Welcome to Alaska

Alaska is easily recognizable in the vast expanses of alpine tundra, marshy bogs, scenic mountains and, of course, their rivers.  It is a place rich in wildlife, with bears, wolves, whales, seals, otters and eagles frequently being seen and/or heard. It is also home to huge annual migrations of five different species of pacific salmon, as well as runs of steelhead at the end of the season. But ask any Alaskan what their favorite fish to catch on a fly rod is, and most will definitively answer rainbows. The rainbow fishery in Alaska is nothing short of phenomenal, with specimens getting quite large from the smorgasbord of salmon eggs and flesh of dying salmon during the short, but potent growing season. Now, it certainly is a long way to go to catch a rainbow, but when you consider the entire Alaskan package, you’ll wonder why you ever waited so long. During the month of July, it’s still light out at midnight, and it is possible to fish until you drop from exhaustion at that time of year. A great many of Alaska's fishing lodges are located on the Alaskan Peninsula,  a spectacular place where salmon swim straight from the ocean into the numerous mountain streams, rivers and lakes to spawn during the summer. Fishing in Alaska requires a fishing license and most lodges practice catch and release for all rainbow trout.  If you plan to harvest salmon, it is not a problem, you will just need to purchase a conservation stamp.