2019 Trout Opener on the Alagnak River

​The Alaska trout opener has become an amazing way to kick-start the Alaskan fishing season on the Alagnak.  Just imagine hungry, eager, trout that have not seen an angler of fly in over 8 months!  These trout are more than willing to strike both top water and sub surface patterns on June 8th - and four fortunate guests of Anglers Alibi were ready and willing to present a fly as the clock struck midnight.  We had set up a small camp for just the night and enjoyed a nice dinner at an extremely remote area of the Bristol Bay Watershed.   With a nice campfire and some spirits, the guests were more than amped up for a trout opener that they would never forget.   
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Trout, lake trout and Arctic Grayling were slurping dry flies as we all waited on baited breath, constantly checking our watches to see just how many minutes were left on the day until it was legal time to make that first cast.  Bets were placed on who would have the first trout on the fly and, sure enough, the first trout was stripping line off a reel that all could hear in seconds from the opening yell of “go time”.  Yes, one of the guests had hooked up on a trout on their first midnight cast! ​

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​The fun and laughter ensued and we all had a great time (guides included) with all the banter and good times that was had for a few hours.  June 8 in Alaska means just about full time daylight and at 12:01am, there is still plenty of light in the sky to fish and see your lines and casts.  This was truly an amazing experience and one that the guests would never forget. 

The following morning started off with a nice cup of coffee and some bacon and eggs from the grill.  Sure, some guests opted to sleep in while others had their lines in the water literally minutes after waking up.   The fishing continued to be spectacular and more of the river was fished than the previous evening.  It was incredible to watch rainbow trout race out from the bank to destroy a waking mouse pattern like their lives depended on it!  The fishing remained very consistent all day with some trout landed in the honest 24” range while the small side landed around the 16” range. 

The rest of the week entailed fishing the Alagnak River braids.  It would take someone an entire summer to possibly fish all this water.   The river is literally braided into several smaller streams basically.  Each braid might hold some huge trout in them while others might have pools full of grayling sipping dry flies. 

This river is a fly fisherman’s paradise for sure, and 4 anglers for the week had the time of their lives!  Contact Anglers Alibi to learn more about options for opening weeks of Alaska trout fishing. 

About the Author

​John Perry grew up in Michigan on an island called Grosse Ile, in the mouth of the Detroit River and Lake Erie. It was here, surrounded by great fishing and waterfowl hunting that John developed a passion for the outdoors. John moved to Colorado to chase trout in the summers and ski patrol in the winters. John had the privilege to start guiding for Angler’s Alibi with his fly fishing mentor TR Rafferty the second year it was in business. He left a head guide job in Colorado to pursue bigger and better fish.