January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 1 Volume 18 • Issue 1 • January 2018

© Reel Action Alaska Lodge Alaska © Reel Action 34

58 © John Cleveland Departments Features Fish Alaska Creel 6 The Kanektok River, At Long Last by Pudge Kleinkauf 34 Fish Alaska Gear Bag 8 The Kanektok River is 90 miles of pure, unadulterated, fabulous

© Kodie Kowitz © Kodie 40 Fish Alaska Online 10 fly fishing in southwest Alaska, and anglers who time it right can enjoy incredible opportunities for all five species of Pacific salmon Fishing for a Compliment 12 as well as rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling. Our Salmon Sense 14 writer partook in the fishing festivities of this Alaska gem from Fish Alaska Conservation 16 the bankside luxury of Reel Action Alaska Lodge. Fish Alaska Fly 18 Naknek Rainbows by George Krumm 40 Fish Alaska Boats 20 Perhaps the most consistent producer of trophy rainbow trout Fish Alaska Saltwater 30 in Alaska, the Naknek is a siren call to adventurous trout anglers the world over, and our staff is no different. Here George Fish Alaska Stillwater 32 Krumm visits Naknek River Camp and offers his insights on Fish Alaska Recipe 78 planning your own DIY Naknek trip. Advertiser Index 81 © Gary Lewis 46 The Kings of Kachemak Bay by Gary Lewis 46 Fish Alaska Final Drift 82 Regardless of the time of year, the feeder kings of Kachemak Bay are available, as our writer found when making an autumn trip to Homer. Originating from rivers up and down the Pacific coast, these Chinook are worth the price of admission. Iliamna Excursion at Talarik Creek Lodge by Melissa Norris 52 A visit to the gorgeous wilderness of the Iliamna region provides all the variety one could want in an adventure, as Publisher Melissa Norris noted during her trip to Talarik Creek Lodge. Rainbows, Dollies, lake trout and salmon are all on offer in the area’s many famous fisheries, and almost always, anglers can pursue several species in a single day. © Melissa Norris 52 The Silver Lining of Alaska’s Lost Coast by John Cleveland 58 Fishing from the Tsiu River Lodge, John Cleveland goes in search of the world-renowned coho of Alaska’s Lost Coast, finding the numbers (and size) of fish everything he’d dreamed—and more. Destination Valdez by Troy Letherman 62 One of Alaska’s most vibrant and beautiful port cities, Valdez is where anglers go to fish one of the fishiest and most accessible harbors in Alaska. Here we detail all the opportunities available to traveling anglers. DIY Adventuring Around Prince of Wales by Marcus Weiner 70 Enlisting for a week of DIY exploring and angling around Prince of Wales Island offers a range of opportunities. The island boasts an extensive road system that allows anglers to remain mobile, taking it all in. Here Publisher Marcus Weiner explains the when and how.

COVER / Erik Salitan of Talarik Creek Lodge with a 36-pound lake trout from Lake Clark last summer.

© Brian Woobank 70 © Gary Stewart/Talarik Creek Lodge January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 3 2 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 3 PUBLISHERS Marcus Weiner Melissa Norris ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Patrick Speranza Kathy Anderson EDITOR Troy Letherman OPERATIONS MANAGER Wayne Norris EFFICIENCY MANAGER Ana Taylor ART DIRECTOR Bailey Anderson PRODUCTION MANAGER Russell K Porsley III GRAPHIC DESIGNER Melissa Wong

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Greg Brush, Troy Buzalsky, Andrew Cremata, Les Gara, Scott Haugen, Pudge Kleinkauf, George Krumm, J.D. Richey, Terry Sheely, E. Donnall Thomas Jr., Jeremy Anderson, Nicholas Olhrich CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Hastings A. Franks, Ken Baldwin, Anthony Madden, Tony Davis, Kristin Dunn, Brian Woobank REGIONAL SALES MANAGERS George Krumm (907) 529-6172 Rick Birch (907) 394-1763 SALES EXECUTIVE Jeff Falardeau (907) 345-4337 Fish Alaska Magazine PO Box 772424 Eagle River, Alaska 99577 Toll Free 1-877-220-0787 (907) 345-4337 main (907) 223-8497 advertising www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com ISSN 2475-5710 (print) ISSN 2475-5729 (online) SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Check out our specials at www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com Already a Subscriber? Call for our renewal specials! (907)-345-4337 Toll Free: 1-877-220-0787

Fish Alaska magazine is published ten times annually in January-July, Aug/Sept, Oct/Nov and December by Fish Alaska Publications, LLC, P.O. Box 772424, Eagle River, Alaska 99577. Send all address changes to P.O. Box 772424, Eagle River, Alaska 99577. One year subscriptions are $30 U.S. dollars for subscriptions in the U.S., $50 U.S in Canada, and $80 U.S. in all other countries.The single copy price is $6.99 in U.S. dollars. To subscribe by phone please call 907-345-4337. Editorial correspondence should be sent to Attn: Editor, Fish Alaska magazine, P.O. Box 772424, Eagle River, Alaska 99577. Unsolicited manuscripts and photos will be considered, but must be accompanied by a self- addressed stamped envelope. Although we will take care, Fish Alaska is not responsible for the loss or return of unsolicited materials. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the opinions of Fish Alaska magazine publishers and editors.

©2018 by Fish Alaska Publications, LLC. All rights reserved.

4 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 5 Arctic char, landlocked coho and To immerse yourself completely in If you’re looking for solitude and a Chinook salmon. Moving north into the an Alaska fishing adventure, the state’s true wilderness experience, consider a Interior, there remains quality fishing to lodges usually sit on or nearby some of remote float—just you and a couple Where to Fish Alaska and around Valdez, featured later in this the greatest fishing waters to be found buddies, your camp and a raft, fishing Story by Troy Letherman issue, as well as north of Denali on the anywhere. Not every lodge in Alaska for days on end. Planning for this sort roads near Fairbanks. is high-end, either, and amenities can of endeavor is intensive. Not only must Alaska is certainly one of the world’s Most of the larger towns and villages arrange from the basic—three hots and a you be able to handle the fishing on your premier angling destinations, but to me in southeast Alaska also boast at cot (in a Weatherport tent)—to flannel own, but there are all the necessities of what really makes it special is the variety least some miles of roads, which will sheets, fine wines and chefs flown in from travel in the bush to consider. Those on offer. help anglers access both flowing and New York. Lodges also differ in whether facts make this an option for experienced There are a lot of great places to fish stillwater fisheries from Ketchikan to they provide fly-out opportunities or fish outdoorsmen only, or for those who hire on this planet, but most of those are Yakutat (the latter in particular, as the their home water. an outfitter to help manage their float. headliners due to a singular fishery: world-famous Situk River flows nearby). Obviously, there are a lot of factors Florida Keys tarpon, Bahamas bonefish, Special mention must also be made to to consider before venturing north to Tierra del Fuego’s sea-run browns, and Southeast’s Prince of Wales Island, where Alaska, and you want to make sure you on and on. There is no one Alaska, hundreds of miles of roadway lead to get exactly what you’re seeking when however. Fishing here is what you make some exceptional fisheries for steelhead, Not sure where to planning your next adventure. From of it, what species you decide to pursue, rainbow and cutthroat trout, Dolly start to plan your grayling to king salmon, it’s all on when and where you happen to fish. Varden, and of course, sockeye and offer in Alaska, depending on your Think about the range of fish and silver salmon. Alaska fishing trip? timing and the region. You can design fisheries highlighted later in this Likewise, anglers in Alaska can easily Go online to your trip to target a single species, chase issue—a disparate group of destinations access the more remote fisheries for FishAlaskaMagazine.com trophies or to grand slam on all five of the and species, all of which grow to trophy anything from a day to more than a week Pacific salmon that return to the state— proportions, that are available to any by utilizing the services of a number of and fill out our questionnaire or anything in between. With the fishing angler who arrives at the right place at the air-taxi operators, who can dial you and we’ll put you in touch with options so diverse, and so completely right time of year. Think about the size into some truly prolific fishing. Most of the right outfit for your desired customizable by the day, it really gets to of the salmon runs; king, coho, sockeye, the hub cities in the state have at least trip. It’s easy and free. the point where it’s hard to choose. chum and pink salmon streaming in a few air taxis in operation, and with But it is Alaska, after all, so there’s by the tens of thousands, hundreds of some research—or by listening to their hardly any way to go wrong. thousands, by the millions each year. advice—you can access prime wilderness Think about sea-run Dolly Varden fisheries and be back in town in time for chasing down streamers and about a nice restaurant dinner. Troy Letherman native grayling devouring delicate dry flies. Think about the large freshwater lakes that act as nurseries for juvenile salmon and as feeding troughs for the rainbows. Think about a feeling—20 fish, 30, half a hundred; 10 pounds, 12, 15-plus. None of this means Alaska is easy, unfortunately. Variety means decisions must be made, and planning your ultimate fishing adventure requires anglers make some tough choices. You might, for instance, try sampling a variety of fisheries day by day. By logistical necessity, this typically means fishing the road system, where the majority of day-fishing opportunities exist, including the diverse Kenai Peninsula, where anglers can accomplish everything from dredging up monster halibut to drifting for trophy Kenai River rainbows. Also on the Southcentral road system, the Mat-Su Valley presents manifold alternatives, offering both roadside and remote access to all five species of Pacific salmon, plus resident rainbow trout, Dolly Varden char, grayling, northern pike and more. There is also good to excellent lake fishing throughout the valley, which boasts the most aggressive stocking program in the state with more than 90 area lakes stocked with rainbow trout, grayling,

6 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 7 Sea Eagle FishSkiff16 www.seaeagle.com The new inflatable Sea Eagle FishSkiff 16 goes from trunk to water in minutes. At 16 Fish Fighter Products Sportsman feet long and 54 inches wide, it is constructed of super-rigid, drop-stitch material for Series Utility Tray amazing stability when standing and casting. Anglers can add up to a 6 hp outboard www.fishfighterproducts.com for speeds to 15 mph or troll with an electric motor. The FishSkiff is perfect for one or Fish Fighter Products designed their two anglers and their gear. This new addition to the SeaEagle family of boats should Sportsman Series Utility Trays for TEMPRESS ProBax™ Series Boat Seat be well-received and add another model to an already diverse line of inflatables. all-around use. From shotgun shells www.tempress.com to sinkers, lures to scents, their Teaming up with spinal surgeons and ergonomics experts, TEMPRESS developed the ProBax™ Series of boat Utility Trays help you keep it all seats which promote better blood and oxygen flow, as well as long term back, leg and upper body support organized in a portable tray. They through their design. The seats put your body in an S-shape, which creates proper posture, and takes the come in a variety of sizes, are made strain off of your back and neck. The ProBax measures 19.5 inches wide and deep, 24 inches tall and has from marine-grade aluminum with a 9.75-inch turning radius. It comes in several color combinations, with or without armrests, and in the removable dividers, have built-in stunning Artist Series. All versions feature patented dual foam carry handles and rubber foot pads. technology to promote better back alignment. The trays are made in Mountain Home, ID, and they come with their SeaArk 1860 MVJT 100% money-back guarantee. www.searkboats.com The SeaArk 1860 MVJT is just one in the lineup of many jet tunnel hulls. Featuring a jet tunnel hull that is designed to be used with an outboard jet drive engine, which is mounted so the intake is higher than the bottom of the boat, it allows for extreme shallow-water access. It is built tough and rugged, and like all SeaArk boats, it is available with a variety of options and accessories, making it the perfect boat needed for any operation.

Savage Gear Shoulder Sling Bag www.savagegear-usa.com The Savage Gear Shoulder Sling Bag is the perfect bag for the bank fisherman looking to keep a compact appearance and stealthy approach. The bag contains one 3600-size clear plastic box and five heavy-duty poly zipper bags for loose bait storage. With an adjustable shoulder strap and a built-in beverage holder compartment, the Shoulder Sling Bag will get you out to that remote location in stealthy style.

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8 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 9 In Alaska, January feels like a fresh start for many reasons: the shortest and darkest days of winter are in the past; the seemingly endless strain of the holidays have ended, and the anticipation of the New Year brings a sense of renewal for many. For anglers, that means it’s trip-planning season! Get in the know by visiting our new website, explore your options with our online trip planner, check out our 2018 Virtual Boat Show, take advantage of special offers and more!

January 2018 Highlights: Looking to book your next fishing adventure on the Kenai River? Check out this months’ Angler’s Special featuring Hot Deals from Visit Soldotna! Find more details online. Our website is new and improved to enhance your Fish Alaska experience! We’ve been hard at work creating an all-new site to better display the features and content you love. Check it out this month as we launch the new FishAlaskaMagazine.com to provide you with great articles, videos, blogs and bonus subscriber-only content! The water may still be frozen here in much of Alaska, but the anticipation of the upcoming season is heating up our desire to get on the water and pull in our limits. Are you in the market for a new boat or are you generally just a boat-loving angler? We’ve just posted our 2018 Virtual Boat Show to showcase some of our favorite watercrafts for Bonus Online Only Content Alaska from SeaArk, ClackaCraft, Weldcraft and many, many more. Interested in the regions mentioned in this issue? You’re in luck! This month we’re uploading some of our favorite destination videos—from Reel Action Alaska Lodge on the remote Kanektok River to the bountiful waters of Prince of Wales Island with Alaska’s Fish Tales Lodge, as well as submissions from Eagle’s Rest RV Park, Valdez Outfitters and Valdez Fish Derbies on the pristine waters of Valdez. Go online for more. Now’s the time to nail down your 2018 Alaska fishing adventures! Check out our Destinations section online for overviews and detailed information for multiple Alaska fishing hotspots. Can’t find exactly what you’re looking for? Use our FREE Trip Planning Service! All you have to do is fill in a few questions about what you’re looking for and the experts at Fish Alaska will give you options on where we recommend you fish, our favorite guides, charters and lodges to fish with, and much more!

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10 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 11 Send us Your Fishing Photos! E-mail hi-res .jpeg photos to: [email protected]. Subject Line: Steven Olaivar of Aiea, HI caught a pretty FFC. Please include vital caption information in pink straight out of the salt in Seward this the e-mail. We will let you know when your photo will past August 2017. appear in the magazine.

Hayden Brose, 9, with a nice yelloweye caught while fishing with family in Prince Jen Andrade of Wilton, CA, caught her first William Sound near Knight silver in Resurrection Bay with her cousin Island. Dean Pereira.

