Medium fish, XXL fly.
Photo: Cameron Miller
Rainbow trout in the Kanektok and Arolik Rivers have a short season during which they can feed, so when it’s summer and the water conditions are good, they tend to pounce on flies that might be, oh, about 1/4 as long as they are.<
If you look closely at Cameron Miller‘s cool underwater photo above, you might notice that it’s interesting not only because the fly is big, but because the water is incredibly clear and also because that’s the butt of a lightweight spey rod between the angler’s legs. Sorry, those are posts for another day!
In case you’re wondering, that fly is a Hickman’s Egg Stealing Super Sculpin, by Idylwilde.
More on Fishing for Rainbow Trout
Not to troll, but a lot of these rainbows look like the wimpy midge sipping bows we have in Montana. Sure some of them are straight hogs, but it looks like there’s quite a few in the 18″-24″ range. Those look like wimpy lower 48 fish to me. Just sayin……….
You’re absolutely right. We have tons of fish in the 18 – 24″ range – in addition to the hogs. That’s a big part of the fun – might be a 19 incher, might be a 29 incher!
No matter the size of any Alaskan rainbow, those fish kick ass! They’re way more powerful and way prettier than any other rainbows