Fishing Report from Spotted Tail 9/3/09
Greetings from Goodnews River Lodge (www.epicfishing.com).
This is my last Alaskan fishing report for the year, since as I write this I'm on an Alaska Airlines jet that's flying to Orlando. The Alaska gig is done for this season!
The words for this week were silver salmon, fly fishing, and Belgian princes. Not everyone who fished with me this week was a Belgian prince, but enough were to make it a word of the week!
On Tuesday Doug and Harry Nickelson joined me. While they were princely gentlemen, they live in California. They fly fished for silver salmon and caught a bunch. It was probably the height of the Goodnews run this week. Fishing was steady most of the day, and was sometimes fast and furious, altogether an excellent day.
Sunday Prince Lionel de Merode and his son Simon joined me. They had fly fished for the first time for two hours the previous day, so they were rank beginners. In spite of that they caught salmon steadily all day long. When I get beginners I like to get them into they water, wading. It's safer for me, and more productive for them. As a bonus Simon caught a lovely rainbow trout of about 22 inches. Although the weather was rainy and cold, it was again an excellent day.
Monday another Belgian prince joined me, Renier de Croy and his son Nicolas. Nicolas was a pleasant surprise, since he could double-haul. I gave him a popper while papa got a streamer. Again, they both caught salmon all day long on a cold, rainy day. The popper fishing didn't last long, which was unfortunate, but by switching to a streamer we kept the action steady and sometimes spectacular.
Tuesday Wayne and Nick Bush joined me. Mr. Bush is the charge d'affairs at the US Embassy in Belgium. Nick is his 17 year old son. Nick had done some fly casting, but Wayne was a beginner. Again, the Goodnews produced salmon steadily for them all day long. Nick got a lovely rainbow trout as well.
When the guides returned to camp that evening we pulled most of our boats out of the water. The season was just about over, and seven of us left yesterday. My next report will be on Sunday Sept. 13 to give me time to unpack and readjust to being back in Florida.
Life is short- go fishing!
Life is great and I love my work!
John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com