Steelhead are sea run Rainbow Trout. These anadromous hard fighting fish begin entering area waters the first part of September. We generally begin our Alaska Peninsula Steelhead Season about that time and continue through October. Many fish return to these area rivers to spawn multiple times. These are explosive, hard fighting fish will definitely put both you and your tackle to the test. Generally these fish run between 25-30 inches. While fish up to 30 are common, many fish are landed each year that are around 33-34 inches.
These are some of the best waters in the world to swing flies for Steelhead. We specialize in swinging flies to some of the most fresh and hottest wild salmon and steelhead anywhere! We fish steelhead in 4 different watersheds on the Alaska Peninsula. (Sandy River, Sapsuk River, Steelhead Creek, Black Hills Creek) Each destination is quite different, but all share the same thing… wonderful adventure and great alaska fly fishing opportunities.
As with our other species, we target Steelhead on the Alaska Peninsula with a swung fly. There are many patterns that work well for these hard fighting fish. We tend to stick with patterns with a solid profile made out of maribou and ostrich and stick with basic colors such as: pink/purple, black/blue and other similar combinations. Generally we suggest fishing a 7wt. spey rod and a light sink tip with a fairly short leader to 15 or 20 pound Maxima Ultra Green. These are hard fighting fish that will test your gear and your skills. Please come prepared with quality equipment. And reasonable expectations.