Arctic Char & Dolly Varden

The Arctic Char is a lake resident species in Alaska, it's sea run cousin the Dolly Varden is nearly identical to the Arctic Char but somewhat smaller and lighter in color. Mature Dolly Varden average 2 to 3 ponds and a trophy Arctic Char would be 10 pounds or more. Wet flies and small bright lures readily attract both of these prized sport fish and with Alaska Rainbow Adventures a trip to Northwest Alaska will put you on sone of the premier streams for Arctic Char in Alaska ~ Call.

Grayling

Alaska's clear, cold, unpolluted waters provide the arctic grayling with the ideal habitat. Known as the aristocrat of the North, and noted for its large dorsal fin grayling average 1 to 2 pounds with trophy weight being at least 3. It is not uncommon to catch specimens in the 20 to 23 inch range on some of our floats such as the beautiful Tikchik river in southwest Alaska.

King Salmon (chinook)

The largest of the salmon and Alaska's state fish these tackle busters average 20 pounds and may run up to 60 pounds on your Alaska Rainbow Adventures trip. One of the best runs in recent years came in on the Alagnak river last season with kings being available in large numbers thru mid to late August. We also see excellent runs of these great fish durring our Togiak river floats, so choose a river, get some friends together and lets go king fishing! A variety of lures will attract chinook as well as large gaudy flies thrown by those who pursue the king with a fly rod.

Silver Salmon (coho)

Spectacular fighters when hooked these acrobatic salmon with the ability to leap 6 feet in mid air are extremely popular among anglers on our Togiak and Alagnak river floats in the early fall. Actively taking bright spoons and flies coho enter freshwater to spawn in early August thru mid September depending on the river system and average 7 to 14 pounds with the state record being 26 pounds.

Chum Salmon (dog or tiger)

Smaller then the chinook and slightly larger then the coho salmon, chum salmon average 6 to 12 pounds a fifteen pounder could be considered a trophy in most parts of Alaska with the state record being 32 pounds. Having the widest distribution of all the salmon you can expect to find them on almost any of the rivers our float trips travel to. This is a strong fighting fish and while often called the dog salmon they should not be considered as such when pursued with the appropriate tackle. Chum salmon have a life span of 3 to 5 years and are a major food source for bears and other wildlife.

Red Salmon (sockeye)

Alaska is home to the largest runs of sockeye salmon in the world with millions of these 6 to 8 pound silver-blue fish entering the streams of the Bristol Bay region in mid to late June. With the Alagnak and Togiak rivers being the destination many of these millions of fish we can assure you of lots of action in early to mid July for these scrappy fighters prized for their red flesh and good eating. Sockeye smolts out migrating from the lakes that feed the Alagnak river are responsible for some excellent spring trout fishing. Ask about one of our early season trips.

Pink Salmon (humpies)

The shortest lived, smallest, and most prolific of the pacific salmon, pinks return to the freshwater streams of Bristol Bay after two years and do so in greater numbers during odd numbered years then in even ones. Other watersheds may see larger runs in even years of these 3 to 5 pound fish that readily strike small spinners and flies. Best caught in or near saltwater these salmon soon undergo a remarkable transformation with the males developing a large hump giving them their nickname "humpies".

Sheefish (icconu)

Sheefish in the Selawik-Kobuk area may weigh up to 60 pounds and are most abundant in this dranage as well as the Kuskokwim and Yukon river drainages. Its tremendous size, fighting ability, and fine eating qualities make the sheefish one of the most unique fish in North America. Best tackle medium action spinning or bait casting gear using 10 or 20 pound line, fly fishing best during their feeding periods when they can be caught close to the surface using a fly.