I hope the fall is treating all of you well, whether it be fishing, hunting, or golfing? I think between the three pursuits, that covers all of our passions. This past summer went by very quickly. We had a slow start to the King run, but luckily the sockeyes were there in mass to offer great action and an added bonus to the fish box for those who wished to take some fresh salmon home. Despite the slow King return, we still managed to catch some Kings on the fly the first week working the corners in the morning before the sun got too high above the horizon, and all guests connected with conventional gear as usual and were able to take home some nice chrome male Kings along with plenty of sockeye salmon. The braids fished really well this week on streamers and mice patterns in the back channels, providing great top water action. This week was our best week in the braids the entire summer for rainbow action.
The second week was still below normal on the Kings and the weather only got hotter, raising the water temp by week’s end to allow for swimming on the Alagnak with not even a goose bump to report! The lower braids of the Alagnak fished well with some big bows landed over the 20 inch mark along with some nice ones just under 20 inches. The sockeye continued to pour up the river through the second week, providing a great alternative to the king fishing.
The entire state reported below normal king runs and there is a lot of speculation as to why, but for now we can only assume it is a cycle and that we are at the bottom of the curve. As stated before, the warm weather did not help anything out and when it did finally break, and the water temperature came back down to normal the third week, the chums started to pour in to the river daily offering fantastic action. The Kings during this week were steady, and all guests connected with nice chromers to take home along with the last of the sockeyes as their three week run came to an end. Our first fly out of the season took place this week, and it was a great trip to Brooks River. We fished dry flies and nymphs. Bead head nymphs and caddis flies were the ticket above the falls, and below, the big boys were eating midge larvae in size 22 like they were double cheeseburgers! The light tippets used to fish tiny midges made it darn near impossible to land these 20 plus inch rainbows, but several did get landed and photographed.
During the fourth week the King run picked up nicely. Most all guests caught some big Kings pitching gear into holding holes in the lower river or drifting the runs. The silvers started to show at the end of the fourth week along with a great chum run that only got stronger as the week went on. The run provided great opportunities on the dry fly as well as the traditional wet flies for silvers and chums. All guests that wanted to take silver salmon home were able to take a cooler full of prime fillets. Fly outs to Contact creek and Brooks River were nothing short of spectacular this week. Very few casts went un-touched on Contact creek, connecting with either a nice Char, Rainbow, or Grayling! Brooks was hot with solid rainbow action on egg patterns and nymphs, and despite 60 mph peak wind gusts, all guests wanted to return for another day of fine Brooks rainbow action! The braids this week slowed down quite a bit but still gave up some nice bows, just not in the numbers we are accustomed to seeing.
With a bunch of seasoned veterans coming in for the fifth week, and a couple of new guys as well, it did not take long for all to settle down and relax once they experienced how good and consistent the salmon fishing was right out the front door! Chrome bright Silvers and Chums came in on the tides so thick that it was hard to go more than a few casts without a strike! The fly outs to Moraine Creek, Contact Creek, and Brooks River this week were all unbelievable, and perma grins were the norm around the dinner table every night of the week! Moraine once again yielded the longest bow of the year at 29 inches! We had one on that would have hit the 30 inch mark, but it broke off in a school of holding sockeye.
The last week for 09 was nothing short of extraordinary. We witnessed what I feel was the best Silver Salmon fishing Angler’sAlibi has ever had! The lower tidewater bars were a sure thing every morning for several dime bright silvers, and the chums were still coming up to keep the action as good as it gets in Alaska! Silvers on dry flies, Silvers on wet flies, Silvers on fast strip retrieves, Silvers, Silvers, Silvers! The fly out we did this week to upper American Creek was one of my most memorable trips of all time. All guests caught nice Rainbows and Char, and there were several double headers. There was barely a time when one of the 4 guests rods wasn't bent! What a week! I am happy to report that Jim is coming back for another year and as of right now, Hunter is still not sure with his school schedule. Karl will be coming up of later than usual, skipping set up this year and enjoying a little more spring golf in N.Y. this June. Thank goodness, Jeff and Zach will be there again executing their guide duties second to none. Abby will be back to keep the camp running smooth on the beach side of things, and the chef position is yet to be filled, although we have some excellent candidates for next summer.
Special thanks to one and all for making 2009 a great season. We hope to see all of you again for more great Alaska fishing!

Thank you,

John Perry Manager