Dollies on SAG river/timing/accessible?

[GregT]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me when the dollies run on the SAG. I think late September? I was also wondering if anyone could tell me if the river is typically wadeable and any flies anyone would recommend for char? I am wanting to access from the Haul rd and wondered if a boat would be useful/necessary as well? Thank you for any information you are willing to share.

 

[Erik in AK]

Greg,
unless I'm wrong there are no Dollies in the Sag. There is a sea-run Arctic Char run in late July. The Sag is a volitile river. It's been raining a lot these past weeks and the water level is high and turbid.

As a consolation, you can catch lots of Grayling in most any of the smaller feeder streams that run into the Sag plus places like Tee Lake by Pump 4, The Kuparuk and Oksruyukik Creek (Slope Mtn). For decent laker fishing try a "5 o' Diamonds" spoon in Toolik Lake. Galbraith Lake has lakers too but they don't get very big, up to 18-20 inches, as Galbraith is not very deep

 

[GregT]

???

???

Erik,

Thanks for the info on the Sag. I have two references that both state that the char run starts in late August and goes to early October, depending on the section of the river. One book lists the run as Dollies and the other as char. Have you ever fished it? I may try posting this on the general fishing forum to see if anyone else knows about the timing and species. I don't really care if they are char or dollies, but would definitely like to know when they would be there and if the river is wadable or easily fished from the bank.
Thanks again

 

[Erik in AK]

Greg,
I caught a nice char several years ago in the long pool just downstream of the Ribdon confluence. The Sag was running low and clear. I was sight fishing to fish a bit too deep for my light spinning outfit and size 1 Mepps.

I did manage to hook and land one nice Char, about 7-8 pounds, in full spawn colors. It was the end of the first week in august 97 or 98.

I brought the rod to catch grayling and switched to the char when I saw them holding in the Sag

 

[fold308]

?

?

i might be wrong here but i think that a dolly is a sea run arctic char, like the steelhead is to the rainbow,

 

[ak_powder_monkey]

dollies and sea run char are different species accoarding to the books, practically there is no difference between a dolly and an arctic char only that arctci char get muich much larger. There are sea run dollies and sea run char too and they don't act like steelhead. At any rate the sag is likely to have both but calling them all char will sound cooler, try big articulated leaches

 

[Alaskacanoe]

Dolly or Char?

Dolly or Char?

I always tell my fishing guests that the difference between Char and Dollies is that you can catch Dollies along most of the Road system in Alaska.. A Char on the other hand requires a very expensive float plane ride to a remote river.
what the heck is this????? I think it must be a Dolly as it has been caught with an EVIL SPINNER!!!!. no one would dare catch a Char with a Spinner...lol

 

[BlueMoose]

Chasing Char Sag

Chasing Char Sag

Oh Fun Fun Fun however it has its issues.

Wading - Well that my friend can be a very difficult duty no matter what part of the stream you attempt that venture.

I have found Char in Mid to late August as high has Atigun . Sag confluence along with the bears that hang out there.

That being said I have found the same to be true on the Canning, Kavic and Iva. same time frame high up. I have also seen the river blown out about the same time frame. Nasty thing to raft by the way if you try #4 throuhg the Canyon into the Sag. Not an easy float.

Flash Flies, Bead Head woolley Buggers, and Electric Leeches seem to work just fine.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

 

[Alaska Gray]

I have caught Char and Grayling out of the sag in Sept.

 

[Contender]

Char

Char

BP paid huge money to monitor the char that move from river to river in the Arctic Ocean. The study was done to satisfy the environmental groups that the causeway that was constructed to build Endicott Island's main island and the satelite island didn't stop the natural migration of these char. It would be very interesting to read the results of this study as it entailed a group of people and boats for several years. They set nets and captured fish to tag and count.