Urban Fly Fishing
Urban fly fishing even exists in Alaska. Eric Booton is a relative newcomer to Alaska, and he has discovered some of the urban fly fishing destinations right in the Anchorage area. In this video, he discusses some of the tips and tricks of urban fly fishing he’s picked up in the past several years. There are at least 11 tips and tricks in this video. Here’s a preview of the urban fly fishing tips and tricks Eric shares:
Tip 1: adjust your expectations. Any fish is a bonus. Don’t expect trophies. Urban lakes can have unexpectedly large trout, a product of hatcheries.
Tip 2: Pick a piece of water that suits you, based on access, the time you have, the species you want to pursue, and so on.
Tip 3: Use tackle suited to the fish you expect to catch. On urban streams, a 3-weight fly rod is sometimes enough. Fly selection can be simple: small ‘buggers, small dries, standard nymphs and beads can all work.
Tip 4: In Alaska, even if you’re fishing in town, carry bear spray. Bears often use the greenbelt areas along streams as travel corridors.
Tip 5: Start with the fly pattern or technique with which you are most comfortable.
Tip 6: Look for similarities of other places you’ve fished, and look for areas that look like areas in which you’ve caught fish before.
Tip 7: Rise to the challenge. Small, brush-lined streams can be challenging places to present a fly. Lakes are challenging too, because they don’t provide you with many clues as to where the fish might be.
Tip 8: Research the urban fisheries in which you’re interested.
Tip 9: Go prospect. The more water you cover, the more success you’ll have.
Tip 10. Take a buddy.
Tip 11. Learn the history of the area you’re fishing.
Eric Booton is the Eklutna Restoration Liason for Trout Unlimited Alaska. Check out his update on this great project.