You can feel it as you pass the guide shacks and fly shops of Cooper Landing, hear it in the upper Kenai River as it carries the drift-boat fleets past the Russian River ferry. These things, along with the smell of campfire smoke, mountain winds and salmon that arrive in waves all summer long, leave no doubt that this is an anglers' place.
What locals say about Kenai fishing
"I mean, we get over a million salmon up here a year. And that makes for some huge rainbow trout. ... Our biggest (trout) this year was 36 inches. You have the fact that we're surrounded by mountains here and have this beautiful scenery."
-- George Heim, longtime Cooper Landing fishing guide, Alaska River Adventures
Setting up camp
The upper Kenai and Russian Rivers are busy places in the summer, especially when the red salmon are running. Anglers looking for a place to park a motor home or pitch a tent can check out the following area campgrounds:
• The U.S. Forest Service Russian River Campground at Mile 52.5 Sterling Highway offers 83 campsites, two day-use parking areas, toilets and picnic shelters.
• Sportsman's Landing, at Mile 55, provides parking for up to 180 vehicles, a drift-boat launch, toilets and a privately operated ferry that carries anglers across the Kenai River to the mouth of the Russian.
• The U.S. Forest Service Quartz Creek Campground at Mile 45 Sterling Highway offers 45 campsites and toilet facilities.
• The U.S. Forest Service Cooper Creek Campground at Mile 50 has 29 campsites.
Set in the heart of the Kenai Peninsula, among mountain ranges where rivers are born, Cooper Landing, a rural community about 100 miles south of Anchorage on the Sterling Highway, is the gateway to some of Alaska's finest, most accessible fishing. From here the action begins along the banks of the upper Kenai and Russian rivers. Famous for huge salmon runs and excellent fishing for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden, these easily reached streams are located within sight of the highway.
Meanwhile, a far-flung world of clear streams and high-country lakes waits only a ridgeline or hidden valley away. Here, along the backcountry trails of the Chugach National Forest and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, adventurous anglers with backpacks or mountain bikes and a yen for remote waters tackle trout, char and grayling among stunning scenic backdrops.
CLOSE TO THE ROAD
For most anglers, fishing season here starts in mid-June when the summer's first red salmon arrive at the confluence of the Russian and upper Kenai rivers. With runs extending well into August, more than 100,000 reds typically leave the Kenai's glacial-green eddies for the clear-running Russian. When the reds 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 U.S. Forest Service 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 that medium-weight spinning rods rigged with streamers work as well as fly-casting gear.
Russian River red salmon average 6 to 8 pounds apiece, but fresh fish are incredibly powerful and quick, frequently launching themselves out of the water in cartwheeling leaps. That power, enhanced by swift currents, makes these fish a challenge to land on any kind of tackle. For this reason, most anglers who use spinning gear prefer 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-long 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.
Experienced anglers make catching reds look easy. But there are tricks that separate those who limit out quickly from others who go home skunked and frustrated. Many start by looking around to see who's catching fish. This can shed light on how far out from the bank the salmon are holding as well as provide clues on technique.
Add or subtract weight above your streamer to keep it bouncing lightly along the stream bottom. The distance between your weight and hook are crucial, according to many experts. If the two are too close together, you're more likely to snag fish; 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 that, protective eye wear is a good idea, considering the number of sharp hooks flying through the air in these often crowded fishing situations. Glasses with polarized lenses are ideal, since they cut the glare on the water.
For those who wish to escape the salmon fishing crowds, the lower Russian's upper reaches provide space, solitude and, best of all, great fishing for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. From the U.S. Forest Service campground, maintained trails traverse the picturesque upper river, providing access to dozens of pools where trout and char are found.
Early in the season, before the salmon start dropping their eggs, rainbows are frequently taken on dry flies. Large Stonefly or Caddis patterns are often effective. Nymphs also work well throughout the season; patterns like bead-head Pheasant Tail or Hare's Ear nymphs in Nos. 10 or 12 are popular.
The upper Kenai River also offers great fishing for salmon, trout and char. This 12-mile-long stretch of water connects Kenai and Skilak lakes. Its color is distinctive, a melding of jade and aquamarine that is translucent to varying degrees, depending upon the season.
Although dozens of fishing holes can be reached by taking a short walk off the highway, many anglers prefer to float the river in drift boats, rafts or inflatable one-person pontoon rafts. Popular launching points include the outlet of Kenai Lake and Sportsman's Landing. Anglers starting from Kenai Lake can make a short day of it by taking out at Sportsman's or go for a long day by hauling out at Jim's Landing far below.
GOING WILD
Fished only lightly by a handful of hard-core fly-fishers, the upper Russian River above Lower Russian Lake is no secret. It's been on anglers' radar screens for almost as long as the lower river has hosted red-salmon-seeking throngs. Yet this fishery, which lies within the boundaries of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and Chugach National Forest, remains virtually pristine for two reasons: First, getting there requires more than a little physical effort, and second, the place is densely populated with brown bears.
Set in a valley cradled by the Kenai Mountains, the upper Russian River is a clear-flowing stream roughly seven to eight miles long that connects Upper and Lower Russian lakes. From the Russian River Campground at Mile 52.6 of the Sterling Highway, anglers can reach the fishery on foot or via mountain bikes up the Russian Lakes Trail.
The trail, 21 miles long from the campground to its Cooper Lake terminus on Snug Harbor Road, is hard-packed and well maintained, making for easy biking or hiking. Anglers can start at either end.
The advantage bikers have over hikers (motorized vehicles are not permitted here) is speed. A section of trail that would take most hikers an hour and a half to cover can be traveled by bike in 30 minutes or less.
The fishing for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden can be excellent. However, thousands of spawning salmon, combined with the region's remote location, also make this an ideal place for grizzlies. For this reason, anglers who visit these waters should know something about bears and bear safety. For starters, that includes traveling in pairs or small groups, making plenty of noise to avoid surprising bears in heavy cover and keeping a respectful distance from bears. Most anglers also carry some form of protection, whether that be bear spray or a heavy firearm.
Some other excellent Kenai Peninsula backcountry fisheries are the following:
CRESCENT LAKE
These closely regulated waters offer the region's finest grayling fishing. As with the upper Russian River and many other regional treasures, Crescent can be reached on foot, by mountain bike or horseback from trail heads off the Seward and Sterling highways. A steep 5 1/2-mile hike over Carter Lake Trail off the Seward Highway outside of Moose Pass is one option. The other is from Crescent Creek Trail outside Cooper Landing off the Sterling Highway and Quartz Creek Road.
The Crescent Creek route is a mile longer but not as steep, making it more bicycle-friendly. Even so, this trail is not exactly a cakewalk.
At the lake, you may catch grayling to 20 inches long. Use small spinners, nymphs or, when the fish are in the mood, dry flies.
JOHNSON LAKE
Rainbow trout in this Johnson Pass Trail jewel are rumored to grow extra big and mean. Access options include north trail head, located at Mile 64 Seward Highway east of Granite Creek Campground, and south trail head at Mile 32.5 Seward Highway west of Upper Trail Lake. The trail is roughly 20 miles long, with Johnson Lake marking the approximate halfway point. Nearby Bench Lake offers grayling. The trail is suitable for hiking, mountain bikes and horses.
JUNEAU LAKE
Located on the Resurrection Trail system, this remote fishery is known for its rainbows, grayling and lake trout. Trail head is located at Mile 52 Sterling Highway. Lake can be reached by a six-mile hike over a well-maintained trail. A Forest Service cabin is available (must be reserved in advance).
Ken Marsh is a Daily News copy editor, and he lives in Anchorage.
