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Well, here are some thoughts on heading to that magical place up North. $5,000 a week is a joke, I'm sure your trip would be awesome, but I honestly think that you can have the trip of a lifetime for much less. I spent a month in alaska, and another month travelling around the lower 48 and Canada...combined, my buddy and I spent about $3,000 or 1,500 each. This includes gas from Buffalo, NY and back. Believe me it was a bare minimum, dirty, cheap trip... but it was also the greatest time of my life, so far.
#1. Find someone you can get along with and have interesting conversation with, and drive. (probably best to leave the grilfriend or wife behind on this one)I know it seems like a long way, but remember, we drove from Buffalo. Take turns driving and sleeping, and gas up whenever you see an open gas station. this is probably the hardest part for people because it might be hard to get enough time off to allow driving. If you are die-hard like we were you can make it from B'ham in two days. (If you can't drive, skip this part, fly to Anchorage and rent a car)
#2. Plan ahead...make sure you buy all your food and gear before you leave, If you need anything while in Alaska, groceries etc. drive your a$$ to Anchorage and go to Wal-Mart, the only place that can be considered disount up there)
#3. Be one with the bears, and sleep outside. Bring good rain gear, a head net for bugs, a tent and enjoy nature. (We stayed in a hotel, one night in two months, It was an econoldge and it was still over $100.) If you have an R-V, or like to stay near other people, buy a state camping pass. The state has recreation sites...AKA parking lots all over and near most good fishing rivers. Its either $10 a night or buy a pass for $100 and stay at any of them, for as long as you want.(We actually met one guy that paid his $100 and fished all summer and slept in the back of his pickup) If, not there are plenty of places to pull off the road and hike in or just set up near your vehicle off a dirt road or something (free). Sleep in the car if it really starts raining.
Now some fishing ideas: We fished all over, but I think i can narrow it down to three highlights:
1. The smaller streams on the Kenai Peninsula. Park along the road where you see a bunch of cars. Look off the bridge, see all those gear slingers..., start walking and you wont see them anymore. I usually tried to walk at least a mile before starting to fish. Never shared a hole with anyone (except my friend, whom I was teaching to flyfish), and almost never even ran into anyone while fishing. You will see some very large bear tracks, bigger than a football, If you see the bear, give it lots of space stay calm and it will do its thing and not even care that you are there. We were there in early July for the end of the King run, sockeyes and lots and lots of dollies.
2. We took a water taxi out of Homer, to a small creek, (email me if you are actually going to do this and I might give you the name)across kachemek bay, which is inaccessible by road. A boat drops you off and comes to pick you up whenever you choose. Costs $60 wether you stay the afternoon, or 5 months. we stayed at the mouth of the creek on the beach, for 4 days, saw three other people, and fished to huge schools of chums, pinks, and big dollies that poured in on every tide. We are talking about a creek about 30 ft wide. We did this in mid to late July.
3. The tribs of the Susitna R., North of anchorage. Again, walk upstream and fish to lots of salmon(kings,silver, pink,chum , some dollies, and big rainbows. Silvers started in early august.
Thats about it,fish til midnight (it wont be dark) make a fire every night, have some cold beers, (if you dont have to pack them a long way), and rest your fighting arm til morning.
Sorry this got so long, I still get a bit too excited when thinking about fishing Alaska, Pete
#1. Find someone you can get along with and have interesting conversation with, and drive. (probably best to leave the grilfriend or wife behind on this one)I know it seems like a long way, but remember, we drove from Buffalo. Take turns driving and sleeping, and gas up whenever you see an open gas station. this is probably the hardest part for people because it might be hard to get enough time off to allow driving. If you are die-hard like we were you can make it from B'ham in two days. (If you can't drive, skip this part, fly to Anchorage and rent a car)
#2. Plan ahead...make sure you buy all your food and gear before you leave, If you need anything while in Alaska, groceries etc. drive your a$$ to Anchorage and go to Wal-Mart, the only place that can be considered disount up there)
#3. Be one with the bears, and sleep outside. Bring good rain gear, a head net for bugs, a tent and enjoy nature. (We stayed in a hotel, one night in two months, It was an econoldge and it was still over $100.) If you have an R-V, or like to stay near other people, buy a state camping pass. The state has recreation sites...AKA parking lots all over and near most good fishing rivers. Its either $10 a night or buy a pass for $100 and stay at any of them, for as long as you want.(We actually met one guy that paid his $100 and fished all summer and slept in the back of his pickup) If, not there are plenty of places to pull off the road and hike in or just set up near your vehicle off a dirt road or something (free). Sleep in the car if it really starts raining.
Now some fishing ideas: We fished all over, but I think i can narrow it down to three highlights:
1. The smaller streams on the Kenai Peninsula. Park along the road where you see a bunch of cars. Look off the bridge, see all those gear slingers..., start walking and you wont see them anymore. I usually tried to walk at least a mile before starting to fish. Never shared a hole with anyone (except my friend, whom I was teaching to flyfish), and almost never even ran into anyone while fishing. You will see some very large bear tracks, bigger than a football, If you see the bear, give it lots of space stay calm and it will do its thing and not even care that you are there. We were there in early July for the end of the King run, sockeyes and lots and lots of dollies.
2. We took a water taxi out of Homer, to a small creek, (email me if you are actually going to do this and I might give you the name)across kachemek bay, which is inaccessible by road. A boat drops you off and comes to pick you up whenever you choose. Costs $60 wether you stay the afternoon, or 5 months. we stayed at the mouth of the creek on the beach, for 4 days, saw three other people, and fished to huge schools of chums, pinks, and big dollies that poured in on every tide. We are talking about a creek about 30 ft wide. We did this in mid to late July.
3. The tribs of the Susitna R., North of anchorage. Again, walk upstream and fish to lots of salmon(kings,silver, pink,chum , some dollies, and big rainbows. Silvers started in early august.
Thats about it,fish til midnight (it wont be dark) make a fire every night, have some cold beers, (if you dont have to pack them a long way), and rest your fighting arm til morning.
Sorry this got so long, I still get a bit too excited when thinking about fishing Alaska, Pete