Brooklyn Johnson, 13, lands a nice king with a little help from her dad Scott in June 2016. Bonnie Woods of Valdez, AK, River Charles and her daughter caught this lingcod on the Briar with a nice salmon caught Fourth of July in 2017. at Allison Point in Valdez, AK.

12 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 13 So, as far as leader length goes, two- to three feet seems to be most common. Some folks I know go a bit longer and I have also Flasher/Cut-Plug Rig: heard of people going even shorter than 24 The Salt & Fresh Salmon Killer inches. As a basic guideline, go longer if you Story & Photo byJD Richey feel like the fish are being a little shy and finicky and shorter when they are aggressive. In recent years, the salmon trolling world One of the chief complaints coming from has been seeing an explosion in the use anglers who use this rig is that there’s a lot of what I call a “new-old” technique: the of drag on the line caused by the big license rotating flasher and Brad’s Cut Plug rig. plate-like flasher. Well, several companies On one hand, trolling a big shiny flasher are now selling breakaway release devices ahead of a plug-cut herring is almost as old that disengage the flasher when a fish is as salmon fishing itself. On the other, the hooked. You don’t lose the flasher—these version that has become so popular of late things just make it so that you don’t have has some very modern twists to it. Rigging with a rotating flasher before your lure can help impart extra action, and that to fight the flasher and the fish at the same means more fish in the boat. One of the major differences with the time. I’ve been running the one made by new style rig is that many anglers have you need to have a bumper leader between mind that one of the real keys to this whole Good Day Fishing and it’s excellent. replaced real plug-cut herring with a plastic it and the weight to separate them a bit. The program is that the flasher imparts extra A quick note on trolling speed: I like to lure that looks like one—the Brad’s Super most common bumper leader lengths range action to the lure when you run it close go just fast enough that the flasher rotates Bait Cut Plug. It comes in a zillion cool between 20- to 30 inches (I use 50-pound- enough behind. about every 1-2 seconds, which you can salmon colors and never gets mushy like the test). You’ll have to experiment a bit to Troll these lures on their own and they keep track of by watching the pulses of the real thing. The lure also has a pretty slick figure out what works best—just make sure look good in the water—but all they do rod rip. Generally, I try to go as slow as I can design—it’s hinged at the front and both that the bumper is longer than your dropper is spin. Add the flasher just ahead and and still have the flasher rotating. halves open up so you can fill it with stinky if you have one. then every time that big 11-inch slab of From winter kings in the salt over the stuff—either scent or bait. Finally, you have the leader that runs from plastic twirls and flops, the bait speeds up next couple months to big-river trolling Another tweak to the system comes from the flasher to the lure. Since everything spins and slows down and jerks and changes May through July, give this new twist on an the development of flashers that will rotate with this rig, add another bead-chain swivel direction. I think that’s the real foundation old classic a try this year! 360 degrees even at slow speed. Rotational to the snap on the bottom of the flasher. To to the effectiveness of this system. You have flashers aren’t new but the new ones that the other end of that is where the 40-pound a good-looking bait that smells good and feature a small diagonal fin on the bottom leader from the lure attaches. Again, you then you add the thump and flash of the JD Richey is a contributing editor for Fish end that helps “kick them over” at slow can poll 100 anglers and get 102 different Pro Chip and you end up with a deadly Alaska magazine and can be reached through speeds have changed the game. The 11- opinions on the best leader length. Keep in combination. his website at www.fishwithjd.com. inch Pro Troll Pro Chip flasher has been the standard but other companies have been jumping on the bandwagon as well. Perhaps the most significant change to this old-school fishing system is the fact that its been adopted by legions of freshwater salmon trollers as well. Once solely the domain of saltwater anglers, the flasher/ Brad’s rig is hugely popular in large rivers from Sacramento to Alaska.

Rigging Up What’s really interesting about this whole setup is the fact that there are a bunch of different ways to rig it and it seems that everyone has a slightly different take on it. I start with 65-pound braid for my mainline and slide a sinker slider with a snap over the end. Next up the line goes a plastic bead and then I tie a duo-loc snap with a bead-chain attached to it on the end. If you need to fish close to the bottom, you can run a 12- to 18-inch dropper off the snap on the slider and attach a cannonball sinker to the other end of it. In most cases, however, the whole setup seems to work better when you forgo the dropper and simply attach the sinker directly to the slider snap. Sinker weights are determined by the speed and depth of the water but 6- to 16 ounces is the general range. Now, the flasher won’t have a lot of action when it’s got a sinker directly ahead of it, so

14 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 JanuaryJanuary 2018 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 15 15 cause for Alaska statehood. To this day, most fisheries are managed for maximum commercial yield, with subsistence- and sport-use as a secondary consideration, if a consideration at all. In The Economic Challenge Ahead some regions, say Bristol Bay, with massive for Alaska Sport-fishing runs in sockeye for the commercial fishermen Story and photo by Lee Leschper and limited sport-fishing, the commercial focus works efficiently. Where this becomes most challenging is when there’s both a blend Alaska sport-fishing is big business. of fish and fishermen. In mixed-run regions, Big business for those who cater to anglers, Non-resident visiting anglers like Texans like Cook Inlet, with a great blending of runs Rob and Robin Leivo contributed almost as well as to the state’s Department of Fish & of kings, sockeye and silvers, as well as chum three quarters of all fishing license Game. And that business may evolve in 2018 revenue for the Alaska Department of and pink salmon, it’s a very different thing. under forces driven by both economics and Fish and Game, primarily for fishing trips The sockeye are managed for commercial competition for valuable resources. of less than seven days. harvest, the kings and silvers for sport- In 2016, the most recent year for which fishing priority, but neither nets nor fish can statistics are available, more than half a • Most will fish here between July 1 and follow that demarcation. Hence the great million anglers bought sport-fishing licenses Aug. 15. consternation for example in the summer of in Alaska. In a state of a little more than • Most are fishing Alaska as a rare 2017, when in just two days the drift-netters 700,000 residents, that’s a big number. But special adventure and may not fish here caught almost 100,000 silver salmon headed most Alaskan anglers may not realize that again—only about 10 percent fish here for Mat-Su Valley rivers. Or in another they’re outnumbered by visiting fishermen. multiple years. example, Kenai River sockeye entering the In 2016 there were 300,862 non-residents • Most are from blue-collar or middle- river could be falling far below escapement who bought fishing licenses here, compared income households, not wealthy families. goals, while set-netters fish the maximum to 203,414 residents. number of hours possible. The gap between non-resident and resident These are significant factors for ADF&G In 2006 the Kenai River Sportfishing numbers is less, because resident anglers over when trying to forecast revenue. For example, Association contracted a major study on the age 60 don’t have to purchase a license. both the 2009-2010 recession and stricter economic impact of the Cook Inlet salmon But here’s where the big numbers come halibut limits hurt non-resident license sales fisheries and summarized with one core in—non-resident anglers contribute the clear for several years, because fewer cruise-ship issue that remains unresolved: “Fisheries majority of license revenue for ADF&G. In passengers were visiting southeast Alaska and management in Upper Cook Inlet faces the 2016 non-resident licenses generated $13.29 they were also fishing less with Southeast ongoing challenge of adhering to policies and million in revenue for the department, with saltwater guides. That hit to ADF&G practices that recognize the central economic another $2.59 million from non-resident revenues didn’t recover until 2015. role of sport- and personal-use fisheries in king stamps—compared to $4.2 million New higher license fees are generating the region.” for resident fishing licenses and $814,000 new funds the department is investing in There will be big and national forces at for resident king stamps. That revenue was additional staff to do research that was at risk work in 2018 that could affect the allocation before the increase in 2017 that doubled under recent state budget cuts. ADF&G has of marine fisheries for generations. most license fees. taken some of the largest cuts among Alaska For Cook Inlet, there’s new debate about The king stamp revenue points out how state departments as the State Legislature tries turning management of the inlet’s salmon value the Chinook sport fishery is to both to deal with far less oil tax revenue. to federal managers, prompted by a lawsuit non-resident anglers and the department’s That raises a new question of how Alaska from the drift fleet arguing that the state is budget, which totaled about $48 million in should allocate its fisheries, between sport, not following the directive of the Magnuson- 2016. Federal funds generated by Pittman- subsistence and commercial users. And Stevens Act for maximum sustained yield. Robertson taxes on fishing gear contributed between residents and non-residents. This could take control away from ADF&G, 42 percent—the single biggest chunk of As elsewhere in the United States, Alaska as is already the case with halibut fisheries. that budget—and licenses made up most of sport fishermen take only 2 percent of saltwater Both in Alaska and nationwide, there’s new the rest. fish harvested, compared to 98 percent dedication to the Modern Fish Act, Federal Another important consideration is that taken by the commercial fishing industry. legislation that would add recognition and ADF&G keeps most of that money—the cost According to one study by the American metrics for the value of sport-fishing to an of managing the license program is relatively Sportfishing Association, recreational fishing updated Magnuson-Stevens Act, so that all low compared to the revenue generated. creates 455,000 jobs nationwide, compared U.S. saltwater fisheries consider both sport- Since non-residents are an important part to 381,000 commercial fishing jobs. and commercial interests. The goal would be of ADF&G’s budget, here are a few other It’s widely reported that commercial assuring the value of sport-fishing is included interesting notes about those non-residents fishing is the largest employer in Alaska, in in evaluating marine fisheries, instead of the who pay the bills: terms of number of jobs, but less reported current system based on pounds of caught is the large number of jobs tied to sport- and sold fish. • They don’t fish many days—one day for fishing—everything from boat and tackle It is shaping up as a pivotal year for more than a third of non-residents, seven dealers, to lodging, restaurants and 3,385 Alaska sport fishermen, when teamwork and days for another third. licensed guides. It has been documented that collaboration among all groups will be more • They are middle-aged or older. the average non-resident fisherman spends critical than ever before. • They are most likely to come from more than $700 per day in Alaska while California, Washington or Texas. fishing here—about what the average non- • Most are men, although the number of fishing visitor spends in a week. visiting women anglers is growing. That impossible balancing act, allocating Lee Leschper is a lifelong outdoor writer living in • More than half will fish with a guide, opportunity and money, while ostensibly also Anchorage. He publishes AlaskaOutdoorDigest. more likely on a saltwater charter than protecting the resource, remains as difficult as com and writes for several Alaska and out-of- on freshwaters. it was when banning fish traps was a driving Alaska publications.

16 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 17 Editors’ Note: We mistakenly misnamed the fly in last month’s column. It should have been named Larimer’s Loop Sculpin. Our apologies The Jumbo John Pattern originated by John Barr for the typo. Story & Photos by Mike Brown Materials: The Jumbo John originated on the vise of Mr. John Barr, the mind behind the world-famous Hook: Daiichi 1120 Sz 6 Copper John nymph. Upon its conception, it didn’t take long for creative steelheaders to find success with the Copper John, but those same anglers were soon asking Mr. Barr for a bigger Bead: 7/32 Plummeting Tung Bead and heavier, more “steelheady” version of the fly. So, he went to work and came up with the Hot Pink/Fuchsia Jumbo John. Body: Medium Black Vinyl V Rib & Medium While his originals were tied in black/copper, copper/brown and ginger/black, it has since been Blue Ultra Wire Step 10: Moving your thread back to the base reproduced in a variety of color combinations and styles. This pattern style has proven to be a very Thorax: Senyo’s Fusion Dub Midnight of your wing-casing, start your dubbing thorax, effective nymph for spring steelheading in Alaska. Wing Casing: UV Chewee Skin Pearl using small amounts and building a good body. Wrap behind the legs, moving forward Below is a version that I tie for my box. I am always playing around with colors and body Legs: Medium Round Rubber Legs Black materials just to make it more interesting, but staying simple is always an effective way to go. between them and then in front of them, right Thread: Veevus 8/0 Black There’s a few different ways to fish the Jumbo John—from traditional nymphing to swinging up to the bead. You want the thorax to be a it on a sink-tip. While both methods work, just adapt your presentation to the type of water little bigger than the body. you’re fishing.

A lifelong Alaskan with a passion for family, fly-fishing and fly-tying, Mike Brown is the owner of Mossy’s Fly Shop in Anchorage, AK.

Step 7: Tie-in an approx. 3/16-inch to 1/4-inch strip of your UV Chewee Skin for your wing- casing. If you are a little too wide, this material Step 11: Pull your Chewee Skin over the top of can be pulled tight to make it narrow. your thorax and pull snug; this creates the wing casing. Tie-off tight against the bead and whip finish.

Step 1: Slide your 7/32 tungsten bead Step 4: Using your thread, build a nice head on to the hook and place in the vise. nymph body taper, wider and deeper near the thorax and tapering down.

Step 8: Tie-in your rubber legs. Fold your leg in half over the thread and slide into place; Step 2: Start your thread behind the bead Step 12: Using your thin UV resin, cover your place the legs in the middle of the thorax and wrap down well into the bend of the Step 5: Wrap your V-rib forward, making wing case. I like to cover up onto the back side opening—position centered with the side of hook. Attach your wire and tie-in; I like to sure each wrap touches. Wrap up the of the bead, making a nice bubble. Cure with the hook shank. have the wire go all the way to the thorax shank to approximately one hook-eye UV light. to help build a body. width in front of the hook-point.

Step 6: Take your wire and palmer forward, laying each turn in between the touching V-rib. Step 3: Tie-in your V-rib, follow the same Step 9: Repeat Step 8 for the other side. directions as with the wire. The finished fly.

