Alaska is known for its big and plentiful trout but often times these are targeted with egg patterns in our fall. While this type of angling has its appeal (sight fishing in clear water), Alaska's superb dry fishing is little known or often overlooked. Starting with our trout opener on June 8th and continuing into early August, big rainbows, Arctic char and grayling readily rise to a dry. Those neglected patterns of old such as the royal Wulff still produce large fish on a daily basis. Size 2 dries and hoppers that would be refused with hardly a glance in Montana and Colorado are the patterns of choice for fish here that may only see a few flies a summer. Often late June through late July are the prime periods for trophy dry fly rainbows. Mousing this time of year can be more productive than nymphing or streamer fishing and little in the trout angling world compares to a 25" plus bow exploding on a mouse pattern.

Andy's fat and healthy early July 2016 hopper caught trout