Fishing the Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska

a young bear on the far bank wants in on the action (photo credit Kail Rucker)

This is part one of a contribution authored by my friend and, often, fishing companion, Lars Hudnall of Falmouth Flats Fly Fishers. All photo credits belong to Lars unless otherwise specified.

The privilege of fishing with bears

I’ve been fortunate enough to fly fish in Alaska a handful of times over the past decade, ranging from sites along the inner passage, up through the Kenai peninsula and Mat-Su valley, and into the interior region east of Fairbanks.  Those excursions had been DIY events of a single afternoon or a few days, often coordinated at the last minute to correspond with cruises or camping vacations.  So, I was excited at the prospect of a week solely focused on fly fishing in the Katmai peninsula with a group of fellow anglers from the Falmouth Flats Fly Fishers.

We would chase a myriad of salmonoids at a half dozen locations along the Naknek and Alagnak Rivers during this week, but I was particularly interested in fishing the Brooks River in Katmai National Park.  Most of us have seen the pictures of the massive brown bears standing on top of the Brooks River Falls snatching salmon out of the air as the fish attempt to jump the cascading water.  Like all anglers, I love to catch fish, but I value the overall fishing experience more than the number or size of the fish I bring to net – and I couldn’t imagine a better angling experience than fly fishing among the Brooks River bears.

the bear traffic was heavy during our days fishing on the Brooks River

Our base for this adventure was the Naknek River Camp (NRC) outside the small town of King Salmon.  Sitting on the banks of the Naknek River, the NRC is exactly as the name states: A fishing camp.  It does not advertise itself as a lodge.  You won’t find mahogany paneling, a wine bar, or after-hours entertainment here.

What you will find are comfortable, spacious cabins with hot and cold running water; meals that rival any top shelf restaurant; exceptional guides (many of whom have a decade or more experience at the NRC); on-site owners that oversee a well-organized and meticulously run fly fishing operation; and pricing that may be the best value in Alaska if not the entire industry.

Naknek River Camp accommodation

There is very limited fishing at the NRC location.  Following breakfast each morning, we would meet our guides and boats at the dock and ride to a designated fishing location for the day.  Boat rides varied from 20 minutes to over an hour depending on the site.  Brooks Camp, the national park facilities adjacent to Brooks River, is approximately an hour away.  Thick coats, hats, and gloves are mandatory dress when making this trip.  Forty-five-degree morning temperatures coupled with a fast boat skimming across the glacier fed Naknek Lake at 30 mph provide a brisk wake-up call.

The optimal time for fishing the Naknek is generally considered to be from mid-July (peak of the sockeye run) through early September (trophy trout time).  To accommodate everyone’s schedule, we booked our trip for late June fully aware that our primary targets would be early season rainbows and grayling, with the possibility of some sockeye later in the week.  We were also cautioned that while we could expect to see some bear activity along the Brooks River at this time, the bulk of the bruin population probably wouldn’t show up for another two to three weeks.

Fortunately for us, a mild winter contributed to an early ice-out and subsequent earlier appearance of the sockeye salmon and the bears.  For days prior to our arrival, we watched increasing numbers of fish and bears on live streams from the aptly named Bearcams operated by Explore.Org in partnership with the National Park Service.

Boats and float planes deliver visitors to the beach adjacent to the Brooks Camp Visitor Center and other facilities, which include cabins, dining halls, and a campground surrounded by an electric fence.  When arriving, the first stop is at the Visitor Center to attend “bear school.”  If part of a certified guide service, as we were with the NRC, the guides can provide the bear school information.  In addition to the standard bear safety guidelines (walk in groups, make noise when using trails, don’t approach a bear), Brooks has additional rules:  Remain at least 50 yards from any bear at all times. Stop fishing, reel in, and move if a bear approaches within the 50 yards minimum distance.  If playing a fish and a bear approaches, you’re required to cut your line.  No fishing within an exclusion zone close to the Falls.  Do not place anything (such as backpacks) on the ground out of arm’s length.  Food and items with fragrances are to be left in the bear storage buildings.

gearing up in the enclosed picnic area

Gearing up is conducted within the confines of a small picnic area surrounded by an electric fence.  Items that might peak a bear’s interest – to include food items - are stored in an adjacent bear building.  From there, it’s a short walk on well-maintained trails to the mouth of the river.

Greg Rusteikas with a Brooks River rainbow (photo credit Joe Kelly)

And now to the fishing, which is covered in the forthcoming part two of this blog post.