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In the fall of 1999, fellow pilot Doug Bradbury and myself flew in my Cessna 180F to a gravel bar on the upper Ivishak River. The Brooks Range mountains loomed over the landing site. |
On this upper section of the river, Doug and I found the Arctic Char very abundant and quite willing to take a fly. We were even able to hook a few on Dry Flies. |
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This colorful fish is the first we encountered that had the classic spawning colors. I was able to hook this fish, and Doug took the photo while I fought the fish with my 3 WT. |
This beautiful spawning male measured 29 inches and had spectacular color. This was the only mature male that I caught, as these were much less aggressive. |
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Though it is still unclear to me whether these fish are Arctic Char or Dolly Varden (The latest interpretation by AK Dept F&G is that only Dolly Varden are anadromous in Alaska), they were nevertheless very impressive. |
This fish will spawn this fall/winter then possibly return to the Beaufort Sea next spring. The offspring will stay in the river for a couple of years before their first migration to the sea. |
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Doug and I caught dozens of fish like this nice Char. We ate one every night and found them to be outstanding table fare. |
We were also able to find some very nice Arctic Grayling on the upper Ivishak. Doug prepares to release a nice fish that he caught on a dry fly. |
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Doug caught the best fish of the trip. This amazing fish measured 31 inches and was as beautiful as any mount that I have ever seen. |
The colors on this specimen were unbelievable. Photography simply did not do justice to the beauty. The opportunity to pursue a fish such as this make the Ivishak River one of my favorite spots in Alaska. |
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Benjamin K. Baker | Copyright ©: 1999, Far North Management Corp. |
(907) 488-6388 | Revised -- 5 Aug 05 |
3033 Taxilane A North Pole AK 99705 | URL: http://www.alaska.net/~bakerb |
bakerb@acsalaska.net |