The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

A couple buddies and I are putting together a multi-day float trip on the American (maybe the Alagnak, but probably the American) in September. Any of you folks have any first hand-information on a float down that river? I know the salmon are done by then, so we'll be targeting the big bows.

Any stories? Bluegrass Bill's report last summer looked too good not to try myself...

Thanks in advance!

You will be in for a great time. That is a great time of the year to throw some flesh flies in addition to beads. Watch out for the bears though because there is a bunch of them there.

Yeah...I can't wait. I've heard there are a ton of bears up there getting fat that time of year. Hopefully, they'll be too fat to be interested in what we're doing...

In early July I''ll be doing a little detour from the "Savonoski" kayak loop to check out Colville lake, and certainly the mouth of the American. I'm guessing the mouth could be anything from a) slow-moving, shallow water and not very fishy to b) a nice "boca fishing" style situation with grayling and bows in the current and char and lakers lurking on the dropoffs.

Later in the year when you're there, covering the whole river, eggs and flesh will probably be deadly, as Norcalbob pointed out.

I'll also be taking a raft down the Alagnak in July with a buddy. You can't beat that area for great fly fishing water

Nice! I'm not sure what the mouth of the American looks like...either way, I'm sure it'll be sweet.

Yeah, it sounds like we'll be fishing a lot of protein flies...I can't wait.

Wow...the Alagnak in July...that is going to be nuts! I would love to be on those rivers during the salmon runs...



Pit Boss wrote:
In early July I''ll be doing a little detour from the "Savonoski" kayak loop to check out Colville lake, and certainly the mouth of the American. I'm guessing the mouth could be anything from a) slow-moving, shallow water and not very fishy to b) a nice "boca fishing" style situation with grayling and bows in the current and char and lakers lurking on the dropoffs.

Later in the year when you're there, covering the whole river, eggs and flesh will probably be deadly, as Norcalbob pointed out.

I'll also be taking a raft down the Alagnak in July with a buddy. You can't beat that area for great fly fishing water

I've been on the American a few times, never down by the mouth but flown in and guided many people there. Be prepared for crowded river with rafters like yourself and on the Alagnak as well. I would recogmend Branch River Air Service they will get you there and you can rent rafts from them two. Van (the owner) is a good guy with great pilots and gear. If you hit it right you could be the only one on the river and I hope you get that experience. Flesh flies and egg paterns that time of year, mudlers will due well.

Cool...thanks for the tips, SN! Branch River looks like a sweet outfit, but we're already squared away with some folks my buddy heard of from his days guiding up there.

We'll be floating out on Saturday, September 13th and taking out on the 20th. I'm hoping the bows and char are nice and fat by then. The bears too, actually. There was another group going in the week before us, but that's clearly not an issue. I'm hoping it's nice and quiet.

Good to know about the muddlers...that'll be a nice switch from flesh and eggs. Thanks!

Sockeyenut wrote:
I've been on the American a few times, never down by the mouth but flown in and guided many people there. Be prepared for crowded river with rafters like yourself and on the Alagnak as well. I would recogmend Branch River Air Service they will get you there and you can rent rafts from them two. Van (the owner) is a good guy with great pilots and gear. If you hit it right you could be the only one on the river and I hope you get that experience. Flesh flies and egg paterns that time of year, mudlers will due well.

I've flown in with Van twice, and he is dependable and increasingly friendly. The first year he only grunted, and the second he said two or three words Just kidding -- but he is a man of few words.

On the Alagnak you can get at least a little more solitude by starting on the Kukaklek branch, as we will do this year. Wimpy people are scared away by a rapid whose class III rating would make California boaters chuckle. Just kidding again -- the rapid is serious business, but quite doable.