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A white Woolly Bugger had failed to draw a strike, so fly-fisherman Sean Stash of Girdwood tied on a black egg-sucking leech and cast again. Almost immediately he hooked a rainbow trout that leaped wildly once, then twice, busting up the pool's smooth surface and shattering its perfect Kenai Mountains reflections.

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Stash played the rainbow, then released it gently and made another cast. His second fish -- a Dolly Varden -- struck as quickly as the first. The Dolly ran hard, tugging with surprising strength and bending Stash's fly rod into a deep bow. When the fish turned finally on its side to be drawn in, it was so thick around its middle that Stash could not cradle it in his hand.

Stash and two friends spent the afternoon fishing the upper Russian River, catching rainbow trout and dozens of Dolly Varden in the slower, deeper pools immediately above Lower Russian Lake. Along the way, bright sockeye salmon passed, some festooned with brightly colored bucktail streamer flies. The fish were survivors -- of Cook Inlet commercial nets, of throngs of Kenai River and lower Russian River anglers and of a wicked set of falls below Lower Russian Lake.

The river began to change as Stash and his friends continued fishing upstream. Swift, thigh-deep riffles formed classic trout water and soon they were catching rainbows longer than 20 inches. Some fish struck dry flies, and some were big and strong enough to pop 6-pound-test tippets.

The men had to themselves a long stretch of this most popular of Alaska trout and salmon streams, and as they crunched across gravel bars embossed with the paw prints of grizzlies, the high-country wilderness was absolutely complete. They didn't see another angler all day.

The Kenai Peninsula's Russian River offers Southcentral Alaska anglers a variety of fishing opportunities. While solitude and fine fishing for trout and Dolly Varden await those willing to hike or bike up the Russian Lakes Trail as Stash did, a much different experience occurs near the U.S. Forest Service Russian River Campground at Mile 52.6 of the Sterling Highway. Here, where the Russian spills into the Kenai River, excellent fishing for sockeye salmon is the summer's main draw.

Meanwhile, anglers also enjoy good fishing for trout, char and salmon nearby in the upper Kenai River. Many fishing holes can be accessed as the upper Kenai loosely parallels the Sterling Highway for 12 miles between Kenai and Skilak lakes.

HEAD FOR THE REDS

For most anglers, fishing on the lower Russian and upper Kenai rivers begins in mid-June with the arrival of the summer's first sockeye (locally called "red") salmon. With runs extending into August, more than 100,000 reds typically leave the Kenai's glacial-green eddies for the clear-running Russian. When the salmon are in, hundreds of anglers line up to catch their limits along the Russian's lower reaches and the Kenai River downstream.

Reached via private ferry off the Sterling Highway or by a short hike from the Russian River Campground, this fishery is unique because from June 15 to Aug. 20 -- the heart of the red salmon season -- regulations allow anglers to fish only with flies. Even so, many find medium-weight spinning rods rigged with streamers work as well as fly-casting gear.

Russian River red salmon average 6 to 8 pounds apiece and fresh fish are powerful and quick, frequently launching themselves out of the water in cartwheeling leaps. That strength, enhanced by swift currents, makes these fish challenging to land on any kind of tackle. For this reason, most anglers who use spinning gear prefer heavy 12- to 18-pound-test monofilament lines.

Those who use traditional fly tackle normally use 8- or 9-weight rods. Most use floating lines and 8- or 9-foot leaders. Two or three large split-shot sinkers are fastened about 20 inches above a No. 4 or No. 6 bucktail streamer to keep the fly near the bottom where the fish hold. Since reds stop feeding once they leave the ocean en route to spawning beds, most anglers believe streamer color makes little difference. The fish may sometimes snap at these offerings, but most of the time they are "lined" when the flies drift into their mouths.

Add or subtract weight above your streamer to keep it bouncing lightly along the stream bottom. The distance between your weight and hook is crucial. If the two are too close together, you're more likely to snag fish in their bellies; if they are too far apart, the streamer may float over the backs of holding salmon. Twenty inches between weights and streamers is usually about right.

Aside from basic tackle, some anglers bring protective eye wear, considering the number of hooks flying through the air in these typically crowded fishing situations. Glasses with Polarized lenses are ideal, since they cut the glare on the water, making fish easier to see.

TROUT FISHING ESCAPES

For those who prefer to escape the Russian River's salmon fishing crowds, trails traverse the picturesque river, allowing anglers to walk upstream to dozens of pools and runs where trout and Dolly Varden hold.

Here, dry-fly fishing for trout can be good in June and early July. Larger-than-life dry flies work best. Elk-Hair Caddis patterns in sizes 8 to 10 and No. 6 Caddis and brown-bodied Stimulators are good bets.

Nymph patterns also work well on Russian River trout and Dolly Varden. Bead-head Pheasant-tail Nymphs in Nos. 10-12 tied on rounded caddis hooks are local favorites.

Lighter fly rods -- 5 weights to 8 weights -- work well for trout and Dolly Varden here that average 12 to 16 inches long but that can occasionally exceed 30 inches and 15 pounds. Floating lines rigged with leaders 10 to 12 feet long allow for maximum drift control and sensitivity against soft strikes.

