Haines Alaska Fishing in the Chilkoot River

Earlier this year I had a great trip out Fishing in the Chilkoot River in Haines Alaska. Fishing in Haines Alaska is fantastic. The town is beautiful, the fish are brite, and when you are done there is always good food to be had at Mountain Market in town.

The Silver Salmon were in and they were slamming Pixees. Silver Salmon are really fun to catch, coho are known for their acrobatic jumps and strong fight.

There is something special about Haines... the people, the place, everything about it is wonderful. Chilkoot Lake State Park... where I am fishing in the picture above, is just spectacular. I love the area, and I miss it ever since I left. If you are ever thinking about doing something different... check out Haines for sure!

I am really looking forward to the next time I am in Haines.

All About Salmon (Part 1 of 5) Coho Salmon

This is going to be a five part series that covers the 5 different types of species of Salmon that live in Alaska. You can thank my wife for this, as last night we were talking about all of the different names of Salmon and how sometimes its hard for people new to Salmon fishing to tell them apart or to even remember all the names. Today we will talk about Coho Salmon.

Coho Salmon are known by some other names, these include Silver Salmon, Silvers, Coho, Bluebacks, and Greenies (when they are spawned out).

Coho are very good eating and have an excellent flavor, especially when they are caught in salt water. They are agressive fighters and are agressive feeders making them a favorite of fishermen like myself.

They average about 8-12 pounds and 30 inches in length.

Bear Safety when fishing on the water.

Bear safety is very important when fishing in Alaska, especially in salmon streams that also provide food to the bears.

I found this great blog post that has a 10 step plan to stay safe in BEAR COUNTRY. It is at another Alaska Fishing blog.

The article is all about Bear Safety when Fishing.

I could not agree more and I think that every day of salmon fishing is made better when everyone comes home safe.

Chilkoot Lake Silver Salmon Fishing in Haines Alaska

I really enjoy fishing in and around Chilkoot Lake, a picturesque glacially fed lake just a few miles north of Haines, AK. The Chilkoot river flows into and then out of the lake, before emptying into the Lynn Canal. Silver Salmon spawning up the river typically make a short stop where the river meets the lake, as well as in pools in the river.

I was fishing in one of the pools with a blue and red rattling Pixee when the first big chrome ocean fresh Coho Salmon attacked violently. He tried to run up stream, then alternated between diving to the bottom of the pool and jumping violently out of the water trying to throw the hook. It was a mixed blessing having no other people fishing that section of the river with me, I liked the tranquility but there was no one to man the net.

Finally I got the big Silver Salmon on shore, and just as I cut a gill to bleed the salmon out I noticed a large brown bear across the river started wading into the water. Within moments the bruin was swimming across the river towards my area. I grabbed my gear, the coho, and walked back up the bank to the road. As I was driving away I saw the bear standing on the same boulder I had been fishing on. Just another amazing day of Alaska Fishing.

Salmon and Halibut Fishing

This is a new blog that is going to be all about Salmon and Halibut Fishing. Stay tuned for more soon to come.