George Anderson's suggestions on

Flies, Tackle, Equipment

and Clothing for

ENCHANTED LAKE LODGE, ALASKA

Sept. 17-24, 2006

Rods | Reels | Lines & Leaders | Flies | Wading Gear

Clothing & Rainwear | Miscellaneous Gear

The right rods for big rainbows

At Enchanted Lake Lodge we will be fishing primarily for big rainbows. My favorite outfits for the fall fishing for Alaska rainbows include rods in the 9 foot #7 to the 9 and 9 1/2 foot #8 range. These #7 and 8 line rods have the power to handle the largest fish and make it easy to cast the rigs needed to fish beads effectively with indicators and split shot. Both the Sage and Loomis rods, in the 7 and 8 weight line sizes have short extension butts that are a big help in playing large fish. These rods also serve double duty as ideal rods for bonefish, redfish and even bass.

My favorite rods are the G. Loomis GLX series, and the new Cross Current GLX 4 Piece rods that have been a joy to use in both fresh and salt water.

My all time favorite is the Loomis 9 foot #8 GLX in the 4 PC version.   This rod is light in weight yet has just the right amount of power to play and land big Alaska bows.    Loomis is making the Cross Current GLX's now, which are primarily a saltwater version of the GLX rods.  The Cross Current rods are slightly stiffer in the butts than the regular GLX rods, and are better for casting long into the wind and playing big fish from the butt of the rod. The CrossCurrent rods also come with the new nickel Titanium recoil guides that are virtually unbreakable—a real advantage.

Sage's XP series are also wonderful rods that perform well in Alaska. Like the G. Loomis rods, these are faster action rods that have good butt power. Most people are opting for the new 4 piece models in these rods as they are definitely easier to hand carry on the airlines.  My favorites here are the 9 foot #7 and 9 foot #8 in the XP - 4 PC.  

Another new rod that has proven itself for battling big bows is Winston's new Boron IIX.    These are sweet rods, all very light rods that utilize boron in the butt section.   These are all 4 piece rods that come with green graphite and black annodized aluminum reel seats as well as the new unbreakable nickel/Titanium snake guides.    The best B IIX  models for Alaska are the 9 foot #7 and 9 foot #8.    The 9 foot #7 is an especially smooth rod- extremely light in weight but powerful enough to handle those 10 pound fish we'll catch.    

These Loomis, Sage, and Winston rods I've mentioned are in the $595-$650 range at retail.    

All the airlines are now accepting rod cases as your second "personal" bag so I suggest that people try to hand carry all their rods on this trip, at least on the way in.   Winston, Sage and DB Dun all offer larger round travel cases that will take 4-6 rods in their cloth bags and these are perfect  for hand carrying on the planes as we travel.    We stock these cases and they are in the $70-80 range.

It is always a good idea to bring a back up rod. More than once I've broken a rod in Alaska on the first day or two of the trip and had to go with my backup the rest of the week! I've found that in Alaska there are innumerable ways to break rods—usually in boats, rafts or planes, but sometimes on big fish too! Each party of 4 anglers should designate someone to bring a back up rod for that day, or make sure that your guide will bring along his own rod that someone can use if a rod gets broken. Enchanted Lake Lodge does have a stock of extra rods, reels and waders and they will lend these out to people in need.

Reels

Big Alaska rainbows can peel line off a reel in a hurry! I've had fish make first runs of over 100 yards, especially in some of the larger rivers like Moraine Creek. You'll want to have a reel with a strong, yet smooth drag, and the capacity to hold 125-150 yards of 30 pound backing plus your fly line. The 30-pound backing is important as we are often using tippets in the 12-15 lb. class.

There are many excellent reels on the market for fishing Alaska. All of the reels I'm going to recommend double as top bonefish reels. All of these reels utilize a large arbor design, allowing the angler to retrieve in line at a very fast pace. For the saltwater fishing we reload with 200 yd. of 20 lb. backing and a stiffer monofilament core line that is better in tropical climates.

