fishing bear lodge fishing report Archives

Fishing Bear Lodge Photo Essay

September 4, 2017 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Fishing Bear Lodge Photo Essay

After four flights and three days of travel, I am sitting in my living room. There’s no place like home!

Internet in Alaska remains terrible, so my reports were of necessity short and photo poor. This Fishing Bear Lodge photo essay will share the best images of the summer.

Let’s rock it.

Fishing Bear Lodge, the logo.

Steve and Brock celebrate a northern pike.

Sockeye salmon in a frenzy in a small creek.

A rock bowl in a small creek.

Moosage in Lake Beverley.

Mountain view from Lake Beverley.

The Kulik Spire from Lake Kulik.

Jeff with a fat Arctic char.

We caught lots of Arctic grayling on dry flies.

Stacy rocks a sockeye salmon.

Misty mountains were a recurring theme through the summer.

Blaine says this fly box is the most organized thing in his life.

Grayling on dry fly.

Another fat grayling in the net.

Bushwacking up hills while wearing waders is hard work. The view makes it worth the effort.

Water rushes toward Lake Beverley in a small creek near the lodge.

Gene, Gene, the fishing machine, with a nice Arctic char.

No flowers yells “ALASKA!” to me like fireweed.

Ellie filets a sockeye salmon.

Trout fishing along Lake Beverley’s shoreline.

This fine rainbow trout attacked a faux mouse.

This trout, the best I saw all summer, also fell for a mouse.

A released grayling regains its equilibrium.

A fleet of Fishing Bear boats crosses Lake Beverley.

Craig hides behind a fat grayling.

I never saw a dog who loves water the way Boone does.

I photographed Blaine photographing Steve.

Arctic char release.

Angie found this moose horn on Lake Beverley’s shoreline.

That is this week’s Fishing Bear Lodge photo essay!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: fishing bear lodge fishing report, Fishing Reports, Photo Essays · Tagged: adventure fishing, Alaska fishing, Alaska fishing report, fishing bear lodge, fishing bear lodge photo essay

Last 2017 Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report

August 27, 2017 by john kumiski · 1 Comment

Last 2017 Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report

This is the August 27 Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report, my last from here this year.

An Alaskan classic, this sockeye salmon was caught by Jeff.

The last of our fishing guests left this morning. The quality of the light borders on autumnal. A few cleanup days and a few travel days separate me from central Florida, friends, and family.

Angie found this moose horn on Lake Beverley’s shoreline.

The fishing this week past was the toughest of the season. The Agulapak was slow two days, even breaking out every technique we knew. The grayling actually exhibited some symptoms of hook avoidance. Pike fishing for us produced but a single fish. It did break a rod, however. Only the char bit well, fat, healthy fish with an attitude.

Jeff got this big char on a pink bunny leech.

While we caught char on nearly everything we tried, the best char fly by far was a cerise bunny leech, an Alaska standard. Sinking lines produced more fish after flies presented on floating lines stopped producing.

Katie with a nice pike on a very rainy day.

Feeder creeks are mostly empty of live salmon. Dead ones litter the banks. Sockeyes are still staged at creek mouths, though. I have to wonder if there’s a second push of spawners in the future. I won’t find out.

That is 2017s final Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report!

There will be no report next week. The next one will be coming from Florida’s space coast! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved.

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Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 5

August 20, 2017 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 5

A view from Beverley Lake.

This is the August 20 Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report.

There hasn’t been any frost yet, but the fireweed has mostly gone to seed. Alaska’s short summer hurtles toward autumn.

The colorful fireweed blossoms are mostly gone.

Fishing has remained excellent. Anglers using dry flies still catch grayling by the score, lovely fish in equally lovely surroundings. After a relatively rain-free week, the streams are running low and clear.

Dead sockeye salmon litter the banks of creeks. Plenty of fish still guard redds, and they are still dropping eggs. Trout and char are still in creeks, pigging out. Beads are still working well. I suspect a flesh fly would work well, too.

Jerry Grodin caught this fat char on a bead/wooly bugger combination.

The Agulapak River has been fast and steady for grayling and rainbow trout. Nymphs, streamers, and dry flies are all working.

Piking remains hot, but not in all locations. When you hit the right spot, action has been furious on poppers and streamers. A few folks even use spin tackle!

Anita and Blaine with a fat pike.

I’ve a fortnight left here before returning to Florida, and should re-hang my guiding shingle there around September 15. Although it’s great being here, there’s no place like home!

