Flesh Flies, Silver Salmon, and Dolly Varden on Goodnews River

[Fishing Report]

Flesh Flies, Silver Salmon, and Dolly Varden on Goodnews River
Posted on August 15, 2011 by john kumiski

The Report from Spotted Tail 8/14/11

A fogbow down at Goodnews village.

The silver salmon bite is going strong on the Goodnews River. We’re still using weighted salmon flies on size 2 hooks dressed in pink, cerise, orange, and/or chartreuse. Pixies, Mepps Flying Cs, and 5/8 ounce jigs with twisty tails all work, too. Although the run certainly hasn’t peaked yet anglers are increasing the excitement quotient by fishing with poppers. The fish will be found in soft water all through the Goodnews River system. As always, the freshest fish in the river get caught in tidewater and still have sea lice on them. We caught the first colored silver of the season today.

Leon Martuch with a fat silver salmon.

Dead chum and pink salmon litter the banks. Fishing around the dead salmon requires a certain tolerance for stink. Trout and dollies are still eating salmon eggs but flesh flies are taking a good number of fish. I have to admit to being prejudiced against beads, since they are not flies, but the flesh flies are tied with zonker strips. In other words, they’re real flies.
In a related vein one of my fishermen, Ed Bowman, caught a dead chum while fishing in the middle fork. Appropriately, he was using a flesh fly. He also managed to catch several live rainbow trout and dolly varden.

A gratuitous picture of Drew for his mother. Hope you like it!

Dolly fishing is still sensational. The size of the average fish has is still about 20 inches long. Most of the bigger fish have moved far up the river. I still prefer a small orange gurgler tied on a #8 long shank hook, but flesh flies, egg sucking leeches, and of course beads are all working.

Fishing story: Before his arrival at Goodnews River Lodge our breakfast cook, Chris Robb, was not a fisherman. He bought a $50 fly fishing outfit before coming here. Yes, rod, reel, and line, all for fifty bucks. Needless to say, it was a complete piece of crap. I cast it myself just to see how bad it was.
Anyway, I took him out for silvers with said piece of crap and he managed to get not only his first salmon ever, but several others besides. He kept saying, “I can’t believe that rod didn’t blow up! That was the best fifty bucks I ever spent!” Crap outfit, happy ending. Good stuff.

Chris Robb battles a silver salmon on the Goodnews River.

We’ve been seeing more bears, eating salmon on the river banks and berries on the hillsides. Bears are way cool, but don’t mess with them. Here at Goodnews River Lodge we have never lost an angler (or a guide) to a bear!

Embrace simplicity.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- go fishing!

Spotted Tail Charters
John A. Kumiski,
284 Clearview Road,
Chuluota, FL 32766;
407.977.5207
http://www.spottedtail.com/