For those who may be taking a trip to Alaska and trying river fishing. It is a blast!

But you need to know how it's done.

Some people just stand around on a dock, which isn't a bad way to fish, but the best way is to get a pair of hip waders and walk into the river, and you needn't wade very far into the river, because the salmon are tired of swimming and they swim to the banks to rest and gulp oxygen.(their mouths are wide open at this time).

I suggest wading about 5-7 feet from the bank at the very most.

Most people will stand straight out looking across the river, I do myself, but I also like to stand facing downstream.

The best equipment to use is a fly rod and fly reel, but there's no need to buy equipment you don't have, you can use bait casters or spinning reels as well.

Best to use at least 30 pound test line with 3/4 ounce weight and a leader after the weight of 25 pound test, and no bait is needed, just a colored hook and a bit of colored yarn attached to the hook.

Facing the other side of the rver, you just take about 12 feet of line out, and make sure your drag is set, cast to the ten o'clock position and wait a second till you feel the weight hit the river bed, then drag the pole to the three o'clock position and lift the pole, some people jerk at the end, I lift without jerking, and cast again, all this takes about 6-8 seconds.

Facing downstream you cast to the seven o'clock position and wait till the weight hits the bottom and drag the weight to the twelve o'clock position.

What you are doing is dragging the hook across the river bottom and into the salmons mouth, weather they are biting it or weather the hook is going into their mouths, no one can be sure, but if the hook is in the mouth, that's all that matters! If you hook a fish outside the mouth, it's considered a bad hook, and is illegal to keep.

Also, when you catch the salmon, it's not like fishing for other types of fish, you need to keep your pole down either to the right or left, do not lift your pole upwards, the fish will have a better chance of jumping into the air and dislodging the hook, also keep your hands away from the reel, until the fish has run itself out some line, you should keep your fingers on the line to the rod to keep the fish from taking too much line out.

If you're fishing alone, just steer the fish towards the bank. It's easier fishing with a buddy and a net, but by oneself steer the fish towards the edge, if there's no edge, a net comes in handy, best way to keep your fish at this point is to bash it's head with a club, lead pipe, or even a rock, two to three times should kill the fish, also it is a very good idea to bleed your fish at this time, just cut their gills.

It is illegal to keep a live salmon on a stringer, a fine of $250 per fish if caught with live salmon, don't be stupid, kill the fish right away and bleed it out.

Bleeding it out right away will make a world of difference when filleting your salmon, you don't want to have a bloody fillet, bleeding it when you bash it's head in will keep your fillet blood free.

Also when you're done filleting the fish, the best way to discard the extra parts of the fish is to throw it back into the river, this is advised by most everyone.

Some people will only keep male salmon, and throw back the females, the male salmon have a hooked lip, or their upper mouth is hooked I should say, the females mouth is not hooked.

Also if this is your first time, when fishing around other people, and sometimes it can get very crowded, when someone next to you or even two away from you yells "FISH ON", they are letting you know that you should move your line out of the water right away, because your line could get entangled fast, also it is common curtisey to move back towards shore, because the fish is going to swim everywhere it can to try and get the hook out of it's mouth or body, or where ever it is lodged.

The limit for salmon is three per day, if you see other people fishing and they have caught more than three, they are most likely fishing proxy for their spouse, which is legal, either that or they are ignorant and are breaking the law, if you are caught with more than three salmon and aren't fishing proxy, the fine is the same as before $250 per fish, and if you have more than three fish and they are alive when you leave the river the fines double.

I hope this guide helps those who want to try river fishing in Alaska!

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