Eek River Alaska

1. Eek River Alaska WhooHooo!!! Finally Some Details!

2. Hu?! What?!?!

3. What?!?! Problem Solution Eek River Alaska. There is some country in Alaska where the salmon runs strong, native fish abound, and no humanity can be found for miles. Country relatively untouched without flying to Russia or a third world country. • What was fishing like before fishing was popular? It seems like any water known for quality fishing is also well fished. Is there any water out there with large, naive fish? A place where you will not see another person?

4. Eek River • The Eek river is accessed through Bethel, AK. • The Eek river is located in the Kuskokwim River drainage • The section of river we will be fishing is approximately 75 miles long • That is like fishing a river from Ogden to Provo, UT • Or like fishing a river from Everett, WA through Seattle and down to Olympia

5. Papa Bear Adventures • PaPa Bear is a charter and outfitter out of Bethel, AK • They will fly us up to the head of the Eek River in a float plane and drop us off with rafts and equipment • PaPa Bear is the only company I can find that flies to the Eek River • PaPa Bear prices are very competitive. They are one of the few companies that allow clients to run independent floats without a guide or additional services. Pa Pa Bear AdventuresBox 2509Bethel, Alaska 99559(907)543-5275 An Alaskan Company http://www.pbadventures.com/index.html

6. Eek River Profile • The Eek River is a relatively unknown and unpopular river • The river has two sections • The upper section runs through the mountains and has some swift sections • The lower section slows down and meanders more • The river has four main sport fishes: Salmon, Grayling, Dolly Varden, Sheefish • The river does not have any rainbows making it a less desirable location for most anglers. This also results in less fishing pressure

7. River and raft picture • PaPa Bear sent me this picture illustrating the size of the river and the layout of the boat. Other pictures of the companies rafts, tents and such can be found on their website under the pictures link

8. Picture from the plane • I believe this areal photo is of the lower section. The upper section is more toward the mountains at the top of the picture

9. Fish Species I want you to catch me… I want it BAD…

10. Silver (Coho) Salmon • Coho in this river drainage average 10 lbs and 25-30 inches • Big fish are 20 lbs • They are easy to fish for, requiring less skill than fishing Reds or Kings, and putting up an excellent fight, leaping repeatedly and not giving up until landed.  They are distinguished as being the most acrobatic of the Pacific salmon. • Of all the salmon species they are the most aggressive during the spawn and the most likely to take a fly

11. Arctic Grayling • Grayling are native to the Eek River • Some grayling were planted in high elevation, cold lakes in the lower 48; however, they are an arctic fish and thrive in numbers and size in Alaska • Grayling hang out in large schools • Record size is 30 inches and 8.4 lbs • This species is very sensitive to pollution and only thrive in pristine waters

12. Dolly Varden • The Dolly Vardens are migrating into the rivers this time of year to spawn • Migratory and non-migratory Dollys will be around but the big ones will be the spawning ones • Northern Dollys are native to this drainage. This is one of those fish that few people catch outside Arctic regions • MatureDollys are 16 to 24 inches. The biggest Dollys around live in this area

13. Sheefish • The Tarpon of the North • Average Size is 10-20 lbs, up to 40 lbs • Small populations in the Kuskokwim River drainage • Use weighted colorful streamer patterns in deep holes

14. When, Weather and Costs

15. When • We will plan on taking 6 days to float the river • The trip will be planned for sometime, TBD, in the last two weeks of August • The trip will coincide with the Silver (Coho) salmon run • Plan on taking 8 days off to account for travel to and from

16. Weather • Twilight is from 6:20am to 11:20pm • Sunrise is at 7:10am and Sunset is at 10:30pm • Average high temperature is 58 • Average low temperature is 45 • September gets 2.3 inches of precipitation • Plan on at least one or two good rainstorms

17. Cost Overview • Some items we may bring with ourselves reducing the rental costs. • We may want to rent as much as possible so that we can pack more fish home as a check on bag • It takes approx 37,000 frequent flier miles to get to Bethel • Because most will be using miles to fly, getting the right flight schedules will be tricky. That is why I am expecting to stay one night at their lodge when arriving and one night before departing

18. Gear at Cost • I will build anyone interested a fly rod at my cost (I get awesome discounts with my rod building business) • All other gear is at cost • Rods are priced with a cork grip, a wood grip will be $25 extra • Add a rod case for $15

19. E-Mail Conversations with PaPa Bear

20. Conversations with Papa Bear Adventure • Me: I want to do a drop-and-float trip. Somewhere where I am not going to see anyone. Wanting to fish the silvers or sockeye as well as non-spawning species. I am researching what kind of Alaska fishing trip I want to do next. Please send me all the info you can. Thanks. • Steve: From what you are telling me your top priority is to find  a river to float that  provides you with a  lot of solitude  (no other people)  but at the same time offers  good fishing opportunities.  The river  that best fits that bill that we go to would be the Eek.   It is about a 75 mile float  and doesn't get much traffic because there  are no Rainbow trout in the river and most of the folks that come up here to fish with us require rainbow, but it sounds like that is not a requirement for you.  The river offers world class Arctic Grayling fishing, Dolly Varden (Char) and depending on when you want to go Salmon of different species.  I actually floated the Eek last summer and the only person we saw during the entire float was the pilot dropping us off and then coming back to pick us up.   Take a minute to go to our website and click on the information we have in it about the Eek.  I will be happy to set you up on a trip and answer any other questions or concerns you may have.