18 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 19 seasonal problem. I was pleasantly surprised to find a product manufactured by Drift Boat Angler out of Scotts Mills, OR. This easy solution became winter project #1 for the season. The Original Drift Boat Trailer Stand Winter Projects installs in less than ten minutes with a single Story and photos by Troy Buzalsky 9/16-inch wrench and proves its value the first time used. Manufactured from powder- coated steel, the stand features an adjustable- height leg that quickly pins in place, either in the upright position or stowed under the trailer’s tongue when in tow. To operate the stand, simply un-pin the stowed leg and lift the trailer’s tongue. I have more tongue weight than I’d prefer so this is the hardest part of the job, but it’s much easier when the boat is not full of water and it’s much better than trying to stuff a sawhorse under the boat’s tongue while trying to hold the tongue high in the air. The leg pendulum hinges underneath the trailer’s tongue and is simply pinned in a vertical position for storage; easily a one- With cold weather comes the perfect person task. time to tackle those winter projects. Once pinned the boat is stable enough to work inside without the fear of collapsing. To lower the boat you simply reverse the It happens every year—the leaves change process; unpin the leg, lift the tongue, push from vibrant shades of green to tapestries of the stand under the tongue and glide the reds, yellows and browns. Waterfowl migrate boat downward using the leg to help control to their winter range. The first freeze hits, the descent. Then just lift and pin the leg and we anglers and boat owners contemplate under the tongue and you are road-ready… our winter fishing opportunities. it’s that easy. For some, however, winter is a respite The Drift Boat Stand is a perfect winter from fishing and an opportunity to tackle project and has made getting my drift some long overdue projects. boat elevated in the nose-up position an I’m the type of boat owner who likes to easy and straightforward task, no longer a look at all the possibilities to make my fishing regrettable chore. and boating experiences more pleasurable, and that means throughout the year I’m Brummel Bait Boards making lists of ideas and enhancements to Not so many years ago I was fishing out enjoy the following year. Of course the list includes typical winterization and servicing and quickly gets into the more motivational projects. From rod-holder placement to upgraded electronics, adding downriggers and all the cool trick gadgets, everything makes my list. It serves as my roadmap to get me through the long winter as I await the early spring fishery that I so covet.

The Original Drift Boat Stand For many anglers winter means rain and snow. The rivers rise and fall, and sodo our fishing expectations. With this added moisture drift boats have a tendency to fill with water when left uncovered. For years, it’s been my practice to elevate the tongue and finagle a makeshift post or sawhorse under the trailer tongue to facilitate draining. It has never been an easy or pleasant task, especially solo. Early this fall as I was preparing for the seasonal change, I Googled the words “drift The Original Drift Boat Stand holds a drift boat stand” to look for a logical solution to a boat in the perfect storage position.

20 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 21 line of Brummel Bait Boards, I knew this was project #2 for the winter. Brummel Bait Boards makes three super- efficient bait board systems from 12-, 16- and 24 inches utilizing King StarBoard XL, a 100% virgin polymer marine-grade cellular material that is lighter weight than most marine plastics—and it floats. Brummel also makes custom boards tailored to exactly what the customer needs, and this is exactly what I wanted. I had a specific size and a specific mount, and Brummel Bait Boards could make it happen. Brummel Bait Boards are more than just a bunch of cut plastic, screwed or glued together; they are a true fishing system. Designed around a self-draining cutting surface and modular rail system, the Bait Boards use a series of interchangeable accessory mounts that include cup holders, The Brummel Bait Board is designed with versatility in mind. Scent holders, leader scent/plier/scissor holders, weight trays, spool, cutting station, scissor and pliers holder, knife sheath, and cup holder all in knife sheaths, leader dispensers, bait coolers one convenient work area. and rod-holder bases. The system also includes a universal mount that can be used for an endless variety of accessories. of Ketchikan on a nicely-outfitted Raider he specialized in bait boards. The genius of Brummel Bait Boards is Boat. With Skipper Chris at the helm, our I have always felt shortchanged when it that each accessory module is precisely sized fishing mates included Paul and his friend came to a truly effective and versatile bait and interchangeable. You can simply swap Lee Brummel. They were on a business trip, board cutting station. I was always making out the cup holder for a rod holder. Change helping to design and outfit the Baranof do, making messes and making mistakes. the position of the scent holder and the Fishing Excursion fleet with custom Cooler lids, engine box tops, the boat’s floor, knife sheath, or relocate the fish-finder with Brummel knife holsters, bait boxes and lead a tackle box, a piece of cutting board—you the weight tray. This convertible application trays. During our discussions Lee explained name it, I cut on it. After I looked over the gives the angler the ability to dial-in the

22 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 23 previously installed Burnewinn mounts. holders, scent bottle holders, leader & line- Adding a Brummel Bait Board is more spool holders, rod holders, knife sheaths than just adding a bait board, it’s creating a and net holders. They even have a universal fishing environment, and now I can’t wait to mount for potential accessories. get back out there to cut bait and fish! If you are like me, you think long and hard before drilling holes in your hull. The Miller Marine Sliding Rail System patented dovetail Rail System is made from For fishing enthusiasts, the layout of the 1- x ½-inch 6061 T-6 aluminum and comes “dance floor” can make the difference in pre-cut lengths from 4- to 8 feet and between a great day on the water or a undrilled lengths up to 24 feet (which can clumsy cluster. Rod holders in the right be drilled when ordered). Rails are drilled location, bait- and scent stations easily every 12 inches, creating a bulletproof accessible, pliers, fish bonkers, nets and attachment, and are easily installed with even cup holders placed strategically and a series of countersunk stainless bolts conveniently truly make a difference in and nuts. Dovetail machine-matched efficiency, which translates to on-the-water components slide on the track system and effectiveness. can be easily secured in place with a locking Miller Marine Products out of screw. The dovetail configuration offers Vancouver, WA, has earned a reputation for incredible strength, ultra-smooth operation manufacturing one of the best anchor nest and rapid mobility. system for the typical rocker anchor. Less The brilliance of the Miller Marine known is the Miller Marine Rail System, Rail System starts with their extreme-duty Miller Marine Products builds a host of smartly designed products that work with which creates a true plug-and-play system rod-holder adapters. They are machined their ingenious Rail System. on your boat, allowing 100% flexibility. from solid block aircraft-grade 6061 T-6 One look at a boat equipped with a Miller aluminum and are clear-anodized for best design for their fishing preferences. attachment system for most boating Marine Rail system and it quickly became corrosion-resistance and good looks. They You can change things out as you see fit; applications, but since they are a custom winter project #3 for me. are dovetail-machined to slide onto the when trolling it can be configured one way, manufacturer, and since my boat has a The Miller Marine Rail System has been Miller Rail and are held secure via a stainless while anchoring another, and maybe even unique mounting requirement, I was able designed with multiple uses in mind. It starts brake shoe, assuring a no-slip, no-mar a different layout when back-trolling or to work with Lee and with Burnewinn and with an aluminum dovetail track designed LED lights are all the rage, and Blackhawk offers a host of marine lighting systems, application. The rod-holder adapters are back-bouncing. design a custom, bulletproof mount that to accept specific Miller Marine products. including their Blue Light, which works well to ID lures, plugs and flashers. drilled and tapped with the universal bolt Brummel Bait Boards provides an attaches perfectly to the engine box using The product line includes weight boxes, cup pattern spacing that fits most rod-holder

24 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 25 mounts made by Scotty, Fish-On and Folbe. They are super strong and very stable, giving you the confidence you need, whether fishing for kokanee on your favorite lake, monster Chinook on the mighty Kenai or barn-door halibut in any one of Alaska’s premier locations. For utilization of other Miller accessories, the Rail System uses their Sliding Accessory Mounts made from UHMW plastic and King StarBoard material. These mounts use the same dovetail construction and feature vertical dovetail machining to accept the full cadre of Miller Marine Rail System products. By adding these accessory mounts you can add and move around the various accessories, exchanging a cup holder for a scent holder in seconds, and again, they slide on the rail and lock quickly into position. The Rail System’s dovetail design is strong enough to support heavier accessories as well, including barbeques, fillet tables and any other boating accessory you can dream up. To install four rod holders, a knife sheath, two cup holders and a net holder in a boat, you’d have to drill no less than 24 holes and all your accessories would be mounted in a fixed location. In my 18-foot open sled, I installed the full Rail System, which included two 10-foot rails and one 16-inch rail, drilling a total of 24 holes. The Miller Marine Rail System is a true “no brainer” of a winter project. It makes me want spring to EZ Way Metal Polishing polishes and get here all the faster. preps the hull before being coated with Sharkhide. LED Lighting If you are an angling enthusiast there is zero doubt you have hit the water before daylight bay. I will also add a special blue-light bar and fished until dark. If so, you have likely over my rigging station to better identify relied on pre-tied gear, flashlights and maybe ultraviolet, phosphorescent and fluorescent- even a headlamp to help make rigging your treated lures and flashers. I actually tested gear a little more effortless in these low- to the blue light on my workbench before no-light scenarios. There are many lighting installation to assure it would do what I possibilities for today’s boater but with was expecting. This added lighting will be technology as it is, the new LED systems are functional and energy efficient. As with all all the rage, and for a good reason. my electric projects, the goal is to not create Today’s LEDs are far more efficient a ‘hot boat’ situation, so electrical work will than other lighting options, offering as be judiciously installed to ABYC standards high as 100 lumens per-watt compared with sound advice from my friends at to their counterparts at 55 to 70 per-watt Portland Marine Electronics. for fluorescent and 13 to 18 per-watt Again, with Google as my search engine, for incandescent bulbs. In the marine I found Blackhawk LED in Vancouver, WA, environment, these efficiencies are crucial as a leader in marine LED lights. Blackhawk since we live and die by the life of our LED lights have been providing marine- battery-driven electronics. grade lighting since the launch of LED Earlier this year a friend added LED lights, and the company has a huge presence lighting under the boat’s gunnels, under in the industry. the side trays, under the bow, under the Installation of LED lighting is very swim step, on his trailer and as accent straightforward. The power was sourced lighting. Although it looked cool, I doubted from the navigation light power switch, most of the illumination was little more which is controlled by the boat’s dual than effect lighting, and personally, I’m battery switch. From there an inline fuse more utilitarian. and EPM Marine Master 14-gauge tinned Winter project #4 includes adding LED and jacketed wire supplies power to a lighting under the gunnels and in the engine remotely installed Blue Sea Weather Deck

26 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 27 A collection of custom-painted Kwikfish hang from the Brummel Bait The Original Drift Boat Stand features a Board, ready for use. pivoting head, which can be custom engraved. Apply the polishing compound to one small area at a time while rubbing with Panel Switch, and then to each lighting a circular motion until the polishing strip. Add to the list a handful of crimp- compound is buffed off and the surface style heat-shrink marine spade and butt becomes glassy. After polishing, waxing the connectors and the project is ready to install surface is essential to protect the surface and test—all in less than a day’s work. and improve the gloss. Boats are not cars The new LEDs are everything I expected, and demand a specific wax—designed and more. They light the entire boating for gelcoat with a UV-protectant. I like area brilliantly and make tasks like low- Meguiar’s Flagship Premium Marine Wax light anchoring easier and safer than before. and 3M Marine Ultra Performance Paste Adding LEDs was a long overdue project Wax. Wax-on and wax-off; you are now and something any DIY boater can tackle. polished and protected. For aluminum hulls, some boat owners Buff and Protect like to maintain the all-natural oxidized Winterization or spring cleaning—you appearance, while some like their hulls make the call. When early spring hits and to be maintained in that showroom-new it’s time to take off the mooring cover and brushed aluminum appearance. Others get fishing, one of the first things boaters prefer to polish the aluminum to a chrome- typically do is a quick spring cleaning, like appearance. Regardless, proper caring including a polish and wax. And although of your aluminum hull reduces pits and it’s hard to argue with cleaning things up corrosion and also adds beauty and longevity as you get your boat ready for the season, to the hull. I have found that it’s a better practice to Every two years I clean the hull of my conduct your polishing and waxing before aluminum sled with Sharkhide Aluminum storage season, thus having a nice protective Cleaner, then polish it to remove oxidation coating during winter storage and one less and protect it with SharkHide Metal interruption when the fish start running Protectant. My biennial wash, polish and and you’re eager to hit the water. protect project takes a full day of hard Whether your boat’s hull is fiberglass or work. The best part is that the extra effort aluminum, removing dirt, grime, stains, pays dividends all season, with easier mold and oxidation takes a little seasonal maintenance and the peace of mind that the elbow grease and TLC. Fiberglass hulls hull is adequately protected. are gel-coated, not clear-coated like most automobiles, and therefore should be polished before waxing to remove the chalky oxidation and to smooth pitted surfaces. Troy A. Buzalsky is a contributing editor for For best results, polish the surface with a Fish Alaska magazine and writes the Boats polishing compound before waxing. Column each issue.

28 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 29 Moon phase affects tides elliptical orbit around the earth is as close to and the feeding cycles of the third rock as it’s going to get for at least a predatory fish. month, and the gravitational pull on ocean water maxes out. That’s when we get to enjoy the wildest tidal swings in a month, a lunar event rarely interrupted by biting fish. Curse The Full Moon Extreme tides created by full-moon Story and photos gravity shatter and dissipate the bottom by Terry W. Sheely links in the food chain and scatter the food our coveted fillet-fish feed upon. To conserve energy and effort, our Myth, voodoo, superstition, bad science— favorite saltwater predators such as fat call it what you will, I’ve developed a high halibut and hyper-salmon instinctively give prejudice against saltwater fishing when the up the hunt, hunker down and wait it out moon is full. until the extreme tides moderate, baitfish It’s not a prejudice I came to easily or regroup and the pickings get easier. with preconceived bias. In fact, considering On the other side of 180, freshwater fish the staggering pile of evidence condemning don’t have to put up with gravity from a full-moon fishing that has piled up in my full moon tossing around willy-nilly tides. journals, some might call me a slow learner, Freshwater fish are primarily influenced even a bit of a Luddite. by light. Light—photosynthesis—creates I prefer, however, to believe that I tend the lowest link in the food chain. All large toward perseverance until proven wrong. We curse the full moon. They celebrate it. predator fish have to do is wait in ambush There is also the possibility that Iam What’s going on? until some nymph, wiggler or minnow simply reluctant to forfeit any time on the Full-moon shine will dumpster a smokin’ bellies up for a bite out of the lowest link water. Bad fishing, after all, is better than hot saltwater bite and keep the lid on for and then pounce on it. Moonlight to a not fishing. several days. Let that same moon light up northern pike means more hours when The sorry fact though is that in retrospect freshwater, though, and bass, pike, trout food can be seen, and food that can be seen I should have quit fishing full moons long and land-locked salmon explode on violent is food that can be eaten. before I did. feeding binges that can leave fishermen A full moon lighting up the night water The evidence is clear. When the moon quaking in their kick-boats. kicks the feasting into a 24/7 opportunity. is round, bright and beautiful, my fishing Which brings me back to the possibility High overhead sunlight (yes, there really success drops like the man in the moon of the Old Man in the Moon picking a fight is such a thing, even in Alaska) in fresh- or picked a fight with gravity. And maybe with gravity. saltwater is too much of a good thing for that’s exactly what it did. Here’s my stair-step logic. most big predators and they’ll ease away into Because I’m one of those “gotta-know- Saltwater fish movements are ruled by the shadows and depths until the sun leans why” guys I’ve tried to find a singular, solid tides. over onto the horizon, delivering either a explanation for why my saltwater fishing Tides are ruled by saltwater. new day or ending an old one. Either way, success tanks when the sun, moon and Gravity rules tides. the shine is indirect and the feasting begins. earth align. And what I’ve learned is that Now stick with me here. I realize I’m The moon is not the only culprit. The every expert has a pet theory that another getting dangerously close to textbooking, sun also exerts a gravitational pull and tidal expert will shoot down, and there is a but I’m about to clarify. influence that some midday fishermen are very strong likelihood that even a salmon, The strength of the gravitational pull on learning to factor into their salmon fishing halibut or lingcod doesn’t know why it goes ocean water is determined by the moon’s calendar. But that’s fodder for another cold off the bite—it just does. proximity to Earth. The closer the moon, winter day tucked in with a January copy of But even that skinny, science-lite excuse the stronger the gravitational pull is on Fish Alaska. of an explanation turned suspect (which is the tides. High tides bulge up on the side For now, the curse of the full moon is a little uphill from fake facts) when I poked of the Earth closest to the moon, and ebb ample brain muddle. around in testimonials celebrating the full- tides are on the weaker far side of the moon’s Bottom-line: after wading through moon impact on freshwater fish. gravitational pull. more theories, theorems, hokum and The difference is 180 degrees. During full-moon periods the moon’s myths than I’ll admit to I’ve concluded that a full moon begets maximum gravity, Light plays a critical role in determining your salmon-fishing success, and which begets maximum tide swings, which the wise angler pays attention and sets his course accordingly. begets bad fishing, which begets a good reason to reschedule that epic fish trip to a darker night. But then again, bad fishing, after all, is better than not fishing. Curse that full moon—and then fish the slack.

