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[Millsertime]

AkDan...

North Pole, eh? Have you fished grayling on the Delta Clearwater much? Or Chena east of Fairbanks? I love those two streams. I work in Delta Junction for a week every August.

 

[AkDan76]

As much as possible for grayling starting the third week of april till freeze up. Here's a dcw grayling on a foam ant. Have spent a lot of time on the upper chena. Nothing for size compared to dcw but great fishing non the less!

Thanks for all the info! I'm eyeballs deep at work. The tying bench is now encompassing 3 rooms of the house! Lol. Now I need to stay awake these next few days to catch up! Eat sleep work......

My last book arrived yesterday. I should have ordered it weeks ago!

I'll keep ya posted hopefully with pics. Looking forward to the trip and extremely humbled for all the guidance! Thanks guys!

Dan

 

[AkDan76]

Can't upload from my phone. Will have to post a few pics when I get home. Stunning fish! Built a strip canoe just to fish grayling.

 

[AkDan76]

Here's a grayling from the slough across from the house. Ironically I still drive up the road a tad, gotta get below a giant beaver dam.


And the 'wheel's that gets me in. This used to be a split dam as well before someone pulled it. Still a fun spot to fish, they don't hold up here obviously, instead pushing right through. This is early may.

If you've never had the chance, grayling are prolific dry fly eaters! If you like top water this is your fish!!! Its usually a pretty sippy rise, they pull 'negative G's' tipping back before taking, well past vertical. But the typical 16 Griffiths generally does the trick. Caddis and parachutes round it out, really its a simple fishery!

Unfortunately we don't have any wild trout nearby...everything is stockers. We do have some lakes with nice fish, most are pretty small. The drive down (4hours) for wild bows/dollies and some of the better salmon Rivers is worth the gas usually!

 

[AkDan76]

Here's the ant taker.....every fish is different, some are full of almost a neon blue. Anyways, when I'm at the back end this is my bug of choice. I can usually pick a few spooked fish out. Drag free is more important than bug choice on DCW and the upper chena.

The 2nd pic is a couple buddies (father-son) with a GIANT grayling. I've seen big but only a couple that have reached this size. Absolute toad. Sure wish I had a better pic, as the it doesn't do it justice. I was on the other side of the river at that point. This will have to do. One of our 'secret' hidey holes we finally checked out this year. I've known about for a long time, we finally put boots on the ground. It proved to be as good as good can get!

 

[AkDan76]

Ready or not here I come....

We're melting here, and I'm bringing the cold with me...sorry guys !

 

[SBecker]

Bastard

 

[AkDan76]

Doh!

 

[AkDan76]

Just an update. Having a ball. Plenty of fish. Have seen a number of streams. Met great people and so far have had a blast fishing with a forum member! Bwo hatches daily, even in the cold.

Thanks guys!

 

[laszlo]

Did you get to fish Codorus? Any fish?

 

[AkDan76]

Laszlo,

I did...did well during the week, couldn't get down during the weekend to be first in line with the kiddo. No big ones on codorus. It seems to have a bwo hatch going even at 22 degrees..the fish stopped taking surface bugs around 27 or 28 ish...I don't know what water temps were.

They'd take one pattern regularly, happened to be the one I only had one of LOL! Promptly tied a bunch up that night, doh!

Fished big springs a few times, met a few guys on here their, took 3 days but I finally stuck some fish in the ditch. hooked 5 landed 3, had a bunch more take and spit before I had a hook set. Turds were turning downstream before taking, SMART!!!

Fished the letort during the snow storm. Fishing in a snowball fight was more like it. I walked down stream on the rails trail off the heritage area...found a smaller solo by the bridge. Working up it looked like they were paired off by the gravel pit, I decided to watch not fish.

Fished a number of other streams had a blast!

Hopefully I run into some of the guys again in April! I'll be back ready to thaw out LOL!

Thanks to everyone again, both who posted, or pms, or the guys I met on streamside!

Jon, a big thanks again! quite humbling!

Dan

 

[bigslackwater]

Dan, it was nice meeting you! You did really well considering the conditions you encountered, low water, arctic blast etc... You'll love PA next spring! We'll meet up again. I'm glad you got to fish many creeks I haven't been to. Next time you can show me around!

 

[steveo]

Hey bigslackwater. Noticed your avatar. Is that in WV?
That stream looks familiar.

 

[AkDan76]

Hey Jon thanks again it was a blast! You're on 2015! Those two brutes were all you! I was just the operator..very humbled!