21. Conversations with Papa Bear Adventure • Me: Thank you for the suggestion. I checked out the link to the Eek river on your web page and have a few questions for you. • What does the $950 per person include? Raft? Any equipment? • Last time I was in Alaska I noted there were a lot of rugged river side sheds that people use to camp in. Where do your customers sleep? I would assume tents. Which leads me into… • Bears. Have you had anyone who has had bad experiences with bears? What kind of equipment should I bring to help me deal with the bears? • Do you have any printed material you can send me on fishing the Eek. This would help me understand the size of the river and what kind of fishing I can expect. • Which is the bigger run on this river, Sockeye or Silver? • Steve: The $950 includes the round trip air charter  to fly you in to start your float and  to pick you up from your float.We have equipment for rent you need for the float (rafts, tents, coolers etc), you can either rent from us or bring it with you, most groups choose to bring some items and rent some items from us.On our floats you will pick your on places to camp along the river.   There are numerous gravel bars along the float that make great camping spots.Bears!!  That is the #1 question I get from everyone.  There are bears along the river systems we float but not like you see on TV.  Most groups see bears on their floats, most of the bears that are spotted are a good distance away.  We do have the occasional bear that will cross near a group's camp or along the river, but those are chance occurrences where the bear was making his rounds and happened to come close to a camp or rafts floating down a river.  In all cases once the bear realized either through sight, sound or smell that humans were around it departed the area in haste.  We have never had a threatening incident to date with a bear.   All groups do carry either a gun or pepper spray with them just in case.I have attached a copy of the Eek river description which has key coordinates on it you would need when floating it.  The river itself is very fishing friendly.  Like most of the rivers up here the current in the upper section of the river will move about 2 to 3 MPH, in the mid part of the river the current could move up to 4 to 5 MPH and once you move into the lower river the current will again slow down.The King and Chum run will hit the Eek in July (the Sockeye run is not much in the Eek), the Silver run will hit the river say mid August. If your looking for a great river to float that has phenomenal Sockeye fishing the Goodnews is by far the one you want to float.  It is an easy float 60 miles.  I floated it 2 years ago in July and saw only a couple of boats on the last day of the float, very scenic float.

22. Conversations with Papa Bear Adventure • Me: Do you have any pictures you could send me from your trip on the Eek? I am curious to see what the river looks like (how deep, current, rocks etc). I also want to see what the rafts look like if you have pictures of that.How is the silver run on the Eek? Our group will probably have a few novice anglers. How hard is it going to be for them to find, spot, and catch silvers? How does fishing change as you move down the river? If we fish mid August, will the salmon be in the full length of the river or do you fish for grayling in the upper and fish for salmon as you move down? How are the mosquitoes that time of year on the Eek? • Steve: I have attached a couple of photos as per your request (one showing the river at ground level and raft in background and the other is an aerial photo of the upper river).   I wouldn't anticipate the Silvers being all the way up the river by mid August.  Look at Grayling in the upper part and Silvers, Dollies and Grayling as you get into mid river.   The mosquitoes will not be an issue in mid August but expect no-see-um gnats  during calm periods.

23. Conversations with Papa Bear Adventure • Me: Earlier this year I emailed you a few times about doing a trip to the Eek River. I would really like to get a group of my friends committed soon and head up there in 2009. I have a few more questions for you:• Do you still have availability for the 2009 Silver run on the Eek?• Do you require a deposit once we have committed? I am planning on 3-6 people. How much would the deposit be?• What are the best dates to come?• I am trying to figure out how much pressure the Eek gets. Do you have anyone else planning on floating the Eek that summer?  Anyone else doing the Silver run? How many people did you drop off there last year?• How is the Silver run on the Eek? Are there a lot of Cohos or are they pretty sparse and hard to catch?• I am getting really excited to finalize this trip. Thanks for helping me answer all these questions. • Steve: Yes we still have availability for the Eek River.  I would recommend sometime during the last two weeks of August for targeting Silvers.  Once you decide and we confirm the dates we will require a deposit.  For a group your size it will be $850.  The Eek is full of Grayling and Salmon but there are no Rainbow.  Most of our clients want to catch Rainbow and therefore steer away from the Eek.  We typically only put 2-4 groups down the Eek each season.  These groups are targeting Salmon specifically.  The Coho fishing is somewhat dependant upon the return run but most years the Salmon fishing is outstanding.    The next step will be for you to look at your calendar and then send me your dates and I will bounce them off my calendar.  As you know we fly to 6 different rivers, so my calendar gets busy in August. I'll wait to hear from you.  If you have any questions please let me know. Steve PowersPaPa Bear AdventuresBox 2509Bethel, AK  99559 (907)543-5275

24. That’s All Folks!