With abundant red salmon through mid August, an oversupply of pinks, and some decent silver fishing, anglers were regularly leaving with sore arms from August through September.

Fresh red salmon continued to push past the lodge well into mid August. Limits were reduced for a few days in late July, but then doubled to six fish shortly thereafter. Anyone who tangled with the reds will be telling their war stories for years to come. Many are returning for more abuse this year.

Like so many of our groups a father/son team were the last camp guests in late September. As water flows drop and slow with cool late fall temperatures, silvers consolidate into fewer holes. Fortunately, we have a couple of the best late season spots just upriver from camp.

Enjoying a deserted middle Kenai River, low water levels, and finally a die off of pinks, the Trasks experienced some exciting action casting to schools of ocean fresh silvers. When the standard spinners and then eggs did all they could do, unorthodox lures really jump-started the bite producing some crazy flurries.

Rainbow Trout / Dolly Varden / Steelhead
Aside from my 2-year-old daughter, Ruby, catching her first fish, this trout season was a disappointment. Yes, we hooked and landed a few 10 lb trout, even a couple bruisers off our riverbank, but all in all, it was an off trout year on the Kenai River. Dolly Varden came with a vengeance in August and provided excellent action after morning silver salmon fishing. Basically, with millions of pinks, there simply was way too much food and fish in the way to get quality drifts.

One exception was a trip with guide Ed that our guests hooked into lots of rainbows in the 2-10lb range down by our camp. We only had a few trout trips, but when virtually every year is hot trout year, you get a bit spoiled. I'm sure 2007 will be as good as ever. I can't wait to see.