Alaska Rainbow Trout Fishing

Bristol Bay

Kvichak fishing trip by Sharon Hiner

In 1971 I had the good fortune to be asked to go along on an extended bush working trip with my husband, co-worker, and pilot.  It wasn't out of the niceness of their hearts; it was their stomachs they were thinking of.  I was to be Camp Cook.  That was OK with me; just the chance to visit some of Alaska's finest trophy fishing streams and view the scenery of the state of Alaska I love, and by the way do paintings had me excited.  The rivers and streams we visited, we landed in with a Grumman Widgeon, a 1940's vintage amphibious float plane, a great bush plane.  Landing on lakes and rivers is exciting in itself.  While the guys were working I would FISH, interrupting their concentration with outbursts and "whoops" of glee as I landed another fish.  This was fishing heaven - a bite almost every cast.  I had it good time while they were working, but when they finished they wanted to try their luck a bit, usually while I was trying to put a meal together on a campstove.

One pretty rainy day we landed at the mouth of Lake Iliamna and taxied into the Kvichak River just below the village of the same name.  The plane was secured and the guys went about their work.  I had a good fishing pole while they were working and was having lots of fun.  When their work stopped the pole I was using got borrowed back and I was given a "Kiddie's" covered reel pole, small fishing rod that the pilot kept in the plane.  The fishing started to get extra good as the weather was getting extra "crappy".  The fish started really biting; in the next hour I hauled in a 9 lb rainbow and a 12 lb rainbow.  Now get this, when I hooked the 12 pounder he took off and so did my reel came loose from the pole and I was holding it on with two fingers.  I am right handed and was having to reel and go backwards with the "mickey mouse" fishing pole and reel.  It took me almost 20 minutes to land this “great fish", biggest one I'd ever had on a line.  Besides reeling like crazy I had to back up and up and up a slippery bank almost up into the village.  I did finally land it.  I did the same thing a little while later and pulled in a 9 pounder.  I think I remember my hubby saying if I caught a rainbow 30 inches we would have it mounted.  Well mine was 28 inches, so we didn't.  Now I bet if that had been his catch it would be on the wall still.  I kept these two fish in the freezer for at least the next two years as proof and would have to haul them out to show off.  The proof is in the photos as soon as I find and send it.  I had a perfectly wonderful fishing trip on one of Alaska's trophy fishing rivers, the Kvichak River at the mouth of Lake Iliamna.

Today I understand it is very expensive and that it’s hard to get a reservation to fly in there for a great fishing experience.  It was great fun.  Bush trout fishing in the wilds of Alaska can't be beat.