Terry W. Sheely is a contributing editor for Fish Alaska magazine and can be reached through his website at www.tnscommunications.net.

30 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 31 long day, you will run out of juice. The power problem can be overcome to a certain extent A New Solution: Wireless Fish-Finders by carrying with you a power pack or power Story & Photo by George Krumm bank. I use a 10,000mAh power pack made by Merope. It can charge my phone twice, but If you read this column regularly you know that I don’t like to hit the it takes more than an hour to do so. Note that lake in a float tube or other craft without some kind of fish-finder. the Deeper can run up to six hours, however, Fishing blind is a sure way to limit your potential success and to that’s a moot point if your cell phone dies. lengthen the learning curve of figuring out a given body of water. Not There are things you can do to prolong having a fishfinder on board greatly limits your situational awareness battery life. First, turn of all background and prevents you from identifying subtleties of lake structure such apps on your phone. Second, adjust screen as depth, water temperature, bottom substrate, weeds and so much brightness to the lowest level that will still more. I’ve tried many solutions over the years. My favorite is still the allow you to see the display. Finally, in some Fishfindermounts.com system—mostly because it is very capable and situations you can take the transducer out I can get two days of fishing out of it without having to recharge the of the water, and dry if off, drop it in a float battery. However, new products on the market have made significant The Deeper Pro + fish-finder rigged on a float tube pocket and then close your smartphone progress over the past few years. The products I refer to are wireless, tube. Note the RAM Mounts system holding the screen. I sometimes do this if I’m anchored castable transducers that utilize Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to display their author’s smartphone. as I don’t necessarily need to view my sonar pictures on a smartphone. Several manufacturers make such units, then because the situation under my tube is such as the Deeper, the Lowrance FishHunter, and iBobber. As of this from a float tube or other small craft. What I want from a fish-finder for not changing. date, my experience has been limited to the Deeper Pro +. my float tube is the ability to know depth, temperature and structure The Deeper Pro + is a serious fish-finder. beneath my tube. As such, I simply tie a two foot length of cord (I use It marks bottom, weeds and fish very well— Advantages #18 braided Mason’s twine) to the Deeper Pro + transducer, then tie the much better than I expected, and way better • Easy to deploy. Just drop the transducer in the water, turn on the other end of the cord to my craft. When it’s time to use the fishfinder, than the Humminbird RF 15 I used for years. smartphone app and it’s working. I simply drop the transducer into the water and turn on the app on The display is in color and you can change • Very compact—doesn’t take up much space, and doesn’t weigh my phone. The transducer is water activated—it begins transmitting the color of the display if you so desire. It much. The whole system—transducer, mounting system and via Wi-Fi as soon as it’s in the water. Wherever I go, the transducer just doesn’t paint false returns (Fake Fish) and it phone, weighs about a pound. rides along beside my float tube. With the app on, temperature, depth does mark individual fish very well at depths • The sonar data is remarkably accurate with great resolution—much and the sonar picture is displayed on my smartphone. of at least 40 feet (the deepest depth at which greater than the first wireless system I used to use (Humminbird Note that with the Deeper Pro +, or any of the others I mentioned, I’ve used it, so far). Even schools of small fish SmartCast RF 15). a secure means of holding your smartphone is required. I learned this in deep water show up well. The Deeper has • Some of these units can even draw bathymetric charts of the water the hard way a few years ago. While using the first edition Deeper, I many customizable settings. One is that you your fishing, though I have not used this feature yet. didn’t have a means of securing my phone. I figured I could just put it can either show fish icons and their associated • What I need a fish-finder to provide for Stillwater fishing is depth, on the stripping apron of my float tube. This made it hard to see the depth on the display, or you can display raw temperature, and good enough resolution to show weeds, fish, and screen, and it wasn’t secure by any means. As fate would have it, while sonar returns. I prefer to show the raw sonar the bottom; the Deeper Pro + does extremely well in all these areas. playing a fish I bumped my phone and it slipped neatly between my returns and interpret them myself. • Since these units are castable, the shore bound angler can determine stripping apron and the pontoon in 15 feet of water. It was a painful, Almost everyone has a smartphone these what’s under the water, and how deep it is, out to the limits of $600 lesson. The good news is that RAM Mounts makes a perfect days. By using one of these wireless fish-finders casting range, whether in a lake or a river. solution. I got their Float Tube Adapter with a one inch ball, a Double in conjunction with a smartphone, you have • These units can also be used for ice fishing; they are versatile. Socket Arm for one inch balls, and their X-Grip Cell/iPhone Cradle. an extremely compact, light, easy to set up • The transducer can be charged with a USB cable via power pack, This set up allows me to angle the phone so that it’s directly facing system that will fit in a jacket pocket or pocket your vehicle or a computer. me, resulting in the optimum viewing angle. It’s also light, and low on your float tube. If your trips typically run profile—much more than other systems I’ve used. The RAM Mounts less than four and a half hours, the Deeper Disadvantages equipment holds my smartphone more securely than I could even if I has enough run time to run continuously • Battery life, both for the Deeper Pro + transducer (6 hours) and had a third hand. It is far and away the absolute best way to secure your during this time, providing detailed, useful your smart phone (4.5 hours for my Samsung Galaxy S7 under phone in a useable position while using wireless fish-finders. situational awareness building information to continuous use). Your smartphone will be exposed to the elements. It’s a good idea to improve your chances of success. • Carrying power packs will allow you to recharge both the transducer purchase a waterproof case for it. I use a LifeProof Fre for my Samsung and your phone, but the one I’ve used takes about 2 hours to fully Galaxy S7. charge the Deeper Pro +. As mentioned above, the battery life of your phone and the transducer are limiting factors. I’ve found that I can get about four George Krumm is a contributing editor for Experience and a half hours of continuous use before my cell phone runs out of Fish Alaska magazine and pens the Stillwater Though these units were designed to be cast, that isn’t how I use them power. That’s actually quite a bit of time, but if you plan on fishing a Column each issue.

32 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 33 The Kanektok hosts a variety of amazing sport fish from kings to grayling, char to rainbow trout. That’s why the Kanektok was on Pudge’s lifelong wishlist.

If you go: Reel Action Alaska Lodge www.reelactionfly.com/reelactionalaska [email protected] 585-568-7335 © Reel Action Alaska Lodge Alaska © Reel Action

All the years I have lived in Alaska, I’ve heard about the Kanektok River in western Alaska, but I have never had an opportunity to fish it. As it happened, at a recent fly-fishing show, Paul Jacob and Steve Olufsen, the owners of Reel Action Alaska Lodge on that very river, learned that I was a contributing editor for Fish Alaska magazine and invited me to come out for a few days to learn about the river and their lodge. Of course, I jumped at the chance and rearranged my own guiding days to make it possible. © Reel Action Alaska Lodge Alaska © Reel Action © Reel Action Alaska Lodge Alaska © Reel Action © Reel Action Alaska Lodge Alaska © Reel Action © Barry Beck and Cathy © Rick Kustich

34 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 35 The Kanektok River (also Pudge with a Dolly from the right past the lodge. spectacular as the environment. Silver salmon before the release. their fall colors as we known as “the Chosen River”) is Kanektok River this past July. I was up and ready way The 4.7-million-mile area is © Reel Action Alaska Lodge. floated by and the 90 miles of pure, unadulterated, © Reel Action Alaska Lodge. before breakfast, eager to get managed by the US Fish & yellow, orange and red amazingly fabulous fly fishing on the water. The weather had Wildlife Service and only a few of the fish were mirrored in southwest Alaska! It is born improved considerably from permits are available to users. I in different bushes and in the Ahklun Mountains from the previous day and Travis, my was really excited! plants. Winter probably beautiful Kagati and Pegati guide, got us going quickly. He Our trip into the refuge was comes a bit earlier to lakes and flows westward said we’d be headed to one of an unbelievable adventure, and these areas. into Kuskokwim Bay on his favorite spots. Our targets it was here that I encountered We didn’t just catch the Bering Sea at the village were going to be rainbows, the thousands and thousands of the char in these of Quinhagak. Almost all the northern strain of Dolly Dolly Varden that the Kanektok beautiful waters. There the river’s course lies within Varden, interspersed with river is famous for. Paul walked were lots of rainbows the Togiak National Wildlife Arctic char and Arctic grayling. the boat along in many of the as well. All of them Refuge. The Yup’ik name The ride on the way to our places we fished so I could were also in the 20-inch for the village is Kuinerraq, destination was as scenic as make a cast to the very best range. It got to so I was meaning “new river channel,” anyone could ask for, and no holding water, and I certainly asking Paul with every and its existence has been dated one else was on the water but us. took advantage of it. I learned fish if it was a char or a to at least 1000 AD. There were still some sockeye years ago that char, whether rainbow. Once he asked The lodge is very respectful salmon hanging around but Arctic or Dolly Varden, take me if I would like to fish of the people in the village Travis assured me some much softly, so was careful not to top-side with a mouse. and their customs and better fishing farther upriver. “horse” them up. I tried a few but wasn’t the best at setting the hook on them. traditions. It believes that the He lived up to his promise— In many places, we could see the fish perfectly because there I’m more comfortable with a streamer. I hated to head back to lodge existence should help famously. We parked the boat were so many of them. The Dollies were beginning to color-up the lodge, but was absolutely worn out and looking forward to preserve the opportunity for on the entrance right next to with bright spots of pink and red, while some of them displayed dinner by the time we did. these local people to engage a lovely pool-side channel and an orange hue that revealed that they were getting ready for their It was Zach that I was fishing with the next day and once in their subsistence way of got to work. A large school spawn. I’m more used to landing the smaller char, so these beasts again I got up early because that was my last day to fish. I life. As a result, they provide of sockeye salmon, not yet were really something to write home about. Pretty routinely wanted to find some grayling, so we went to look for them. a recreational use of the ready to spawn, was there to in the 20s and higher, they all seemed to bend my 5-weight After several stops with just char and spawning sockeye to show environment that remains a welcome us. There were stray effortlessly. From time to time I got worried that I didn’t have for it we finally found the grayling. It was wonderful. A small wildlife-oriented ecosystem. rainbows, too, but they were enough power to handle them with my trusty fly rod, but I creek dumping out of the tundra and running along the edge I took off in an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage to Bethel just followers hanging around the salmon. We decided we were managed. of a sandbar was showing rise after rise as we pulled in. Good and from there hopped on a Ravn flight to Quinhagak about 45 more interested in rainbows than sockeye and waded along a Some of the banks along the shore were beginning to show numbers of grayling were fighting over the tiny smolt headed minutes south. Once the plane landed and I was riverside, the small creek nearby. We could actually see many of the fish we lodge had a boat waiting to take me the rest of the way to camp. were after. The water was clearer than I had anticipated, given Before dinner that evening, Paul showed me to my comfy, the rain the previous day. The creek gave up two nice rainbows customized tent cabin that was equipped with my own heater within 10 minutes and three more 10 minutes later. and cot just next to the main lodge. I then got an introduction Hiking along the banks we landed and released rainbow after to the camp with its ring of private tent cabins, two well- rainbow until arriving at a beautiful pool that still held quite a equipped bathrooms with hot showers, two, large, well-equipped few sockeye and some Dolly Varden. Suddenly, Travis spotted outhouses, plus a fabulous drying tent where waders, raincoats a huge rainbow holding in the water right behind a spawning and other wet items can dry out and be ready for the next salmon, but try as we might, neither of us could get it hooked. day. There is also a long fly-tying bench in the main building Instead we landed three or four salmon and a few Dollies, after where guides and clients alike can tie the different patterns that which we headed back to the boat for some lunch. are proving successful. A huge amount of tying materials just Later that day, we were lucky enough to come upon a school waited to be utilized, and tying is what most of the guides do of grayling that took our dry flies and small little streamers with after dinner. gusto! They must have been just waiting for us. Fish after lovely, Both staff and guests eat together at the long tables fora brightly-spotted fish came over to play, and we counted 20 or “family-style” dinner. The conversation is all about the day’s so others hooked and released before we knew it. Travis was great successes, the lost fish or two that everyone experienced, practicing his dry-fly techniques, so when the fish tired of that and of course, the plans for the following day. The guides rotate we decided to head upstream. each evening among different guests and discuss what different We hiked back and forth across the flow, hoping for some species they would like to pursue the next day so that the boats action, but it wasn’t long until Travis told me to pull my line can be ready with the flies, lunches, gas and other supplies. in and we started walking. It took a while to get where he was As for species and number of fish, the Kanektok does not going, but when we did we hit a bonanza (which he knew disappoint. There are incredible opportunities for all five species would be there, I think). Lots and lots of nice, beefy, leopard of Pacific salmon as well as rainbow trout, Dolly Varden char rainbows were clearly visible picking up sockeye eggs and taking and Arctic grayling. King salmon are the prized fish of the lodge turns biting chunks of dead and decaying salmon hanging from during the months of June and July, while silvers come in at the a stump. We changed flies to small, tan bunny streamers and end of July and are peaking throughout August. Sockeye and the party was on—with a vengeance! Fish after fish absolutely chum salmon run at the end of June, peak through July and slammed the flies and we could hardly remove one when taper down by the first week of August. Pink salmon are great another one grabbed it. I lost count of the fish we landed, but through July and also into the first week of August. Rainbow by the time we headed back for the boat we sure were tired. trout and Arctic grayling are available all summer long, while the That night Paul told me that I should be ready for breakfast Dolly Varden start the beginning of July and run strong through by 5:30 a.m. because we were going into the Togiak National September. Over the course of a summer, millions of fish swim Wildlife Refuge Wilderness Area where the fishing was as 36 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 37 One of many prolific side channels on the Kanektok River. © Reel Action Alaska Lodge. downstream and were perfect targets for Everybody kept telling me that they existence for six years, and by now this our flies, dry or wet. Two or even three were sorry I didn’t get to fish silvers during routine sounds kind of like a big party fish at a time would attack the fly. They my shorter stay, but I really didn’t mind. to me. If I lived in the village I would be actually fought among each other for it. It I’d gotten my wish about experiencing right there in their midst. The village and was one of those “fish every cast” events. this magnificent river and this superlative the lodge working together to care for After a few more stops we needed to lodge. I was sad, yet perfectly content. their river. This is the way it should be. head back to the lodge so I could make I learned later this was one of the best the late afternoon plane. Boy, was I silver years the lodge staff has seen. reluctant to leave. The cook got me some The lodge is open until August 31, early dinner (knowing there wouldn’t be and the silvers round out the season with Cecilia “Pudge” Kleinkauf is a longtime any food on the plane) while I packed gusto. When it is time to take down the contributing editor for Fish Alaska. She up my wet boots and waders and said tents, folks from the village lend a hand is the author of several books including goodbye to the rest of the guides and for the dismantling and then the storing her most recent Rookie No More: guests and headed back across the river to at a location in the village until the The Flyfishing Novice Gets Guidance wait for the plane. following spring. The lodge has been in from a Pro.

