TOGIAK RIVER , Southwest Alaska
Going head to head with the five species of salmon , the group of young anglers came out on the winning end time and time again .
uIF YOU GO uWhere Southwest Alaska , northern Bristol Bay uWhen June , July , August and September uWhy With 5 species of salmon , along with huge rainbows , Dolly Varden , arctic grayling and pike - the variety of fish is unparalleled . You can fish either conventional or fly with expert guides who understand that not everyone is a pro . The number of hook-ups is mind-boggling ! uHow to get there Togiak River Fishing Adventures is accessible by a floatplane out of Dillingham that lands right at camp . The flight is a beautiful , memorable one . uFishing Bristol Bay is the best wild salmon fishery in the world and the Togiak River offers some of the best fishing in Bristol Bay . One day the expert guides will have you fishing for huge kings using conventional gear or spey rods , the next you may catch a huge number of pinks , chums or sockeye on lighter fly gear and throughout the season there is always the giant rainbows and Dollies lurking in the main stem or a tributary . uClimate Unpredictable weather is always a possibility . Be prepared for rain , wind and bugs . Through the course of a day the temperatures will fluctuate between 40 to 70 degrees . Bring layers and a dry pack for flexibility . uFor booking information Ken Morrish at Fly Water Travel – 800-552-2729 or www . flywatertravel . com uMore information Brad and Karla Estelle at Togiak River Adventures , 509-925-6606 or www . fishtrfa . com . hand-tied beauty !
The next day a few of the kids went pink fishing and caught 50 to 60 pinks apiece . Seems pinks might have been named for their love of anything pink in the water . One of the guides started catching them by top-water skating a pink popper . I got to witness this and also watched as Tate broke my friend ’ s 5-weight Orvis on a particularly big and rowdy fish .
Near the end of the trip our two 10-yearolds , Brody and Ethan , told their guide they wanted to catch sockeye and that day those two lads did in fact manage to land several bright sockeye , despite being at the utter tail end of their run . Then , coming down to our final day , we all found ourselves wondering if one of the elusive silvers that were just starting to enter the river might end up rounding out our mission of catching the Togiak 5 .
The night before our last full day of fishing the conversation turned to silvers with Brody and Ethan deciding to fish for them . We all had hard choices to make : kings , chums , sockeye , pinks , trout ( we had caught a number of 25 to 27-inchers ), or hammering on big bright Dollies . I ’ d chosen pinks for my day of fishing and between me and two youngsters we probably ended up hooking over 100 . I guess we thought sore arms would be a nice way to end the trip . Through the course of the day I couldn ’ t help but wonder how the young boys might be doing with the silvers .
When all the boats came back to the lodge that evening , Brody and Ethan arrived with huge smiles and sparkling eyes . Sure enough , they had landed a few silvers each . Our team had managed to reach the elusive goal of catching the Togiak 5 – all five species of salmon on one trip ! It was great to see the excitement in those young boy ’ s eyes . I still have a hard time just comprehending how good the fishing is on the Togiak . Even more amazing is the fact that we were there during the “ down time ” between the main king run and the upcoming silver run . And yet , it was undoubtedly some of the best fishing of my life .
Looking back on our adventure , how the boys handled themselves , what they were introduced to , and how each one forged a stronger bond with their fathers and friends , I ’ d like to think that each boy grew closer to becoming a young man . The wilds of Alaska can have that affect on you . It was one of the first steps of the rite of passage . I ’ m not sure if any of the boys actually “ came of age ” but one thing I ’ m certain is that everyone — young and old alike — had the ultimate father-son fishing adventure .
Editor ’ s Note : After 13 years , Togiak River Fishing Adventures owner Brad Estelle is halting operations for 2013 season . Prior to going to press , Estelle reported that his lease was not renewed with the landowner , Togiak Natives Limited . Estelle plans to be back in business for the 2014 season . For more information contact him at 509-925-6606 .
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