I woke up to the sound of humming engines today.  This means the Midnight Sun Patriot Catamaran was on the move to a new spot.  We only have two days left on this amazing northern pike trip so our move was three hours heading back towards Galena, AK on the Yukon River.

The drive was restful.  We’ve been fishing hard for five days and to kick back, drink coffee and eat a nice breakfast made by Wade, all while cruising the backcountry of Alaska – it was cool with all of us.  We arrived around noon and secured the mothership before starting our day of fishing.

My first plan of attack was to tie on one of Sammy’s new favorite flies, the Man Bear Pig, but Scott handed me a big red and white pike fly he tied last night.  I was fishing with Wade so I held it up to him for approval.  Wade was all about it.

Red and white are famous pike colors but I was somewhat reluctant thinking back to all the pike Sammy caught with me two days ago on his Pig.  But you always listen to the guide – the new fly went on.

Wade took Sammy and I on a 30 minute ride to a sheefish hole.  We tossed flies into the turbulent currents and boils but no luck.  Scott was there with Steve and Therese and we pulled out together and rode another 20 minutes to a massive lake.  What’s neat, along the way we ran into a herd of wood bison.  A couple of these animals wore Game & Fish tags and it turns out they are part of a restoration program.

The huge lake was beautiful.  The sun was peaking and the lake was glass.  The shoreline is somewhat mountainous and the birch trees are near their full fall color.  Before we entered the lake we casted around the entrance.  My big red and white fly nailed a 44” first cast and I followed it up with this 46”.  Not a bad way to start the day!

We all fished this lake for the remainder of the day.  While we had one slow period for a couple hours, most of the day provide constant action.  There was a particular bay Wade took Sammy and I and we caught eight pike between 40” and 44”.  We named it the “Bay of 40 Pluses” and that hour in there may in fact be the best hour of pike fishing any of us will have the rest of our lives!

Rain kicked in around 6 PM while in that remarkable bay, but the fishing continued to impress.  Even after we left.  At one time Sammy and I doubled up with 44 inchers.  We tried to get a double fish photo but it was too deep to hop out.  Instead, we floundered hanging over the side of the boat only to pull a few muscles and not get a photo.  It was fun trying though.

Midnight Sun keeps track of pike landed that are over 40”.  Between both boats, today we landed nearly 40 pike over 40”!  That’s incredible.  Of course, Sammy ended his day with a 47”.  That’s his fifth 47 incher this week.  I’m locked at 46”.  Steve at 44”.  Only Therese has Sam tied with a 47” of her own.

We didn’t get back to the Patriot until almost 10:30 tonight.  It was dark and raining hard.  We’re drenched but smiling – Wade just threw a few big sirloins in the frying pan.  The big meal should warm us up nicely.  Tomorrow is our last day of fishing here on the Yukon Drainage of Alaska.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing