The Kanektok River is beautiful blue tundra river that is 90 miles long, and is 500 air miles from Anchorage. Access is from Dillingham or Bethel. We went via Bethel, as that is where our outfitter is located.
This trip took place in the middle of September for two weeks. Yes, it was cold, the temp varied between 15-40 degrees. As is usual in Alaska, it rained half the time. Since out trip was late in the year, the only salmon present were Silvers. Besides the Silvers, we were targeting, Dolly Varden/Char, Arctic Grayling and of course the famous Leopard Rainbows.
Here we are loading the Beaver near Bethel. It took three trips to move all of our gear.
We landed on Kagati Lake, the beginning of the Kanektok river in a Beaver float plane.
This is a picture of the stark,yet beautiful mountains surrounding the lake.
We have just finished unloading the last last plane load of gear. We were lucky that we had good weather on our first day.
Our rafts are assembled and load up ready to go. We could see thousands of spawned out Sockeye salmon milling about in the lake.
A few hundred yards down river Rick caught his first Leopard Rainbow on a fly rod.
A close up of the same Rainbow.
Here I am with a couple of Silvers.
Rick with a nice Dolly.
Another nice Dolly. I am not sure who caught it. Notice the pink trademark spots on the Dolly.
Rick helping me unhook a Dolly. Notice the spawning colors.
Cheryl Herbst with a nice Dolly.
Rick with a couple of Silvers.
Jim with a nice Arctic Grayling.
From left to right. Me, Rick, Jim and Justin. Yes, it is cold.
Rick and Jim at our firewood pile. The Kanektok river is unusual in that there is plenty of firewood available. Most Alaskan Rivers I have been on firewood is in very short supply.
Jim and I packing firewood to camp. It is a lot of work using a handsaw on all that wood, but it was worth the hard work!!
Jim's fly reels. You can never have enough fishing equipment.
"Boots and coffee". Rick is thawing out a boot while making coffee. It was 15 degrees that morning. Notice the ice on the cooking pot lid etc.
A Grizzly bear foot print at camp. Rick is using his boot to compare the size.
Our ride back to Bethel. We are at the Eskimo Village of Quinhagak on the Bering sea.
