Tight Lines: In search of the privileged moment

Tight Lines: In search of the privileged moment

My timing may not have been the best. I’d arrived just as a bevy of tour operators, in a carefully orchestrated display of mass confusion,… Continue reading

 

The Beginning Fly Fishing Class at Kenai Peninsula College, tying some flies in preparation for their field trip. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: A variety of fish-related activities to carry us through the winter

Ice fishing may be at its peak right now, and there are always a handful of hardy fly fishers hitting the unfrozen sections of Kenai… Continue reading

 

Tight Lines: Books a fisherman might like to find under the tree

Tight Lines: Books a fisherman might like to find under the tree

With the holidays upon us and winter setting in, now might be the perfect time to look at some reading material for the fisher in… Continue reading

 

Tightlines: An ode to the coho

Tightlines: An ode to the coho

We all know the Chinook is the undisputed king and sockeye salmon fill our freezers, but I don’t believe Oncorhynchus Kisutch, or the silver salmon,… Continue reading

Tightlines: An ode to the coho
An Upper Russian Lake rainbow trout. (Photo by Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: Return to Upper Russian Lake

It had been at least ten years since my last visit to the U.S. Forest Service’s cabin on Upper Russian Lake, so I figured it… Continue reading

An Upper Russian Lake rainbow trout. (Photo by Dave Atcheson)
Lake fishing picks up just after the ice goes out.

Tight Lines: Early spring means fishing options abound

The early spring weather, likely a symptom of climate change, has me, on the one hand, worried. As a homeowner it has me dreading another… Continue reading

Lake fishing picks up just after the ice goes out.
Jim Quinn enjoys an afternoon of ice fishing. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: A reassessment of ice fishing

Those who know me well know that hovering over a frozen hole has never really been my favorite pastime. Frankly, I need something a little… Continue reading

Jim Quinn enjoys an afternoon of ice fishing. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)
If you're taking a photo, have the camera ready and keep the fish in the water or just above it. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: In defense of catch-and-release

Les Palmer’s recent article, and scathing condemnation of catch-and-release fishing, certainly stirred a great deal of debate and controversy. So, I will open this Tight… Continue reading

If you're taking a photo, have the camera ready and keep the fish in the water or just above it. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)
Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson Good fishing etiquette includes handling fish properly.

Tight Lines: River etiquette

My reasons for fishing vary. Sure, sometimes it’s utilitarian, to fill the freezer, but more often than not it’s about the experience, and escaping the… Continue reading

Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson Good fishing etiquette includes handling fish properly.
Tight Lines: Autumn fishing: So many options, so little time

Tight Lines: Autumn fishing: So many options, so little time

With our summer visitors long gone, and school well underway, the restlessness that accompanies the long days of an Alaskan summer has begun to fade.… Continue reading

Tight Lines: Autumn fishing: So many options, so little time
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  Paul Pichette fishes at the confluence of the Kenai and Funny Rivers on Wednesday July 14, 2015 in Funny River, Alaska. Anglers reported slow, small catches of sockeye that have been picking up over the last few days.

Tight Lines: A quieter place to fish

For his patience a Canadian teacher standing in the Kenai River at the Funny River campground was rewarded with his day’s limit of sockeye, though… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  Paul Pichette fishes at the confluence of the Kenai and Funny Rivers on Wednesday July 14, 2015 in Funny River, Alaska. Anglers reported slow, small catches of sockeye that have been picking up over the last few days.
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion Tim McCormick, of Soldotna, fishes for sockeye salmon on the Kenai River in a spot off of Keystone Drive on Wednesday June 10, 2015 near Soldotna, Alaska.

Tight Lines: Beating the crowds

At midday on Wednesday, the sockeye salmon were slow to show in a fishing hole on Keystone Drive in Soldotna. But the cool, breezy, weather… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion Tim McCormick, of Soldotna, fishes for sockeye salmon on the Kenai River in a spot off of Keystone Drive on Wednesday June 10, 2015 near Soldotna, Alaska.
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  Mike Matheny, of Kasilof, tries to see his fish as Matt Buta, of Soldotna, runs around him to keep a hold of his own as the two fished the Kasilof River on Tuesday June 2, 2015.

Tight Lines: Fish on! on the Kasilof

Just before 11 p.m. Tuesday as the last of the suns rays bounced off of the Kasilof River, an hours-long lull in fishing broke when… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  Mike Matheny, of Kasilof, tries to see his fish as Matt Buta, of Soldotna, runs around him to keep a hold of his own as the two fished the Kasilof River on Tuesday June 2, 2015.
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  Aaron Dupuis carries a king salmon caught in Deep Creek on the opening day of king salmon fishing on Memorial Day weekend Saturday May 22, 2015 near Ninilchik, Alaska.

Tight Lines: King opener draws mixed success on south peninsula streams

Like so many anglers before them, fishermen braved intermittent rain and chill for the opening weekend of king salmon fishing on three southern peninsula streams.… Continue reading

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  Aaron Dupuis carries a king salmon caught in Deep Creek on the opening day of king salmon fishing on Memorial Day weekend Saturday May 22, 2015 near Ninilchik, Alaska.

Tight Lines: Kings make an appearance, lakes heat up

Enough fish were caught during last weekend’s king opener on the southern Kenai Peninsula’s salmon streams to keep things interesting, and other options for catching… Continue reading

Tight Lines: Anglers gear up for fishing season

Memorial Day weekend marks the traditional start of salmon season on the Kenai Peninsula, and while numerous conservation measures are in place, there have been… Continue reading

A short hike with a float tube can open up a whole new world of fishing possibilities. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: the beauty of the belly boat

I have to smile to myself as I watch a line of buddies negotiating the trail in front of me. There’s nothing beautiful about it,… Continue reading

A short hike with a float tube can open up a whole new world of fishing possibilities. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)
A mountain bike outfitted for a fishing excursion should include a rack for holding gear and rod tubes. Other available accessories include panniers and trailers. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: Access great backcountry angling via bicycle

It’s usually not difficult to distinguish the real bicyclist from the occasional fisherman spotted riding our local trails. For one thing, the fisherman won’t likely… Continue reading

A mountain bike outfitted for a fishing excursion should include a rack for holding gear and rod tubes. Other available accessories include panniers and trailers. (Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson)
Good food to share, such as Dutch oven-baked brownies, adds to the ice fishing experience. (Photo by Dave Atcheson)

Tight Lines: Ice fishing can be cool winter fun

The water dripping off the eaves has thickened into crystal stalactites, and outside my window snowflakes swirl before settling into a fine dust on the… Continue reading

Good food to share, such as Dutch oven-baked brownies, adds to the ice fishing experience. (Photo by Dave Atcheson)
A hand-painted plug.

Tight Lines: Looking for a new way to fool fish

Each year, as Kenai River guides Bo Ansel and Monte Roberts conducted a class at Kenai Peninsula College’s Kenai Fishing Academy, I would scramble for… Continue reading

A hand-painted plug.