My picks are the Abel Super 8 and the Tibor Everglades. These are designed for #7 #8 and 9 weight lines. The Tibor reels are available in black, champagne gold, and a new olive green that makes a beautiful match with the Loomis Cross Current rods and reel seats of the same color.

Tibor is now making these same reels with a quick change spool, and this is the way to go even though they are a little more expensive.  No more hassling with nuts and reel parts that can fall in the drink or get lost.   These new Tibor spools have a simple screw cap that works very securely.  

The Abel reels are available in either black or a variety of wild "camo coral"and fish annodized colors, none of which are the same. These camo coral Abel reels run $100 more than the standard black. Abel's new Super 8 reel with the Super 8 spool is perfect for either an 8 or 9 line but if you just add a standard #3 Abel spool, you can easily turn this into a wonderful reel for #10 to 12 weight lines. I still use my Abel 3's for permit, cudas, sharks and even tarpon.

For a less expensive Alaska reel, we recommend the Ross Canyon Big Game, which is a large arbor reel with a very good drag system. These come in size 4 and 5, which are ideal for #7-9 lines. I have fished these on bonefish and for big 'bows in Alaska, and they have performed beautifully. These Ross Canyon reels are in the $375-$415 price range. They also have easily interchangeable extra spools, which is handy when you are changing from floating to sinking lines.  These extra spools are relatively inexpensive at $170-$185.

Fly Lines

For our Alaska fishing in September, we'll need 3 lines. When we are fishing egg patterns (beads), we'll use only a floating line along with a long leader and yarn style indicator. My favorite floating line for Alaska is SA's Mastery Windmaster, which puts more weight forward in the line, making it turn over better in the wind and when you are forced to chuck split shot and an indicator along with the beads.

On other rivers, we'll fish streamers like sculpin and leech patterns. For this kind of fishing it is critical  to have the right kind of sink tip line. On smaller waters or on big rivers when they are very low, I like to use a Teeny mini tip, which is a floating line with only a 5 foot high-speed sink tip. On larger rivers and in higher water, where we need to get down deep and fast, the best bet is one of the new RIO 24 foot Density Compensated sink tips, which is about a type 5. The Teeny T-200 is a very similar line. The ingenious design that RIO is using allows the tip to sink faster than the belly, and it seems to get the fly down a little faster and hold it down there longer on the swing. Both of these lines really get the fly down in a hurry and cast beautifully—like a shooting head with an attached small diameter running line.

When putting together outfits for clients going to Alaska, we splice loops into the end of your fly line and also the backing to give you 100% knot strength between your line and backing. This also makes it far easier for you to change a line while in the field.

Leaders

When fishing with a floating line, using egg patterns, I have developed a special leader, similar to the ones that the guides at Enchanted Lake have used themselves. We are tying these leaders with Maxima butts and using new Seaguar GrandMAX fluorocarbon for mid sections and tippets. GrandMAX has proven to be is extremely strong and far less visible to the fish. The tippet size we use on this leader is 2X, and this tests out 12.5 lb. test! For the sinking lines, you'll want short 4-6 foot tapered leaders with 12 lb. tippets.

Most big bows are not leader shy. By using heavy tippet materials like 1X or 2X that break at 12-14 lb. test, you can apply a lot of pressure while playing these big fish. The more pressure you apply, the quicker these rainbows tire, and you'll be able to land and release the fish while it is still strong, decreasing the likelihood of fish mortality.

The guides at the lodge will help you rig up these leaders, and have leader material there for you to use. Still, I like to bring along this Seaguar GrandMAX fluorocarbon in a few sizes since it works so well. It can make the difference of catching the tough fish in these extremely clear waters.

Fly Patterns

Once the sockeye salmon arrive in the streams, rainbows key in on the salmon eggs and usually forget about all other insects, sculpins or other food available to them. On streams like Kulik, Battle, Moraine Creek, and the Brooks River, we'll have some outstanding visual fishing using a variety of beads as salmon egg imitations. The guides at Enchanted Lake have refined this "bead fishing" over the years, and there is just one word to describe it—deadly. A wide variety of bead colors and sizes are available at the lodge, and starting this year, all the flies and beads are supplied at no additional charge.

