I finished the week fishing Shane, and his sons Colton and Beckett. It was a wet August morning, but that didn’t interfere with them having fun. It was their first time fishing the Kenai River and I bet it won’t be their last.

The week ahead will be Blinn Week 1. Gary, unfortunately, will not be here. He had unexpected surgery on his hamstring and has a long rehab ahead of him. After 26 years of apprenticeship, Jo Ray will lead the group through three weeks of fishing on the Kenai Peninsula. I think he’ll do an excellent job.

Here’s one last photo I’ll share before I sign off. These guys have been hanging out around the cabins lately. I never get tired of caribou.

See you next week!

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I started the week with one last red salmon trip with Team Simms/Colorado. Dario, AJ, Tony, Fernando, and Joe had no problem figuring out the Kenai flip. Not everyone got their six fish limit, but it was close. What a wonderful group of nice, young men. 

The next day I was reunited with Cy and Tom. We ended up with a nice mix of silver, red, and pink salmon.

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of spending the day with AJ, Joe, Don and Suzanne. 

Not a bad Wednesday with people I like to hang out with.  From left to right is Cy, Tom, Mary (The Closer), and Mike. Steady fishing and great conversation made the morning go by fast.

On Thursday, Mike, AJ, Joe, Dario (subbing for Don), spent a rainy day on the river. Fishing was decent, but slower than the day before. Still, not a bad day at all.

Friday, I fished with Cy and Tom again. The pinks were there, but we had trouble finding silver salmon.  We ended up with two for the day. Hey guys, thanks for a great week. I’ll see you in 2023!

Saturday morning I was with long time guests Martin, Jacob, and Chris. With high, debris filled water, it was easily our slowest day on the river. We caught about a dozen pink salmon, but kept just enough for a photo.

Saturday afternoon John, Diedre, Tim, and Jeanne were a fun bunch to visit with. The bite was better than the morning, but still on the slow side. 

For the upcoming week it will be Blinn #2 in the cabins and in the boat. I expect the fishing to be more consistent, but you never know what Mother Nature has in store. See you next week!

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