The Situk River 2013

In May 2013, Chris and I decided to take our Sons with us on the Situk River to fish for Steelhead.  We chose to do an overnight float on our first day.  As we were loading into the boat, we realized that none of us had brought a camera.  So, there are no photos of the first two days!  Regardless, everyone caught Steelhead on the first two days. There had been a very significant rain just before we arrived, and the river was flowing at three times its normal rate.  Then, more rain came, and it started to raise even higher.  Chris and Jake Pettine decided to head back to Colorado.  This photo was taken on the beach at Yakutat on the day they flew out.

This was the first attempt at Steelhead fishing for my Son, JT.  I had warned him that Steelhead fishing was difficult, and that some people didn't catch ANY Steelhead in a week of fishing.  Undeterred, JT ended up catching ten Steelhead on this trip!  Most significantly, JT's second fish was a bruising 40 inch Buck, that we were unable to photograph.  This fish was two inches longer than the largest Steelhead I have ever caught! Since JT was unable to get a photo with his 40 inch Steelhead, we took a shot of him on the beach with this 40 inch Stick!

The river got so high (about five times normal flow), that JT and I didn't fish at all on one of the days.  The river never did drop to levels that would allow us to wade the upper river, so we were limited to floating the river. This photo shows JT standing at the boat launch.  The water is much higher than I had ever seen it, and quite a bit higher than it had ever been on that date.  Still, JT and I were able to catch a few Steelhead.

There were quite a few Dolly Varden in the Situk River while we were there in 2013.  I had set up JT with a Dennis Rodman, because he did much of his fishing from the boat while I rowed.  The Dolly's seemed to like the Dennis Rodman.  I also quite a few on a white Articulated Bunny. JT holds a nice 22 inch Dolly Varden that he caught on the first leg of our float together.

Though the Situk River was flowing high and a little colored, JT and I found the Old Situk River was flowing quite a bit lower and clearer.  So, we waded upstream from the confluence and found a few Steelhead up the Old Situk River that were willing to play with us. Here JT has hooked a nice Steelhead from a group of about six that we spotted holding in the Old Situk River.  In all, we caught about six fish up in the Old Situk River.

JT and I took turns working the fish on the Old Situk River that we spotted.  We were fairly successful!  I caught this large, ugly Buck while wading. This foray up the Old Situk River was very enjoyable.  It was much like fishing the upper Situk River under quality conditions.  The water was very wadeable, there was a nice gravel bottom, and it was crystal clear.

I was very impressed with how well JT took to the quest.  He made stealthy approaches, accurate presentations, and most importantly, he proved himself very capable in landing Steelhead.  Of the twelve Steelhead that JT hooked, he landed ten of them under the most demanding conditions I have ever seen on the Situk River. JT presents a nice Buck that he caught on a Dennis Rodman while wading up the Old Situk River.

The couple of hours that JT spent wading up the Old Situk River was the most enjoyable stretch of the entire trip.  It is a beautiful, intimate stretch of water. JT found this tree fall next to the Old Situk River.  The root system created almost a cave-like stucture over the water.

I think JT really enjoyed wading up the Old Situk River.  It was a welcome break from riding for hours in the drift boat.  It didn't hurt that we had our most successful fishing of the trip during our little hike. I took this photo of JT working this Steelhead in the water just at my feet.

As has become tradition, JT and I stayed in the Lost River Camp for our overnight float.  We had stayed here just a few nights before with Chris and Jake. JT pulling off his waders in the Lost River Camp Cabin.

As JT and I set out from the Cabin on the second day of our float together, we found the river had dropped a few inches, had cleared up, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. This is a photo JT took of me rowing us out into the current after leaving the Lost River Cabin.

We welcomed the bright conditions, but the fish didn't like them.  Fishing was much tougher on the lower part of our float. However, we were able to find a few fish.  Here JT displays the only Chromer that we caught on the trip.  He hooked and landed this fish from the boat.

The high water changed the complexion of the river significantly.  The fish were holding in different places than those that I remembered.  And, rowing became a challenge with the many new sweepers in the river. JT and I came around a corner to find this tree had fallen all the way across the river.  Fortunately, there was a little sandbar that allowed us to portage our boat about 30 yards around the tree-fall.

Though the weather was beautiful, the fishing was much tougher on the second day of our float together.  However, we both were able to catch fish. This is a nice hen that I caught in the bright, sunny conditions.  I had a lot of refusals though.

Again in 2013, I had most of my success using the Black and Blue Articulated Bunny Leech.  Admittedly, I used this fly far more than any other fly in my box, so of course, most the fish I caught were on that fly. I did catch a couple of fish on a White Articulated Bunny Leech.  In fact, I think that both fish that I caught on this last day were on the White one.  I watched this handsome buck snatch up my White Articulated Bunny Leech as it swung past.

Conditions were far from ideal in 2013, but JT had a very successful trip.  We had a great time together.  He told me that he wants to invite his Brother, and come again in 2014.  I hope we can do it! JT after our last day on the Situk River.