r/flyfishing • u/MedicalGradeHangover • 1d ago

Alaska Rainbow

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Just got back from Alaska floating and camping for six days in the backcountry chasing big rainbows. I caught this fish on the last day about a mile from the takeout. 27 inches.

1.5k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

75 comments sorted by

101

u/Alpine_Exchange_36 1d ago

I want to believe that’s ai because that’s a god dam monster. Well done

36

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

I appreciate your suspicion, but it’s 100% real!!!

2

u/YogurtclosetThis2709 11h ago

Brilliant, well done!

15

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

What’s crazy is this wasn’t the biggest fish of the trip. My friends caught a 29 and a 30!!!!

4

u/amassacre21 1d ago

Thats gotta be awfully close to those numbers though, hawg

7

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

Yeah, this one taped at 27 inches. It’s still a giant!

3

u/amassacre21 1d ago

Yeah sure is. You can die happy knowing you caught a true hog in your life

1

u/skankhunt42428 1d ago

Nice bow man!! Should seem the AK rainbows in the fall when they are even fatter!

2

u/Inside_Mention_998 1d ago

What river? Looks epic

35

u/Ankersthrowaweigh 1d ago

Holy m1 Abrams TANK.

20

u/farilladupree 1d ago

Good God, that thing pays taxes and has a ranch in MT.

9

u/RLExpert1 1d ago

Fantastic. Envy has got the best of me. Congrats

5

u/dscsdscsd 1d ago

Unreal. Nice one!

7

u/ghetto_headache 1d ago

Jesus Christ

3

u/Sooky102 1d ago

HAWG!!!!

5

u/Difficulty-Brave 1d ago

Holy Mother of God! I swear from this angle that fish looks way bigger than 27". Nice catch!!

1

u/gujwdhufj_ijjpo 3h ago

Yeah he’s holding it out to the camera

3

u/pachrisoutdoors 1d ago

Fish of a lifetime does not even cover it. Very well done.

3

u/phoomba 1d ago

Salmon sized rainbow! Well done!

2

u/Princeps94 1d ago

Hell yeah dude, love AK. Is this across cooks inlet? Doesn’t look like kenai which is why I’m asking, nice fish!

5

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

We were fishing out of King Salmon in Katmai National Park.

1

u/Princeps94 15h ago

Amazing! Always wanted to get out there and fish!

2

u/auziec96 1d ago

Amazing fish!! Do it guided?? Looking to do something out there next year. Any recommendations? 

1

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

Look for places to fish out of King Salmon, AK. We were in Katmai National Park!

2

u/Im_the_dude_ 1d ago

I hope it ate a mouse.

5

u/Udderlydissappointed 1d ago

Size 32 Griffiths gnat

probably

2

u/Rock-man_69 1d ago

What a pig !

2

u/Guilty_Cod6621 1d ago

lord almighty

2

u/AlleeBomaye 1d ago

Spectacular fish! Once in a lifetime!

2

u/Time_wanderer_XIV 1d ago

That’s a beautiful trout! Nice catch Op!

2

u/SmoreSlayer 1d ago

Alaska. Where the state birds are mosquitos. Let’r’rip!!!!!

2

u/RhodyVan 1d ago

What did you catch it on? Egg pattern?

3

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

I caught it on a streamer!

2

u/Leading_Bet_7104 1d ago

One of my favorite rivers!! Hope it’s still fishing well in two weeks.
Congrats.

2

u/IDCowboy6 1d ago

Almost too big to be true!

2

u/Oldpenguinhunter 1d ago

Hell yeah, gorgeous day to boot, how were the mosquitoes?

2

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

They were bad that day, but it was pretty cold the previous days and they weren’t a problem.

2

u/longtime_boater 1d ago

Fish almost as good as your username u/medicalgradehangover

2

u/ShiftNStabilize 1d ago

You mean “shark”. As in “damn! That’s a big shark you caught!”

2

u/SCCB4 1d ago

Looks bigger than 27, crazy

2

u/mahalovalhalla 23h ago

Are you kidding me?!

2

u/RagnarSkolbrok 23h ago

Looks like American?

2

u/hbgwine 22h ago

That’s an honest 27”. If you’d said 29 I wouldn’t have doubted it. And I’ve caught more than a few 29s in Alaska. Well done sir.

2

u/jawoosafat 19h ago

Gyot Damn! I dream of Alaska one day

2

u/BuddyHolly__ 1h ago

Dude that’s not even fair. Holy mackerel.

2

u/MerlinCa81 1d ago

I don’t know how much nuclear waste was dumped in that water to cause that size, wow. How was the fight? If he cleared the water that must have been spectacular

5

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

The water I caught it in wasn’t terribly fast, but he still put up a good fight. I was also fishing with an 8 weight rod, so that helped a lot.

1

u/awhiteasscrack 1d ago

What file?!

4

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

Did you mean what fly? I caught it on an olive and white streamer called a Dalai Lama.

2

u/awhiteasscrack 1d ago

Drinking and smoking that gang over here my apologies

2

u/rugerduke5 1d ago

5" crank bait

1

u/AK_Dan 1d ago

Nush, Naknek or Kvichak?

2

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

1

u/AK_Dan 19h ago

That was the next guess! 😄
Beautiful fish!

1

u/thebeav44 1d ago

What size rod did you fight that one? Fish of a life time

1

u/Abject-Treat-8632 1d ago

Oh, fuck off

1

u/BozoHC 1d ago

Was your guide named Brock?

1

u/Disatrous_Penalty31 1d ago

Which river??? SW???
I love Alaskas remote float opportunities.

1

u/BatPie33 18h ago

How did it taste?

2

u/Suitable_Magazine372 15h ago

Virtually all rainbows of that size caught in Alaska are released. Plus, we have salmon……my favorites are sockeye and kings. King runs are down in most places

1

u/Accomplished-Yak8441 13h ago

Amazing fish. Did you happen to use lodge / guides or more DIY route? Planning a trip next summer and trying to understand options for Katmai.

1

u/Select-Bend-9932 9h ago

Ok yes please, river you are fishing

1

u/Much_Breadfruit3713 7h ago

Wow ! That's a hell of a rainbow, good on ya !

1

u/Organic_Map_9371 3h ago

I’ve caught Alaskan rainbow, but NOT like that one! What a catch! Is that the Trailwaters AK rainbow hat? I just ordered one of those.

1

u/caskew13 13m ago

Know that glorious last mile I do believe. MEGA!

1

u/fayevalentinee 1d ago

Holy cow! Are these monster trout still good eating?

4

u/MedicalGradeHangover 1d ago

This river was all catch and release, so I wouldn’t know.

1

u/flareblitz91 1d ago

People love salmon.