EVERY ALASKAN RAIN CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING

My typical fishing reports start on Day 1, a rendition of the experience of fishing somewhere new, and all the thrills that come with it, and all going well, climaxing with a noteworthy catch or experience.  Unusually then I am going to draw on our final day as a starting point, which, as it happens, was also the last day of the season.  Everyone at Goodnews had been enjoying spectacular catches all week, despite the fact that the river had gone from the lowest summer conditions that people could remember, to some of the highest for this time of the year.  The Goodnews was flowing approx. one meter higher than normal, and given that it follows a relatively flat floodplain, which spills out into literally hundreds of streams and braids, this was significant.

My fishing partner and great friend for our final day, a ‘Viking’ from Iceland, Tomasz, had been religiously counting our daily catches.   Given that we had been landing, per pair of anglers in excess of 30 silver salmon each day, keeping a count was not as straightforward as tallying up the catch on your fingers and thumbs!  We had started the morning on a bit of a roll, with 17 salmon from the first pool we tried.  An indecent amount to anyone used to Atlantic Salmon or Steelhead catches, but when in Rome…By lunchtime it seemed as if a tally of 50 fish would be possible, and as a benchmark ‘once in a lift-time’ indulgence, that was what we set our sights on.  With the score card sitting at around 40 fish by 4pm we had a bit of a numbers wobble.  Having travelled 30 kms upriver, and with instructions to please come back a little early (5 o clock or before so they could take the boats out of the water being the endof the season), the task was looking problematic. The clock was definitely ticking.

But just as things seemed to be slowing down, we hit another seam of fish and with a final double-hookup, we hit our 50, then 51 Silver salmon for the day.  Being 51 years of age, this felt to me like an insanely memorable figure where we could proudly put our rods down, without any need to squeeze out another fish or two, for numbers sake, in the dying minutes of the day.  Instead, we patted ourselves on the back for a great final day and with reasonable afternoon weather, fully enjoyed the scenic journey back to the lodge,  ‘drifting’ round the tight river bends in our jetboat and quietly reflecting on what an incredible week we had had.  It is worth noting that 50+ fish is a relatively easily achievable tally on the Goodnews during a  peak Silver week, just one or two weeks earlier.  One final remarkable aspect of our day was that all these fish came from just 3 pools and 2 of them, our guide Reed, who has many years under his belt guiding at Goodnews, had never even fished before.

There will be plenty of people who will declare this sort of fishing as not being proper!  Measured against Atlantic Salmon with the difference in skills and techniques that it takes to catch a Silver salmon; they will have a point. But equally I am firmly of the belief that when the going is good you are actually allowed to enjoy the fishing experience.  I have never bought into the often-repeated myth that Victorian Atlantic Salmon anglers would hand their rod to a ghillie to play a fish, the only reward being the take.  Playing a fish on a fly-rod is fun.  Being in a location where you avoid the need on the daily debrief to tally up excuses for failure; lack of success blamed on all and everything, whether it be environmental disasters, over-fishing or simply ‘the conditions’. If that means catching a ton of fish from time to time, then I personally will say that until you have experienced it, including the thrill of being in an incredibly remote part of the world, don’t knock it!

If the truth be told, I was actually rather hesitant about heading off  to do a Silver salmon (Coho) week.   Alaska has always been my playground when it has come to chasing King Salmon, and although I have caught plenty of Silvers in British Colombia, in large powerful rivers such as the Dean, Skeena and neighbouring rivers and tributaries, the sheer numbers of Silver salmon that are typically caught in Alaska, on certain rivers, was enough to slightly put me off.  Although as anglers we all pray for red-letter days, when they come, ironically if it is then perceived as too easy the whole experience can lose some of its appeal. Do not try and explain this conundrum to a non-fisher, they will just look at you as if you are mad!

I have also always maintained that I am sizist when it comes to fish and Silvers mainly average out at about 8lbs with 15lbs being a really big fish!  You cannot expect any verifiable monsters.  That said a great team of Icelandic friends were keen to have their line pulled, and my last trip to our destination, Goodnews River Lodge, was in 2016!  It was both an opportune excuse to return, as well as see the river in a very different part of the season, with a totally different run of fish than that I had previously experienced, which was over June/July during the King Salmon run.

Goodnews river is pretty special for a number of reasons.  First and foremost is the fact that it has retained exceptionally healthy runs of what might be considered the three key species that anglers specifically choose to target, namely King Salmon, and Silvers, alongside Sockeye, Pinks, Chum and Dolly Varden.   A good number of rivers in Alaska have been closed to King Salmon anglers, both this year and past due to poor returns.  The Goodnews has been a standout exception to this decline, and this year, numbers were at something of a peak compared to the previous 5 or so years.  Goodnews River lodge is the only lodge on the river and its associated branches, and whilst occasional float planes visit as well as the odd rafting outfit, Goodnews River Lodge effectively has ‘control’  over the fishable area.  This does not mean that another guide from the lodge may end up in a spot you want to fish, but all being under the same roof, it avoids what can feel like a bit of a bunfight when you have multiple lodges on a river system, all competing for prime pools.

