9/3/12 fly fishing Russian river

Well today is another early day up at 530 to be ready to leave by 630 for fly fishing for rainbow trout. Well we have about an hours drive to the fishing hole which will be the Russian river near cooper landing ak. We followed the guide over to the spot in the rv as this will limit our driving today as we will be going to Seward after, about a 1.5 hour drive. All three of us geared up in hip waders to hike down about a mile into the river where we are fishing. The reason mom is coming is we are told there are bears everywhere eating on the salmon. So this should be fun fishing with the bears in Alaska.

So this park has walking paths right to the river and in to not disturb the forest floor which was nice. At first glance the river was full of red salmon all spawning and then tons of dead ones on the side, some eating some not all signs of bear. Well our mission was rainbow so this is going to be difficult to navigate through the reds since this is not what we are fishing for this time. Cast after cast nothing, no bears which is good and bad as looking to see them up close, moved up and down the lower portion to the mouth still nothing. Was about 1130 so decided to get lunch and move up to the upper portion of the river and try our luck there for trout.

After lunch another mile or so hike in and began fishing. This time less reds so we were not losing hooks on them more fishing. Finally dad hooked one and it was a fight. He was so happy I could tell and gave me this look that you would have to see, well you need to net the fish to count. So he fought and fought tried to move to the calm portion of the stream and just as it was getting netted snap, pulled free. Guide said it was big and I could tell by the pull it was a bog rainbow, just something we never see so that pull is difficult on 4 lb test.

We decided to move around in the same area and I was working a side arm cast and some people hiking were watching and bam, a monster rainbow hits my line. This thing pulled and was all over the stream, so with 4 lb test was a slow pull to the side of the stream, worked him over and with a good guide got him in the net. Dad was so made he wanted that first fish, but I got it a 22inch rainbow and fat. Now dad said this was his fish but no hook in its mouth so it wasn't his.

Some more fishing up river with no succes so we moved back to the good hole we could see the rainbow in and tried again. Now I was tired it was about 3 so was just letting dad fish for a while and just watched. He moved up stream and I came in behind and two strikes but couldn't get them in, and a dolly garden strike got it in to the net. So for me a good day but fun for all.

Drove the rv to Seward and this was the one luxury rv park, because it had laundry so we could do that before the cruise. Well we got here great drive and parked went to level the rv and prep the fish, where are the keys (keep in mind dad split the keys so we wouldn't be locked out of the rv, there are two doors in). Well we searched and searched, mom had them last and she was so said that they were missing. Dad doesn't take things easy and was remaing for him cool and we started to think about options, called aaa, called rv place, tried a couple other caper people to see if there worked nothing. Well exhausted it all were just going to sit here and not get in and wait two more days until back up in anchorage. Well mom decided to do laundry and be by herself well she found them, in dads pants pockets. So we will never know how they got there but everything returned to order and had some good salmon steaks and played some cards for the evening. Tomorrow a wildlife cruise and hopefully another great day.