spots to flyfish with kids

[AKFishfight]

I wanted to get my older kids out there with a fly rod now that they seem to be hooked on small lake bait fishing lately roud:... For me personally, it's a blast watching the fish go for that fly, and I think they'd have a blast as well with all the action involved. I know it takes some time as a kid getting the hang of it, and I don't know much about fly fishing in Alaska. (Previously was in CO, and was mainly fishing tiny high mountain streams with bead-heads for brookies.) Does anyone have any suggestions on whereabouts to go around the kenai peninsula? Don't need nothing big, a few minnows would do the trick just so they can get the swing of things. For example, the idea of casting upstream from where you see the fish... Was hoping to come across a small creek that has public access, but if you thought they would be able to catch something this time of year in a river (Kasilof or Kenai?), I'd be open to suggestions as well. Was looking for something that you could bring home to supper, so they could clean their own fish, but I'm not too awful familiar with what's out there that you can keep. I've heard about dollys, char, and trout... also whitefish. But have no clue what/where/how to get whitefish, but i've heard they are really good eating. A few years ago I remember someone catching whitefish with a flyrod at the kenai... never heard of them since. Any ideas on what to use/where to go/how to go about it would be extremely appreciated. Thanks a bunch - AKFishfight

[BrownBear]

I prefer to start kids fly fishing on still water- whether lakes and ponds in freshwater or sheltered bays in salt. It lets them get the hang of things without factoring in currents. Dunno the Kenai though.

[kenaibow fan]

I usually don't see white fish until the salmon start dropping eggs, catch them all the time on beads in the ladder part of summer into fall. The Russian might be a place once it opens but I don't think you can keep fish there (trout). You might try Deep Creek, Nanilchik, Starisky, Anchor, the streams around Tustamina lake, the upper Kasilof………..all these places above the hwy have fish in there that your looking for. I think the Kenai is a tough one unless you have a boat, and even then I don't know that they kids will see the fish unless your chasing salmon.

[AKFishfight]

That's a good point. I've used wooly burgers with a bubble and leader line a lot. However they're to the point that they can cast their own poll fairly easy, but they would learn how to tie leader line to mono I suppose. May try somewhere on a river with slow water or just dive right into to letting them learn to avoid snags in a bunch of alder brush :nyanya: One way or another they'll have to learn patience like I did at that age.

What kind of saltwater flyfishing do you do? Never heard of it, but it sounds really interesting.
Thanks.

I prefer to start kids fly fishing on still water- whether lakes and ponds in freshwater or sheltered bays in salt. It lets them get the hang of things without factoring in currents. Dunno the Kenai though.

[AKFishfight]

The Russian would be a good place as long as I could find a spot where there wasn't a battle scene going on with flying hooks I'm sure I could though. Starisky creek sounds interesting, I'll check on it. I may try creeks in the cooper landing area also, when you're able to fish those. They're just about as small as I'm looking for. If I get headed towards homer those rivers would be fun to hit. Thanks for the info, very much appreciated.

I usually don't see white fish until the salmon start dropping eggs, catch them all the time on beads in the ladder part of summer into fall. The Russian might be a place once it opens but I don't think you can keep fish there (trout). You might try Deep Creek, Nanilchik, Starisky, Anchor, the streams around Tustamina lake, the upper Kasilof………..all these places above the hwy have fish in there that your looking for. I think the Kenai is a tough one unless you have a boat, and even then I don't know that they kids will see the fish unless your chasing salmon.

[BrownBear]

What kind of saltwater flyfishing do you do? Never heard of it, but it sounds really interesting.
Thanks.

Nothing better for kids to learn fly fishing than dolly varden and pink salmon from shore in a bay. Lots of fish, lots of action, and lots of room for casting. Still my "kid's" favorite fly fishing, though she's now got a kid of her own going into high school. And that one feels the same way!

[Seabass417]

A great place to take kids where the fish hit pretty willingly is the Tangle Lakes area. The river between the two lakes has a pretty steady supply of grayling willing to rise to a dry or hit a nymph below an indicator. Last summer my daughter was only three and not big enough to wield a flyrod, but she caught a fair number of small grayling on her barbie rod with a beadhead pheasant tail below a thingamabobber strike indicator.

[Seabass417]

It's all about making sure they're having fun. For most kids, that means catching fish. So go to where you're going to catch fish or have some options if they get bored. Don't push them to fish until you're done or they'll grow to dislike fishing. Once you have them hooked on catching fish they'll want to figure out how to do it without dad's help, then they'll get hooked on the challenge of catching fish.

[AKFishfight]

I'll definitely have to look into that. Thanks!

Nothing better for kids to learn fly fishing than dolly varden and pink salmon from shore in a bay. Lots of fish, lots of action, and lots of room for casting. Still my "kid's" favorite fly fishing, though she's now got a kid of her own going into high school. And that one feels the same way!

[AKFishfight]

Wish I could get up there right now, seems like an amazing place to fish. My family and I have always wanted to catch some grayling, but haven't had any luck here on the keani peninsula. We've seen videos of flyfishing up near Fairbanks though. I agree with you on the bored part... I always try to bring food or get some berries if they're ready. plus the littlest like to chase bugs all the time The oldest is pretty hooked into fishing already haha. thanks for the help!

A great place to take kids where the fish hit pretty willingly is the Tangle Lakes area. The river between the two lakes has a pretty steady supply of grayling willing to rise to a dry or hit a nymph below an indicator. Last summer my daughter was only three and not big enough to wield a flyrod, but she caught a fair number of small grayling on her barbie rod with a beadhead pheasant tail below a thingamabobber strike indicator.

[cod]

Mieres lake along the Rich hiway between Glennallen and Paxson will continue to have excellent grayling fishing for the next 7-14 days if u can get up that way. Good fishing from shore. Lodge on the lake for restaurant etc. we had the out of state granddaughter there last spring and she had a ball.

[AKFishfight]

won't be able to get up that way, but it'll definitely go on my wanting to explore fish location list. been wanting to go up to that area for a long time now...thanks for the info!

Mieres lake along the Rich hiway between Glennallen and Paxson will continue to have excellent grayling fishing for the next 7-14 days if u can get up that way. Good fishing from shore. Lodge on the lake for restaurant etc. we had the out of state granddaughter there last spring and she had a ball.

[limon32]

If you want to start NOW I would take them to Sport Lake or Arc Lake, they were both stocked recently I believe.

Late July, take them to Hope to fish pinks, they readily take a simple chartreuse or pink Russian river fly and there are a ton of them in there. You can pick through them and even find a few nice enough to take home, particularly early in the run.

In august take them to Cunningham park in Kenai and let them swing big flash flies in Pink or chartreuse, you won't be able to see the fish but you can catch a ton of them down there.

The Anchor gets a few pinks in August too if I'm not mistaken.

[chasethemoon]

I introduce both of my kids to flyfishing on Ingrams creek at the base of Turnagian Pass. When pinks are in, there are few better place to teach kids. Its crystal clear and small/uncrowded enough to not be intimidating. More often than not, you couldn't see another fishermen on the river and its small enough that kids can learn to wade in and get comfortable standing in the river. I set them up with small flash flies or shrimp patterns and strike indicators and they were hooked. It is still a must-stop with my kids at least once a year to prospect for pinks.