Travel up and down the river is via an assortment of jet boats, craft that are akin to a military landing craft with an outboard that uses a jet of water instead of a propellor, allowing them to travel, once up on step, in very shallow water.  This is a long way from the sort of transport used by Scottish ghillies or the long canoes in the likes of the Gaspe!  They are however an extremely effective and speedy way to get around, especially in a river that varies hugely in depth and form. Given that you may travel from a few hundred meters to 30+kms from the camp, mobility is key.   As someone more used to private Atlantic Salmon beats, where the odd canoe or even a flotilla of canoes might be considered intrusive to the experience, the roar of a passing jetboat may give the feel that you would be unlikely to see a fish, let alone catch without resting the pool for a few days, especially compared to the likes of Iceland, with the rivers being as clear as they are, where stealth is essential.

Regardless of individual opinion on the topic of canoeists or similar, the catches when fishing for Pacific Salmon, despite what might be considered as intrusive river traffic,  speak for themselves.  You can drive directly over a pool, and although the salmon will disperse, they typically return almost straight away and are eminently catchable.  The Silvers were no exception.  More often than not, the first couple of casts on arrival, assuming the salmon were present, would produce a fish, or two or four!  What was however very evident is that after a number of salmon had been caught, regardless of how many were in the pool, the fish would, at some stage, go off the take.  The pool would then need to be rested before you could delve back into the ‘Silver bucket’.  When the run of salmon is as prolific as it is on the Goodnews, and when there are as many places to fish as on the Goodnews, this really is never a problem.

For those unaware of the techniques required when fishing for Silver salmon what follows is a brief synopsis. Silvers enter the river, bright silver.  They are the last species of Pacific salmon to enter the river, typically the bulk arriving over August and into September.  Like all Pacific Salmon, they quite swiftly change colour, from a blush pink to a remarkably photogenic deep red, the male fish developing a very large kype, before spawning and then dying in the river, their bodies adding to the biomass to help sustain another generation, alongside feeding the bears, eagles, gulls and vegetation.  There is no exception to this.  Not a single Pacific Salmon will return to the sea, having spawned, their life-cycle is complete.    That of course does not mean that released fish should not be handled carefully.  They still need to be allowed to successfully spawn.  Silver salmon are however very slippery!!!!

Although in low and warm conditions, Silver salmon will to an extent stay in the current in better oxygenated water, typically they will seek out the soft spots in the river, congregating in slews and channels off the main stem and river flow.  Where Silver salmon differ from really any other salmon species, is that they absolutely love chasing a fly.  If you can find where the fish are lying, you will hook them.  Choice of fly is not complicated.  Bright pink will work in almost any situation, although when the water is clear or the conditions sunny, other colours can certainly be used if the bite slows down.  Purple and chartreuse would be secondary colour choices and if the fish are being unusually picky, then smaller flies can be effective.  However, as a rule you do not need an over-flowing fly box with every colour and size imaginable, although experimentation is always fun.

Fishing in slack water means that you will need to strip the fly, and a fast aggressive action with 2 or 3 fast pulls followed by a short pause is the go-to technique.  A level of presentational finesse is not required and whilst a longer cast, where space is available, allows you to cover more water, or reach further up small channels, they are not a necessity.  You can typically just move the boat closer.  If there was a salmon that is absolutely perfectly suited to less-experienced anglers, then the Silver salmon must reign supreme.  That does not mean they are a ‘beginner’ fish species, the fight is more than enough to keep anyone entertained.

Brighter fish will typically be more energetic, but even ruby red dark Silver salmon will as often as not put up a fantastic fight.  Over the week, we caught every shade imaginable, from bright silver sea-liced fish to those that were ready to spawn.  You of course can play a Silver on the reel, but given the frequency of bites, it can be more efficient to play a fish by just stripping the line back with your hands.  They will jump, they will surge and they will snap rods!  Our group broke at least 3 rods playing fish!  Single-handed rods are ideal and a  9-10ft rod will work perfectly.  Whilst a lighter rod will give a more pronounced fight, as the flies used mainly have large dumbbell or lead eyes, using an 8 or 9wt will make casting much easier and more enjoyable, whilst giving you enough backbone to muscle into a fish when required.  Given the volume of salmon you can expect to catch at Goodnews, being able to play a fish hard is useful; the salmon can be returned more quickly, the pool is not as disturbed as it would otherwise be, and you can get on with the job of catching more salmon. Floating lines are used as standard, but you can also use an intermediate or sink tip, although with a weighted fly and slack water, sinking tips really are not really necessary.

