The first week on the Upper Kenai River has flown by for myself as I have been out every day but one. All trips so far have been in pursuit of the famous Russian River reds. Access to these fish by a guide typically requires a trip downstream of the Russian River Ferry at Sportsman’s Landing. I have been launching there most days and pulling the boat out at Jim’s Landing. Fishing has been fair at best for sockeye salmon and decent to good for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. As of June 17th 4,114 have passed the weir above Russian River falls. This number is quite low and significantly lower than last year count of 8,562 at this same time. I considered last year run a small run with not so great fishing. I am keeping my fingers crossed that things will improve. Second run sockeye salmon can be impacted by many factors making their timing very unpredictable on the Upper Kenai River but the first run reds are generally a very punctual bunch of fish and move through with determination. They have one thing on their mind and nothing is going to stop them from reaching Upper Russian Lake and ultimately Goat Creek where they will spawn. Find a spot and hang on to it, persistence is the key and being prepared with good gear will pay off.
Rainbows and Dollies have been pretty eager to bite most flies we have been trying. Dry flies, beadhead nymphs, streamers and beads/egg imitations have all been producing. Clear water and a lack of salmon disrupting their peace may be contributing to the good bite. It’s not uncommon for a bunch of salmon to swim into the river and push the trout around for a bit but that’s not been the case so far. Surprisingly I found some great bites during the brightest hottest part of a couple afternoons and some slower fishing during overcast periods. For trout that’s not usually the case but who am I to tell a fish when to feed?!
Crowds have been so so with more folks on the weekends. Often if people aren’t catching they move through fairly quickly and the river can clear out after a while. Either way there has been some good people watching and it’s been nice to see some of my river friends out and about again. Some of my best friends have came from that river and while I’m not looking to meet everyone in my fishing hole I sure do appreciate the connections made along the banks of the Upper Kenai River. See you out there soon!
