Fishing Alaska's Kenai Peninsula: A Complete Angler's Guide (Paperback)

by Dave Atcheson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The ultimate guidebook to fishing one of the world's most beautiful backcountry spots.

Fishing Alaska's Kenai Peninsula is not merely a reference guide. It showcases the uniqueness of Alaska while emphasizing the universal passions that make the sport of fishing so compelling. With stories and anecdotes to complement the detailed specifics on stream access, timing, tactics, and equipment, this fascinating book will appeal not only to those planning a visit but to all those who have a love of fishing and only dream of going.

Atcheson provides information on both fly fishing and conventional spin casting in both fresh and salt water. He covers every style of fishing—from jigging for giant halibut off the coast, to float tubing for grayling and monster rainbow trout on quiet mountain lakes, to pursuing all the species of salmon that run up the streams of the Kenai Peninsula to spawn. He supplies detailed information on the well known "combat zones" that are so renowned for their large salmon and trout that anglers line up shoulder to shoulder in their pursuit. In addition, there's hard-to-find information on those out-of-the-way, beautiful stretches of water where one can still enjoy the beauty and the blessed solitude of the Alaskan wilderness. 30 black and white photographs, 5 illustrations, 10 maps, index.

• The only book dedicated to fishing this region—one of the fishing world's most fantasized-about venues.
• Detailed information on stream access that allows an angler to fish Alaska without spending thousands of dollars on lodging and guided fishing.
• Specific information on the timing of the different runs of salmon and trout in each body of water.

About the Author
Dave Atcheson has lived on the Kenai Peninsula since 1985. He has worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and has written for Alaska Magazine, Fly Fishing Quarterly, Outdoor Life, and other publications. He lives in Sterling, Alaska.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Countryman Press; 1 edition (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881505501
• ISBN-13: 978-0881505504
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,667 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True must for Kenai Area Fishermen, January 6, 2005

By	Bryan Newman "alaskanoutfitting.com" (St Paul, MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If there ever was a perfect recipe for an area fishing guide, this is it. Beautiful photos, great maps, fantastic stories that bring the areas alive and just plain great advice. Atcheson, has created the mold that I wish others would follow for the other states and regions I fish. He covers the whole gamut of the Kenai Peninsula, not exhaustively, but by picking a handful of representative locations, fishing styles and target species. Then he gives away his fishing secrets like an old and trusted fishing buddy. In fact in his intro he says the book's first objective is to tell you where to fish. He claims to do this to improve his fishing Kharma, and I hope it is working.

He doesn't spell out exactly what hole to drop which lure into, but he does give some great suggestions based on fishing, scenery, and wilderness experience. And in an area where 90 percent of the fishermen are going to 10 percent of the fishing areas, he gives some great alternatives to being shoulder to shoulder on the Russian or lining the Kenai. He does cover those areas well, but he suggests other options like hiking up to the Russian Lakes and fishing their outlets for trout.

Whether you are a tourist planning a trip to the Kenai or a resident of South Central Alaska, you should get this book. It has a lot of great area experiences that get overlooked in the shadow of the Kenai, the Russian and the saltwater charter fishing options. Try one of his hike in float tube lakes some time.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than an excellent & useable guidebook--its a great read, January 25, 2003

By	K. Redmon (Homer AK USA) - See all my reviews

I read the book while on vacation in Mexico and found myself thirsting for the clean waters of Alaska. The author is obviously a devout fisherman. Woven throughout the book are comments, observations and short essays that address the intangable elements of fishing that can result in a love of the sport. Atcheson has not forgotten what the essence of fishing is all about and he can be downright poetic at times. This is not to imply that important planning details and valuable local knowledge is glossed over. On the contrary, Atcheson hits all the bases and offers many fishing techniques, super maps, and detailed information on many quiet out of the way trout and salmon hang-outs and the large rivers. This book is educational and packed with advice and seasonal information that is applicable and unique to fishing in Alaska. A really good book that delivers years of local knowledge and a better understanding of life below the surface.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, August 11, 2004

By	W. Ciabattoni (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked up a copy of this book when I was on vacation in Alaska fishing the Kenai. First off, the author is an execellent outdoors writer and really makes you wish you were there. As far as fishing info, the book gives a great overview of the most productive techniques (which are used by practically every guide in the area) used to catch each type of salmon and trout in the area. It gives good information about all the local rivers, streams, and lakes,and most importantly timing information on salmon runs and most productive trout periods. The first section on Lake Fishing is a bit more geared toward local anglers with access to a canoe, but I would definately recommend this book for anyone planning a fishing trip to the Kenai Peninsula.