• Chest waders or waist waders and appropriate socks
• Sun Glasses— Polaroid (dark or amber color)
• Water Bottle
• Camera
• Reading material and glasses
• Line, flies, lures
• Hat and warm gloves
• Slippers for around camp
• Favorite folding or sheath knife
• Medicine bring plenty of extra on your person
• Day bag preferably waterproof for cameras, gloves, extra fishing equipment
• Warm jacket
• Rain jacket/pants
• Your regular gear for daily fishing

SPIN FISHING EQUIPMENT:

• Ultralight combination, 4-6 lb. test monofilament for Graying, Char (Dolly Varden trout), and Pink Salmon (Humpies)
• Medium weight combination, 8-12 lb. test for larger Char, Northern Pike, CoHo (Silvers) Salmon, and Chum Salmon

Lures:

• Sizes #2 Mepps spinners (silver or gold), 1/4-3/8 oz. pixies and spoons, small Spin N Glow, and panther martins for char , grayling, and pink salmon
• Sizes #3 to #5 Mepps (fluorescent red and orange), 3/8 oz.- 7/8 oz. pixies (hot pink, orange, or green) and other bright orange spoons are great for larger salmon.
• #5 Mepps spinners (fluorescent), large spoons, large surface plugs (some weedless) for pike

This doesn’t scratch the surface of the wide variety of lures that will prove effective for Alaska’s freshwater fishing, but is a basic collection of sure-fire fish getters.

We have an ample supply of lures for purchase that will work during the time you are fishing in the Fish River system.

FLY FISHING EQUIPMENT

• Light rod rated #4-#6 with a med. sink rate line and a floating line for grayling, char, and pink salmon
• Heavy fly rod rated #7-#9 with a medium sink rate line for larger char, northern pike, silver salmon, and chum salmon

Folks have come up to fish salmon and not brought a sinking line. They were planning on using lead weights to get their line down or use sinking tippets which is a pain and doesn’t work very well.
Spend the extra $ for the sinking line and save yourself some grief.

FLIES:

If you wish to tie your own flies, here are some suggestions. If making wet flys, be sure to weight them. Adding weight to your leader turns into a pain . Anything that makes a wake on the top of the water will work for grayling. Include some flies tied on keel type and or weed guards. Use strong hooks.

• Sculpin and leech type flies: Bunny flies and Wooly Buggers #4 size (black, orange, hot pink, flesh-colored, and especially purple),
• Marabou leech #4 for Chum, Pink, Silvers , arctic char and grayling.
• Egg sucking leaches (purple or black) work super for almost anything.
• Egg patterns: Glo-bugs or single egg flies on #6 and #8 hooks for Grayling and Char
• Streamer and misc. patterns: Polar Shrimp , Mickey Finn, Orange Comets, Green Boss, egg sucking leaches and various gaudy flash fly pattern in size 4 are great for Chum, pink, Silvers, Grayling and Char. You may want to tie some of these on larger hooks for King salmon.
• A small assortment of dry flies, size #10 to #14: Humpy, Black Gnat, Adams, Wolf, and irresistible patterns are great for Grayling and Char. Rubber Flies –Chernobyl Ants and Beetles are couple of hot Grayling flies.
• Bring several sizes of flesh flys with a dab of orange on it. They were working on everything last year.
• Include your own favorite trout and salmon flies. Favorite flies seem to catch more fish all over the world.

A couple years ago one of our guys was catching silvers on a fly he used for marlin in Mexico. Our fish up here like action in the fly especially when dry fly fishing.
As I mentioned before on fly rods bring a light rod with floating line and a heaver rod with a medium sinking fly line (not a sinking tippet but a sinking fly line)

If you have any questions or doubts on the type of gear to bring PLEASE email us and we’ll help you in making a choice.

Tom Gray’s Email:  tom@akadventure.com