38 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 39 he Naknek River is arguably the most consistent his fish, I was fast into another one that turned out to be about 22 inches. Top photo: The author with a 31-inch ‘bow producer of trophy rainbow trout in Alaska. My limited We each had another bite or two, but if the big fish that frequent that spot from the upper river. © George Krumm. experience there bears that out. were around, they weren’t picking up what we were throwing down. James Below: The Counting Station is one of many T What’s more, late in the season, after the egg drop begins suggested we head upriver to try some different water. fine runs on the Naknek. © Zeppelin Zeerip. to dry up, it becomes a fantastic place to swing flies for huge rainbows. We motored up past the Counting Station—both the lower and upper Facing page from top to bottom: Sunrise at Since the average fish is rather large, and the weather sometimes fickle, it ends of it were occupied—and headed to spot called Blow Away Point. By the Katmai Trophy Lodge dock. No boat is akin to winter steelhead fly fishing, only on a typical day you’re going this time, the east wind was howling in earnest. James fixed a shore lunch of launching necessary. © George Krumm. to get several, possibly many, grabs from fish that are still feeding and grilled salmon and potatoes in the boat and we chowed down. We chatted Cassie Thorkildsen shows an absolute beast that rival steelhead in size and fighting ability. It is a place all big rainbow while we ate and it was clear that James had excellent knowledge of the river of a Naknek rainbow. © Kodie Kowitz. hunters should visit, but the cost is sometimes prohibitive for those on and true concern for the well-being of its trout. Guide James Johnson knows how to score a budget. For instance, after fishing the river for five days in 2016 out Since the water in general was shallower at Blow Away, I used a TFO on the Naknek © James Johnson. of Bear Trail Lodge, I knew I’d be heading back to the Naknek as soon BVK 7-weight Spey rod, paired with a Redington Behemoth 7/8 reel, an as I could make it happen. The question was, “How could I make it fit Airflo Switch head of 510 grains, and a 10-foot T-11 tip. Since I was seeing into my budget?” lots of salmon carcasses floating downstream I decided to use a big, flesh- I began to explore my options and thought Naknek River Camp, colored string leech. After fishing for several minutes it occurred to me that with its semi-DIY program, might be a good fit, both for my desires and the new BVK rods were definitely faster than their Deer Creek predecessors. my budget. It is less expensive than the other options, and having fished They launched the big flies and tips I was using with authority. We worked the Naknek in the past, I figured I could handle running the river and the indicated water as instructed but no fish answered the call. It was about finding my own fish. I spoke to the owner, Jim Johnson, and set up the four o’clock, and the wind was continuing to build, now probably in the 30 trip for October of 2017 for me and my pal, Jerry Sisemore. I was going miles-per-hour range. We decided to call it a day as we had seven more days back to the Naknek! We’d be there from October 1 through the 8. I had visions of several 30-plus-inch fish swimming around in my thoughts. Time flew faster than a harsh, east Naknek wind, and before I knew it I was a week away from the trip. I rushed to decide what I’d be taking, began to put everything together and tie some last-minute flies. Anticipation and giddy adrenaline surged through me several times that week and especially once I was airborne. Jim and his son James had reported that the river was on fire, with lots of 30-plus-inch ’bows caught in the two weeks prior to my arrival. The weather had been good and there was little snow on the Chugach Range around Anchorage, with mild temperatures predominant. We stopped by Mossy’s Fly Shop to pick up a few more flies and we were set. Things were looking great! Jim picked us up at the King Salmon airport and drove us to Katmai Trophy Lodge. It turned out that Naknek River Camp was already being shut down for the year, so my digs were changed, but the program remained the same—primarily a DIY adventure, with a guided day on the front end and perhaps more guided days if we wanted. When we arrived, we unloaded our gear and were told we could fish with James that afternoon. I was stoked about this as James was dialed-in, having fished the river all summer and fall, and his tutelage was sure to get us off to a great start. We loaded our gear into James’ StealthCraft Power Drifter and headed upriver. Along the way, James showed us the safest path through the rapids and pointed out other hazards, and of course, fishing spots along the way. Several other groups of anglers were fishing at the flats and upriver at the Counting Station, so we pulled into a spot on river- left that James called Breakoff Point. No explanation was needed for that name. The east wind began to blow lightly. I had rigged up a new TFO BVK 8-weight Spey rod with a Redington Behemoth 9/10 reel, a 560-grain Skagit Extreme head with 10 feet of T-14, a three-foot Seaguar STS Fluorocarbon leader of 17-pound-test, and a black and blue Dirty Hoh variation. The river seemed to be running very clear, and the deeper, green water pushing around the point held the promise of big fish. No, it screamed big fish. In fact, the water from the point down as far as I could see looked fishy, with several rocky shelves and big boulders breaking the flow. The current was fairly heavy and wading was somewhat challenging compared to much of the Naknek’s water. James suggested one of us start above the point and the other start 20 yards or so below the point. I started above. James pointed out where the fish were most likely to be and suggested to work my casts out to 50- or 60 feet before I started stepping down. He also suggested throwing a big mend as soon as the fly touched to allow the heavy tip and fly to get down before coming under tension. After I got the line out to the prescribed distance, I began taking a couple steps downstream after each cast, getting closer and closer to the underwater tip of the point. Just as my fly reached the bucket, the line jolted to a stop and a smallish rainbow (that’s relative for the Naknek: maybe 20 inches) broke water and immediately came unbuttoned. I made a few more casts before moving and noticed Jerry had hooked up. Before he landed 40 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 41 to fish. We hoped the wind would blow itself out diminishing, we thought fish might be moving by morning. to new locations. We decided to head back up Well, the east wind blew like hell all night, high, to the nondescript spot we’d fished the dirtying up the lake and pushing all that off- day before. As we pulled the boat into the same color water down into the river. The river rose a place we’d previously beached it, I could see that couple feet during the night. The wind was still the water had dropped about a foot. Carcasses blowing in the morning, though not as bad as were littered along the grassy bank. Closer the night before, with leaden skies and rain. We examination revealed numerous dead salmon ate breakfast at 7 a.m. (as we did every day at the eggs sprinkled through the grass and debris. lodge) and loaded the G3 1860 with our gear. Carcasses appeared to be rapidly deteriorating The lodge packed us a generous, hearty lunch compared to a couple days previous, making me with meaty sandwiches, chips, assorted snacks, think the flesh bite might pick up. waters, sodas and a big thermos of coffee. T-14 tips and weighted flies were necessary The G3 had an Evinrude ETEC 90 horse on this day. We had a pretty good day—good pump on it. It was a speedy combination. Jerry numbers and quality fish in the mid-to-upper and I left the dock and skimmed past the rapids. 20s. One fish stretched the tape to 29 inches. There were several people fishing the upper All were very chrome, with clear-white fins. We flats; same thing at the Counting Station and suspected they might have come down into the Shawback’s. We continued up the river, finding river with the high water. We used weighted, people at most of the well-known spots. We 4-inch leeches in black such as the Dirty Hoh decided to buck the trend and fish higher up, variant previously described, weighted, 4-inch thinking the influx of flow might move some articulated flesh flies, and I caught a few fish on fish out of the lake and into the upper river. a black Intruder. Though most fish took on the We started at a nondescript spot that I’d fished swing, several hit while we were stripping our the year prior with some success. With the river flies back in to recast. Late in the day, the lower higher and dirtier, we used both flesh and black end of this long run began to turn on, producing leeches. T-14 seemed like the right choice based several beautiful, thick rainbows including the on flow, though the previous year I’d done well 29-incher. The fishing was good enough that with T-11 at this spot. We cast, mended and we fished through it repeatedly and never fished tried to allow our flies to get deep, then we another spot. Fish bit all day long. followed our line with the rod tip to try to slow The fourth day began with overcast skies and the swing, hopefully allowing fish a longer look little wind. The river still appeared to have color at the fly. We both had tentative takes that we when I shined my headlamp into the dockside weren’t able to convert, and I hooked a toad that water, but it was clearer than the day before. We got off not long after I hooked it. We fished the decided to start high again, since we’d done well run twice, slowly and thoroughly, but it didn’t up there the preceding day. I half expected to seem like there were many players around. We pick up where we’d left off, with a consistent bite hopped in the boat and tried Rainbow Rock and active fish. It didn’t turn out that way. The for a while without a bite and then moved just wind began to blow out of the west around 10 downstream to Slough Hole. We each hooked a.m., and the bite finally began to materialize. sizeable fish at Slough Hole. Jerry’s got off after a We were still throwing T-14 but I noticed my short battle. I landed a very bright, clear-finned fly would occasionally touch bottom so I led my hen of 27 inches. No doubt about it, it was a fly line during the swing to provide a little more tough day for us. We second-guessed whether we speed and a little less depth. Eventually, I put should have stayed down low with the crowd. the 8-weight BVK and T-14 away and grabbed That night we listened to the wind moan and the 7-weight BVK with an OPST 12-foot, speculated what our game-plan should be for 132-grain (T-11) tip. This fished a little better the next day. We didn’t reach many conclusions. than T-14 in the waning flow. We landed seven Though I’d fished the river the year previous, it or eight big fish, though the biggest again taped became very apparent that not fishing the river at 29 inches. The wind increased until it was very regularly is a handicap. I knew the fish moved difficult to fish, with whitecaps on the river. We around quite a bit, and that a spot that doesn’t decide to motor to Preacher’s to see if we could produce in the morning can in the afternoon. effectively fish in a new spot. The wind wasa We fell asleep with no plan, other than to see little more manageable there. On my second what the water looked like in the morning and cast, a fish interrupted my swing with a crushing make the call. We’d take what the river gave us. yank, but surprisingly it didn’t stick. With the When we loaded our gear in the morning water clearing, I decided to go through it again of our third day, the river still had considerable with a frosted, articulated flesh fly instead of color, but less than the day before. As we loaded the black and blue Dirty Hoh variant. I caught in the semi-darkness, two or three boats went a grayling, and shortly after an obese, chrome, zipping up the rapids. That was discouraging. 25-inch ’bow. It seemed there were more people fishing the After we’d fished all we could fish at Preacher’s river this year than last, but perhaps that’s just we decided to head downriver to see if any of because I was unguided, calling the shots, and the popular lower river holes were open and if the pressure was on me to find my own fish. On the wind would let us fish them. We tried Blow the bright side, the wind wasn’t blowing. We Away Point for a short while with no love. We motored upriver, passing the three groups at the continued downstream, but all the popular holes flats, Counting Station and Shawback’s, stopping I knew of were occupied. The wind on the water briefly at a few places upstream of them trying made it very difficult to read, making it tough to to decide where to start. With the river flow decide on any new water we hadn’t fished before. 42 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 43 With no known holes open until the very bottom of the flats, we decided bite faded with it and we headed back downriver to the lodge. my way down the run, concentrating on the little buckets indicated by the fly through the swing. With the wind in my face it wasn’t my prettiest to call it a day. It was clear that my lack of knowledge of the river hurt The rain and wind returned on our seventh day, and it stayed with us current seams and underwater boulders. A few minutes after he left, a casting, and I missed a couple fish before I caught a 20-incher near the us on this day, and that a guide’s knowledge would have been a big help. all day. James said it doesn’t usually stay that crappy for a whole week. I heavy fish smashed my fly on the hang-down. It wallowed, thenran bottom of the run. James suggested we move and up the river we went. Despite that fact, we caught some great fish. didn’t know what to say to that, other than we’d just have to rally through upstream and out towards midriver. It held out there, slightly upstream He stopped at the same nondescript spot I’d fished so much during this We got up a little earlier on day five as a group of four more guys arrived it. We took the Predator again and thought that with the direction the of me in heavy water for what seemed like two or three minutes, acting trip. I was excited about that, as I knew every rock in the run and where at the lodge the night before. As busy as the river had been, we didn’t want wind was blowing we’d be able to fish the high-up, nondescript hole very much like a Chinook salmon. Low-side pressure eventually had an the fish tended to be. James told me where he thought the fish would be to race another group or two of people to the fishing grounds. It was again. We were right, and the fish were there. We still didn’t catch huge effect, and the fish ran down river until the shooting head, all 150 feet of and his thoughts were exactly like mine. I started near the boat and we raining hard and blowing like hell again. We actually considered staying numbers of fish, but the bite was steady and we just recirculated through running line and 20- or 30 yards of backing left the reel. While that was chatted. I explained I’d caught three fish of 29 inches so far this trip, but in that day. Fish fever prevailed, though, and we suited and showed up. It the run all day until we were out of time. All of the rainbows were above happening, I headed for the bank to run downstream to hopefully catch hadn’t broken the 30 mark. He was surprised at this, saying the odds were was cold, too. Heavy rain, big wind and a temperature around 40 degrees 22 inches, though we didn’t land any above 27 inches. We caught a few back up to the fish. That much distance, with all that pressure on the line against catching so many nice fish but none above 30. I believed him. A will separate the men from the boys for sure. I don’t know how hard it was more grayling, and late in the afternoon Jerry hooked a beast that ran off and a very large, angry trout on the other end is a recipe for disaster. When few cast later I had a hard take, and a big fish erupted out of the water and blowing, but the upper river had sizeable whitecaps on it most of the day. about 150 feet of line then started wallowing on the surface in midriver. I got to the bank and started heading downriver, I gained line and the fish ran towards the middle of the river. We both exclaimed at the same time, I don’t know what the sustained winds were, but enough to blow a well- A few minutes of give and take followed, and unexpectedly, the hook again stopped way out in heavy current. When I got even with the fish, I “That’s the one!” executed Double Spey right back in my face at times. pulled out. We have no doubt that fish would have stretched the tape had most of my running line back on the reel. The fish sulked, shaking its It was weirdly coincidental that we were just talking about the odds of Naturally, our presentation suffered. We still caught fish, though I can’t past 30 inches. Flesh and black leeches both produced. We’d fish down head every once in a while. It felt like a stalemate. I applied as much side not catching a 30-incher yet, and then I hooked one less than a minute remember the last time I felt so cold and miserable. I remember casting, the run, then change flies and go back to the top and do it again. As the pressure as I thought I could get away with. The fished moved around a later. Ten minutes later we were taking pictures of the fish and releasing it watching my cast crumple at the wind’s mercy, putting my head down sun was setting Jerry hooked a nice fish on a weird, white-purplish fly he little, but stayed well out in heavy current. I kept looking downriver to see to fight another day. Though we still had a couple hours of daylight, I told to keep the rain from pelting me in the face if the boat was coming. I felt I could land the fish, but I knew it was going James that was a good one on which to end the trip, and we jetted down and wondering what the heck we were doing to be a few inches past 30 and I wanted pictures. I let up on the pressure the river to the lodge. trying to fish in that ridiculous maelstrom. just a little, hoping James would arrive. This was not a good plan. The Naknek River Camp’s semi-DIY program is the most affordable way to But we were on the Naknek, river of giants. fish began to thrash around again, wallowing on the surface and slipping experience what the river has to offer. If you are an experienced fisherman, We had to try. We caught a few fish, but not farther downstream. I walked down the bank and I resumed heavy side with at least some experience running a jet boat on a river, this option many and all between 20- and 26 inches. pressure, deciding to take the fight to the fish and just land it, rather than satisfies both the budget as well as the opportunity to fish the Naknek We quit at 3:30 and headed for the lodge. waiting around. The fish shook its head hard, once, twice, three times and your way. The accommodations were great, the food good and plentiful, Maintaining control of the tiller through the my line went slack. The overdose of adrenaline became tangible and my and the atmosphere at the lodge welcoming and comfortable. Though gusts was rather interesting. The bay in front whole body shook with the bittersweet mixture of excitement coupled we fished for rainbow trout, king, sockeye and silver salmon, char and of the lodge was filled with wind waves and with the agony of defeat. I retrieved my line and walked upstream on grayling are all available at certain times, starting in June until the lodge whitecaps when we got back. wobbly knees 175 yards or so to where the battle began. As fate would closes in early-to-mid October. I can’t thank Jim, his wife Phyllis, son Day six started out much like day five— have it, James was pulling up in the boat about the time I got back up James, and all their staff enough for making this a wonderful adventure. windy and rainy, but not as bad. The boat there. I fished a little more, then we headed upriver for new water. seemed to have taken on a couple hundred gallons of water overnight, so I James pulled the boat over on river-right at the Dead Tree, a short, spent 20 minutes pumping it out. When I started the motor, the steering deep run near Preacher’s. He instructed me to get the fly deep. I tried to George Krumm is a Regional Sales Manager for Fish Alaska and Hunt Alaska had locked and the tiller wouldn’t move. We let the guides know, and they do so, the wind blowing at me from one- or two o’clock. As soon as the magazines and a longtime Contributing Editor for Fish Alaska. Reach George suggested we take the Willie Predator parked beside us. We pumped the fly hit the water I’d throw a huge upstream mend in my line, then follow at [email protected]. water out of it, loaded our gear and set out. Shortly after leaving the dock, one of the guides and his client were headed back towards us. It seemed they had some water-induced engine trouble. Dave Larsen, the client, We used flies in two general categories: Big and asked if he could join us. We agreed, but Jerry decided he’d just hang out at the lodge. It was nice having the v-hull of the Predator. It provided a black, and big and fleshy. The author with a 29- smoother ride than the G3 in the whitecaps, but being a bigger, heavier inch Naknek ‘bow and some flies he used on this boat, it didn’t have quite as much top-end speed. It had a 90 horse ETEC trip. © George Krumm. on it, just like the G3. We headed upriver, past the popular, seemingly always-occupied lower decided to try. It was an upper 20s fish, but it acted a little different than holes and to our surprise, no one was at Shawback’s. We parked the boat most of the rainbows that size. We netted it, and right away I noticed sea in the grass at the lower end, and Dave headed up to fish the upper end lice just above the anal fin. It was a fresh, late coho. Surprised as we were, with his single-hand rod and a bead/indicator setup, while I plied the we didn’t even take a picture before we released it. We arrived back at the lower half with my 7-weight BVK. Dave caught a few small fish up above, dock in semi-darkness to find Jim waiting for us. It seems we pushed the then came down to the lower end where I’d caught one small fish. He envelope a little. grabbed his Sage One 8-weight and went to work. In short order he At the lodge that night, we shared stories with James and some of the landed a decent fish on it. I wondered how I missed that fish. I decided other guys. I explained that we still hadn’t caught anything over 30 inches, I’d go back to the upper end of Shawback’s and fish my way down. I did though we certainly caught more than our share of mid-to-upper-20s so, and landed four fish but they were all less than 20 inches. When I got fish. James volunteered to take us out in the morning for our last day. I down to the boat, Dave and I were both ready to try some different water. welcomed the opportunity to let someone else call the shots. The wind had changed some and we were pleasantly surprised to find James and I pushed off at dawn in the StealthCraft Power Drifter. that at the high-up nondescript hole, we had a quartering tailwind. We Break Off Point was open and James carefully maneuvered the boat to the also had some sun breaks, a welcome change from the misery of the day bank, avoiding running the boat over the fishy water. On this day I chose before. With the quartering tailwind we were able to bomb it out there to use a 12-foot, 6-inch 7-weight rod I built on a Mud Hole Custom quite a ways. The water was much clearer than the previous few days, and Tackle MHX blank. This rod is very fast and powerful for a 7-weight and slower. The salmon carcasses on the bottom were beginning to flesh out. has no problem with big flies and heavy tips. I put on 10 feet of T-14 and T-14 was too heavy; we used T-11 tips. I used an unweighted, articulated my new favorite leech—the black and blue Dirty Hoh variant weighted flesh fly as well as the black and blue Dirty Hoh variant. The unweighted with a metallic blue tungsten bead. I followed James’s instructions and flesh fly seemed to produce better. We landed several nice fish, including was rewarded with a vicious strike from what turned out to be a 29-inch, two at 27 inches and one at 28. With the clearing water, we also caught heavy buck. It was cool to notice that very shortly after I hooked it, James several grayling. knew it was a good fish and he beat feet to grab the net. While we were fishing Dave yelled something at me from upriver. I We had a problem with the boat’s electric anchor windlass, and he yelled back, “What?” He said there were two bears headed my way. Sure worked on it while I fished. He found that the new bracket he wanted enough, a couple young brown bears came loping down the riverbank. to install had different sized screw holes than the original bracket. He They stopped and looked at me for a moment from 30 yards away, then decided he’d run down to the lodge to try to find some that would fit. I took off running down the bank. I saw them again a while later, several had a few hundred yards of fishy water below me. He suggested I could hundred yards down the river, in the water. As the light began to fade, the continue fishing down the run and he’d be back in 20 minutes. I worked

