Shot a 9.5 brown bear on the Peninsula, just got back to Anchorage. Looking for some fishing options; seems like the halibut charters are done until May - does anyone know of any exceptions? Any salmon options? Dollys? Guides? (I don't have any fishing gear, but I do have my waders from bear hunting.)

Appreciate any ideas. Going to the Lakefront Hotel bar for a beer and one for my guide (who is back in King Salmon).

Congratulatios on your bear! Head to Seward,,there's a bunch of fellows that are still fishing there. Anyway Seward is nicer than Anchorage.

There’s guys with boats on the water I’m sure, Seward be a good place to check. Whittier even closer. Congrats on the bear!

I was thinking fly fishing for rainbows down the Kenai Peninsula.

I don't know anybody there but the rainbow fishing here is still really good and I'm still on the water.

You just left some of the best fishing behind you on the Alaska peninsula

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
You just left some of the best fishing behind you on the Alaska peninsula

Haha man that’s the truth!! Insane dollies and steelhead up and down the ak pen. Not even gonna talk about the silvers right now....geez

Great for you!!

Try Whittier Marine Charters. I went with them a couple of weeks ago.

There is rainbow trout fishing on the Kenai River and tribs. Lots of places there from Coopers Landing down to Soldotna. All of the guys I talked with on the Russian River were getting ready for fall trout. Try Alaska Troutfitters.

If nothing else, the drive down the peninsula is fun. Seward is neat. May be able to do a sightseeing cruise of the Fjords. It was socked in when I was there.

Jeremy

Congrats on a great bear! Who did you hunt with?

What farbedo said.

Congrats on bear. Who did you hunt with?

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
You just left some of the best fishing behind you on the Alaska peninsula

I suppose I should have looked into it before I went hunting, but unfortunately, Antler's Inn was full when I got back in town and my phone had zero coverage in King Salmon, as did my guide's. So without internet, no phone, no place to stay, and needing to make a decision in an hour, I got on the Pen Air flight.

Booked tomorrow on the Kenai. Been 30 years since I drove down the Seward & Sterling highways...

quote:

Originally posted by scott f.:
Congrats on bear. Who did you hunt with?

Thanks.

Cabot Pitts; Alaska Wild Wind Adventures. Most organized hunt I have ever been on. Cabot called several times before I left to make sure I didn't have any questions, etc. Cabot asked what kind of shape I was in, my workout routine, etc. When I told him I didn't want a guide who could not keep up with me, he assured me I wouldn't have a 70 year old guide that couldn't walk 50 yards without stopping (yes, several years ago I actually had a guide that old who could not walk 50 yards uphill without stopping). He warned me Pen Air is notorious for leaving bags behind, so between that and the possibility of bad weather, I arrived two days before the season (a lot of hunters on my flight didn't get their bags). Cabot was waiting for me when I stepped off the plane.

The gear was first rate: Alaska Tent and Tarp "Arctic Oven" tents for sleeping (these are not cheap tents by any stretch). Good thing, because Sunday night the wind had to be doing over 60 mph. A different outfitter lost his tent (relayed by my pilot when getting me out) and they spent the night in the alders. We were snug as a bug in a rug.

Food was fantastic - I don't go to eat, and don't like my guide to dirty dishes (one of us has to clean them) but on my last trip to AK all I had for snacks was Famous Amos - he had tons of different things. Another guy I flew to ANK with was telling me his last outfitter gave him MREs the entire trip (makes Mountain House look like French cooking).

My guide Don Dygert, was a young guy but knows bears. He called my bear perfect. After showing me various pics of different sized bears in KS and the day before the season opened, I said, "I would be thrilled with one like that." When that bear showed himself, Don said, "Kill it."

I think it helped immensely that I was not hunting state land; Cabot is the exclusive outfitter in his area. A guy I sat next to on the flight to King Salmon said on his first hunt (unsuccessful) there were other guides set up 2 miles away in two different directions; no thanks. To be sure, his hunt was a little over half the price of mine, but he was back for his second try with that guy at a discounted rate. Could have nearly gone with Cabot once for what he spent on two trips.

I can't say enough about Cabot. I feel a little weird about my hunt ending so quickly, but I do recall passing a 375 AZ elk waiting for a 400 - and ended up shooting a 325 before the clock ran out. So sometimes you just got to play the cards you get, and since my goal was a 9 1/2, I was happy with that. BTW, AK F&G estimated he was between 15 and 20 years old - no molars left, busted lower canine, upper canine bone was broken (left the upper canine flapping), just a mess.

Congrats on the bear!

Cabot does a great job and has a fantastic area.
But what is wrong with 70 year old guides?

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
Cabot does a great job and has a fantastic area.
But what is wrong with 70 year old guides?

I hear they have a funny smell and hear voices that tell
them a 9mm is enough....

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
Cabot does a great job and has a fantastic area.
But what is wrong with 70 year old guides?

Nothing if the client can't walk 50 yards.

Raining here in Kenai; could be a cold wet day.

After doing it for forty years I can tell you that there is a bit more to bear hunting than walking. In fact walking can be counterproductive.

quote:

I hear they have a funny smell and hear voices that tell
them a 9mm is enough....

Congrats, no pictures or will you post some when your back from fishing.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
After doing it for forty years I can tell you that there is a bit more to bear hunting than walking. In fact walking can be counterproductive.

Boom. Carve that quote in stone!! Truer words were never spoken!

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
After doing it for forty years I can tell you that there is a bit more to bear hunting than walking. In fact walking can be counterproductive.

