Alaska Part II: Born Bullies!! The Silver Salmon!

Last year when we decided on heading north to Alaska, All I could think about was the Silver Salmon (Coho) slamming pink & purple marabous, leeches, and Wogs on the surface! The thought of your rod being nearly pulled from your hand by this acrobatic silver bully was a constant day dream during my long flights. Needless to say I didn't sleep a wink on the way there...

During our stay we fished the Naknek River and one of her tributaries King Salmon Creek. The cool thing was that a multitude of different flies were successful and made for some fun, fast, and exciting fishing. I really wanted to catch a silver on a pink Polly Wog on the surface. I spent alot of time slowly retrieving the wog across the rivers. I had my fair share of hair raising explosions on the surface. Even though I did not land a silver on the dry the experience was well worth the try. Many of the silvers attacked the surface fly so aggressively, the salmon literally sent the fly sailing through the air in a violent explosion to the rivers surface. This was that deer in head lights experience, when you look over at the next guy with that " holy crap did you just see that?" look on your face.

We did hook and land our fair share on small leeches, woolly buggers, Popsicles, and PT nymphs. Silvers fight like hell too, leaping, cartwheeling, death rolling, and lighting fast runs that made sure you saw your backing! Salmon from the Salt are mean and lean, and there is no comparing them to their cousins in the Great Lakes. The Silver Salmon was by far the most exciting Salmon I have ever caught on the fly!!!

Dave, Joel, Joe, and Jay go 4 of 4! The action was awesome! Just watching these guys battle was priceless..

Big silver that took a black Crystal bugger, slowly stripped through one of the pools on king Salmon Creek.

Dave battles and brings a bruiser silver to the net.

John casting over a pool filled with aggressive silvers.

Joe with a fresh Silver on the Naknek River.

Dave had the hot rod!! Another fresh fat King Salmon Creek Silver!

Joel with a heavy Silver caught on a PT Nymph.

Dave with a heavy kyped buck.

Joel with another Silver Bullet...

Buck Silver Salmon Mug Shot

John demonstrates a very common scene while fishing for silvers! Boy did we miss and lose alot of good fish!!!

My river side fly shop and gear. The barn was pack full of Buggers, leeches, flesh, marabous, and various other streamers.

John with a good silver, we had to chase down in the sled!!!

Phil with a fat hen Silver Salmon.

John with a fat Silver Buck from King Salmon Creek.

The Release..

This Red Pig gave me the fight of my life, and was the biggest Silver I landed while in AK...

I will get more pics up as they slowly come in... So many pics from the guys it hard to show everything!!! Stay tuned for the Rainbow and Sockeye blogs in the coming week!!

Tight Lines!!!

Greg Senyo

SAO