Alaska Fishing with Mark Glassmaker
Guide to Alaska Fishing
Alaska Lodging Alaska
Salmon Fishing Alaska Halibut 1-800-622-1177Alaska Fishing on the Chuitna RiverChuitna King Fishing is every anglers dream come true....
This was an exceptional day, but the Chuitna is a very dependable fishery during a select portion of June. Anglers that target that ten-day to two-week window will be well rewarded. The logistics for reaching the Chuitna require a 20-minute floatplane ride from Kenai and then a helicopter jump from a nearby lake. You and your guide will be set down on your own private stretch of river. See our rates page for pricing. Call or email us today for current availability. |
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©
2004, Alaska Fishing with Mark Glassmaker |
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Certain
expectations always accompany any fishing trip to Alaska. Hardly any
destination will fulfill every preconceived notion you may have about
fishing the Greatland but the Chuitna comes darn close. Visiting this
modest, clear flowing Alaska River surrounded by lush forest and teeming
with ocean bright king salmon is a unique experience. Being transported
to this glorious location by helicopter doesn't hurt. This is the type
of trip where you haven't even made your first cast and you already
feel like you've had a once in a lifetime experience. Then you get a
bite that almost pulls you off the gravel. 
When
Fish Alaska magazine editor Troy Leatherman, photojournalist Tony Weaver
and I visited this area this past June, our timing was nothing less
than perfect. We had a number of promising factors in our favor and
as we charged through the river corridor in the helicopter. I was sure
my heart was racing in pace with the rotors. The river was receding
and clearing nicely after recent heavy rains and the river had just
opened to fishing for king salmon. We inspected a 2-3 mile section of
the river just above tidewater and finally settled on an inviting reach
with a long stretch of fast, deep water culminating in a nice slow bucket.
This was sure to hold a few fish and I asked the pilot over the radio
to set it down. We unloaded our stuff and the pilot told us he'd be
doing a "fly-by" approximately every hour. He told us to motion
"thumbs up" to stay and "thumbs down" to be moved.
After these simple instructions, he was gone. The windy noisy commotion
was now a distant and fading hum eclipsed by a racing river and the
intoxicating peace of Alaska wilderness. 
Our
party proceeded to land multiple king salmon and hook many, many others.
We never moved. The fish were mostly concentrated in the deep seam of
the main hole but we did find them on the edges, at the top of the run,
and in the tail out. Can you say loaded? The recent "flush"
of high water into the Inlet had lured a bountiful quarry and they were
super aggressive. Many still had multiple sea-lice still clinging to
their bodies and their sides sparkled with iridescent chrome. 