Catching Trout and Salmon

Categories: fishing
Posted on: 23rd December 2009 by: admin

Hire A Guide in Scenic Fishing Locations

Imagine fishing the world famous Kenai River for record setting salmon or battling a giant Pacific halibut and enjoying incredible sights. How about fishing out of Seward for silver salmon and ling cod and finishing your trip with a majestic fly out catching salmon with bears as your partners?

Book a trip with guide and enjoy a great day of catching salmon, steelhead, sturgeon or oversize sturgeon on some of the most scenic waterways in Oregon, Washington, Canada or Alaska. Catching salmon and trout with a guide, who is friendly, patient and knows how to treat his clients, can guarantee a successful day of fishing and a fun and relaxing outdoor experience. Fishing for salmon after they enter freshwater can utilize many of the techniques used to catch steelhead. Although fishing can be excellent on some days, on other days catching even one salmon can be quite difficult. From catching salmon to halibut, ask the experts who know where to fish for a variety of species, and can provide different fishing packages that fit your needs.

Catching salmon for food is something that has been done for thousands of years. The key to catching salmon is using the correct equipment and technique. Fly-fishing is an ancient and distinct method of angling, most renowned as a method of catching salmon and trout. Today it is also used for many other species, such as bass, pickerel, carp and shad. Not only do we love catching salmon, we love eating it as well and do so several times a week.

Fishing for Salmon is not about catching salmon but a study of its life and survival. Research by several countries using tagged salmon revealed that Alaskan fishermen were catching salmon bound for British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington; Canadian fishermen were capturing coho, chinook and other species bound for rivers of Washington and Oregon; fishermen in northern British Columbia were intercepting salmon returning to Alaska, and United States fishermen were catching salmon as they traveled through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and San Juan Islands towards Canada’s Fraser River.

Fly Fishing

Fly fishing is a centuries old way of fishing that was used in the past for catching trout and salmon. Today people also use this specific way of fishing for pike, bass, panfish, carp, redfish, snook, tarpon, bonefish and striped bass. Initially focusing on trout and salmon, fly anglers have taken on a full range of game and pan fish species. Steel leaders are a must for catching large pickerel and pike, but they are not productive for catching trout and salmon. Fly fishing is a distinct and ancient angling method that is enjoyed by many today. There is a level of skill involved in fly fishing for salmon. These big beasts don’t just let anyone take them out of the river.

Other Fishing Techniques

Trolling is another method and one of the ways easiest and most effective ways for catching salmon in a wide variety of conditions. The key to catching trout and salmon in the summer is to target long points, island tops, drop-offs and other natural and man made structures. One must be a well-rounded angler, proficient in a variety of fishing techniques and styles, particularly those geared to catching trout and salmon.

Techniques for Catching Salmon Catching salmon from the shore on a Canadian fishing trip is an ideal way to experience the thrill of catching salmon. Trolling with a hootchie, spoon, or strip of herring bait enhanced by the use of a flasher is a good method for catching salmon. Salmon Trolling flies used with a dodger or flasher is a popular fishing technique used on Lake Michigan for catching salmon and trout. Some people consider jigs a lure for bass or panfish, but in recent years a growing number of anglers have found jigs are a truly great lure for catching Salmon and Steelhead.

alaska fishing guide

Categories: fishing
Posted on: 11th December 2009 by: admin

alaskan fishing

are not many places left in the world that can truly be described as wilderness. Alaska has those places and tourists love to see its pristine environment. Fishing enthusiasts particularly like to come here and any Alaska fishing guide will show that the sport can be pursued by novices or experts in many different locations and catching several different types of fish. Many companies organise fishing vacations in this region.

The Kenai River is a favorite spot for salmon charters, seeking to catch King, Red, Pink and Silver Salmon. Halibut and Trophy Rainbow Trout are also to be found here. Salmon drift boat fishing on the Kasilof is also popular. The boats come equipped with tackle, bait, GPS navigation system, radar and a heated cabin and inside bathroom. The guide provided is an expert in local conditions and finding fish. Many of these charters are part of packages that include lodge style accommodation.