We'll use a variety of streamers, mostly sculpin and leech patterns. Again, the guides will pick out what you will need for each location the evening before, and check out the rest of your tackle to make sure that you are all set for the next day's fishing.

I normally do bring some of my own streamers. We have a few patterns like the orange, lead headed black rabbit leeches that have been deadly on big water. Also, our black and olive Rabbit Eels are killers up there. These are all tied on very stout hooks that won't bend or break, even on a huge fish.

Wading Gear

There is nothing like the comfort you get in good Gore-Tex waders, especially if you are walking miles in a day like we sometimes do in Alaska. These amazing new Gore-Tex waders actually breathe, letting perspiration and water vapor out but stop the water from coming through the fabric. I've often walked for miles without getting my underwear damp from perspiration! We stock a variety of breathable waders here in our shop, but the Simms Gore-Tex waders are head and shoulders above all the others for comfort, fit, and durability. We stock a complete selection of the Simms waders and they come in a wide selection of 25 sizes so that we can get a perfect fit just about anyone!

The Simms Gore-Tex Guide Model breathable stocking foot waders have proven to be one of the finest waders in existence. Virtually all the guides you see in Alaska are now wearing these moss green waders as well as most anglers. This year Simms has brought out an even better new wader, the G-3 stocking foot. If there was ever a perfect wader for Alaska this is it! The new G-3 is 25% more breathable than the older guide model and best of all it has a great new hand warmer pocket in the front of the wader. It also has an inside pocket that flips out that holds tippet material with a Simms retractor. Just add your tippet spools and a clipper and you are in business! The new G-3 waders are a combination of two shades of gray, and great looking. Another feature that is perfect for Alaska is a built in Gravel Guard. I've found that these work perfectly and I've been delighted with these new G-3 waders in every way. These are priced at $425, while they dropped the price on the guide model from $375 to $330. For less than $100 more though, the new G-3 is the one to get, especially for colder weather use like we'll see in Alaska.

With all the hiking we do in Alaska, I think that the stocking foot waders are by far the best choice. My favorites are the Simms Lightweight Wading boots with the rubber AquaStealth soles. These soles are light yet hold well, even on slippery rocks. We have this boot with standard felt soles also. Simms heavier duty Guide Boot is also an excellent choice. We stock Patagonia's wading shoe, which is also another very good lightweight boot. These wading shoes are all in the $125-150 range.

For socks to wear under waders, our favorites has been the Wigwam Merino Wool/Silk Hiker at $13.95 and Patagonia's Expedition Weight Capilene at $19.00.

Now that most of us have switched from neoprene waders to breathable waders, which don't provide any floatation, it is really important to wear a wader belt. It makes even more sense to wear one of the new Simms or Stearns blow-up PFD fanny packs. These are excellent, compact, yet fully inflatable PFD's, and can save your life if you really get into trouble. You can jerk the ripcord and blow them up using their CO2 cartridge, or easily blow them up by mouth if needed. I first saw these at the Jackson Hole One Fly several years ago and have been wearing one personally since then when I'm wading big, potentially dangerous rivers like the ones we will fish in Alaska. Remember to bring your gravel guards. Small pebbles and sand getting into your wading shoes can be a problem on most of the streams we'll fish.

On the rivers we fish, we are often using jet boats to get around, so little hiking is required. If you like to hike and fish, there are lots of good opportunities to get into water that is rarely fished. Wading conditions are very good on most of the rivers we'll fish—mostly smaller rocks and gravel and very few slippery boulders like we have here on the Yellowstone! Some rivers like Moraine Creek and the Brooks have numerous drop-offs, and these are the areas we find a lot of big fish. These drop offs can also be dangerous wading, especially in higher water levels.

Clothing And Rainwear. 

Be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. Generally the weather in September is milder than you would expect with typical daytime highs in the high 40's to mid 50's. Like Montana, it can change in a big hurry! You need to be prepared for colder, nasty weather and rain. Layering your clothing so that you can peel some of it off as it gets warmer during the day is the way to go!

