Many of our guests at Cooper Landing Fishing Guide, LLC are new to fly fishing and sometimes fishing in general. If you've never fly fished, images of Brad Pitt hucking a dry fly 100' across the river to make a world-class trout rise probably sticks in your head.
Fly Fishermen are grateful to Brad Pitt and A River Runs Through It for promoting the sport; however, very little "movie quality" skill is necessary when taking up fly fishing for the first time, especially in Alaska.
Believe it or not, 95% of the trout fishing and sometimes salmon fishing we do on the Kenai River is some form of fly fishing. Often, we fish directly from the boat and up to 4 guest at a time can fly fish as we drift down the river.
The most intimidating thing about fly fishing is casting and we're here to tell you that there are many ways to get the fly out to the fish without having to be a master caster.
First and foremost, the casting style we mostly deploy is some form of a "Tension Cast" where we use the surface tension of the water to help bend the fly rod and propel the fly line/fly. For a great explanation of a tension cast, check out this video:
The basic "water haul" or "tension cast" gives visitors a great introduction to the sport of fly fishing, while making a day on the water enjoyable and largely successful. Once you're comfortable with the tension cast, the world of fly fishing and fly casting becomes less and less intimidating.
Our goal at Cooper Landing Fishing Guide, LLC is to make your day on the water one of the best memories you'll have on your Alaskan adventure. Learning and perfecting new life-long skills are a big part of what we do. Whether a beginner, or seasoned angler, we're sure you'll have an awesome time out on the water!