Nate Runyan is an Alaska-based fly fishing guide who has spent fifteen seasons navigating the remote rivers and tundra streams of the Bristol Bay watershed, one of the most prolific wild fish ecosystems remaining on Earth. Operating primarily by floatplane from his base on Lake Iliamna, Nate accesses a network of rivers that most anglers will never see, waters where wild rainbow trout routinely exceed twenty inches and five species of Pacific salmon crowd the pools in numbers that defy comprehension. His logistical expertise in this roadless wilderness is as essential as his fishing knowledge, and clients trust him to deliver them safely to world-class water regardless of weather, bears, or the thousand other variables that define backcountry Alaska.
Nate specializes in targeting the Bristol Bay's legendary rainbow trout, which grow to exceptional sizes by gorging on salmon eggs and flesh during the summer and fall spawning runs. He is an expert in reading salmon-influenced water, identifying the feeding lanes where rainbows stack up behind spawning sockeye, and selecting the precise egg patterns, flesh flies, and mouse imitations that trigger aggressive strikes. His clients routinely land rainbows exceeding twenty-four inches, with the occasional fish approaching thirty.
Nate is also a passionate conservationist who has been actively involved in efforts to protect Bristol Bay's fisheries from industrial development. He serves as a fishing industry representative to regional conservation coalitions and uses his platform as a guide to educate visiting anglers about the irreplaceable value of this watershed.
Contact Nate Runyan — Bristol Bay Fly Fishing directly to book your guided trip.
