Personal and Fishing Gear

Following is a list of suggested gear. Remember to check your airline baggage requirements, and also remember that you will have a box of fish to come home with!
1 Set chest waders with lug soles* (felt soles are not allowed in Alaska)
1 Quality hooded waterproof jacket or parka*
1 Fishing vest to organize and carry flies, lures, etc
1 Medium-weight down, wool or holofil coat*
1 Pair slip-on shoes or boots to wear in lodge and cabin
3 Pair medium-weight pants (khaki, jeans or light wool)
3 Medium-weight long-sleeved shirts (wool or synthetic blend)
7 Pair medium-weight socks
7 Pair underwear
2

Pair medium-weight capilene long underwear or medium-weight fleece wader pants
2 Pair lightweight wool or capilene gloves
1 Hat (water resistant or breathable waterproof such as Goretex)
1 Personal affects kit (including any special medication)*
1 Container sunblock lotion to protect exposed skin from sun and wind burn
1 Camera with plenty of memory
1 Small personal flashlight
1 Small container of insect repellent
1 Small set of pliers to remove hook from fish

1

 Pair sunglasses or safety glasses*
1 Small knife
   
  * Most important items
   

FLYFISHING: 2 rods--we suggest 7- to 9-weight for salmon and steelhead with the length depending on personal preference. Sinking tip or floating flyline are both effective, as the rivers are not exceptionally swift and water depth varies between 2 and 8 feet. We suggest 8- to 15-pound leaders for all our fish. Common flies are the "Tsiu Killer," egg-sucking leeches, Murph's "Northern Lights," pink bunnies and standard Alaskan Coho streamers. Also pink pollywog and other similar sized dry flies are effective especially in September. Patterns for char and steelhead are primarily egg patterns.

SPINNING AND CASTING: 2 medium-weight spinning or casting rods with two reels. Spinning reels should be heavy duty. Ultra and light-weight spinning reels are not recommended; they simply do not have durable gears to withstand the large numbers of 10- to 12-pound silver salmon. Casting reels such as those used for bass fishing are sufficient. We suggest 15- to 20-pound test line. You should bring at least one extra spool of new line. Spoons include bright fluorescent orange, blue, green or pink Blue Fox Pixies (7/8 oz. seems best). Blue Fox Vibrax or Mepps spinners, orange or red, also work well on the silvers. Swivels are important to help keep the line from tangling. Light-weight wire leaders are recommended to avoid losing lures from line cuts by the coho salmon's sharp teeth.

PLEASE NOTE: Please keep rods in as short a rod case as possible to facilitate packing in the bush plane.

Salmon limits are 4 per day and 8 in possession. All steelhead are released.

WATERFOWL HUNTERS: We recommend .12 gauge shotguns with improved cylinder or modified chokes, which seem to throw the best pattern when using steel shot and hunting over decoys. Recommended shot size is 2's and 3's for ducks. Each hunter will need two or three boxes of shells.

Daily limits were 8 per day (puddle ducks) and 24 in possession in 2017.