44 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 45 the Kings of

Kachemak Bay “In Kachemak Bay Chasing feeder kings in and out in Cook the mud flats and the Inlet these are the best-eating smoky blue waters Story by George Krumm of Cook Inlet kings an angler can catch.”

Story and photos by Gary Lewis

oing fishing tomorrow?” balls of baitfish running in and out with the ebb and flow. And king salmon “G When we checked in at the Driftwood Inn in Homer, the girls behind the desk hunting them like wolves. looked at us with pity. One of them clicked up a weather report. As if we didn’t already know Our group was from Oregon: Ron Balash, Gary Davis, Bob Mulligan, the forecast. As if we hadn’t checked every day for the past week. Ken Baker, Sam Pyke and me. Hayden Gandy, the deckhand, was a diesel “Looks like winds 35- to 50 miles per hour.” She paused and looked up. “And 15-foot mechanic from Montana. He had come to fish with Manns earlier in the year swells.” and liked it so much, he stepped out of line at the airport when Manns called Two of the guys in my group were ready to opt out at that moment, a third was teetering. I with the job offer. called our captain, Mike Manns, who makes his home in Kasilof and spends every day of the As Manns cut the twin 225 Hondas, Gandy clipped lines to flashers and summer and early fall on the waters of Cook Inlet. “I’ve found a spot,” he said, “in the lee of dropped downrigger balls to various depths—27 feet, 31 feet, 35 feet and then the storm and there were kings there today. We should be able to find them in the morning.” our herring went to work, turning their slow rolls behind us. “And the swells?” A slow turn out of shallow water and in two minutes, the starboard side rod “A foot and a half,” he said. began to bounce. Moments later, I was fast to the first feeder king of the day. I passed all that information to my crew before we left the lobby. One of the girls behind the Two minutes after that fish was landed, and before the hook was rebaited, counter lifted an eyebrow. On the second story of the Driftwood Inn, they have rooms they let another rod began to thrash. Ron Balash bellied up to the rail and took the on the European plan, which means there are about a dozen apartments that share two baths. rod from the holder. No hook-set necessary; this one had hit, popped the line They were clean, if not overly spacious, and the floors had a quaint tilt to them, like a ship’s off the clip and was headed for greater Cook Inlet as fast as a salmon could go. captain laid the foundation after two months at sea. All night the wind pounded against the I cast a glance back to the northeast and saw a line of mud where smoky blue windows and buffeted the building, and then, two hours before dawn, the storm had passed. met frothy brown. Like an army marching across a plain, it came on. “I think it blew itself out,” Mike Manns said when we stepped onto the Arctic Addiction a Manns threw a look over his shoulder at the advancing mud and we both few minutes after six o’clock. He was tense, though, as if we were on a timeline, and I realized knew we had a limited time in this bite. When that mud got to us, this bite it had to do with the tide and a certain spot he had in mind—a place that held fish when he was over. left it the night before. We didn’t waste any time, driving out between the jaws of the jetty at While the first fish was small, almost each one we hooked was 10- to 14 the end of the Homer Spit. The sky bled orange in the east and Kachemak Bay was calm as a pounds. Ken Baker caught another one and then when the mud was close, the mountain lake. port-side rod started to pulse with a fish that was already stripping out line. This one was mine. I had put a line of Pro-Cure Sardine Super Sauce on the Racing the Mud flasher and now this rod was turning out more productive than the others. “The kings stage off the mud flats and eat the baitfish that gets sucked out with the tide,” And this fish was hot. Time and again, it came close, then burned out on Manns said as he checked his electronics and our location. Our bow was pointed into a fold another run. The mud was close too and the fish went in and out of it, resting The Homer Harbor fleet is of terrain. Off to the port side, I saw shallower waters where river floods had poured sand into in the brown water then running and jumping and twisting in the blue, until A hefty king taken while fishing herring ready to pursue Kachemak on a downrigger. Bay kings year-round. huge flats. I used to spend hours watching adult salmon in underwater aquariums and now the net flashed and the 15-pound king was mine. And just like that, with six I pictured a bed of silt piled up for thousands upon thousands of years with kelp beds and fish in the box, the bite was over. It had lasted for 40 minutes. 46 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 47 While I had my mind set on fresh lingcod, salmon sounded way more appetizing in the face of rough waves. Now we roamed deep, calm water along steep, forested cliffs headed toward another of Manns’ secret spots. We call them feeder kings: immature Chinook salmon that may be in their first year at salt or might be in their fifth year, weighing up to 30 pounds or more. Out here there are no “jack” salmon, there are but salmon in different age classes. In Kachemak Bay and out in Cook Inlet these are the best- eating kings an angler can catch. Kings from all up and down the Pacific coast, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, run in these waters, voracious feeders on needlefish, herring, smelt and other small fishes. These kings Feeder kings don’t have to be small—the Chinook targeted in Kachemak waters could be in their first year in the salt or their fifth. have the deepest color to their meat, the highest oil content and the richest, most delicate flavor. “The mud killed the bite,” Manns good luck and went looking for blue Try as we might, we could not turn muttered. “The bait is still there. water again. one of the big blips on the depth-finder The salmon are still there, but they into a biter. We turned into sea otter- won’t bite.” Feeder Kings seers, doughnut-eaters, potato-chip By this time, several other charter For this early September trip, we had gobblers and then Manns steered us boats had joined us. While they intended to fish for big lingcod, cabezon back to the cove where we had started. continued to prospect for the feeder and yelloweye out in open water, but that A black bear prowled the beach feeding kings that had quit feeding, we passed plan was foiled by heavy seas between on crunchy things at the water’s edge. around the chocolate doughnuts for Anchor Point and Port Graham. The tide had flowed back, pushing the

48 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 49 Surround Sound Try to put yourself in the captain’s chair. He or she is in the hospitality business, making you, the passenger and client, comfortable, keeping you safe and putting you on the fish. Look at the equipment on the boat, particularly the electronics. Those blips at 28 feet, 36 feet and 44 feet are fish. Probably. Those arcs at the bottom are halibut. Maybe. Those bright orange balls are bait. Now look around. What is the water doing? Currents and back-eddies funnel little fish to bigger fish. Are there birds over the water? If gulls are active, it’s because they have found a bait ball. If there are birds above, there are salmon beneath. Try to sort out the conversation in At left, another solid salmon. At right, the kind of lineup that proves a successful day at sea. the radio traffic. Look at the clouds on the horizon. Think about the tide and how the fish are going to react to the mud back for the time being. Two hours Our biggest of the day was a changes. The sea lice start to die, the incoming and the outgoing currents. after the bite stopped, it started again 27-pounder that Ron Balash brought to scales set and their mouths harden. On Charter operators like a building tide and Ken Baker grabbed the rod and set the boat after a long battle. the males, the jaws change shape and and the hour around the slack, high the hook into a 9-pound king. In the saltwater, these feeder kings teeth grow fast closer to the spawn. water. In some places, the low tide will As soon as the wooden shampoo had are as bright and shiny as they will ever If we fish saltwater no more than provide the best bite. been applied to that bright grower of be. Reaching the peak of their physical once a year, we are out of our element A good captain and a deckhand take orange-flaky fillets, Gary Davis hooked prime, they fight harder than ever. In the on the big blue ocean. It’s easy to take all these factors into account while they and landed a silver salmon that didn’t net and on the bottom of the boat they a single species focus and miss the rest hunt for the fish some will pack into a count against his limit of kings. We were shed scales easily. These same fish, when of the show. waxed box and slide over the baggage all a little jealous. they hit freshwater, go through startling counter in Anchorage. A salmon in the prime of its life is going to fight as hard as it ever will. And a king salmon can reduce the traveling angler to a ragged bundle of nerves with slashing runs, head-shakes and gill-rattling jumps. As often as not a big fish is there and gone before the angler can take control of the situation. With a fish on, quit reeling when it runs and then crank like crazy when it gives up ground. When the salmon gets close to the boat, reel down almost to the swivel. That leader is about three feet long and with the bend of the rod, the man on the net has enough reach to secure it. Get the fish’s head up. It might take a few tries on a big fish, but when the head is up, the body can be planed toward the hoop of the net. Talk to the net-man. And listen. Move if necessary, stepping back or leaning against the rail. If the fish goes under the boat, be ready to shove the tip down and follow it around the motor if that’s what the situation calls for. Whether the fish bite is not up to you. Getting the fish to the net, however, is all on you.