That is this week’s Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: fishing bear lodge fishing report, Fishing Reports · Tagged: adventure fishing, agulapak river fishing report, Alaska fishing, Alaska fishing report, fishing bear lodge fishing report, rainbow trout fly fishing alaska

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 4

August 13, 2017 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 4

This is the August 13 Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report.

We wait inside the lodge, watching the rain and waves come down Lake Beverley. After a week of catching fish, no one is anxious to get out in this nasty, 54 degree weather. We did have a wind- and rain-free day this week. It was delightful, if short-lived.

Fishing has remained excellent. Yesterday’s trip to the Agulapak River bordered on epic, with at least one angler leaving early after getting tired of catching rainbows to 23 inches on dry flies. Now that is a nice problem to have!

Owen battles a trout on a local creek.

Sockeye salmon drop thousands of eggs in feeder creeks, and trout and char follow them gorging on those eggs. Beads have been extremely effective in fooling these fish.

Dave Bousfield with a nice char taken on an egg-sucking leech.

Dry fly fishing for grayling remains excellent, although streams are swollen from all the rain. This lovely fish remains a staple for our anglers.

Ellie and Ellie with a fat grayling.

I only fished for pike one morning this week. It was good, with a fish over 36 inches. Justin and Conner had a half-day pike outing and had excellent results on both streamers and poppers.

I effected a rescue this week. I had two gentlemen out fishing. We were wading above a rapid and a deep pool. I was working with one, and turned around to see the other out in water deeper than he should have been, obviously in some distress. “What are you doing out there?” I asked. “I’m over my waders.” “Try to come back to us.” He couldn’t do it. I waded out after him and grabbed his hand. The other guy grabbed my hand. With all of us pulling we all got back into shallow water. More excitement than I need!

One of our guests this week (not involved in the above incident) was Randy Lint, owner of Big Creek Coffee Roasters. He brought product that we’ve been drinking all week and it was excellent. He offers a subscription service where the highest quality coffees are delived to your door via USPS Priority mail. If you enjoy a fine cup of java you ought to check it out at BigCreekCoffee.com.

The days get noticeably shorter. Leaves will soon start changing color. The end of my Alaska season is on the horizon.

The timing is never bad for a prayer like this.

That is this week’s Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: fishing bear lodge fishing report, Fishing Reports · Tagged: adventure fishing, Alaska fishing report, fishing bear lodge fishing report, rainbow trout fishing alaska

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 3

August 6, 2017 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 3

This is the August 6 Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report.

It rained all this past week, every day. We got wet, stayed wet. Wah wah. The fish didn’t care much, except for one creek that got blown out. We fished elsewhere.

Ethan Price got this fine rainbow trout on a mouse fly. Yes, it was raining.

Mousing for rainbow trout has continued great, with fish running to over 20 inches, If the mouse action slows, switching to streamers has worked too. The egg-sucking leech has worked well.

This rainbow also took a mouse. Yes, it was raining!

The char fishing has not picked up yet. Salmon have begun to spawn. Where are the char?

Dry fly fishing for grayling has been a dependable and entertaining way to spend a few hours. Caddis and mayfly imitations both work well. Grayling are such lovely little fish!

Greg used a caddis imitation to entice this grayling. You know it was raining!

The pike have been reliable and entertaining. AND, I didn’t cut my fingers this week, which is awesome.

I should write an ode to sleeping bags. At the end a long day in the rain, nothing feels better than climbing into a delicious, warm sleeping bag.

That is this week’s Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report! Thanks for reading!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: fishing bear lodge fishing report, Fishing Reports · Tagged: adventure fishing, Alaska fishing, Alaska fishing report, alaska grayling fishing, alaska rainbow trout fishing, fishing bear lodge, fishing bear lodge fishing report, fly fishing, grayling fishing alaska, rainbow trout fishing alaska

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 2

July 30, 2017 by john kumiski · 1 Comment

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 2

This is the July 29 Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report. The Lodge sits approximately 60 miles north of Dillingham, Alaska.

Fly fishing with the back drop of the Kulik Spire.

The report this week is not much different than last. Pike fishing was off the charts. I get piked every time we fish for them, which is to say I end up with bleeding fingers. Their teeth resemble razors. Ouch.

Steven and Brock Garrity celebrate a fly rod pike.

Dry fly fishing for grayling has continued excellent, every single trip. We have been getting grayling on the mouse fly while mousing for trout.

Young Sook with a dry fly caught grayling.