All kinds of fishing are catered for here and an Alaska fishing guide will direct people to the right location or method of fishing that is right for them. Guided charters are available on the remote Talachulitna River, a perfect spot for fly fishing, float fishing or spin fishing. This beautiful area in South Central Alaska gives the opportunity to catch rainbow trout, five different species of Pacific Salmon, dolly varden or Arctic Grayling.

The guides are skilled in fishing and in rafting and all flies and spinners are supplied. After a day’s sport, guests can retire to comfortable riverside camps, equipped with large tents, sleeping bags and cots. They will have worked up an appetite and tasty meals are served. It is a good idea to consult an Alaska fishing guide on what to take along but the basic essentials are clothes, rods, reels and waders.

For those wanting an experience in very remote terrain with a variety of wildlife, traveling to the far north fulfills that dream. The Anvik River Lodge, which can be found in a good Alaska fishing guide, provides comfort, privacy and amenities on the banks of the 120 mile Anvik, which is a tributary of the famous Yukon River. Guests are flown in from Anchorage on private flights. The accommodation includes private baths and a communal dining room, where fresh food including Alaska steak and King Crab are served. They can hope to catch Pacific Salmon, Northern Pike, white fish, shee fish and Arctic Char. There is also the exciting prospect of seeing grizzly bears, moose, otters, wolves, beavers and various species of birds.

Mercury Content Of Fish

Categories: fishing
Posted on: 26th November 2009 by: admin

We all know that adding fish to our diets can help increase our body’s ability to repair itself, as well as its ability to burn body fat and keep our energy up, but it’s important to choose fish that’s also going to improve your health as opposed to silently poisoning you…

Being exposed to too much mercury can cause memory loss, tremors, neurological difficulties, advanced aging, decreased immune functions, and death.

But how is all this mercury getting into our body?

Well here are the top 4 places that contribute to the levels of mercury in our body (not in any specific order):

Vaccines (past and present)
Dental fillings
The environment
And Fish

We’re going to focus on fish right now because that’s the prime source of mercury in our diets.

When coal is burned, inorganic mercury is released into the air and eventually ends up in our lakes, rivers and oceans. There, bacteria mixes with it and transforms it into methylmercury which is easily absorbed by fish (especially large or fatty fish), and is also easily absorbed by us when we eat those fish.

The good new is that our most recent studies indicate that the human body naturally rids itself of mercury over time – assuming we stop ingesting it long enough for our body to do what it was made to do, and to help the process here’s a list of fish that naturally have a low, medium and high level of mercury:

High mercury: Mercury levels differ from one species of fish to the next. This is due to factors such as type of fish, size, location, habitat, diet and age. Fish that are predatory (eat other fish) are large and at the top of the food chain, and so tend to contain more mercury. Fish that contain higher levels of mercury include:

Shark
Ray
Swordfish
Barramundi
Gemfish
Orange roughy
Ling
Canned or fresh tuna
Mackerel
Grouper
Tilefish
Chilean sea bass

Moderate mercury: Alaskan halibut, black cod, blue (Gulf Coast) crab, dungeness crab, Eastern oysters, mahimahi, blue mussels, pollack.

Low mercury: Anchovies, Arctic char, crawfish, Pacific flounder, herring, king crab, sanddabs, scallops, Pacific sole; tilapia, wild Alaska and Pacific salmon; farmed catfish, clams, striped bass, and sturgeon.

Excellent Fishing Rods for that Perfect Fishing Experience

Categories: fishing
Posted on: 24th November 2009 by: admin

fishing rods

Today’s fishing rods have incorporated modern features that are not typical of the more primitive cane pole. Modern fishing rods contain reels, which aid in the retrieval of fish caught in its bait.

A much-sophisticated feature is the spinning rod where the entire shaft of the rod except the handle can move around on its axis to allow flexibility when fish caught on snare bait struggles through the water.

Like the classic cane fishing rods, the fishing gadget is thick at the handle (bottom) and is tapered and thinner at the tip. This very basic design allows handling stability and flexible movement of the entire length of the shaft.

Types of Fishing Rods and Specifications

A typical fishing rod measures 6 and 16 feet (2 and 5 m) and vary in capability to tolerate strain in fishing activity. The length has a lot to do with withstanding force exerted by the fish to the pole and determines for the most part the performance of rods used for angling.

Cane Poles

Cane poles are one of the smallest and less sophisticated gadgets in fishing. It is usually made of bamboo or other flexible wood material with the most basic fly line attached to it.

