KENAI RIVER

THE MAJESTIC KENAI RIVER WITH ITS TURQUOISE BLUE GLACIER FED WATERS, ABOUNDANT WILDLIFE, BEUTIFULL ALAKSA SCENERY AND WORLD CLASS SALMON FISHING YOU ARE SURE TO FALL IN LOVE! THE NAME KENAI ORIGINATED FROM THE KENAITZE INDIAN TRIBE KAHTNUHT'ANA DENA'INA (PEOPLE ALONG THE KAHTNU (THE KENAI RIVER). THEY CALLED THE KENAI PENINSULA YAGHANEN ("THE GOOD LAND").   KNOWN WORLD WIDE FOR THE BIGGEST SALMON ON EARTH! FOR FISHERMAN THE KENAI RIVER IS ONE OF THE TOP BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS WORLDWIDE! SO LETS EXPLORE THE FISH THAT CALL THIS SPECIAL PLACE HOME AND WHAT YOU CAN CATCH ON OUR GUIDED TOURS!

SOCKEYE OR RED SALMON CAN BE CONSIDERED THE LIFE BLOOD OF THE KENAI RIVER. RUNNING THE RIVER IN THE MILLIONS SOCKEYE ARE  THE MOST ABUNDANT FOOD SOURCE  FOR THE RIVER. FROM THERE EGGS ALL THE WAY TO DEAD SALMON CARCASSES THEY FEED MULTITUDES OF WILDLIFE,  INTRUDUCE MUCH NEEDED NUTRIENTS FOR PLANTS, INSECTS, AND THE HABITAT AS A WHOLE. THEY FEED HUMANS AS WELL! OH BOY! THERE ARE GREAT TABLE FAIR AND A MAINSTAY ON ALSKIAN TABLES! FROM SMOKED SALMON TO THE GRILL A TASTY TREAT FOR ALL! CAUGHT MANLY FROM SHORE USING THE FLOSSING TECHNIQUE (THE KENAI FLIP) A UNIQUE WAY OF CATCHING FISH THAT WE SPECIALIZE IN TEACHING! SO MUCH FUN CATCHING THESE WONDERFULL FISH. FUN FACT THE NAME SOCKEYE COMES FROM A POOR ATTEMT TO TRANSLATE THE WORD SUK-KEGH FROM BRITTISH COLUMBIA'S NATIVE COAST SALISH LANGUAGE

COHO SALMON ASLO KNOWN AS SILVER SALMON ARE THE MOST AGRESSIVE SPECIES IN THE RIVERS!  KNOWN TO STRIKE LURES, FLIES, AND BAIT IN ANGER! THEY SURE PUT UP A FIGHT THAT CAN TEST THE MOST EXSPERIENCED ANGLER!  ALOT OF TIMES THEY JUMP AND PUT AN AREIAL DISPLAY THAT IS ALOT OF FUN! WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE COHO RUN EVERY YEAR! GOOD TABLE FAIR ASWELL! THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD COHO IS UNKNOWN BUT CERTAINLY WAS DIRIVED FROM A NATIVE AMERICAN WORD FOR" THE FISH"   FUN FACT COHO SALMON ARE THE FASTEST GROWING SALMON SPECIES IN THE WORLD AND THE FASTEST TO RETURN TO THE RIVERS! ONLY OUT TO SEA FOR 2 YEARS BEFORE RETURNING AND GROW UP TOO 30LBS! THE WOLRD RECORD OF 33 POUNDS 7 OZ WAS CAUGHT OUT OF OSWEGO NEW YORK IN LAKE ONTARIO! 

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THE KENAI RIVER WILD RAINBOWS? WORLD CLASS COMES TO MIND! NOT ONLY ARE THEY BEUTIFULL AND FULL OF COLOR EXSPECIALLY IN THE FALL. THESE FISH GROW BIG IN THE KENAI RIVER! KNOWN TO LOCALS AS MAGNUM TROUT AS THEY REACH 30 INCHES AND GROW TO 20LBS SOMETIMES. CAN BE MISTAKEN AS A KING SALMON WHILE ON THE LINE. THESE FISH ALSO PUT ON AN ARIERAL DISPLAY THATS MAKES CATCHING THESE FISH SOO MUCH FUN! THEY STRIKE LURES AND FLIES WITH FLY FISHING THE BEAD IS THE MOST POPULAR METHOD ALONG WITH FLIES. FUN FACT RAINBOW TROUT ONCE MIGRATES TO THE OCEAN OR THE GREAT LAKES IS CALLED A STEELHEAD (AN ANADROMOUS (SEA RUN) COASTAL RAINBOW TOUT). RAINBOWS ARE ALSO IN THE SALMON FAMILY!

DOLLY VARDEN OR DOLLIES ARE NOT ONLY A GORGOUSE FISH WITH AMAZING COLORS THEY ARE ALOT OF FUN TO CATCH ON FLY GEAR OR LIGHT TACKLE! DOLLIES CAN BE CAUGHT ALL SEASON LONG! THEY CAN BE FOUND IN LAKES, RIVERS, AND THE OCEAN HERE IN ALASKA!  FUN FACT THE DOLLY VARDEN IS COMMONLY MISTAKEN AS A TROUT. THEY ARE ACTUALLY IN THE CHAR FAMILY AND YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SPOTS. TROUT HAVE DARK BLACK SPOTS ON A SHINY BODY AND DOLLIES HAVE WHITE,YELLOW, AND RED SPOTS ON A DARK BODY.