Gary Lewis is a regular contributor to Fish Alaska magazine. To contact him, visit www.garylewisoutdoors.com.

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Iliamna Excursion When I learned I’d be visiting Talarik Creek Lodge in early August, I realized at I would be pushing a new pin in my Alaska travel map. Lake Iliamna is located at the north end of the Alaska Peninsula in the heart of Bristol Bay, just south Talarik Creek Lodge of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and north of Katmai National Park. With a stunning Aleutian Range backdrop, it is the largest body of freshwater in p Alaska at about 80 miles long and 55 miles wide and it supports an abundance of coveted gamefish. The draw of Talarik Creek Lodge is simple: The lodge provides anglers the ability to fish several famous fisheries, targeting multiple species. For me that variety always a adds to the experience. Day-tripping Over the course of three days we fished Lake Clark, the Newhalen River and the Tazimina River. We successfully sought lake trout and grayling in Lake Clark, rainbows in the Tazimina and rainbows, Dollies and an August-surprise sockeye in the Newhalen. The area is home to the world’s largest salmon fishery, which results Lake Clark in some of the most amazing trophy-class rainbow trout fishing in existence. Many of the lodges throughout Bristol Bay are fly-out lodges, but Talarik Creek Lodge fishes their home waters, of which there are an abundance. This cuts backon and the Newhalen travel time and the overall cost of the trip and you still fish epic water with barely anyone around. Had my schedule allowed me to stay longer, lodge owner Erik Salitan would and Tazimina Rivers have boated down Iliamna Lake to take us to Talarik Creek in search of giant rainbow trout. It was too windy in the few days I was able to visit to take on the lake, even with Erik’s custom Bentz boat, which is super stable and allows them to get to places other people can’t visit. My cover photo posing with the Iliamna Lake Monster would have to be snapped another day. Story and photos by Melissa Norris Alaska’s own Loch Ness Monster is a mythical creature drawn from Native culture, reportedly 10- to 30 feet long, that in the darker tales is said to target people fishing on the lake. With over 900 feet of depth in places on Iliamna Lake and several recent sightings, the lore’s credibility is improving. Some think Illie is a large white sturgeon, m while others think it is a Pacific sleeper shark or one of the lake’s remarkable freshwater seals. Recent sightings describe several creatures traveling together.

Fishing the Area With the Iliamna winds howling in force, Erik went over the angling options that remained viable. I chose trolling for lake trout on the turquoise waters of Lake Clark, part of the four-million-acre Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Erik launched the Bentz in the Newhalen and expertly guided us towards our destination.

52 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 53 Once on Sixmile Lake, we trolled Storm day but the week before Erik and some Wiggle Warts on Ugly Stik rods paired with clients had landed a beautiful 36-pound Shimano spinning reels, finding our way laker they were able to photograph. into Lake Clark under the clouded majesty Hours later we decided to target grayling of the volcanic Chigmit Mountains. We in the Newhalen River on our way back to caught a half-dozen lake trout of average the lodge. Casting size #4 Blue Fox Pixees size. The exciting part about fishing for did the trick as some respectable-sized lake trout is although they average about grayling crushed those lures. I used a blue- 5- to 12 pounds, they can reach almost 50 bodied Pixee with a silver spinner blade. pounds, and you never know when you are Fortunately the treble hooks were cut going to hook a big one. These big fish can down to a single hook, making it easier to be as old as 50 years so handling them for a practice catch and release on these healthy safe release is critical. They commonly dive fish. After fishing a while and catching as soon as they are hooked, which adds to some really nice grayling, we decided to the battle. We didn’t catch any hogs that call it a day.

Back at the lodge guide Gary Stewart had traded places with Martha so she could spend the day fishing with us. He was busy preparing a recipe we featured in Fish Alaska’s May 2017 issue originated by Chef Bobby at The Flying Machine Restaurant in the Lakefront Hotel in Anchorage. It’s a game-changing Halibut Olympia recipe that puts every other Halibut Olympia ever made to shame. Gary prepared it well and everyone had a new favorite way to eat halibut. The next day we woke to more wind so we decided to head back to Lake Clark to troll for lakers and cast to grayling. After a morning similar to the day before, we decided to assemble the fly rods and test the waters of the Tazimina River. The sun came out for a little while and the mouth of this stream proved fun with a few 20-

54 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 55 inch leopard rainbows brought to hand while wading up to our to fish for and eat. Coming in late June he’d be, and upon meeting him I could tell her entire life. Her role is to manage the knees. Given a longer stay I would definitely have wanted to fish you’ll also have a chance at the world’s we were going to have fun. When I first operations at Talarik Creek Lodge, cooking the Tazimina River more. The Tazimina is a clear creek teeming largest sockeye run and they can be found started working with Erik I learned that he delicious meals and seeing to each guest’s with rainbows, grayling, char and sockeye directly across from the through early August. 2017 did not and his wife Martha had been part of Life needs. Everything was clean and neat village of Nondalton. Upriver are the powerful Tazimina Falls and disappoint, with a whopping 56.5 million Below Zero, a television show depicting under Martha’s care. When I was there she the Tazimina River Hydro Electric Power Plant, which supplies inshore sockeye reported, the second the lifestyles of individuals living in got to take a break from the day-to-day most of the electricity to Iliamna, Newhalen and Nondalton. highest run in the last 20 years. You can remote Alaska on the National Geographic operations to show her true colors, proving Farther north are Lower and Upper Tazimina Lakes, accessible go out to Talarik Creek Lodge in June or Channel. Curious, I searched Google for to be as much as an outdoor enthusiast as by floatplane for what is said to be excellent grayling fishing. The July and easily harvest some of the finest their show and watched a clip of Erik anyone else there. riverbank is sprinkled with overhanging sweepers making for eco- fish on the planet to take home to your telling the story of how he asked Martha The lodge itself is spacious with grand rich trout habitat. table. Pinks and chum salmon are around Mae to marry him. Erik and Martha are views from its perch over Iliamna Lake. On day three we planned to fish the lower Newhalen. We drove in July and early August—the latter month as Alaskan as they come and the story Dining is a treat, as the lodge staff serves on one of the few gravel roads that make travel in the area possible. also brings the silvers. The trout, Dollies, involved baiting and submerging an ice high-quality cuisine. The second evening Erik launched the boat in the village of Newhalen so we could fish grayling, lake trout and pike are found in hook with an engagement ring. we had a huge feast of Alaskan king crab from the Newhalen Gorge and drift towards the mouth of the abundance throughout the whole season so Erik bought Talarik Creek lodge in they bring in from an outfit in Kodiak that river where it meets Lake Iliamna. We were able to get out and fish you can’t miss when planning your multi- 2014. He is a registered hunting guide, was absolutely delicious. It was well cared from the beach in addition to trying several drifts before powering species quest. experienced pilot and has owned a hunting for and tasted like it was fresh from the sea. back up for a couple more. Both bank fishing and drifting proved People choose Iliamna for the plethora guide business called Bushwack Alaska Private rooms with private baths feature fruitful and the group caught some nice Dollies and rainbows on a of choices, world-class rainbow fishing, Guiding & Outfitting since 1998. He clean and cozy bedding. The mattress I variety of Eppinger lures I had brought. The Eppinger Devil Eyes unparalleled sockeye numbers and the also co-owns Blanchard Family Funeral slept on was comfortable and I slumbered was a hot ticket as was the hammered-nickel blue-and-red-hued complete remoteness of the area. People Home in Fairbanks. Having lived in without a care. Daredevle we tried. Gary even picked up a rogue chrome sockeye choose Talarik Creek Lodge for their Alaska for all his adult life, he and Martha Whether you want to visit Iliamna that are abundant in the area, but it was slightly past time you’d guest-driven program aimed at seeing split their time between Wiseman, AK, to fish for trophy rainbows, limit out expect to see them. Fishing was good that day and we saw some you experience the trip you want. Their and Iliamna. He’s completely self-made on sockeye or to just fish famous waters respectable trout and char for this time of year. homey atmosphere, deep love of Alaska and lives off the land. Working hard and you’ve never fished before, call Erik or and unpretentious attitudes make for a making his way comes natural to him. Erik Martha Mae Salitan at 907-388-8766. Time of Year comfortable place to relax on your journey is the kind of intelligent, tenacious, self- Visit talarikcreeklodge.com or email I visited in early August and was able to fish for a variety of species. into the wilderness. motivated person you want by your side in [email protected]. The region is home to all five variations of Pacific salmon, as well the wilderness. as the resident species of trout and char, grayling, lake trout and Talarik Creek Lodge Martha Salitan was born and raised in Northern pike. If you go earlier in the year, from mid-June to late Erik Salitan, a sardonic grin permanently Iliamna and is no stranger to sport-fishing Melissa Norris is Publisher of Fish Alaska July, you’ll be able to fish for king salmon, my favorite salmon fixed on his face, was exactly as I thought lodges, having worked at her parent’s lodge and Hunt Alaska magazines.

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Recommended Equipment: Conventional Tackle • Medium-action spinning rod. • 12- or 14-pound Monofilament or Seaguar Fluorocarbon. • Lures: ½- and ¾-ounce Eppinger Devle Dogs and Dardevle spoons. • Recommended Colors: Pink, fluorescent orange, black pearl, white pearl, red/white, glow/orange, chartreuse/orange dots, 1 4 5 silver-half blue, hammered copper with orange stripe. Fly Fishing • 8-weight fast-action fly rod. • Quality fly reel with a good The Silver drag, weight-forward floating line, and various rates of sink-tip. Lining of • Suggested flies: Pink Pollywogs, Flash Flies, Clouser Minnow, Dolly Llama, Alaska’s Starlight Leech. • Recommended Colors: Pink, pink/white, black/white, Lost Coast chartreuse/white, chartreuse/black, purple, Tsiu River Adventure bright orange. 2 Story and Photos by John Cleveland 6 7

An Alaska fishing adventure is the the Tsiu is considered one of the most some of that currency in the pursuit of the 1. Zack Cleveland shaking hands with the lodge in all-terrain vehicles with trailers opening week of the season and the whole ultimate experience; it’s full immersion prolific coho fisheries in the world, with legendary silvers of the Tsiu. the first salmon of this father-and-son attached. It was as if we had entered an crew was as excited as we were to get fishing. therapy in one of Mother Nature’s most an estimated 100,000 to 120,000 salmon The flight from Cordova to the lodge adventure. enchanted forest where six quaint cottages One of Zack’s special goals was to get a 2. The author with a fresh-from-the-sea majestic settings. Personally, I have found entering the river beginning in late July. The in a Turbo Otter was one of the most world-class coho caught in the tidal were tucked away under a thick canopy photo of himself holding a big salmon to it cathartic to wade into the currents of flow of silvers is typically plentiful by early breathtakingly beautiful plane rides I have zone of the Tsiu. of Sitka spruce and hemlock. Not one of put in our father-and-son adventure collage Alaska’s wild rivers and rinse the soil of August and builds quickly into a virtual ever experienced. The majestic peaks of 3. The women of the Mackay clan the cabins was closer than 200 feet from at home. He stood on a steep, sandy berm urban living from my soul. And after tsunami of salmon flooding the river by the Chugach Range, their flanks covered hooking up (with silvers) at the Tiki Bar. another, giving us the feeling of being in overlooking a gurgling braid and made many years of pursuing fish, measuring the the third week of the month—with the run with lush alpine valleys interspersed with 4. When fishing for coho, pink our own private retreat. The smell of spruce, his first cast of the trip. I could see the quality of an adventure by the character continuing into October. Tom and Katie a broken mosaic of towering Sitka spruce, flies are consistently effective at moss and the fresh sea breeze scented the air pearlescent glow of several salmon rolling Prijatel, owners of Alaskan Wilderness seemed close enough to touch. On the triggering aggressive strikes. of the journey, I was excited to introduce 5. The Red and White Devle Dog spoon like an elixir. The main lodge was a grand in a slack-water pool 30 yards distant as his my youngest son, Zack, to his first Alaska Outfitting Company, operate their lodge right side of the plane our view was of a attracted silvers like a powerful magnet. two-story building with a deck overlooking spoon made a high arc through the sky and experience. I was confident the coho salmon from early August through October, taking delta plain with ribbons of glacial runoff 6. The lodge ATV and trailer making the the fields of pink fireweed and the transition splashed next to the rolling pod of silvers. of the Tsiu River would be the perfect fish. advantage of the best of this spectacular winding towards the slate grey sands of the daily crossing of a tidal flat on the way zone leading to the sea. Seconds later a big salmon tore a hole in the Alaskan Wilderness Outfitting event each season. Gulf of Alaska. After about an hour our to the river. We arrived in the early afternoon and surface of the river with Zack’s Devle Dog Company’s Tsiu River Lodge was an ideal Zack and I had spent all summer pilot settled the Otter down on the landing 7. A DeHavilland Otter resting on the wasted no time suiting up for the river. Our spoon dangling from its mouth. The fish venue for us to explore the Tsiu’s world- practicing our casting and accumulating strip like a leaf floating to the surface of the manicured grass runway in front of the guide Dan Tibbets was a young man about rocketed 200 yards downstream with Zack Tsiu River Lodge. renowned migration of coho. Located necessary gear for our journey to Alaska. manicured grass runway. the same age as Zack with an engaging executing a wader-waltz in hot pursuit. about 100 miles southeast of Cordova, By mid-August we were ready to spend We were ferried from the landing strip to smile and loads of enthusiasm. This was the After a wild fight, our guide handed Zack

