Driving Cross Countries, Summer 2017 (Part 1 of 4 - from New York to Alaska, Sockeye Salmon and Grayling Fishing)

We have just come back from a three-and-a-half-month driving trip to Alaska, western Canada, the West Coast and southern states of America. We had a good time fishing in Alaska, Yukon and British Columbia of Canada. 

Top of the World Highway is one of the two routes entering Alaska by car in Yukon. Due to severe weather and poor road conditions, this Highway opens for traffic only in summer.  We decided to take this route to enter Alaska.

The other main highways we drove on in Yukon before entering Alaska were:  the famous Alaska Highway and the remote Klondike Highway.  Inside Alaska, we again drove on Alaska Highway.

                                     

Mile 0 of Alaska Highway, Dawson Creek, British Columbia.      

A large part of Alaska Highway is in the wilderness area. 

Tried to take a bite in a chunk of ice from Muncho Lake.

 It is along Alaska Highway in British Columbia.

Mama bear and her two cubs on the roadside of Alaska Highway, British Columbia.

Five Finger Rapids of Yukon River along Klondike Highway, Yukon.

                          We entered Alaska through the entry port at Top of the World Highway.

                       

                                                         

Our first fishing of this trip was in Chena River near Fairbanks, Alaska, for graylings

with tenkara rods.

Graylings seem very naive. They rushed to take any fly we casted. 

A fishing guide, whom we met in Haines Junction, Yukon, said they were always hungry. 

           

Mt. Denali (the highest mountain in North America) is seen from Denali Highway.

A lone wolf roaming in Denali National Park. 

A humpback whale in Resurrection Bay, Seward, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. 

We could see whales in Resurrection Bay from our camp site the whole evening.

In mid-June, Alaska has more than 21 hours of daylight.

Sockeye salmon fishing in Russian River, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.

Catching sockeye salmon is as much fun as king salmon in Salmon River, New York. 

Cooking sockeye salmon two ways:  pan fry and open fire grill.

We spent three days fishing sockeye salmon in Russian River.  In the first two days, we caught only a few fish upstream.  But on the third day, we fished downstream and caught fish one after the other. It was a fishing day one could dream of.  Schools of salmon kept coming all day long.

In Russian River, I was surprised to see many fisherwomen and families with kids, even babies. Everyone enjoys salmon fishing and has family fun.

                                

                                             Surf fishermen in Homer, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.  

        

        It looks like a sea robin.  Alaskan don't keep it either.       

               In Part 2, I will talk about the roadside fishing in Alaska and Canada.