Patagonia's new R-1 tops are getting rave reviews from our clients and are perfect for everyday wear in Alaska. They have a waffle weave type of design, which is twice as breathable and twice as compressible but at half the weight of the more standard type of Capilene or fleece. These utilize a zip top, and have a zip pocket also. Under waders, we have used Patagonia mid weight Capilene, and heavier fleece pants, but the new Simms Waderwick pants look to be the hot new underwader pants this year. These use a fast wicking fleece in a weight that is perfect for Alaska's colder waters.

The Waderwick pants also come in a mid weight that is 4-way stretch with wide foot stirrups. These are very comfortable too.

One note on underwear—I always bring 2 or 3 sets of bottoms and tops so that I can air one out while I'm wearing the other.

Layering for Comfort

One thing I found out this past September is how important it is to wear these new synthetic tops in conjunction with a good Gore-Tex jacket or Windstopper jacket. When you are landing big rainbows and taking pictures of them, this usually involves getting your arms from the elbow down wet. With the old cotton or canvas shirts, they stay wet the rest of the day, but with the new synthetic materials like Patagonia's R-1 tops, they dry right out, especially if you take the time to wring out the water.

My absolute best combo for comfort is to wear a Patagonia silk weight top, with one of the R-1 tops over this. I found that on cold mornings I'd start out with this underneath, followed by a Patagonia Puffball vest or Micro fleece jacket and then my Simms Gore-Tex Guide Jacket over all this. When the weather warms up during the day, I'd peel off the layers and often end up fishing with the R-1 pullover as my outer garment and the silk weight top underneath.

All these new synthetic materials like R-1, R-2, Capilene, Synchilla and microfleece will keep you warm, don't retain water like cotton or wool, and dry out very quickly after getting wet.

Keeping dry is essential to staying warm and comfortable in Alaska! Rain and drizzle are part of the fall fishing scene and you need to have a top-notch raincoat. Our best selling fishing raincoat is the new Simms "Packlite" full zip gore-tex jacket. I liked this jacket when it was just a zip up pullover but now it has a full length zipper it's perfect.   This jacket has a great hood but only one front zip pocket - no side pockets.  It will fold up easily to stick in the back of your vest. I've worn this jacket in the worst conditions possible in Alaska and have stayed dry and comfortable all day.

If you want a rain jacket with tons of features, look at the Simms G-3 guide jacket.  Lots of pockets with the new waterproof zippers, handwarmer pockets and two huge pockets on the front, with one in the back.   The hood is adjustable and fits perfectly.  This top of the line jacket runs $399. Another Simms jacket that is easy to pack in your vest is called the In-Vest jacket.  This is a shorter, waterproof but breathable wading jacket that comes with a nice hood, and one front zip pocket for $129.00, a real bargain.    

All of these jackets are wonderfully comfortable to wear all day, even when it is not raining. They provide total protection from both wind and driving rain.

Footwear around the lodge should be practical and casual. I do like to bring a pair of comfortable shoes for walking the paths around camp, and trekking down to the lake. After breakfast we'll return to our rooms and put on our waders, which will be worn in the floatplanes and the rest of the day until we return to camp at the end of the fishing day. Wearing waders all day was misery back in the day of neoprene waders, but with the new Simms Gore-Tex waders and wicking under wader garments, you stay dry and comfortable all day!

Remember to bring a warm hat. I'll wear a baseball cap when the weather is nice, but if it's cold and nasty my favorite hat is Patagonia's Synchilla Duckbill hat with earflaps. This hat isn't waterproof, so you have to wear this with a rain jacket that has a hood. Then it is a perfect combination.  Simms has a great cold weather windstopper stocking cap also that has been really popular.   Simms has also come up with an ultimate cold weather fishing hat this year, called the EXStream Gore-Tex hat.  This has comfy ear flaps that can be secured under your chin worn up over the cap on warmer days.  The baseball style visor keeps the rain out of your glasses.   This one will be a dynamite Alaska cold weather hat,  much like the old Columbia Bmidji hat that was so popular years ago.  

