Fall Fishing Tips for the Chilkat River, Haines Alaska

October 12, 2010 at 4:20 am

If you passed on the thanksgiving rush for silvers in Haines you may still be in for some good fishing.  The majority of Yukoners like to hit silvers in Haines from end of September through to mid-October. Truth is, some of the cleanest and best fishing can occur into early November.

You will have avoided the crowds, the water is lower and clear, and the fished are less stressed. The silver’s keep running so while you may get into pockets of those that have been spawning in the system; there will be some fresh ones too. 

Gear Choice and Tactics:

Gear choice would be the same but with lower and clearer water you have to exercise a bit more stealth.  You may be sneaking up on a group of fish in a small visible channel or pocket. A couple, clunky casts or some sloppy footwork in the water could end up spooking the fish. 

Don’t be scared of casting strategically into small, small pools. These pools would have not even crossed your mind in the early fall when hundreds of anglers were there and the water was higher.  In the late fall, fish will migrate a little deeper into the myriad of the Chilkat Valley Delta and might be sitting undisturbed in a small pocket of water.  Get your cast right and you might get a quick hook-up as the fish will not have been immune to spoons or flies. 

When I approach a nice pool or large back-eddy this time of year, I usually make a large pass around the water and try not to push through it. I examine it with polarized glasses and try to make out the channels or lies within that pool. There is usually a deeper part. I cast my fly or lure outside of this area and then try to reel or strip it through to get a quick instinctive strike.

On a few occasions I have been blown away at the number of fish that these pools have held in the late fall. 

Clothing

It may be icy, damp cold or even full blown snowing. Wear multiple thermal layers under your waders. Also try fingerless gloves that give you the ability to keep the majority of your hand exposed. I’ve found that I can’t fish with gloves. I lose the ability to sense a strike through the line, but I wear a hoodie if I can and keep my hands in periodically like a Green Bay quarterback. Your hands will get beat up with the cold water and the weather but you will need them to clear out the guides (frost and ice will build up) and maybe even the line.

Finally, be very cautious about driving.  Things may be looking great in the valley below but the Haines pass might be blown up or snowed in.  Either drive a truck or car with good snow tires and possibly even chains to get through the thick stuff. It is a short stretch but it has turned around more than one Yukoner.

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