Any Help on Suggested Kenai River Trout Fishing Guides?

[BrownGoinDown]

Family is planning a trip to try and catch some big rainbows on the Kenai in September. Looks to be many accomplished guides on the river. Just curious if anyone here on the forum has tried this fishery and if anyone has recommendations on guides or advice in general?


Thanks for any help.

[cohoho]

Find an Alaskan guide, not someone transplanted for there for the summer.  Two Brothers used to be good.  Make some call to those listed as not all are doing the fall rainbows and the nice thing hardly any people at all, especially compared to summer when the Tourist invade...  It is a great fishery for sure.  Buy every color bead variation of red from white to Purple and have extras for sure.  Select which one is the current color of the eggs in the river.  Toothpick to hold the bead back a couple inches from the hook, split shot back about three foot and strike indicator or small bobber back another five or six foot.  Pays to utilize a long 9 foot rod or my favorite with a fly rod.  Drift out of a boat through holes, Huge Rainbow along with fatty Dollies.  We fished up below Skilak Lake to Bings Landing, but normally stayed up above the flats for best where the water is about two foot deep we began the drift...  I like that part of the river best for all fishing, but that was me and I had a boat that could run through some of those shallow areas without worry of the rocks and gravel bars way up high...

[groundhog]

I don't know any of the guides but I have friends that fish the Upper Kenai all the time in September. They flyfish  using almost nothing but pegged painted beads with light fluorocarbon tippets and they get real technical about sizes and colors. Steamers, leeches and sculpins will work also but they catch most of the really big trout using painted beads. When looking for a guide you should make some calls and ask each guide the same questions.  I am sure you will hit it off with one of them. Also ask for references and call them. good luck and have fun!!

[BrownGoinDown]

Thanks cohoho and groundhog for the information. Sounds like a bead show!!!

I appreciate the help. Hopefully we can put something together.

Brown

[Hyde]

http://aktroutfitters.com/    The Trout brothers used to work out of this shop.  This is where I'd start. 

[jager]

Two Words.....Flesh Fly.

[ribka]

I did a DIY on the Kenai 2 years ago. I found a local rental for canoe and floated down. There are places that rent rafts too. Many shuttle services. Rental plus shuttle less than $100 a day. It is a big powerful  river so some boating experience is suggested.

Get a good assortment of beads ( colors, sizes), big streamers, big nymphs ( princes, stone flies)    and use an 8 wt. I had a 6 wt and was not stout enough to stop the big ones when they got out into the current

[jager]

So I googled flesh fly and it shows an actual fly, called a flesh fly.
I didn't know what those were called.....I hate those biting little things......well anyway..
The fly I'm talking about is a strip of white or cream colored rabbit fur, I have some up to about 3 or 4 inches long.
They imitate exactly, the pieces of decaying flesh from the spawned out salmon....I'm telling you...hold on!

[ribka]

I tied up a bunch of flesh flies and for some reason did not have much luck on any of the rivers in the Kenai region . Did much better on big bunny streamers and egg patterns. The Kenai gets a lot of pressure and those fish see a lot of egg patterns so bring a big assortment and some different shades of pink, red nail polish to color eggs streamside. A subtle color variation can make a huge difference .

[shoot-em-dead]

A family friend has 2 houses each with a separate cabin right on the river. They are also side by side. He rents them out and if you want me to do some more research on a price and times available just send me a pm. I had the privilege to go there many years ago and I tell you what a blast. It is right next to a town too so if you need anything you can get it. I can't remember the name of the town but it is one of the bigger ones.

[Wazukie]

I can only tell you this much, there's a spot on that river where you can catch 5lb+ rainbows all day long    My father in law has been guiding the Kenai since 1978. He know where the fish are but doesn't guide for rainbow.  He knows just about every guide on that river, I'll give him a call if you want and ask him if he knows any good rainbow guides.  This is his place http://home.gci.net/~fishak/

[Wazukie]

well, I just talked with my father in law and I guess I got it wrong, he said that he loves to do the Rainbow charter when He can.  So if anyone's interested give him a call.

[doctor]

Check for any Orvis endorsed lodges.  You know they highest standards

[uncoolperson]

save some cash and bank fish. there's fish everywhere, just gotta toss a line in.