Alaska's Talachulitna river

while it may be just a short fifty  minute or so plane ride from Anchorage's Lake Hood  the "Tal" is truly "Wild Alaska" it is also world class rainbow trout water. The "Tal" as the river is affectionately called is well traveled but not usually crowded, this alone is an excellent reason to visit the river, combine that with the location, the beauty of the river itself, exceptional scenery, wildlife viewing opportunities and after you toss in some exceptional fishing and you have the main reasons anglers from all over the world make their annual pilgrimage to the Tal with Alaska Rainbow Adventures.

   

The Tal, flows in a southerly direction out of Judd lake turns Northerly for 65 miles before joining the Skwentna River. We start off on the diminutive Talachulitna Creek, the upper portion of which is a very narrow, clear and swift moving and lined with spruce forests also features good rainbow trout fishing and we will likely see some salmon here as well depending on when you schedule your trip. This is also an non-motorized portion of the river system most of the season. When Tal creek enters the Talachulitna River, the stream flow slows considerably, but the fishing actually improves. The Talachulitna's many tail out pools, eddies and gravel spawning beds giving the rainbows places to congregate and the forks is about as far as many salmon travel in their journey up the Talachulita river. We then proceed over the next several days to float through some fun white water races and canyons camping on the numerous gravel bars on the edge of the forests of the Talachulitna River itself.

Fishing the Talachulitna River

Can give any angler visions of heavily spotted rainbows dancing on the end of your line, however If you have found yourself waiting to fish the Tal,  It is time to wait no more as we can take you to Alaska's Blue Ribbon trout water and have you fishing there in 2010. 

This is a river of legend in Alaska fishing circles, it has been written about for decades, and fortunately it also was the first river in Alaska deemed catch and release for rainbow trout and the many years that have passed since this policy was bestowed upon the Tal it's rainbow population has become stable, larger then pre- C&R and more numerous, of course the bows of the Tal have always been colorful, heavily spotted and a delight to catch!  Wildlife along the river includes brown bear, moose, wolves, wolverine, black bear, and beaver. Birds that may be observed are: Bald eagles, swans, ducks & geese, ptarmigan, spruce grouse and osprey. There is excellent fishing  the entire length of the Talachulitna river with it's numerous sandbars and shallow riffles that offer easy wading access to the many deeper pools teeming with Rainbow Trout,  Arctic Grayling & Char or any of the pacific salmon in season. September marks the height of rainbow fishing that is legendary all season long on the river and when you consider the variety and quantity of fish available the Tal is a true Alaskan treasure.  The Tal is featured as one of our Intimate Rivers trips.

 

Alaska Rainbow Adventures is a member of the Talachulitna River Society a  "grass roots" non-profit organization promoting environmental safeguards and responsible stewardship of this unique resource.