At Alaska West, we fish for all five species of Pacific salmon right next to the salt. Much of the water that we cover has actual tidal influence, and whether we’re 1 mile from the salt or 10, the salmon that we’re presenting flies to tend to be hot and bright.
Hot, bright salmon are aggressive towards flies, and for a few of our species, that means…surface action! Chums, pinks and especially silvers to eat pollywogs and poppers.
The Pink Pollywog is the classic Alaskan dry fly used in the pursuit of silver salmon. We like pollywogs, but the problem is…we catch too many fish. The spun deer hair body on a pollywog can get waterlogged after silver number 5 or 15 or more, so we really like fishing poppers. A foam popper body gives that surface action that silvers love, and poppers tend to be super-durable and they always float.
Lower Kanektok, hot bright salmon, surface flies…who’s in?
Sure wish you guys could respond to an email!! For one, I wanted to ask a Chile guide about Atlantics, and Brown Trout. Thanks, Jere Crosby
Hi Jere, thanks again for stopping by the web site. Please let me know what questions we can answer for you, or feel free to drop us an email at info@denekistaging.wpengine.com.
Happy Holidays!
Interesting comment on Poppers and polywogs. I am on my 6th trip to AK. Mostly Kenai, Deep creek and anchor. Can’t wait to try poppers. I hear Silvers are late but coming!
Straight lines!
Boz
Love more advice. I have always tried to be 6″ to 12″ above gravel. usually medium sink. thoughts?
Boz,
Approaches for silvers definitely vary a lot depending on where you’re fishing for them. On our rivers, we always fish floating lines.
If you’re 6 years in you may know all this stuff, but here’s another post that might be helpful.
https://deneki.wpengine.com/2009/05/6-ways-to-catch-more-silver-salmon/
Have a great trip to AK!
Where’s a good place to buy durable, hot pink poppers for silvers?
Especially enterested in Silvers on poppers and would also like to hear the answer to stephen reid’s question of May 3rd concerning suggestions on where to purchase hot pink poppers
Stephen and Rick,
I’ve done quite a bit of searching online and have come up empty on a good source for buying pre-made pink poppers.
We make our own at Alaska West, using popper bodies, paint and a little bit of marabou. We’re working on a post with instructions!
Thanks Andrew….I took some bass poppers and removed the paint and rear feathers and with pink paint and pink dear hair and marabou and made some not too ugly poppers. We leave Wed for Alaska and will be spending most of our time on the Kenai Peninsula. I dont know if any silvers will be loooking up with eggs and flesh in the water. I sure hope so. Thanks again