Ya Gotta Love Alaska...

Chasing Kings with Ed Ward

It’s day five of a week long salmon bender on the Kanektok River in Alaska.  I fished the river yesterday with Alaska West’s legendary head guide, Ed Ward.  Fishing with Ed was killer… He has a way of thinking about salmon that kind of changed the game for me.  Every year I fish this place, I end up learning something that totally blows my mind.  However, I usually figure it out after the fact.  It was awesome having Ed give me my “Ah Haaa” moment before I go home.

Ed explained how fish near the ocean, especially on a dark rainy day, travel up river in the top third of the water column.  In this scenario, he fishes his fly broadside and lets it swing with speed.  He wants the fish to have to make a quick decision.  –Elicit the predator! I do the same thing when guiding the Deschutes when the fish are fresh and moving.  I was blown away how many fish he hooked on a short sink-tip and a lightly weighted fly. When it comes to king salmon, everyone thinks massive sink-tips and heavy flies.  Of course, Ed doesn’t think like everyone else. 

There is a time for big sink-tips and heavy flies though.  As the fish move up river, especially in bright sun conditions, they transition into the deeper slots.  The one thing I do know about this game… If you’re not hooking fish, you need to change something.  Maybe it’s your tip, maybe it’s your fly, or maybe you just need to fish like Ed.  

Six Shots From Alaska West

Day Two at Alaska West

Why we're here...

Day two at Alaska West and everyone in camp has a perma-smile glued to their face.  All is good in the tundra.  We had a modest push of kings enter the river on the first day of our trip.  Fish were hooked, fish were landed, but over-all it wasn't lights out.  Today's tide brought huge pods of massive chrome missiles into the lower river.  Kings were rolling everywhere!  AK West guide Brian Styskal (and Larimer Outfitters guide) -and I had an all out fun-fest on a beautiful piece of water in the lower river.  Every pass was producing multiple fish hooked.  Larimer Outfitters clients Niki Thommen and Greg Wright showed up in the ninth inning and immediately doubled up.  To say the salmon fishing on the Kanektok is good right know would be the understatement of the year.  Yeeeehaaaa!!!

-Tom Larimer

Back in the Hunt...

You are here...

Waking up on day one -week three at Alaska West.  The weather is perfect, the river looks great, and according to the smiles we saw from the week two crowd at the airstrip, there's a shit ton of really big kings around.  Stay tuned!

-TL

North To Alaska

In-bound for the K-tok

Finally, after countless evenings tying flies, hours of preparation and more than one night of lost sleep dreaming about Spey fishing for huge king salmon, I'm off to Alaska West and the Kanektok.  My stoke factor is pinned at eleven!  I've only been to AK West during week one of kings... This season, I've slid into the legendary week three spot.  While I'm hosting a trip with a few of my clients, I'll also be giving Spey clinics during my time up north.  Stay tuned for posts from my adventure!

-Tom Larimer

Rainbows of the Arolik

Ya gotta love big-ass Alaskan rainbows that eat huge flies.

Back on the Lower Deschutes

The Lower Deschutes is finally low enough to safely navigate with our jet boats.  Guide Mike Duffy and I headed up the creek today to check things out.  The river is still high but in great shape.  We didn't fish much but did manage to hook a few trout in the spots we fished.  It was great to see the lower river again!

-Tom Larimer

Beginner Fly Fishing Clinics

He's right there...

Larimer Outfitters introduced our Intro to Fly Fishing Clinics this season.  So far, they've been extremely popular.  Our goal was to give new anglers a solid introduction to fly fishing at an affordable price.  Each four hour clinic is limited to only two anglers.  We cover gear, basic casting, entomology, reading the water and presentation.  Our trout clinics are held on the Deschutes River and our steelhead clinics will be done on the Hood River.  At only $99.00 per angler, it's a great way to start your fly fishing education.

Simms Alaska West Video

For those of you that haven't experienced the pure beauty, magic and excitement of Alaska, here's a little video Simms Fishing Products did at Alaska West.  Only five days until I go!

-Tom Larimer

Only Seven Days Until AK

Please go munch again...

