Fishing the Heralded Urban Streams of Anchorage

Incredible Rivers and Streams:

I have always heard of incredible rivers and streams that course through Anchorage. Steve and I couldn’t wait to fish them. Ship creek, Campbell Creek and Eagle river have multiple public access points.

Upon arriving at Ship Creek, we find that the river is closed due to a King Salmon issue. Say what? But we were not deterred. We quickly pivoted to Campbell creek. But alas, no fish were in the creek. The first run of salmon had already happened. The next was due any day now.

We were a bit discouraged but had not given up. We went to a local lake stocked with 20 inch rainbow trout. For the first time we saw the fish we were hoping to catch, but for the life of us they would not bite. They did swim between our legs as we waded out into the lake.

Next - Fishing the Kenai Peninsula:

So we moved on to the Kenai peninsula. You would be shocked how people fish in the peninsula. They snag salmon! Yep, you heard me right. Steve and I refused to participate in that form of fishing. It did not look too fun. The fisherman tied on a bare hook and put a weight about 5 feet above it. Then they chunked it out into the river and yanked it back out after it reach the bottom. They did this for about 500 times until they statistically catch one after that many attempts. I saw one person catch a fish. Nope, not for me or Steve.

To say we have had a tough time catching fish is an understatement. Streams have either been blown out with snow runoff, or polluted with silt from glaciers. The salmon either had just run or were about to run. So with the fishing suffering, my backup plan is to make this a personal growth trip.

What Do You Do When Your Fishing Trip Goes South?

The other pivot I have engaged in is reading a good novel. Theo of Golden is one of the nicest, kindest, most interesting books I have read in a long time. I’m about half way through it, and so far it’s 5-stars

I am currently enrolled in Bible Study Fellowship. It’s a world wide study course and it is offered both online and in person in Shreveport. Every morning I wake up and get my BSF study guide out and dive into Gods word. How powerful it is to study the Bible in the beauty of Alaska. Natures wonders abound all around me. Glaciers, wildlife, mountains, rivers, streams, lakes, valleys, all dance before me. The whole experience makes my heart sing. (If you would like to attend BSF, just let me know. I’ll help you enroll. It’s free. It’s well done and it will change your life.) And yes, that is an iceberg in the photo!

All is Not Lost:

So when the fishing gets tough, all is not lost. We have not given up on fishing. Tomorrow, we are heading to the Russian River. The next day, another zone in the peninsula. We keep on fishing, but the backup plans fit perfectly into the trip.

One other thing I have done is learn as much as possible about the history and culture of the location I am visiting. Steve has been nice enough to drop me off at museums, cultural centers, art galleries, and visitor centers.

North Louisiana Fly Fishers

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It is the charge of the North Louisiana Fly Fishers to afford to the general public and our members in particular, a better understanding of Fly Fishing and Fly Tying. We wish to perpetuate the sport as a most pleasurable and exciting fishing method and provide education, instructions and the opportunities for relaxation to the membership.

The North Louisiana Fly Fishers (NLFF) serves the Ark-La-Tex area surrounding Shreveport. As the closest cold water fishery, we consider the Little Missouri (Little Mo') river near Murfreesboro, AR our home waters. We also fish the local rivers and lakes. We even have a growing group of kayak fishermen that, as well as the local rivers and lakes, will fish the gulf coast marshes for some saltwater action!