July 4th weekend promised to be a good one when Bregitte and I received the news that Grandma and Grandpa were going to rent a cabin for a couple of nights. Grandma was thrilled that we were going to go fishing while she got to watch little Rosemary. Thursday night found our little family at Paxson hours before the grandparents, so I did a little fishing. The cabins were right on the Gulkana River (we went to sleep listening to its turbulent rush soothe our souls). I had passed up the Gulkana many times in favor of the Tangle River, but I soon learned that had been a mistake. With a pink egg pattern around midnight, I was hitting greyling nearly every cast. I have no proof, but I could swear that I pulled in a feisty 20 incher! I thought at first that it might be a dolly, but it was a whale of a greyling. The next day brought around Grandpa Tony’s first experience with the fly rod. Within minutes he had a perfect cast and was catching smallish to decent greyling on the Tangle River. Grandma and Baby Mama soaked up the sun on a warm Interior summer day. Saturday, we decided to go a little ways north and check out Summit Lake, headwaters of the Gulkana. Again, the weather was hot and gorgeous. A little breeze kept the bugs off, and again we hammered the fish. Tony and I caught greyling until we were sick of it, and then caught more. Many of the fish were in the 17-18 inch range, very large for greyling. Majestic mountains looming in the distance, hot sun keeping the mood light, and plenty of fish and family fun made it one of the best Independence Day weekends we have ever had. We hope to make it tradition.
It doesn’t get better than this!
Grandpa’s first fly-fishing trip. I think he’s hooked.
One of the bigger fish.
What its all about.
Fishing reports from Arkansas and Alaska
AAA Trout 