Unlike other more sophisticated fishing rods, cane poles do not usually contain reels or its equivalent to be used for reeling in or retrieving fish caught on bait. This very same action is known as angling.

Spinning Rods

These types of rods are the most popular today. They can be used either for heavyweight or lightweight fish although they were proven best for trout, walleye and bass fish. They vary in measurements from 5 and 7 feet (1.5 and 2.5 m).

Spinning poles are commonly used in bass fishing competition accounting for their flexibility and tolerance to stress. They accommodate bigger and tougher fly lines and stabilize them to avoid line tangles during uncoiling of float lines.

Jigging Rods

These rods are best for heavy lures and baits especially when reaching around 180 to 200 feet under the ocean’s surface. They are made of fine, solid materials which accounts to their heaviness. The use of jigging rods is specifically due to alternating currents during the fishing activity.

Some oceans have erratic undersea current. That is why the bait and fly lines should be kept in place. Lures are also disturbed and cause confusion among fish if the lines are not long and heavy enough to withstand and tolerate water currents under the sea.

These rods are best for target fishes usually found dwelling at the bottom of the sea such as halibut and cods.

Amazing Experience in the Cretelakes

Categories: fishing
Posted on: 13th November 2009 by: admin

Fishing is absolutely a very hobby challenging your patience and skill. It is a combination of sport and also mental therapy. It can heal stressful feeling and release the other negative feelings that give you bad mood. Cretelakes is a very place to satisfy your hobby of fishing. Its slogan French carp fishing holiday is very representative and definitive. It specializes itself in providing carp fishes. The carps are in good quality. Besides, there are also available the other kind of fishes that will train your skill and give you more fun.

With a very wide fishing area completed with four spots of fishing, the Cretelakes provide a very interesting new experience of fishing and spending holiday. The four lakes for fishing have numerous carp fishes that will make you sure that your fishing will be more fun rather than the very stressful fishing one. The amazing thing is that the carps are very huge that will make you feel satisfied with your own work. They are very maturing, healthy and also delicious. Moreover, you can check the Cretelakes website to find out the availability for booking up your trip there and get a very interesting fishing experience and also the facilities you can access.

If you plan to visit French and is wondering where to have a very nice experience of Fishing in France, you need to take Cretelakes as consideration. Its reputable service will make you well it worthy to visit French with a fishing experience that is exceptional. About the facilities, you can get kitchen with full equipment you will need to cook the carps. Moreover, there are TV, baits and showers and toilets that will support your convenience in fishing. One thing you should not miss is also the restaurant with professional chef that will serve you the best meals ever. There are also several trip packages with special price offering and also facilities.

Best Fishing Flies for Salmon and Steelhead

Categories: fishing
Posted on: 8th November 2009 by: admin

stellhead

With more than 10,000 cataloged patterns of fishing flies, finding the best one can be a long task of trial and error. The quest to find the perfect fishing fly has burdened fishermen for ages, but the general rule of thumb is to use dark fishing flies on cloudy days and bright fishing flies on sunny days. Another strategy is to match the color of the riverbed. Additionally, big flies often work best in high water while small files work best in low water. Below you?ll find a list of the 5 best lovedfishing flies for salmon and steelhead fishing.

Thunder and Lightning:
As the name insinuates, the deep orange, gold, brown and black colors are perfect for fly fishing on dark days and in dark river bottoms. This classic salmon fishing fly, once called the “Great Storm? fly is probably the most common fly used today for salmon and steelhead fishing.

Green Highlander:
This colorful fly composed of light green, pink, and orange feathers is perfect for bright sunny days. The green highlander is a classic pattern and very popular in all parts of the world.

Green Butt Skunk:
The green butt skunk looks exactly as it sounds, with bright green strand of yarn finishing off an otherwise black fly with a light colored tuft. These flies are the top choice for salmon and steelhead fishing in the Northwest but are incredibly successful around the world. The burst of green and the contrast of the dark and light make this fly a magnet for salmon and steelhead.

Skykomish Sunrise:
These fishing flies are a burst of bright orange and yellow that are perfect for dirty water on a bright day. It was a Skykomish sunrise fly that landed George McCloud, the fly?s originator, a record breaking 29 pound 2 ounce steelhead in 1955.

