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Mystic Waters Fly fishing - News, Reports and Articles
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Stacy and I finally took our first fun trip on the Kenai. I started things off by catching a 29" rainbow. What a way to begin. I was pretty satisfied until Stacy stuck a fish that we finally taped after a 15 min battle. It was 32" by 18". So, Stacy raised the bar pretty high right off the bat. What a day!
April 2004
Stacy shook off winter and got out on the Upper Kenai in early April. While Stacy was floating the Kenai with some friends of mine, I was fishing in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River in Colorado. Stacy landed a number of fat healthy rainbows on big flesh patterns. I caught lots of 18-20" fish on size 20 flies. We both had great days on Mystic Waters.
I have learned to chase carp. They can be very challenging and often run quite large. They will never replace big rainbows, but are great practice for saltwater flats fishing and plenty of fun in their own right.
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Some big fish get caught in the early season...
Larry Gough of Anchorage caught this beautiful rainbow on June 7, 2002. On June 4, 2003, Ben Matheson caugtht the huge fish seen on the "Trophy Rainbow" page.
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Mid May to Early June:
King Salmon arrive on the Lower Kenai and Kasilof Rivers. The search for trophy trout on the Lower Kenai begins. Last season, we caught a number of fish in the 30” range and many over 24”.
Highlights: Kings or big beautifully colored Rainbows. It is prime time to catch a big trout on a streamer.
June 11 to late June:
The Upper Kenai fishing season opens. Rainbows will be hungry. Sockeye Salmon are usually moving by the opening and some years can be quite heavy. The 2002 season was a record breaker, but 2003 was average. We hope to have another great early sockeye run. The Sockeye run usually tapers off by late June.
Highlights: Early run Sockeye are chrome bright and full of fight. Rainbow fishing can be fair to excellent depending on the day. Some dollies are present and they are eager.
Late June to Mid July:
As the Sockeye run tapers, the trout become top dogs again. Rainbows continue feeding on remaining salmon flesh, juvenile salmon and bugs (primarily caddis).
Highlights: Chasing rainbows! More dollies begin to appear.
Mid July to Mid August:
The second run of Sockeye Salmon begin moving through in groups starting about July 10 with the run building in volume later in the month. Some King Salmon begin spawning and the egg bite will happen wherever we find them.
Highlights: Second run Sockeye are large tackle busters. We had a huge run in 2003. Rainbow fishing can be excellent and large dollies become common.
Mid August to September 20:
The feast is on. Kings are spawning and the egg bite is on. Sockeye begin spawning and the trout fishing jumps up several notches. Silver Salmon arrive and become great combatants.
Highlights: Lots of trout and dolly action! Silvers on streamers!
Late September to Early October:
The spawning season has peaked, but the spoils can keep trout fishing strong. Most of the Sockeye Salmon are done spawning and the river wide egg bite slows down a bit as trout begin feeding on flesh. We target specific areas and sometimes have our best shots at big trout and richly colored dollies.
Highlights: Beautiful fall colors, big rainbows and dollies, it is simply a magical time to fish Alaska!
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Many guests from the 2003 season have rebooked for 2004. Lots of new folks are finding this website and planning their trip with Mystic Waters. If you are planning a trip, please contact me soon. Available dates are becoming limited.
Email Fred
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Stacy Corbin built a great house and our guests who stayed there in 2003 loved it. We have it filled for several multi-day groups, but open nights remain. It is a perfect fit to stay at Stacy's "Kenai Lake Retreat" and fish with Mystic Waters.
If Stacy's house is not available or you would like other options, please let me know. I work with several folks who offer unique lodgings.
LODGING WITH MYSTIC WATERS
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I have developed a great relationship with a fly shop in Colorado called Western Anglers. If you are looking for any new gear, Western Anglers is the place to shop and you can easily do it online or by phone. Jerry usually has great specials on rods, reels and soft goods. I am now working in the Shop in Grand Junction Colorado from mid October to May. 800-513-3474
In addition to hosting several group trips to Alaska with Mystic Waters, Western Anglers travels to other worldwide destinations, including Belize, Mexico, and Costa Rica. It is my future goal to begin hosting some winter trips. Please let me know if you are interested in the possibility of joining a small group of fly-fishers heading to a unique destination.
Remember that Mystic Waters will tie you a batch of flies for your next Alaska fishing trip or for other destinations for that matter. Just contact Fred if you are interested.
Get your Mystic Flies
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