Description

Departments

4   Fish Alaska Online

6   Alaska Traveler

8   Creel

10  Fishing for a Compliment

12 Gear Bag

14  Salmon Sense

16  Fly

18  Saltwater

20  Coho Chronicles

22  Flyfishing

26  Conservation

62  Recipe

64  Ad Index

66  Final Drift

On the Cover

A respectable Kenai River rainbow was brought to the net when Kenai guide Nick Olhrich employed his keen trout sense. © Alaska Drift Away Fishing

 

The Slam by Andrew J. Cremata

From the pure elation of victory to the agony of defeat, those in pursuit of The Slam are familiar with the emotional rollercoaster the sometimes-unending journey can produce. Andrew Cremata has experienced the full range of emotional highs and lows The Slam can induce. Will he ever achieve it?

 

Heavy Metal Coho by Bill Herzog

One guy wrote the book on spoon fishing for anadromous fish, and we’re pleased to have him contribute this story on using bent metal for that most pugnacious, yet moody, Pacific salmonid: coho. Want to up your game for silvers? Feel the rhythm with your hands…Listen to the Spoonman.

 

What to Do When Silvers Won’t Bite by Robert H. Campbell

Silvers can be maniacally willing to attack almost anything, or stoically lock-jawed in their river environs. Anyone can catch them when they’re manic; but what do you do when they aren’t biting your tried-and-true presentation? Robert Campbell answers that question in this article.

 

Mind Versus Trout: Navigating Fact, Fiction, and Fish Behavior by Nicholas Ohlrich

A lot of mental gyrations can happen on the river when confronted with the trout’s refusal to participate in your plan. Many of the same cognitive biases that come into play during everyday life can apply on the river, too. Nick Ohlrich shares some he’s experienced in his 20 years of guiding on the Kenai River.