Arolik River Silvers

The Arolik River is best-known for its great rainbow fishing.  Late in the season, though, silver fishing on the Arolik is just ludicrous.

Recipe for Great Silver Fishing

• 1 part – incredibly productive fishery, miles from the nearest man-made structure
• 1 bunch – soft holding water down low, where the fish are fresh from the salt
• 1 handful – 2 guide boats on the entire river
• 1 dash – mysterious Western Alaska juju that makes salmon crush flies

Hi there, I’m an Arolik River silver. Note the ideal holding water behind me.

Photo: Cameron Miller

At Alaska West, we have the privilege of hosting guests on the Arolik through our joint venture with Qanirtuuq Inc, the village corporation in Quinhagak.

If you were going to create the perfect silver fishery, you’d create the Arolik, plain and simple.  It’s devoid of anglers, it’s full of fish that just must eat flies, topwater patterns too, and it’s probably the most pristine place you’ll ever fish.  The fish are chrome, the numbers are higher than you’d believe, and it’s a whole bucketful of good clean fun.