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Welcome to the spring edition of the Mystic Fishing Line. Rather than burden your hard drive with a huge file, I decided to do this seasons news right on my website. The goal of this e-newsletter is to provide information and interesting content about the Kenai River and Mystic Waters Fly-fishing. I also hope to stay in touch with past (and future) guests in order to help keep their memories alive until I can see them on the Mystic Waters again. Please feel free to comment on the contents. I’d also love to hear any stories you have or see some pictures from your Alaska trip if you’ve been withholding them.
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Stacy and I have fished together for several years. Stacy guided some trips with me this past season and will be running full steam throughout 2002. He adds a new dimension to Mystic Waters. We will now be able to accommodate groups of up to eight people without contracting outside guides. Stacy did an excellent job last year on the trips he guided and his guests were pleased with his services. I am happy to have Stacy as my new guide and partner.
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During the February 2002, Board of Fisheries (BOF) meeting held in Anchorage, the BOF adopted several regulation changes, which will be in effect for the 2002 fishing season.
"When fishing with beads in the Northern Cook Inlet area, the bead must be either fixed within two inches of the hook or free moving on the entire length of the fishing line."
This is great news as the most recent regulation stated that the bead could not be fixed above the hook. I feel strongly that the two-inch rule will be much better for our fish. This is great news as the previous rule caused many problems and much confusion.
"Through June 10 there will be a daily one fish bag limit (only 2 Kenai River Chinook salmon per year); only Chinook salmon less than 40 inches in length or 55 inches in length or more are legal for harvest. Only single hook artificial lures will be allowed (no bait). From June 11 through June 30, only Chinook salmon 55 inches in length or more are legal for harvest."
This is great news for catch and release-oriented fishing. Anglers wishing to fly-fish will have a much better shot! There will be less boat traffic and more fish to hook. In July, the regulations will be the same as always (one King per day / two per season).
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Winter on the Kenai River can be very beautiful and also exceedingly harsh. There is however, more life out there than many people would expect. I have witnessed some incredible things while tromping around in the dark season. I’ve watched otters catch salmon, seen a coyote try to steal an eagle’s salmon, been investigated by a pack of wolves and followed the tracks of a sleepless bear searching for frozen salmon carcasses. The following is a short story about one of those special days.
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Snow crunched loudly underfoot. Even at noon, the light of day was only a pale reminder that the sun was somewhere south of the horizon. An icy fog enshrouded the river. Thick hoar frost coated every surface within one hundred feet of the water. Approaching the rivers edge, I viewed a miraculous sight. Impressed in the surface of the snow, was an eagles wings. Even the flight feathers were perfectly etched by the frost crystals. Astonished at the sight, I crouched before the image and spread my arms. My fingertips could not reach the wing tips of the awesome bird.
Gazing aloft into the trees, I spied three ghostly sentries. The eagles had been still long enough that their feathers were frosted white. How long had they been staring into the river waiting for an opportunity to snatch a meal? Which one had left its signature upon the snow? Out in the jade colored current, a back bulged through the smooth flow. Silver Salmon finned beneath the waters of mid river. The eagles looked down as I worked out my fly-line and placed a cast above the target zone. I imagined their envy as my fly was quickly intercepted and a silver missile erupted below their post.
Despite the cold water, the salmon put up an impressive struggle. After three jumps, several reel screeching runs and the silver twist, it was time to recover my fly. The big male was striking. His flanks were just starting to tint with the first spawning blush soon to blossom into brilliant maroon color. His back was green, his eyes were wild, and his kyped nose was extraordinary.
After penetrating the icy waters, I held his tail for a brief moment. The cold water was a shock even to chilled fingers as I removed the “Flash Fly” from his jaw. Then the big buck silver darted back toward mid-river sending a freezing spray toward my face. Tiny droplets froze to my glasses as I lifted soon to be useless wet gloves into the frigid air. I sat in the snow knowing I could easily catch another salmon. All I needed to do was break the ice from my rod guides and warm my fingers in spare mittens. The frosty eagles were looking on. The silvers were out there waiting. The scene was absolutely perfect. I savored the moment.
Back at the cabin, I picked a chilled homebrew off the porch. The wood stove was crackling as my wife looked up, somewhat surprised. “Aren’t they biting today daddy?” Said my young daughter. “Yes they are.” I replied. “I caught a big one on my first cast, but it just didn’t seem fair to catch more salmon in front of the eagles.”