Mousing for rainbow trout has also been great, with fish running to over 20 inches, If the mouse action slows, switching to streamers has worked too. The dolly lama has been popular.

A few char and sockeye salmon have been caught as well, although not much effort was expended on these species this week. I expect the char fishing to pick up as the salmon begin to spawn.

Michael and Young Sook Garrity show off a sockeye salmon.

Many thanks to the Garrity family, our guests this week!

That is this week’s Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: fishing bear lodge fishing report, Fishing Reports ·

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report

July 23, 2017 by john kumiski · 1 Comment

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report

This is the July 22 Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report. After a week of fishing here every day with guests all I can say is WOW!

The rainbow trout fishing I’ve done so far has not been spectacular. But I have not had a directed rainbow trout day yet. One trip went to the Agulapak River this week, with good results. The best fish was a 20 inch ‘bow.

We have dry fly fished for grayling several days. Fish are plentiful and willing, taking #12 and 14 dry flies. They were not fussy as to pattern, with both mayfly and caddis imitations working well. The best of the week were a couple of solid 20 inch fish.

The grayling are plentiful, willing, beautiful.

We have fished for northern pike a couple of days. No behemoths were caught, but there are so many fish. The strikes are not for anyone with a weak heart. Unlike dry fly fishing for grayling, pike fishing lacks subtlety. But it is really fun, and the action is pretty much non-stop. Most of this week’s guests, the Carney family from Texas, used Zebco push-button reels, making landing the fish more challenging. Tremendous.

What’s not to like about pike???

We also fished for Arctic char, similar to the Dolly varden that I so enjoy. These fish have not been especially plentiful so far. My understanding is that once the sockeye salmon start dropping eggs they get the char’s immediate attention. I’m looking forward to that.

The Arctic char have not shown in big numbers yet.

The scenery here rivals any on the planet. I feel blessed to be working here. The staff is great, the guests have been awesome. I am so lucky.

But I miss Susan!

That is this week’s Fishing Bear Lodge fishing report!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved.

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Filed Under: fishing bear lodge fishing report, Fishing Reports · Tagged: adventure fishing, Alaska fishing report, alaska fly fishing, fishing bear lodge fishing report, grayling fishing, pike fishing

Dillingham Fishing Report

July 9, 2017 by john kumiski · Leave a Comment

Move on Alone Dillingham Fishing Report

One morning on Playalinda, a marathon Alaska Air journey, and now I’m at Fishing Bear Lodge for my summer employment. It’s the first Dillingham fishing report from me this year.

Sunday I met Rodney, Pam, and Tom Ratcliff at Playalinda. The bugs were annoying. Other than that it was extremely picturesque. There were a lot of menhaden off the beach but nothing bothering them. Between us we got a half-dozen croakers, a couple small crevalle, and two blue crabs. Awesome morning, but fishing could have been better.

I went from this…

The trip to Dillingham could be described as grueling. On the other hand it could have taken weeks by car, or months on foot. It depends on your outlook.

Justin, lodge owner and pilot, met me in Dillingham and transported me by float plane to the lodge. We flew over a cow moose grazing in the water, and saw big schools of salmon at every creek mouth.

The Fishing Bear Lodge has an incredible location at the mouth of the Peace River where it flows into Lake Beverley, in the Wood River-Tikchik State Park. Internet here ranges from terrible to unavailable. There will be a photo essay or two once I return home.

The rest of the week was spent getting the lodge ready for guests, eveything from weeding the paths to putting up a new building. We’ve been fishing for sockeye salmon. Jake went fishing out front for a bit a few nights ago and caught a couple of small grayling. The fishing, for rainbow trout and grayling, as well as northern pike, will come soon enough.

After dinner last night a cow moose and her calf set up right in front of the lodge. Pretty cool stuff.

…to this in just a couple days. Is this a great time to be alive, or what???

Last night we took a boat ride up the indescribably breathtaking Wind River. The mountains are awe-inspiring.

And that is this week’s (sixty miles from) Dillingham fishing report!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2017. All rights are reserved.

Filed Under: fishing bear lodge fishing report, Fishing Reports · Tagged: adventure fishing, Alaska fishing, Alaska fishing report, fishing bear lodge fishing report

Fishing Bear Lodge Photo Essay

Fishing Bear Lodge Photo Essay

Last 2017 Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report

Last 2017 Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 5

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 5

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 4

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 4

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 3

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 3

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 2

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report 2

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report

Fishing Bear Lodge Fishing Report

Dillingham Fishing Report

Move on Alone Dillingham Fishing Report

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