Triple Crown | 2024

Overview

This year (2024) marks the inaugural launch of the Triple Crown Trip, presented by Womens Fly Fishing. Our adventure is designed to showcase the very best fly fishing experiences available just outside Anchorage on the beautiful Kenai Peninsula. The locations we chose are within two hours of Anchorage International Airport and easily accessible for both travelers and local angling women.  

Our goal was to fulfill the question: Where would you take your best friends for some incredible (and unique) fly fishing? Easy!  Resurrection Bay, Kenai River and a Mountain Lake.  

Day 1

Began with an early evening get together in Seward. Lodging was lovely in fully appointed apartments located in the woods just outside town. (We are adding a second night at this spot in 2025). This was a chance to get to know each other, enjoy some appetizers and take a look around historic Seward.  We also found our boat at the small boat harbor and met Captain Jimmy. We were all set for some ocean fly fishing!

Day 2

Started early with a 6am launch from the small boat harbor.  Captain Jimmy had an idea of where the best fishing would be, so we ventured out of Resurrection Bay into a promising spot just to the east in Day Harbor.  We had halibut strikes within a few minutes of dropping our lines in the water.  These fish were smaller - and the best eating - commonly known as chickens. 

The halibut catching method Jimmy uses was much much easier than dropping heavy weights.  We picked up some salmon (jack king and silvers) and moved to another spot for deep ocean fishing with fly rods.  What a thrill it was to land salmon and black bass on the fly!  Before long we all caught our limit. 

We fished at the chilly outlet of a glacier-fed stream and finished the day catching enthusiastic (i.e. crazy) black bass on the surface. We were safe, warm and comfortable in Jimmy's boat.  Can't wait to fish with him again next year!

Day 3

Was our Kenai River day.  We moved the night before from Seward to Cooper Landing and the Swan Sanctuary at Troutfitters, a veritable institution on the Kenai River. Transportation for the day was a drift boat piloted by Cameron, a super super knowledgeable guide and son of legendary Curt Trout.  Our first stop was a chance to catch sockeye (red) salmon.  We were visited by a rather docile black bear who was also on the lookout for red salmon.  

The next float was through a back channel. Cam pointed to a large tree trunk that was often the perch of a brown bear.  We had a couple of bites in the narrow channel and were soon entertained by said brown bear who came to shore to finish a Dolly Varden and clean the carcasses that had hung up on underwater roots.  He put on a good show for 20 or so minutes while we fished the river downstream.  

Cam had rods set up for dry flies, nymphs and streamers, so we experienced many ways of fly fishing this world famous, world class river.  

Day 4

Was another exciting day with a fly-out to a mountain lake where we fished for grayling.  An integral part of the fishing scene in Alaska is the float plane, a means of transportation that opens up so many angling opportunities across the state.  With two guides and four guests, our group required two flights to deliver everyone (and our gear) to a very lovely lake in Johnson Pass.  

It was a bluebird day at the start with plenty of warm sun.  Fishing began at two small streams flowing into the lake at a gravel shoreline.  While many of the fish here were smaller, an occasional lunker grabbed a fly and put a serious bend in our lightweight rods.  Guides Asa and Cooper filled the float tubes for some searching the lake for larger fish.  One guest was able to land a trophy class grayling and received recognition (patch and certificate) from Alaska Fish & Game.  Flights back and forth to the lake were smooth and allowed for some beautiful photos.  

Day 5 

After an evening relaxing at the Sanctuary with a long-burning fire, storytelling and river watching, the morning of Day 5 found everyone reluctantly packing to return home.  Freezer boxes and coolers full of fish were loaded for the journey to homes and we bid farewell to new friends and renewed connections.  I can't wait to fish these waters again in 2025!