Salmon in Alaska

wadshooter said:

I know this probably doesn't belong in this forum topic but I figured id share with you guys. I recently had an opportunity to go to alaska for 2 weeks on an all expenses paid trip and while I was there I got to do some salmon fishing on a fly. I got my limit in no time which had some locals fish in nezt to me upset and wondering how I managed to limit out so quickly seeing as how this was the first time ive been salmon fishing. The trip alone was once in a lifetime and an unbelievable experience. In all honesty salmon fishing is probably easier than catching bait on a sabiki rig. When these things get in the swift current from the rivers they put up one heck of a fight. Here's a couple of pics of a few salmon I caught. If you ever have a chance to go to alaska GO. Pictures dont do it justice. It t ruely is the last frontier.

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Very cool. To be fair, those are Sockeye salmon, which are significantly easier to catch than the other pacific species aside from Chum maybe. Not to discredit how cool your fishing trip was, but when they are running, they can be like shooting fish in a barrel. It's awesome you got them while they were still fairly chrome. They have awesome spawning colors, but are usually not good to eat by that point. Chinook or Coho are significantly more challenging. Sockeye strike lures and flies out of aggression rather than as a food source. Their primary diet is plankton, which is unique to the salmon species. The upside to them being easy to catch, is that they are also thought of as the best tasting salmon. That one male you caught is a very good sized one as well. By now, Sockeye and kings are almost done running and it should be starting into Coho and pinks. Alaska is pretty awesome. I want to get back up there again in the next couple years to try mousing big wild rainbows. I've never caught more beautifully colored rainbow trout than the ones up there.