Phil:

I know all about not stinking up an area. We didn't move outside of a 25 yard radius the first two days. But when you spot a bear, you have to move unless old guides have some magical ability to call in a bear.

First bear stalk on that trip with the old guide I spotted a bear my guide estimated at 8.5 feet. It was about 3.5 -4 miles away. We had to take several breaks for that 70 year old guy. Finally I ranged the bear at 285, was waiting for my guide to catch up, when the bear went into the alders. Even ten more minutes earlier and I think we could have had a good shot. After 30 min we spotted him leaving them on the uphill side, but he was too beat to keep the pursuit going.

I am not saying experience is not important but a 90 year old guide is going to have more experience than a 70 year old guide, all else equal. At some point all of us are too old, guides included.

Anyway, this is about Cabot, not that hunt - sorry I mentioned it.

quote:

Originally posted by sage:
Congrats, no pictures or will you post some when your back from fishing.

I don't post pics but if someone wants to I can send. Need to download when I get back to PHX - they are on 35mm SLR and I didn't bring my cable.

Limit on silvers today including the biggest one I have ever caught (which isn't saying much) - fantastic time.

Would love to see pictures. Please send to scottf270@yahoo.com. Thanks.

AnotherAzwriter: my son just returned from guiding on the Alaskan pennisula and is in Soldatna. He guides in the summer and especially likes fly-fishermen. Tons of experience in that area for rainbows. He's available the next couple weeks and if you'd like to contact him send me a P.M.

Well, I am back in 90 deg plus heat.

I had some good days on the Kenai; the fishing was pretty good, and no traffic at all hardly. I fished with Hooky Charters; Dave really knows his stuff. He gave me the half rate for three days we fished even though we stretched that to as late as 5 pm one day. I learned a lot from him and had a great time BSing.

While I was fishing Dave had a call from a guy who had just finished up a hunt early too. Dave said, "Rent a car and drive down."

Guy didn't want to rent a car. Too bad. The drive between Anchorage and Soldotna is one of the best in the world IMO and I only paid $8/day for my car. Been 30 years since I made that drive. While Anchorage looks the same to me as it did when I lived there (maybe more houses in the hills), Soldotna is positively huge compared to what I remember. Holy cow.

I drove back on Sunday after going for a run along the bike path on Kalifornsky Beach Road, had dinner with a colleague in Anchorage to discuss business, then flew home that night.

Scott: will send pics - going for a bike ride with Ms AZW.

BTW, the guy who took my place shot a 10'2" bear - maybe I should have waited!

wow who did you rent a car from in Anchorage for $8. Per day?
Was it stolen?
HaHa
I didn’t think even rent a wreck was that cheap.

After the tourist season is over they just about pay you to rent a car; they were all that cheap.

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:


BTW, the guy who took my place shot a 10'2" bear - maybe I should have waited!

As the old axiom says, you can't shoot a big bear if you shoot a small one first.

He could have stayed at the lodge and made cookies with Rocky! :-)

If he liked fishing ours may even be better than Rocky's cookies.
Also just received a call late last night from Taj's camp and our last hunter took another great trophy. Another 100% year !
Told you you should have taken one of those cancellations!

Phil, congrats on the bears. Are you still guiding yourself some or relying on the others more, ie: semi retired? Would love to see pics. Please post or send to e-mail listed above. Thank you.

Taj sent me a pic, good looking bear. Died in his bed it looked like from the picture.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:

Told you you should have taken one of those cancellations!

Especially since you can only hunt the fall in odds years and spring in even. I am going to do it again in four years. To hell with Cape buffalo, bears are a lot more fun and challenge IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by scott f.:
Phil, congrats on the bears. Are you still guiding yourself some or relying on the others more, ie: semi retired? Would love to see pics. Please post or send to e-mail listed above. Thank you.

According to some I guess I am too long in the tooth to actually be guiding but yes I am still actively guiding.

Phil redefines the term "still hunting" :-)

Jon, I am not still hunting as our last client filled his tag two days ago and left today.
Do you mean still guiding ? Yes I still do

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
After doing it for forty years I can tell you that there is a bit more to bear hunting than walking. In fact walking can be counterproductive.

Phil:

I know all about not stinking up an area. We didn't move outside of a 25 yard radius the first two days. But when you spot a bear, you have to move unless old guides have some magical ability to call in a bear.

First bear stalk on that trip with the old guide I spotted a bear my guide estimated at 8.5 feet. It was about 3.5 -4 miles away. We had to take several breaks for that 70 year old guy. Finally I ranged the bear at 285, was waiting for my guide to catch up, when the bear went into the alders. Even ten more minutes earlier and I think we could have had a good shot. After 30 min we spotted him leaving them on the uphill side, but he was too beat to keep the pursuit going.

I am not saying experience is not important but a 90 year old guide is going to have more experience than a 70 year old guide, all else equal. At some point all of us are too old, guides included.

Anyway, this is about Cabot, not that hunt - sorry I mentioned it.

What would ol Joe Want say to all that

I know very well what Joe would say as it is what I ask, why in heavens name were you hiking 4 miles, stinking up a massive area, for an 8 1/2 foot bear ? It was either a sow or very young male and certainly not a trophy.

I think there’s a few other things Joe would say.....lol exspecially if the guide had
Gotten his guide license in the last two decades. Aka from a Cracker Jack box!

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
I know very well what Joe would say as it is what I ask, why in heavens name were you hiking 4 miles, stinking up a massive area, for an 8 1/2 foot bear ? It was either a sow or very young male and certainly not a trophy.

Phil:

It was in an area not known for big bears - not the Penninsula. The guide said it was about as good as we could hope for, and recommended we go for it. I trusted his judgement.