Jock Scott:
Sir Edward Grey called the Jock Scott “the best all round fly, excellent for all seasons, weathers and waters.? This incredibly intricatefishing fly can take up to 10 hours to craft by hand and was originally composed of more than 28 different materials. The Jock Scott?s timeless design has retained its popularity since it was first crafted in 1854.

Although these 5 fishing flies rank among the most popular, don?t hold back on trying new varieties of flies. Pack a variety of different fishing flies during salmon season and try a variety of colors and sizes until you find the types that work best for you.

Excellent Boat for Fantastic Enjoyment

Categories: fishing
Posted on: 2nd November 2009 by: admin

Sometimes, our world is too crowded to live. Land and air become so dirty and filthy. The only air and atmosphere which are good for the human to live are those in seas and seas surrounding. This makes seas remains the best place to do refreshing. Seas are so cool and watery that will make people relieve and finally refreshed. People can do many things in seas only with a simple device like boat. Fishing in boat all day with a terrific sun shine will give a peaceful effect. In addition to that, boating is a good idea to get a fresh air and inspiration.

However, the first thing to prepare before enjoying seas is the boat itself. You have to make sure that your boat is good enough to use to enjoy the marvelous seas. You have to use the best Bilge Pumps in your boat to make it perfectly works. Bilge Pumps are the soul of boats which will make the boats run well and keep out of stumbles. Besides, boats need good Boat Lights in order to be able to avoid many dangerous occasions during your vacation times. Boat lights including side lights, spot lights, and stern lights are useful to your boats. In addition to that, Telescoping Boat Ladders is also one important device that you must purchase for your boats. Only after facilitating your boats with those important devices, can your boat be safely sailed.

Fishing the Fall Salmon Run in Michigan

Categories: fishing
Posted on: 25th October 2009 by: admin

michigan salmon

About the Fish

Salmon stocking started in Michigan in 1967 to combat the excessive Alewife population. The first species to be stocked was the Coho. As time went on the Chinook was added to the mix. Since that time they have taken off, and between the naturally reproduction that occurs and the DNR stocking we now have one of the best salmon fisheries anywhere. For pictures of the fish please refer to the Michigan Fishing Regulation book for the current year. In addition to the Coho and Chinook salmon you may also occasionally catch a Pink Salmon or Atlantic Salmon, but to the best of my knowledge it doesn’t happen often. Maybe someone reading this can correct me if I am wrong.

Where to Go

We are lucky to have access to a state that has such a diverse fishery. Very few states have as many lakes and rivers as we do, or have the variety of fish that live there. For our particular purposes we need rivers that drain into the Great Lakes, since that is where the salmon spend their adult lives. If you search the internet you will find many rivers that have salmon such as the Muskegon, Big Manistee, Little Manistee, Pere Marquette, and Betsie, just to name a few. Some of these rivers have naturally reproducing populations of Salmon while others are stocked by the DNR. There are also several rivers in the Upper Peninsula that play host to salmon in the fall. In all the rivers you have to pay close attention to the fishing regulations because certain sections of the rivers may be closed to fishing to protect the spawning fish or have limitations on the gear you can fish with.

When to Go

The main salmon run occurs every fall. There is no set start date, but you can usually start to see fish in the river in early September, and expect the run to be pretty much done by the end of October. A lot of this depends on the weather. A lack of rain and/or warm weather can make the run start later, and extra rain with cooler temperatures can cause the run to start a little earlier. I guess it all depends on when the fall rains and cooler temperatures hit the area. If you go to the rivers during September and October you are going to eventually find fish, it’s just a matter of timing it to catch the big run.

How to Fish For Them

This article is only going to cover techniques for the fisherman who wades. Most fishermen use either a spinning rod or fly rod and do the Chuck-and-Duck method. I believe this fishing method was named by the fly-fisherman because of the extra weight involved and the problem of getting hit in the head (Been There-Done That). You can also cast flies, such as Wooly Buggers, egg patterns, streamers, nymphs, and probably others I don’t know about yet. Yet another method is to suspend spawn, flies, or jigs below a float of some type. Whatever rig you choose you will need some waders, a net of some type, a head-lamp or other light source for night fishing, rain-gear, and some warm clothes.

