Fishing in Fairbanks area

Hello All,

I am planning a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska this summer. I am making a
camparatively cheap trip because my buddy lives there. He is a big
hunter, but I get the feeling he is not a huge fly fishierman.

Now, I am not necessarily concerned with getting high profile species.
I would be happy to get Dolly Varden, grayling, pike and lakers, but
wouldn't rule out sea run fish and rainbows. Can anybody recommend some
good fishing, or at least give an overall impression of the fishing
within a day's drive from Fairbanks?

Pete Collin

Hi, Peter. Fairbanks sits on the Tanana River. It must have lots of feeder
streams close by. Buy a de Lorme atlas and take a look. Although there are
lots of streams, I think you might have problems getting to them - there are
few roads.
Dave

http://hometown.aol.com/davplac/myhomepage/index.html

Dave LaCourse wrote:
Hi, Peter. Fairbanks sits on the Tanana River. It must have lots of feeder
streams close by. Buy a de Lorme atlas and take a look. Although there are
lots of streams, I think you might have problems getting to them - there are
few roads.
Dave

http://hometown.aol.com/davplac/myhomepage/index.html







I used to have a great time prospecting for trout in northern Maine. It
was such fun to take the DeLorme and drive all over trying different
brooks and beaver ponds. Although it was especially rewarding to make a
big discovery, it did take much time. There are many stretches that are
a waste of time. I remember taking half a day by 4 wheeler and by foot
to get to these ponds I saw on an areal photo. They were so far back
that they had to be fantastic. Turns out they were silted in and about
2 feet deep all the way across!

I will spend perhaps a week and a half in Alaska. These days, vacation
time is precious, and I tend to be kind of businesslike. I was hoping
to have a good lead to follow.

One thing I have heard about Alaska is that the rivers are more crowded
than you wold think. In AK, EVERYBODY is a sportsperson, so a town of
60,000 people will have that many folk on the local waterways. Also,
there is an abundance of stocked fish near Fairbanks, I am told. They
plant rainbows because they wanted something other than lakers, graying,
and dollies to fish for. I am not interested in going to AK to fish for
stockers!

Anyway, it will be good to see my old pal, and to by god set foot in the
Frontier State. I hear that there are several open mikes in Fairbanks,
so I can play guitar for them while I am there. You know, boasting that
I have performed to audiences on both sides of the continent!

Pete

Drive out to the Chena River, northeast of Fairbanks. The Chena provided an
afternoon's entertainment for Cindy and I a few years ago and its only about
an hour away on good (paved) roads. Lots of grayling, a few trout, saw my
first wild salmon, and a few mooses. We saw one other fisherman in about 5
hours. Pretty little river.

Danl

I, too, recommend the Chena. I drove about 30-40 miles upstream, and
caught a few foot-long grayling. First I'd ever seen.

Afterward, stop at that kinda run-down looking general
store-greenhouse on the north side of the road, about 30 miles above
Fairbanks. They serve the biggest piece of home-made pie you've ever
seen. About one-fifth of a pie, and at least two inches thick, and
every bit as good as it looks.

vince

Peter Collin writes:

I hear that there are several open mikes in Fairbanks,
so I can play guitar for them while I am there. You know, boasting that
I have performed to audiences on both sides of the continent!

d;o) As well as me. I remember you sitting on the porch at Lakewood playing
softly. I think it woke me and then I drifted off listening to it. Great
sounds.

The old sage advice we (roff) have always given to someone who want to know
where to fish: Go to a local fly shop. There must be more than a few in
Fairbanks. I have a friend who was stationed at Ft. Wainwright back about 30
years, and he says there is some good fly fishing (30 years ago) in the area.
Dave

http://hometown.aol.com/davplac/myhomepage/index.html

"Dave LaCourse" wrote:
The old sage advice we (roff) have always given to someone who want to
know
where to fish: Go to a local fly shop. There must be more than a few in
Fairbanks. I have a friend who was stationed at Ft. Wainwright back about
30
years, and he says there is some good fly fishing (30 years ago) in the
area.

I was stationed at Ft Wainwright 28 years ago, and from what I remember
of the Tanana, I'm in no hurry to go back. The primary species were called
dogfish, they are bottom feeders best taken on woolly buggers and streamers.
Sorry that I can't give you any more info on the area; I didn't have decent
transportation to get out to the countryside, and I forgot the rest.

"@(Peter A. Collin)rochester.rr.com" ""pcollin\"@(Peter A.
Collin)rochester.rr.com" wrote in message
news
Hello All,

I am planning a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska this summer. I am making a
camparatively cheap trip because my buddy lives there. He is a big
hunter, but I get the feeling he is not a huge fly fishierman.

Now, I am not necessarily concerned with getting high profile species.
I would be happy to get Dolly Varden, grayling, pike and lakers, but
wouldn't rule out sea run fish and rainbows. Can anybody recommend some
good fishing, or at least give an overall impression of the fishing
within a day's drive from Fairbanks?

Pete Collin

Pete,

Drive out to the Chena River, northeast of Fairbanks. The Chena provided an
afternoon's entertainment for Cindy and I a few years ago and its only about
an hour away on good (paved) roads. Lots of grayling, a few trout, saw my
first wild salmon, and a few mooses. We saw one other fisherman in about 5
hours. Pretty little river.

Danl

I, too, recommend the Chena. I drove about 30-40 miles upstream, and
caught a few foot-long grayling. First I'd ever seen.

Afterward, stop at that kinda run-down looking general
store-greenhouse on the north side of the road, about 30 miles above
Fairbanks. They serve the biggest piece of home-made pie you've ever
seen. About one-fifth of a pie, and at least two inches thick, and
every bit as good as it looks.

vince
Indian Joe is reminded ---we caught lots of salmon in that area and my squaw
ask a kid beside the water if he knew where a greenhouse was?[ she wanted
some fresh spices to treat our fish cooking] he said go down the dirt road
about four miles- there is a greenhouse on the left- after a long evening
hike we came upon a house that was certainly painted green.

Hi Pete,

I live south of Anchorage on the Kenai River. If you get down this
way or want to read about fishing this part of the state, please see
the following page on my website:

http://www.mgfalaska.com/fishing_headquarters.html

Thanks and good luck!

Mark Glassmaker
www.mgfalaska.com

"Danl" wrote in message ...
"@(Peter A. Collin)rochester.rr.com" ""pcollin\"@(Peter A.
Collin)rochester.rr.com" wrote in message
news
Hello All,

I am planning a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska this summer. I am making a
camparatively cheap trip because my buddy lives there. He is a big
hunter, but I get the feeling he is not a huge fly fishierman.

Now, I am not necessarily concerned with getting high profile species.
I would be happy to get Dolly Varden, grayling, pike and lakers, but
wouldn't rule out sea run fish and rainbows. Can anybody recommend some
good fishing, or at least give an overall impression of the fishing
within a day's drive from Fairbanks?

Pete Collin

Pete,

Drive out to the Chena River, northeast of Fairbanks. The Chena provided an
afternoon's entertainment for Cindy and I a few years ago and its only about
an hour away on good (paved) roads. Lots of grayling, a few trout, saw my
first wild salmon, and a few mooses. We saw one other fisherman in about 5
hours. Pretty little river.

Danl