Alaska Fishing Information - Fishing LIcenses, Gear, Flies, Rods, Reels and Lines
Read & download our BOA Gear List doc in Adobe PDF format here.
Alaska Fishing License
You will need to purchase a fishing license. Alaska Fishing license and permits are available for purchase online. We are a private fishing charter and we operate within the laws and regulations set by the Alaska Dept of Fish and Game.
Alaska Rods, Lines & Flies
Rods & Lines for each species of fish
Alaska Rainbow Trout - a 6 weight and an 8 weight will cover all circumstances. Anything lighter and you could end up really beating up a trophy fish. Both sinking and floating line work well. Any of the interchangeable head systems work great. There are plenty of opportunity to spey fish, but at least one single handed rod is necessary for fishing out of the rafts.
Grayling - a 3 weight and/or a 5 weight rod work great for Grayling. Floating lines work the best.
Alaska Salmon - 8 weight and 10 weight rods work well, with 10 being my pick for big water or kings. We do have the opportunity to fish shallow water for the sockeye making the 8 wt a lot of fun, but once they hit the main current you could lose the fish. I also supply big Ugly Stick fly rods with moocher reels that make great salmon medicine.
Leaders - for leader material I generally just run 40/30/20/10 or straight 15lbs test. The trout are not leader shy and we are not into tippet records and dead trout. Straight 20 or 15 is great for salmon.
Flies Selection
Steelhead Flies - most steelhead flies work great for these monster rainbows. Lead eye leech patterns-Egg sucking leech with zonker strips and articulating bodies. Yellow, red, orange or chartreuse eyes. Bodies can be either black or olive. Sizes 6-2 (with mono body often small egg hook is used)
Articulated Leeches cone heads or lead eyes - black with chartreuse collar, purple with red, olive. 4 inch flies are not too big.
Bead head nymphs - work great as droppers copper johns, princes, hares ear and zug bugs are all good picks.
Big and nasty DOUBLE BUNNY - in olive and purple or natural and brown. What a great fly. Mouse and lemming patterns for early season rainbow trout action. These are particulary effective during June. Watching angry trout slam the surface for small rodents is an unbelievable experience.
Smolt patterns - these are critical for the June trips as the trout migrate down stream with the sockeye smolt towards the ocean. Muddler Minnows are also a great choice. A person just should not go fishing without a few in their box.