The Chuck-n-Duck method usually involves a three-way swivel, some type of weight, and a hook with salmon eggs or yarn balls. I have also seen anglers use flies or plugs instead of the hook and spawn. A diagram can bee seen at Figure 1 which is listed at the end of the article.

I personally prefer to use about a 3′ leader when I fish this method but you will have to experiment and modify it to fit the conditions. If the fish are spooky you might need to lengthen the leader a bit more. You can also do a modified version of this without the three way swivel by using rubber-core sinkers for weight. To do this, tie the hook directly to your main line and then connect a rubber-core sinker above the hook about 18″ for weight. This will get your lure into the current but not necessarily bouncing on the bottom. Again, you will have to experiment with the length of line between the weight and the hook, but I would keep it at least 12″ from the hook. A diagram of this rig can be seen in Figure 2 which is listed at the end of the article.

Fishing flies for salmon is gaining in popularity. I have not tried it yet, but plan too this year. I understand that the usual flies are either egg patterns, woolybugger variations, big streamers, and egg-sucking leaches. I am going to try them all and see if I can get a hit. The nice thing about fishing the flies is that you also run the chance of hooking other trout species while searching for the salmon. If you want more professional instruction on fly-fishing for salmon there are several outfitters that are offering the service now. Do an internet search on it and you should have little difficulty finding one.

4 Hot Places You Should Visit For Alaska Salmon Fishing

Categories: fishing
Posted on: 21st October 2009 by: admin

alskan salmon fishing

Without a doubt, Alaska is one of the most popular places where anglers can expect to catch a record breaking number of salmon fishes. The cool waters of the rivers, lakes and oceans of the western area of the state are well known for the availability of high quality of salmon fishes in huge quantities.

In general, you will find salmon fishes in almost all the regions of Alaska. However, if you are looking for king-sized salmon fishes then there are a few areas famous for that. Below I will give you a list of the rivers and the type of salmon fishes you will find in each one of them.

1. Kenai Peninsula and River- One of the most famous hot spots for salmon fishing in Alaska is the Kenai Peninsula and river. Here you will be able to find several different species of fishes such as King Salmon, Chinook, Silver and Sockeye or Red salmon. The weight of a salmon fish depends on its variety but usually adult salmon fishes weigh anywhere between 25 to 90 pounds.

2. Golsovia River, on the edge of the Bering Sea-This is another area in Alaska which is world famous for easy availability of several different species of salmon fishes. Interestingly, apart from salmon, you will also find Artic Char fishes in this region. The typical varieties of salmon fishes found in this area are Chum, Pink, Silver and King salmon. If you are looking forward to fishing salmon in this area it is best to do so during June to August, because this is the time when most guests reach their fishing limit and then, in order to continue their fishing enjoyment, use a catch and release programme.

3. Sitka-This is another area in Alaska known for its exciting fishing opportunities. There are however limits on the number of fishes you can catch. For example, you cannot catch more than one salmon fish per day, and not more than three during one year. So far as the Silver salmon or the Coho is concerned, you cannot catch more than six Cohos per day, but thankfully, there is no annual restriction. Apart from being a hot fishing spot, Sitka is also one of the largest cities in Alaska; so if you are going to do salmon fishing there it will make an ideal base point for your family.

4. Yentna River- This is yet another hot spot for the lovers of salmon fishes. While this river in itself has plenty of salmon fishes living in its waters, you are not limited by this river alone! This river has many tributaries which are equally rich in fishing opportunities. Depending on your fishing license, you can do salmon fishing either by using a fishing boat, or by nets, or even off the shore. King, Silver, Sockeye, Pink and Chum are some of the varieties of salmon fishes you are likely to find in this river. Fly-fishing is a frequently used method to catch fishes from this river.

Overall, I can say that Alaska will give you a rich experience as far as salmon fishing is concerned. The interesting thing about salmon fishing in Alaska is that many of its areas are virtually left untouched and unexploited, which makes it an attractive fishing spot for the adventurous. It is best to visit Alaska during the months of July and August, when the weather is comparatively warm and there is sufficient daylight for long hours of fishing enjoyment.

If you need more information about Alaska king salmon fishing, we have a complete resource guide available for that purpose. Simply click the link below in my resource box in order to access the guide.