I leave for my annual hosted trip to Alaska West and the Kanektok River next week.  Last season we had some of the toughest fishing and weather conditions I've ever seen in Alaska.  Lots of heavy wind, tons of rain and cold temperatures made for some hard days on the water.  We found fish, but it was punishing.  Thats anadromous fishing in western Alaska... You take the good with the bad.  I chalk up last year to building karma for the future.  I'm hoping... No -PRAYING, the fish gods will smile on my week and bring us good weather and a shit-ton of big bright king salmon.  I'll be writing blog posts throughout my week...

-Tom Larimer

Week One at Alaska West

LO Client Justin Dawson and guide Ed Ward find chrome day one!

Larimer Outfitters head guide Jeff Hickman is currently hosting a trip at Deneki Outdoors' Alaska West Lodge on the Kanektok River.  We've been hearing some good reports via Deneki Outdoors Face Book page!

Deschutes River Trout Fishing Report

Just when you thought the Deschutes River was going to finally settle down, the flows jumped from the mid 6000 cfs range back into the 7080 cfs.  Such is life on the Deschutes this spring... Oh wait, it's mid June.

Despite the big water, the fishing has remained pretty damn good.  Lot's of bugs!  We've been having some good hatches of PMD's, PED's, caddis and yellow sallies.  The fish are still taking golden stoneflies though the hatch is pretty much done.  On days the fish aren't willing to rise to dry flies, we've had great success fishing tan caddis pupas and yellow sally nymphs.

Good Luck!
-Tom Larimer

Four Spots Left for Andros South 2012

Are you tired of the cold, rainy weather we've had this spring?  Imagine eighty-five degree sun, beautiful white sand flats, huge bonefish and the best fly fishing lodge in the Bahamas.  Sounds pretty good right about now!

  

Now is the time to be thinking about your winter vacation for next year.  Consider joining me on an epic flats fishing trip to Andros South Lodge.  We'll be chasing some of the biggest bonefish in the world.  Bring your ten weight because you'll get shots at giant barracuda and permit as well!  I'm headed south from February 25th to March 3rd, 2012. 

  

 After spending a week at Andros South this winter, I can honestly say it was the finest saltwater experience I've ever had.  The lodge was stellar, the food was out of this world, the guides were incredible and the fishing was off the charts.  Visit my website for more trip details or to see more photos  from my 2011 trip.  I only have four spots left to fill for 2012.  Please contact me via email or give me a call at (541) 490-9446 if you're interested in pursuing giant bonefish under the sun next winter.

Sincerely,

Tom Larimer

Larimer Outfitters

For the Love of Bugs...

Deschutes Stonefly Hatch Is Still Rolling...

The big bugs are still out on the Deschutes River in the Maupin area.  The colder than normal weather has strung out the hatch and great dry fly fishing with stoneflies is still happening!

-TL

The bugs you're looking for.

The bugs you need...

Deschutes River Green Drake Hatch

Every year, on the tail end of the salmon fly hatch, the green drake mayflies start popping.  The hatch usually lasts for only a few days... Of you hit it right, it will be a day of dry fly fishing you'll never forget.  If you're headed out to the river in the next couple of weeks, I'd have a few of these bugs in your fly box.  You can't miss the hatch when it happens.  Just look for the massive mayflies that look like black hawk helicopters.

-Tom Larimer

Parachute Green Drake... Yum.

Deschutes Trout Fishing Is Ramped Up!

Here's a few photos from a guide trip last week on the Deschutes.  The golden stoneflies and salmon flies were in the bushes but cold weather kept the trout from really keying in on them.  Despite the lack of surface activity, we had a great day of fishing dead drifting nymphs.  

-Tom Larimer

Deschutes River Trout Fishing Report

Just got off the Deschutes after an amazing day of trout fishing.  All I can say is wow...  At one point I was watching my client fish and started counting all of the different bugs on the water.  Within about thirty seconds I observed golden stoneflies, salmon flies, yellow sallies, pale morning duns, huge pale evening duns, caddis, and one green drake.  It was a smorgasbord of trout food!  We had a great day of Deschutes dry fly fishing with perfect conditions and happy trout.

-Tom Larimer