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This season past provided a bounty of Silver Salmon on the fly. One of my most productive patterns was developed on a whim. I create a number of new flies every season and sometimes, they become standards. Silvers are lots of fun, because at times, they will take almost anything. They can also be very difficult to tempt after a couple fish have been taken from the group. This fly proved to be very consistent and was usually our go to fly for those ever-important first casts. Try "THE CAN OPENER"
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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 or follow this link.
Mystic Flies
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It’s not always easy being a guide in Alaska. Yes, the fishing is usually good. Yes, the scenery is spectacular. Most of the time, the clients are pretty darn enjoyable to share the waters with, but sometimes, Mother Nature makes things tough.
One of those tough days came in late September. The Upper Kenai was swollen with run off. Heavy snows from the preceding winter had melted throughout the warm summer months. The glacial headwaters of the Kenai River system had absorbed all they could hold. Fall rains tipped the balance and water was pouring down the Snow River Valley and dumping into Kenai Lake before flowing out to form the Upper Kenai.
Expectations were high as I met my guests at their hotel. All had fished with me before and visions of hooking many heavy rainbows filled their heads. I knew I was going to be in for a struggle to find fish where my clients could reach them on the fly. Many of the remaining sockeye were being washed from the main river by the heavy flows. The primary food source for our rainbow trout was rapidly depleting. As the food goes, so go the fish, on down to Skilak Lake. Further compounding my troubles was the fact that my guests had experienced fantastic fishing on several previous days. Somehow, I needed to produce.
I tried to remain optimistic as we pushed off into the swollen river, but as we floated, my trepidation grew. The river was going off color rapidly. The normally green waters were staining with rotting vegetation, leaves and mud. I carefully chose our first spot because it typically fished well at high water. The main force of the river piled upon a rock wall across from us. On the inside river bend, we could easily wade in slower water. The bend was typically littered with salmon carcasses providing a buffet for grazing rainbows. Just the day before, we had instantly doubled up on rainbows of 24” and 26”.
This day would be different. The water was now pushing well up onto the shoreline. Most of the salmon carcasses were gone. My guests managed to pull out a couple of post spawn dollies ducking out of the main flow, but the rainbows had departed. No one overtly complained, but some utterances were made regarding the apparent lack of fish. My tension began to rise.
I knew that if we did not catch many fish, everyone would understand. Each angler would be disappointed, but sometimes that’s fishing. They had seen the river at its best, and now they were seeing it in a different mood. As a guide, I view my job as facilitating the best possible fishing trip given the conditions of the day. Some days come easy and some days don’t, but I can’t stop trying.
I opted next for a side channel that carried less water. Typically in late September, it would be too skinny to float in my drift boat. It was now carrying more than a thousand cubic feet per second, fully a river unto itself. We blasted right past my normal spots and finally found some fishable water, though after trial it was apparently fishless. Finally, with the end of the drift in site, I inspected a little piece of water that I had only fished once in thirteen seasons of running the Upper Kenai.
It was the side channel of a side channels side channel. I got some strange looks as we stumbled though tall grassy hummocks with pooling water seeping in. More than one curse was uttered as we worked into position and I’m sure my guests swore a time or two as well. The current scribed a lazy path between the tall grassy banks. The channel was only fifteen feet wide, but too deep to view bottom. I was not even sure what was down there, but we soon found out. A pod of sockeyes was frantically spawning in the rising waters and every trout for at least a mile must have been sucked in around them.
The long faces busted into grins as everyone began hooking fish. The rainbows would immediately blast downstream toward bigger water. We chased trout after trout down the bank, tripping and falling in the wet grass and laughing like little boys. How many fish could such a small spot hold? We intended to find out. In three hours time, we never ran out of fish. We ended the day as all good days should end, with tired arms, blissful grins and fish left uncaught for another day. As we headed in to our landing, I said a quiet thanks to Salvation Channel.
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Some big trout live below Skilak Lake. We’ll be chasing them along with some Kings before the Upper Kenai opens on June 11.
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Despite the tragedy of 9/11 and some uncertainty about the future, many people are planning to travel and fish in Alaska this summer. Mystic Waters has been steadily taking reservations during the last several months. If you are thinking about fishing with us this season, don’t wait. Please give me a call or email to check availability before your first choice dates are booked.
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Kind Regards and Tight Lines,
Fred Telleen Mystic Waters Fly-fishing Inc. 907-227-0549
info@mysticfishing.com
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