The King Salmon

This is the target for most of our clients and the run occurs in the month of July. These big bruisers are fresh from the salt and a typical fish of about 30 pounds will take about 20 to 30 minutes to land. For the 45 and 50 pounders, count on an hour to an hour and a half. This is ten weight fishing with large streamers and generally sink tip lines. Expect to land 30 to 50 fish in six days of fishing. It is hard to describe the feeling of seeing your 4/0 pink bunny disappear inside a mouth the size of a gallon bucket. The Painter Creek ability to catch these fish in shallow water is unique in the King fishing world.

 

The Silvers

This is probably the most sought after salmon because of their strong fighting ability and aerial antics. August and September are the months for this fish and catch rates are ridiculously large. Bright pink poppers and wogs are the ticket, and the surface strike is awesome. An eight weight with floating, and sometimes sink tip lines works well. The average fish is eight to twelve pounds.
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 More Fly Fishing Painter Creek:

The Chums

Sockeye and Pinks

The Sockeye run starts in mid-July and continues through September. These are excitable fish in the 5 to 12 pound range and sometimes difficult to take. Dead drift nyphing techniques seem to work the best and when you hook one, keep your hand away from the reel handle. An eight weight works well with a floating line.

Pinks are the smallest salmon and run every other even numbered year. At 2 to 5 pounds, a five or six weight will work great. Small streamer flies are the ticket with floating and sink tip lines. This run is primarily in August.

The Char

Painter Creek fishermen have set several world records for Char. These are sea run fish and accordingly they are incredibly strong. For the largest fish you should come in September, but they are in the river system for essentially the full season. A waking fly is the preferred method, and with a sliding egg pattern, your numbers can exceed 30 in a single morning. Imagine a brown trout kind of fight with more spinning.

Other Activities

The remote wilderness offers, in addition to exceptional fishing, the rare opportunity to observe birds, moose, caribou, brown bear, lynx, wolves, fox, and wolverine. Hiking is possible right out the lodge door and jet boats provide river wildlife viewing.

There is always revelry by the fireplace apre fishing at the lodge, and the hardcores spend the evening tying flies. No stuffed shirts here;the atmosphere is very casual.