The takeaway from the above is that silvers are very very good sport on a fly-rod.  I cannot really imagine a Silver week on the Goodnews when you would not return after a day’s fishing having had more than your share of action.   Our week was the last of the season and we were facing a river that was not just high but was in a full-blown flood.  To depart each day, come rain or shine, high or low water, with the total confidence that you are individually going to catch dozens of salmon is all part of the appeal.  Nobody is pretending this is the same as fly-fishing for Atlantic Salmon, Sea Trout or Steelhead, but you are catching salmon, and they fight like any sea run migratory fish.   If we were using lighter leaders and smaller flies, then other than the fact that the bulk of the fish caught did not have the benefit of the river current to assist them, my feelings is that in terms of the fight, you would struggle to differentiate one species from another.  (I can already hear a chorus of protest with claims of  ‘XXX fish, pound for pound is the hardest fighting fish’ but rarely can fish ever be compared like for like when fished in such different environments).

The weather over our week, the first week of September and the last of the season was typically Alaskan.  Grey skies with both some rainy days and others that were, for the time of the year very pleasant. It is possible to get a frost in the morning during September, although that would accompany clear skies and despite some sunny intervals, fairly low-light conditions.  With the river as high as it was it was generally quite coloured although this had absolutely no discernible impact on the fishing.  What the high water did mean is that we spent 95% of our time fishing from the skiffs, the usual gravel bars underwater and much of the banks semi-submerged.  By contrast, on my previous trip in July we fished from the gravel bars/waded 95%of the time and only occasionally from the boat and that was restricted to the tidal areas.  As with any location which has such varied weather, come with an open mind as to how you will be fishing and bring plenty of layers and a good waterproof jacket!!  Goodnews Lodge does have a great drying room.  They also offer a comprehensive selection of waders and boots that are available to borrow should you not want to bring your own.

Mike Gorton is the long-standing owner of Goodnews, a lodge which he set his sights on many years ago.  Once he had worked out how to finance it, he subsequently bought Goodnews and then instigated a 5-year plan of improvements to get it to what he thought was a sustainable lodge and business.  What you see now, 30 odd years later is in essence the same establishment .  He has run it like a family home ever-since, and the reputation that he has built up and established is one of the truly special aspects that make it such a remarkable place.   Goodnews village on the mouth of the river has a native population of approx 250 souls.  Relationships between native communities and fishing lodges are not always harmonious. Exceptionally, in recognition of the enormous benefits and assistance that Mike has contributed to the community via Goodnews River Lodge, Mike has been gifted a substantial plot of land by the Native Goodnews community, something that is not just unusual but telling of the relationship that he has built up over the years. This approach is evident in the team of staff he has built up at Goodnews.  Most of the guides have worked at the lodge for multiple years. Each and every guide we fished with was diligent, interested, polite, respectful and a pleasure to spend time with.  Given that most had not seen civilisation for three long hard months, and this being the last week of the season, their positivity and enthusiasm was noteworthy!

In Goodnews lodge itself, although its appearance is roughly similar to what I remember from my trip in 2016, there have been a significant number of improvements.  Specifically, all the cabins now have their own en-suite bathroom.  The cabins themselves do not offer any surplus frills, but they are absolutely adequate and given the location, the level of comfort is really pretty remarkable.  Behind the scenes staff keep everything functioning very fluidly, from making up guest beds and cabins each day, to ensuring the lights stay on and the admittedly old generator functioning.  The food was excellent and has improved markedly over the years.  We were served extensive breakfasts, varied packed lunches and wholesome dinners, where you are offered a range of three choices each evening.  Shore lunches with freshly caught salmon are on offer which we took advantage of during one of the sunnier brighter days. 

One final consideration is the opportunity to take home some salmon.  In today’s world of depleted stocks this is a rarity, but in Alaska, on the Goodnews, this feels entirely appropriate.  Each angler can take back 25lbs of filleted salmon, which is vacuum packed, frozen and boxed.  Unless a hen fish was bleeding and would not survive, only male fish were taken and only those in the best condition.  Potentially for those on a long international flight, a consideration might be to bring with you some extra cool packs or insulation to ease any travel concerns although my box arrived, after 15 hours of travel in remarkably good frozen condition. Most hotels in Anchorage will have freezer capacity (although worth checking before booking), so even if you are overnighting, the extra time need not be an issue. 

Fishing in Alaska , for Pacific salmon, is a fishing experience that does not have many parallels with any Atlantic Salmon destinations, and I have been at pains to point out how the experience differs.  Over and above the simply vast numbers of fish we saw and caught, our party were lucky enough to see bears, beavers, and even enjoy an opportunistic spur of the moment mornings’ duck shooting, which were then prepared and offered up as one of the delicious appetizers that evening.  To try and put the fishing in perspective.  Over a single week, our combined party of 11 anglers including 2 children, caught more salmon than all but the two most prolific Icelandic salmon rivers landed over their entire 2025 season.  Truly remarkable and long may it last.  Thank you to all at Goodnews River Lodge.