Trout Fishing
On Prince of Wales Island we do have some Rainbow Trout but
the dominant trout species is the Coastal Cutthroat Trout. They
are heavily spotted and very aggressive in the spring and early
summer. After wintering in the lakes the trout spread out into
the streams below the lakes and start feeding. In early summer
the cutthroat ambush salmon fry as they make their way
downstream to the ocean. The most common ways to fish for
them is by using a fly or a small lure such as spinner or spoon.
If you fly fish small minnow or salmon fry patterns work great.
Retrieve your fly with shorts, quick strips to imitate a small fish
darting along. You can also catch them by popping or waking a
large dry fly pattern and the cutts will erupt on the fly. For this
technique we prefer to use a large very buoyant fly such as a
Humpy or Wulff. Something with a large profile and bulky
enough to produce a good wake. Remember the trout in our area
aren't line or pressure shy so don't hesitate to splash your fly
down and pop it with come action. The biggest thing you need
to do is make sure they know you are something to eat. If it
tries to get away they will try to eat it. If it sits idle in one spot
they will turn away. They have plenty of things to feed on and
they all wiggle. Once the Salmon runs get going the trout get
lazy. They have so much feed during this time of the year they
won't move very far for an offering. Early summer is by far the
best time of year to target these unique and beautiful trout. We
truly feel that this is an undiscovered fishery on Prince of Wales
Island. With all the Salmon and Steelhead runs the trout have
been overlooked. Take advantage of this undiscovered fishery.
| Coastal Cutthroat |
| Permitted by the Forest Service |
| Copyright © Thorne Bay Lodge 2007. All rights reserved. |
Thorne Bay Lodge, Alaska
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