It’s June in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Winter is over and the hillsides are turning green with spring foliage. Opportunistic rainbows and lake trout have moved from their deep winter holds of Nonvianuk and Kulik lake to the shallow depths of the Kulik River to begin the summer feed.
In the river, the eggs from last years’ sockeye salmon spawn have incubated and are hatching into salmon fry. The ‘fry’ is just the first stage in a salmon’s long journey back to sea. No more than a couple inches in length, these small fry use the current of the river to migrate downstream into Nonvianuk Lake where they will spend another year before the final leg of the journey to the ocean. This pattern is replicated in salmon spawning grounds across the region.
Fry Fishing for Trout
Floating in the top few inches of the water column on their way downstream makes salmon fry vulnerable to both rainbow trout and lake trout in our neck of the woods. Hungry after a long winter, trout feed aggressively on the salmon fry as the first widely available food source of the summer.
The takes are far from subtle. It’s not uncommon to see rainbow trout erupting out of the water as they explode on balls of fry meandering down the river. At times it looks as though the water is boiling. Armed with long leaders and small fry patterns, anglers follow these bait balls down the river casting to opportunistic trout. The visual take makes this some of the most exciting fishing of the entire season.
Technique
Fishing salmon fry patterns is very akin to dry fly fishing. Floating lines and light flies make for a pleasant casting experience. Anglers present flies slightly upstream, throwing large mends, and fishing patterns with as close to a drag-free drift as possible.
While most takes come during the dead drift, aggressive takes can also come just as the line tightens downstream and the fly enters into a swing. Often times the take is very visual, looking similar to a rising trout. Savvy anglers focus on the end of the fly line, waiting for any sign of the leader pausing or tightening, signaling a strike.
Equipment
In between fry balls pushing down the river, switching rod setups and swinging streamers deeper in the water column can be equally effective. Having a rod rigged for each situation is hugely advantageous, allowing anglers to quickly adapt as conditions change. A basic setup for each situation is as follows:
Early Season Fry Fishing Setup
- Rod: 9 foot, 7 weight rod.
- Reel: Any reliable fly reel with a dependable drag.
- Line: Weight Forward Floating Fly Line.
- Leader/Tippet: 10-12 foot tapered leader, 2 feet of 8 lb. fluorocarbon tippet.
- Fly: Size 8-10 sparsely tied fry imitation.
Early Season Streamer Setup
- Rod: 9 foot, 7 weight rod.
- Reel: Any reliable fly reel with a dependable drag.
- Line: 15 foot sink tip fly line – Type 3 or Type 6.
- Leader/Tippet: 4-6 feet of 12 lb. fluorocarbon leader material.
- Fly: Size 2-4 leeches and/or sculpin patterns.
Sound like a good time to you? We had a feeling it might. Get in touch to find out more about how you can experience the ‘fry bust’ for yourself!
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