On the upper Kenai River, good fishing can be reached on foot from pull-offs and trail heads along the Sterling Highway. For better and more consistent fishing access, many anglers choose to float the upper river in drift boats or rafts. Most put in either at the Kenai Lake outflow or across from the Russian River confluence and take out a few miles below at Jim's Landing. Either trip can easily be done in a day, and many Cooper Landing-based fishing guides offer float trips for sockeye and silver salmon as well as rainbow trout and Dolly Varden.

For those who seek more space, solitude and great fishing for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden, a little sweat promises admission into the remote waters above Lower Russian Lake.

From the Russian River Campground, anglers carrying light packs can hike or bike up the Russian Lakes Trail. The trail is well maintained for its first three miles, but degenerates into a narrow, rocky single track.

Set in a narrow valley overshadowed by sweeping high-country vistas, the upper Russian River is a clear-running stream roughly 7 or 8 miles long that connects Upper Russian and Lower Russian lakes. Portions of the trail -- 21 miles long from the campground to its Cooper Lake terminus on Snug Harbor Road -- parallel the river, providing access for anglers who don't mind taking the time and effort to hike or bike in. Rarely running wider than a two-lane road, the river here is easily waded.

For anglers who wish to spend a night or two in the wilderness, a couple of U.S. Forest Service public-use cabins are available; be sure to reserve them early, since they fill up fast. The cabin at Lower Russian Lake offers four bunks, a wood stove and a rowboat. To learn more about cabin locations, availability, fees and booking, visit the U.S. Forest Service Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r10.

Remember that the Russian and Kenai rivers flow through bear country. Due caution and good bear-country sense are crucial throughout the region. For tips about safety, check out the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's main bear page ("Alaska's Bears") at www.wildlife.alaska.gov.

Freelance writer Ken Marsh lives in Anchorage. •

For some people, a trip to Alaska wouldn't be complete without wetting a line in the Russian or Kenai rivers. Here are some suggestions:

• Combat fishing: When the red salmon are running, it gets a bit crazy at the confluence of the Russian and Kenai rivers -- there are fish, anglers and hooks all over the place. Be careful, but do it; it's an experience you won't forget.

• Big fish: Anglers dream of landing a monster Kenai king salmon. The best chance of doing it is with a guide. Hire one.

• A bit of peace: If you want to fish for trout or Dolly Varden, you can find a bit of solitude away from the crowds on the upper Kenai or Russian rivers. Editor's picks

Miles below the Russian River, at the foot of Skilak Lake, the Kenai seems a different river. Here it is deeper and wider, no longer resembling a high-country trout stream. Even so, the Kenai here retains its distinctive aquamarine tint and the fishing is as good -- indeed, many say it is better -- as it is in the fish-rich upper river.

Anglers fish the middle and lower Kenai River primarily for king, red and silver salmon, Dolly Varden and rainbow trout. Pink salmon also run up the Kenai in huge numbers, but are generally passed over in favor of the preferred kings, reds and silvers.

More than anything else, this part of the Kenai River is world-famous for its runs of enormous king salmon. Kings to 80 pounds are not uncommon here, and each year anglers try to beat the river's 97-pound, 4-ounce sportfishing world record, caught at Pillars Drift in 1985.

Kenai kings enter the river in two separate runs, the first arriving from mid-May through June and the second appearing from July through the first week or so of August. In normal years, the runs are composed of a total of 50,000 to 80,000 fish.

Most king fishing takes place in the lower river. Once a healthy number of salmon have safely reached spawning beds, anglers are permitted to fish with bait. Although some enjoy good success with herring fillets attached to plugs, most old-timers prefer cured salmon roe for king salmon.

Because the river here is wide and deep, and since most reaches are remote or flow through private lands, most successful king salmon anglers fish from boats. For visitors or those new to the river, it is wise to hire an established local guide. Guides provide safe boat transportation and, if necessary, rods and tackle. But most important, they supply valuable fishing knowledge that can improve any angler's chances of success.

The lower Kenai also offers fantastic fishing for sockeye and coho (locally called silver) salmon. Sockeyes begin entering the river in mid-June and run into August. Silvers start showing up by early August and run well into October.

Designated public fishing areas are available for anglers seeking red and silver salmon. Again, anglers who fish from boats on this stretch have greater access and increased fishing options. To find specific public fishing areas here, as well as on the middle and upper Kenai River, visit www.kenaifishing.net.

For information on camping, lodging and Kenai River fishing guides, contact the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce at 44790 Sterling Highway, Soldotna 99669; 262-9814; or www.soldotnachamber.com.

Average middle- and lower-river rainbow trout and Dolly Varden weigh 3 to 5 pounds, with larger fish topping 10 pounds. Exceptional rainbows can reach 20 pounds. Trout and Dollys here key largely into the salmon cycle. Beads or fly patterns that imitate salmon eggs or salmon flesh can be very effective.

For information about fishing regulations and Kenai River fishing, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fish Web site at www.sf.adfg.state. ak.us.

What locals say

Big river offers big fish for the taking "We're really promoting fall fishing -- September and October, when everybody doesn't come out. Fall fishing on the Kenai River is really spectacular."

-- Bob Rima, co-owner of Kenai River Drifters Lodge