Fishing gloves are a godsend on colder days. We probably won't use them most days, but if it is cold and the wind is blowing they will be worth their weight in gold! The best solution seems to be the Simms
fingerless Windstopper gloves. Simms has another solution to really nasty conditions, called the Windproof Foldover Mitt. This is essentially their Windstopper fingerless glove, but it has a fold down mitten that you can pull over your fingers when it is really cold. Our anglers here have praised this in extreme conditions and it should be perfect in Alaska

Another trick I use to keep my hands warm is to take along a small towel, which I use to dry my hands off after releasing a fish. I also take along some "Warm Packs" which are soft hand warmers that last for 5-6 hours once opened, and stick them into my jacket pockets. Once my hands are dry, I stick them in my pockets with the "warm packs", warm them up and get back into action in a hurry.

Miscellaneous Items to Bring

Be sure to bring a good pair of sunglasses. I like the light brown shades, which work well on cloudy as well as sunny days. The best ones we've found lately are from Smith/Action Optics, Hobie, and Maui Jim. We stock a wide variety. All are polarized, and most utilize lightweight glass lenses. Some are photochromatic, having the ability to change to a darker shade with more sunlight. Side shields really help in the very flat light you get in Alaska in the fall. We have some good moldable ones we get from Orvis.

Don't forget a Flip Focal or some other optical aid like the new Orvis magnifying clip-ons to help you tie on your flies or work on leaders.

We also stock good polarized glasses in a variety of styles from Action Optics with small magnifiers built into the glasses. Serious anglers love these Action Optics glasses with the magnifiers, since the glass lenses provide optimum clarity over the long run and you don't have to fool around with reading glasses or other magnifying aids.

Bring a good daypack to tote your camera, rain jacket, clothing, and other gear while you are out on the stream. Simms has come up with what is perhaps the ultimate fishing backpack for Alaska—their Dry Creek Backpack. This is a totally waterproof backpack with a roll top, splashproof zippered outside pocket, padded shoulder straps with lubar support and a belt strap that sells for only $129.00!   This is essential for carrying all the gear we'll need for a day in the wilds.   This comes in Simms orange or dark gray.   Having a totally waterproof daypack is a great advantage, especially when a lot of us are carrying digital cameras, video cameras and other expensive gear that cannot get wet.  This also doubles as a good waterproof boat bag.   

Roller luggage is the rage these days and for good reason. These bags make traveling a pleasure again! We carry a good selection of the finest roller bags from both Simms and Patagonia. The new Patagonia bags are especially good. They make two models. The big one is the Freightliner Max. It is 30x17x16", and this runs $325. I have found that it is perfect for all my gear for a week or more. The smaller one called the Freightliner, has a trick middle zipper that allows you to use the whole lower portion of the bag as a separate compartment. I've been using this roller bag as a carry-on. It has compressor straps and if I don't pack it too full, it goes right into the overhead compartments no problem. The Freightliner measures 22x14x14" loaded and is $295.

When I'm traveling with both the Freightliner Max and the Freightliner as a carry-on, I've found that I can slip the folding handle of the smaller Freightliner into the upper strap of the Freightliner Max and then it rolls along perfectly behind the larger bag. What a great way to get all the way across big terminals like Houston, Atlanta or Minneapolis with a minimum of effort!

Simms has two well designed roller bags this year that have been very popular.   These bags have an interior compartment designed to take up to four 3-4 piece rods in their cloth bags, and then there are other compartments for reels, gear and of course clothing.  Their big bag is called the "Bottomless Pit" roller bag, and it is huge.   This one is 14" H, x 20" w, x 42" long and will take 3 piece rods in the interior compartment. 

Few anglers will want a larger bag for any travels!  This one sells for $379.95 

The new Simms Hard Bottom Roller bag is another good travel roller bag with a compartment that will take 9 foot 4 piece rods.   This bag has a hard ABS shell bottom and sides with a soft top.  It is 13x16x34" long.   This bag is $299.95.

George Anderson

georgea@yellowstoneangler.com