“There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot” – Aldo Leopold.

Why immerse ourselves in Alaska’s wild landscape, and explore the untamed rivers? Why fish and camp far beyond motorized transport? Partly because we are looking for better fishing than we would find near the lodges. But perhaps, we seek something more through our fly-fishing passion than a day trip provides or than a trophy fish in a photograph could recall. Author Paul Brooks said in Roadless Area, “In every Wilderness trip there comes a moment of awareness, a sudden sense that you are there.” He described a deepening feeling of connection to nature after he and his wife had put three or four canoe portages between them and the last settlement. Do some of us need to immerse ourselves for longer periods in wilder places, not only for the fishing, but for other reasons too?

Once we’ve been dropped of in the Bristol Bay Wilderness, we are certain of several things. Our raft will certainly pass through a vast, post-glacial landscape. Between casts, we will wade in the clean cold water noticing grizzly bear tracks and salmon carcasses scattered about. We will walk downstream re-casting the fly, watching the drift, mending the line, and retrieve. Gusts of wind coursing across the tundra will blow our mental clutter away, making us focus on the fundamentals of our sport. The Arctic Tern will dive in front of the raft, emerging while dripping beads of water, with a sockeye smolt in her blood red bill. The passage of the cloud shadows on the tundra will create dramatic light. And, perhaps, let come the realization that “I am tremendously grateful to be here at this exact moment participating in nature’s great drama.”

Only in Wilderness, can we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the events of these moments are “true”, and not modified by man. There is no detail except our own actions that can be changed to make the moment a more “perfect” experience. If we find fault – it reflects only our human limitations. Perhaps we feel diminished by the weather or nervous about the Brown Bear. Perhaps we fail to land the greatest rainbow trout of our life. Or, it is equally possible that we land the lovely fish and learn about the bear and don’t simply fear it. Perhaps we will adapt our minds to the weather. One thing is certain; when we fly fish in the Bristol Bay Wilderness, we’ll participate in a drama in which man’s role is small in a vast natural world.

Mark Rutherford
1-206-617-9799

See for yourself what it is like to be on a wilderness-based fly fishing float trip with us! Get a glimpse of our philosophy, and the way we do things.

Not Saying “Give Up Chasing Trophy Rainbow Trout” when you fly fish and raft down a spectacular tundra river. But you should know why Sea run Dolly Varden Char are spectacular and why anglers travel to Bristol Bay Alaska specifically for huge pre-spawn males in mid-late July.

Here’s the beta: There are more than 50,000 Sea Run Dolly Varden returning to the 5 primary rivers we fish. The peak of the run is July 15-30. The July fish are the largest adults and are returning to the river where they were born to stake a headwater territory and spawn. An 18- 24” adult is a great fish and is the backbone of the trophy fishery. The most memorable fish push 28”. They are often highly pigmented in pre-spawn colors and considered by many to be more beautiful than the Leopard Spotted Rainbow. Plus the return of the largest Dolly Varden Char coincides with the lowest water levels and best weather of the summer.

Want to know more? Does the enigmatic Char intrigue you? Do you wonder why a fish tagged on the Togiak River, Goodnews, or Nushagak is later caught hundreds of miles away up the Yukon? Dollies intrigue me! Like so many others I was once enthralled only with large Rainbows but then I incidentally took a few really notable Char. The whole deal is changed now. The big Char are treasured, they are not easy, yet are sublimely beautiful like a brook trout is beautiful. We cast as they bust balls of smelt in the brackish estuary or while herding salmon fry in the headwaters. We throw the biggest streamers in the box in deep channels or sometimes must make perfect matches to the salmon egg “hatch” on the flats. This is a fish you want to spend some time with and it doesn’t hurt that the Rainbow and Salmon fishing is spectacular at the same time.

The 2012 Bristol Bay Fly Fishing season was positively stellar for Wild River Guides with one exception. We took “One Tough Trip Through Paradise” when Erik Oster, Steve Call, Olly Merrill and I attempted the first rafting descent of Moose creek into Lake Beverly and that is an adventure story that you will want to wait to read about when the season reports are published. Continue reading →

It is so much more complex to stock your Alaska fly box for July than for June or August! A great deal more total feed is available to resident fish in July than in June including fry of salmon, trout, char, and Grayling. There are Caddis, stone, & mayfly nymphs, plus salmon spawn and a bit of flesh late in July. While I have not seen stickleback in July, occasionally small Lamprey are present and Sculpin are pounced upon with enthusiasm. In July forage diversity is at the seasonal apex.

In mid July, adult sea run Dolly Varden Char begin to return to the rivers. In the last week of July a weather transition can begin bringing autumn storms. Finally you need Coho / Silver fly patterns in late July. All 5 Salmon can be present after Coho arrive yielding the Pacific salmon “Grand Slam”. Continue reading →

Flies for 1 person for 1 week on a float trip or fishing with the region’s best lodges.

This is a multi species list, with an emphasis on June Rainbow Trout and Arctic Grayling, plus all of the other sport-fish in the Bristol Bay watersheds including Arctic Char, Lake Trout, early Kings, Sockeye, and Northern Pike. A short discussion follows.

First, don’t leave home without these 5 items in your carry on luggage.

1. Your best Polaroid glasses.
2. Your Rx medications.
3. Your favorite waterproof/breathable wading or fully waterproof rain jacket with retractors for hemostat and line nipper and 2 large pockets for fly boxes.
4. Waders you completely trust which will get the equivalent of a full year of normal use during your AK trip.
5. Wading boots that fit. Felt soles were outlawed in AK in 2012. The sticky rubber soles are now quite good. No “cleated, nailed, or studded” boots in rafts or cabins.

Why? In case Alaska Airlines loses you’re checked bags with your clothing, rods, reels, and flies. You came a long way! Improvise and go fish! Continue reading →