Fishing on the Kvichak River 2001

In June of 2001, Myself, Chris and Al Pettine flew out to the village of Igiugig to fish the Kvichak River for Rainbow Trout.  We stayed at the Kvichak Lodge where we were pampered every day. The Kvichak drains Lake Illiamna and flows into Bristol Bay.  The Sockeye runs are very prolific.

I caught this Rainbow on an Island right across from the lodge twenty minutes into the first morning.  This fish hit my Purple Bunny Leech like a hammer, then proceeded to peel backing off my reel at an alarming rate all the while turning cartwheels through the air.

This first fish of the trip was immediately the largest Rainbow Trout I had ever caught.  This fish was approximately 26 inches and weighed about 7 LBS. These Rainbows are residents of Lake Illiamna and migrate into the Kvichak River in the Spring to feed on Salmon Smolts migrating downstream to Bristol Bay.

These Rainbows are very aggressively feeding on Smolts during the Spring.  They are fairly skinny after the long Winter. During the Fall the spawning Sockeye will provide millions of eggs for these fish to feast on.  These Trout will gain 30% body weight through the Fall.  The Kvichak will produce 30 LBS Rainbow Trout during the Autumn.

The Kvichak is crystal clear, so most of the fishing is sight fishing.  However, it comes as no surprise that the fish can see the fisherman just as easily.  I must admit that I frightened off just as many fish as I caught.  And of course, some of them just ignored my offering.

This fish was actually caught in the Lake at the mouth of the River.  We caught several nice fish in this area and lost a few others. As we fished this area of the Lake one afternoon, several Native kids from the nearby village were swimming in the 50 Degree water.  Pretty tough customers.

Chris does battle with a Rainbow that he has hooked in the braids section of the Kvichak.  This is an area from about 2 through 12 miles downstream from the lake where the river breaks up around several large gravel bars.  The braids is a great environment for the Trout to lay in wait for the Smolts travelling down river towards the sea.

Chris shows the nice 15 inch Rainbow Trout that he landed in the braids.  Most of the fish that we caught on the trip were from 15 to 20 inches with the occasional big fish showing up to make things interesting.

During my two and a half days of fishing I landed about 25 Rainbow Trout.  I had hoped to catch more, but I certainly could not argue with the quality of the fish caught. Al Pettine however stuck to the boat, and with the skill of our Guide John, used a plug (called a Wiggle Wart) to catch over 60 Trout.

This fish which Chris taped at 26 1/2 inches was the largest of the trip for me.  This amazing Trout jumped 7 straight times on his initial run into my backing. The opportunity to catch a beauty like this makes a trip to the Kvichak well worth the effort.

There were enough of the 20 to 24 inch Rainbows like this fish to provide some excellent fishing.  All the Trout that I caught were on Bunny Leeches. I would like to go back during the fall to catch some of these fish after they have fattened up.

The hero of this trip was caught by Al Pettine.  This fish was not only longer (about 27 - 28 inches), but it was also heavier.  John estimated this Rainbow to weigh about 9 LBS.  What a great fish for Al! The plug was very effective.  Al not only caught more fish, but he caught many more of the large Trout as well.  Chris and I were certainly envious of his success, but at the same time very happy for him. Al Pettine died in his sleep December 2005.