58 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 59 his first salmon and a boost of self-confidence. As I watched him both supercharged with elements of fight or early August through October and features of how many fish we had caught but not proudly hoist the salmon for his special photo, I could see the flight, but eventually Dan took possession world-class coho salmon and steelhead the number of hugs from my son. Life is reflection of his smile on the flanks of the fish of his dreams. of the fish at the shoreline. After a victory fishing. The lodge offers six two-story about sharing the joy of the moment with There were certainly enough salmon to keep us busy during whoop and photo we called it a draw and cottages with all the amenities, including the people you love, and Zack and I did the afternoon, but it was evident that there had not been a big slid the big buck back into the river to a small kitchen and coffeemaker—not that just that while immersed in the wonder of push from the sea in a few days. However, Dan assured us that complete his mission upstream. you will need it, as the chefs in the luxurious Alaska’s Lost Coast. As the jet lifted off from the incoming tidal flow and forecasted rains that evening would By noon we were ready to take a break main lodge serve up extraordinary fare. the tarmac in Cordova, we couldn’t help refresh the river with fish. from the nonstop action when we heard the Beginning operation in May, Alaskan but appreciate the great service and epic I was up before sunrise in the early morning chill, standing sputtering sound of an ATV approaching Wilderness Outfitting has other amazing fishing orchestrated by the awesome staff of on the second-story observation deck of the lodge, a mug of hot from around a bend in the river. It turned options to explore the beauty of Alaska’s Alaskan Wilderness Outfitting Company. coffee clutched between my palms gazing towards the eastern out to be Kelly, one of the staff from the Southcentral region, which include outpost horizon. The first flickering of amber light began to leak from lodge, delivering riverside lunch service, cabins in the Wrangell mountains and the edge of the horizon to illuminate the snowcapped shoulders which is part of the daily routine for AWO floating cabins on Prince William Sound. of the Chugach Range like a billboard. It was a humbling sight. guests. She brought us Yeti thermoses of They also operate an air-taxi service based My thoughts turned to fishing, and I was confident Zack and I delicious homemade soup, freshly-baked out of Cordova. Author John Cleveland can be reached at were about to share one of the most remarkable adventures of scones, cookies, coffee and hot chocolate By the end of the week I had lost count [email protected]. our lifetimes. and asked if there was anything we might The daily schedule at the lodge was relaxed and built around need from the lodge that she could bring each guest’s desired program for the day. Breakfast service was back to us. We appreciated the break each available beginning at 6:30 each morning. The chefs served a full afternoon as we sat riverside gazing at the buffet of hot and cold cereals with fresh fruit each morning, as amazing scenery and chatting about the well as hot breakfast cooked to order that included hash browns, morning’s adventures hauling in wild fish eggs, reindeer sausage, bacon, ham and fresh juice, coffee and from the waters of the Tsiu. tea. By about 8 a.m. each morning we were ready to head to We would spend the rest of the day the river. exploring beats with names like the Tiki There is an awe-inspiring presence created by the scale of the Bar, Sander’s Point, the Corner, Route 66, landscape of the Lost Coast and its ever-changing moods. The Vegas and the Glory Hole. Each offered 20-minute morning commute to the river began with a quarter- its own special challenges and required mile ride through prairies of cerise fireweed that stretched to the different techniques and presentations, horizon, meeting the base of the mountains there. The cadence depending on how and where the salmon of massive breakers spilling onto the beach from the waters of the were holding. It was incredibly fulfilling gulf combined with the arctic wind whistling through the timber as a dad to watch my son gain confidence makes a fitting soundtrack for the daily journey. The coastal while mastering the nuances of enticing landscape was strewn with a maze of weathered gray timber salmon to strike. scattered in awkward positions. There were also many derelict As for me, the best the river had to offer fishing buoys from fisheries across the Pacific lying about, and was saved for last. on rare occasions a true treasure, such as an old Japanese hand- Fishing on our last day of the trip, I was blown glass net buoy from decades ago. Many of these old buoys retrieving my swinging streamer when the were made from recycled sake bottles that had been heated and line came tight. I executed a firm strip- blown into floats for fishing nets in the early 1900s. set and the river exploded in front of me, Most of the salmon fishing is done on the lower sections of the a big silver blowing out of the water and river in the tidal zone, culminating at an upriver beat known as crashing to the surface like a cinderblock the Tiki Bar, where salmon stage by the hundreds before pushing dropped from a ten-story building. The fish upriver to spawn in the gravel headwaters. The river is shallow ripped across the river, accompanied by the and crystal-clear with modest flows winding through ashen-gray soundtrack of my knuckles being raked by volcanic sand. It is an interesting blend of wide glassy pools, the reel handle. After a spirited game of tug- riffles, defined channels and soft-water sloughs that all hold fish of-war, Dan managed to tail the big salmon as they migrate from the sea. Most of the river is wadable and can and we took a quick photo and returned be fished from shore with great success. We found the dynamics him to the river. As I soaked my bruised and mood of the river changed slightly each day with the tidal knuckles in the cool water, I was content flow, rainfall and runoff from the snowpack of the mountains on to call that my last fish of the trip. It was the horizon. This would require us to explore each morning to later confirmed that the big buck would be discover which beats the silvers were holding in. certified as a catch-and-release tippet-class At top, the Tsiu River Lodge offers comfortable wilderness The next morning as we passed the mouth of the river headed world record with the Fresh Water Fishing accommodations along Alaska’s Lost Coast. Middle: The lodge upstream, there was a flotilla of seals bobbing in the surf feasting Hall of Fame. dining room is first-class. At bottom, the reason we all want to visit on fresh salmon as they ran the gauntlet into the river. It looked Tom and Katie Prijatel have created a the Tsiu—big, healthy, hard-fighting coho salmon. like the coho were making their move into the river and the beautiful wilderness retreat on the Lost fishing would be epic. As we approached a wide, shallow glide, Coast of Alaska. They were virtual pioneers, If You Go: the surface was quivering like a bowl of Jello in an earthquake as opening the first modest tent camp on Alaskan Wilderness Outfitting Company • 907-424-5552 dozens of salmon charged upstream in loose formation. the Tsiu River in 1986 to give fishermen www.alaskawilderness.com • [email protected] As Zack was setting up his fly rod, a tiny hummingbird access to the world-class fishing. In 2000, appeared and hovered over him like a fairy ensuring good luck they decided it was time to upgrade their for the day. It worked! Within moments Zack was pinned to operation and built today’s remarkable the first fish he had ever caught on a fly rod, a 12-pound buck lodge, setting the standard for comfort that was ricocheting all over the run. Zack and the salmon were and service. Tsiu River Lodge is open from

60 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 61 STory by Troy Letherman Tucked deep into towering mountains, within a short kayak paddle of several tidewater glaciers and pushed snug against Port Valdez—a natural fjord reaching inland about 11 miles from Prince William Sound— there are few places in the world that can rival the sheer stunning beauty of Valdez, Alaska. The town is one of the state’s busiest winter destinations, boasting the ideal landscape for snowmachining, backcountry skiing, ice climbing and its world-famous heli-skiing and snowboarding scene (the area receives more than 300 inches of snow annually, making it ‘the snowiest place in the U.S.’). In the summer, Valdez really comes to life, with locals and visitors alike venturing afield to hike, kayak, explore the glaciers and more. Sample the local cuisine, visit one of sit several shops pitching their authentically Alaskan wares i and check out the oil connection—Valdez is where the V Trans-Alaska Pipeline meets the tankers headed back through Prince William Sound. VALDEZ At its heart, however, Valdez is a fish town. Clockwise from upper left: The Bold Eagle on its way to the fishing grounds. © Valdez Saltwater Adventures. This 15.62-pound silver was the 2017 overall Silver Salmon Derby winner caught with Shark Tooth Charters on a Grand Slam Bucktail. © Shark Tooth Charters. An aerial shot of the town of Valdez. © Brian Rhodes/Valdez Outfitters. Valdez Outfitter captain Brian Rhodes with a big slob of a lingcod. © Brian Rhodes/Valdez Outfitters. Seeing a whale breach is not uncommon in Prince William Sound. © Brian Rhodes/ Valdez Outfitters. This little sweetie proudly displaying her pink salmon for the Valdez Kid’s Fishing Derby. © Brian Rhodes/Valdez Outfitters. An overview of our favorite RV park in Valdez, Eagle’s Rest RV Park. © Eagle’s Rest RV Park. This hefty halibut is being displayed by Valdez Saltwater Adventures’ captain Will and deckhand Mike. © Valdez Saltwater Adventures. Background: Gorgeous Northern Lights photo taken by photographer Brian Rhodes. © Brian Rhodes/Valdez Outfitters.

62 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 63 With one of the most accessible harbors Then let one of the most scenic byways in in Alaska, this town of 4,000 year-round Alaska take over from there. residents offers a solid fleet of day-fishing The highway was first known to gold charters, rental boats and facilities, tackle, stampeders at the tail-end of the nineteenth accommodations and anything else needed century as the Valdez trail, which led to the to target Prince William Sound silvers, pinks, tent city that had sprung up at the head of an expanding king salmon run, salmon the bay. The route had been hacked through sharks, halibut and rockfish. An aggressive Keystone Canyon and over Thompson Pass hatchery program fills the waters of the small by the men of Lieutenant W.R. Abercrombie, boat-harbor with pinks in July and silvers in and soon after, the Army set about building August and September, and for those looking Fort Liscum, located at the site of the present for a quick fishing fix, it can be red-hot from Alyeska Pipeline terminal. In 1910 the trail the bank at Allison Point near the hatchery and was upgraded to a wagon road under the even off the downtown docks. It’s literally so direction of Gen. Wilds P. Richardson, first convenient, you could order a latte on Fidalgo president of the Alaska Road Commission Drive, walk across the street and cast into the (ARC). By 1921 it was rebuilt and its name melee of silvers before your coffee cools. was changed to the Goat Trail. The eventual The 1,000 nautical miles of Prince William Richardson Highway diverged somewhat and Sound, which begin just beyond the narrows was built along a stable route following the of Valdez Bay, act as a giant funnel, pulling bottom of Keystone Canyon. ARC updated hatchery and wild silvers, pinks, kings and the road to automobile standards in the 1920s; halibut in from the Gulf of Alaska, depositing it was hard-surfaced in 1957. a fair portion of them at the docks along After the Richardson Highway was Valdez’ business district. Alaska’s first fish completed, the Goat Trail became obsolete and derby was held here in 1952, and every year was abandoned, although today it can be used since. Derby season 2018 begins with the for hiking. The trail begins at a wood sign just opening of the Halibut Derby on May 19 and past Horsetail Falls in Keystone Canyon (Mile ends September 2 with the close of the Silver 13.5). The trail twists and winds following Derby. In between is the Halibut Hullabaloo, the Lowe River and is passable for the first Women’s Silver Salmon Derby and Kid’s Pink 2.5 miles. Salmon Derby. For those who choose this option, the Before all that, though, you have to get here. drive to Valdez is undeniably gorgeous, For air travelers, the flight from Anchorage flanked at points by picturesque views of the to Valdez is a mere 45-minute journey through 800-mile-long Trans-Alaska Pipeline and all the coastal Chugach Mountains. Visitors can along its route by the stunning peaks and also arrive by means of the Alaska Marine valleys of the area’s mountain ranges. While Highway, seeing more scenery and wildlife driving the Richardson towards Valdez, there along the way. However, rare for much of the are several opportunities to cast in flowing state, Valdez is connected to anglers in interior water—and nearly all the scenery is postcard- and the rest of southcentral Alaska by the worthy. First is the Tonsina River and then Richardson Highway, which climbs around the Little Tonsina, one of the better roadside the waterfalls and glaciers near Thompson Pass Dolly fisheries in the region. Between miles to its junction with the Glenn Highway at the 43 and 50, the Richardson Highway parallels town of Glennallen. the Tiekel River, and despite the fact that To make this rubber-tire journey, drive the Tiekel isn’t a very productive stream (it’s north on the Glenn Highway from Anchorage, blocked from the Copper River by a waterfall, through Palmer, and then hang a right at which adversely affects the stream’s biomass), Glennallen, turning onto the Richardson it is one of the most beautiful creeks in Highway; cruise past Copper Center and the southcentral Alaska, offering small but pretty turbulent salmon fishery where the Copper Dollies as well as a number of great places to and Klutina rivers connect, perhaps taking an pull-in, camp and relax for the night. There are afternoon to cast for sockeye along the way. likewise plenty of camp-worthy lake settings

Left: An overnight trip like this one taken with Valdez Saltwater Adventures might be a great option for your group. © Valdez Saltwater Adventures. Above: We bring our fish to be processed at Fish Central when in Valdez. They do a great job! They are dialed in to charter availability in Valdez so contact them if you are planning to fish. © Melissa Norris.

64 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 65 favorite campgrounds in the entire state, and decks. Catering to individuals, small and owners Jeff and Laura Saxe provide such large groups, you can be sure all your needs many vantage points to view the abundant a great service and have created such an will be met when making this call. wildlife and the beautiful Port of Valdez. exceptional family atmosphere that many VALDEZ of the fellow campers you’ll encounter are Prospector Outfitters Totem Hotel & Suites Businesses repeat customers, coming back to Eagle’s www.prospectoroutfitters.com www.totemhotelandsuites.com Rest and Valdez year after year. The full- (907) 835-3858 (888) 808-4431 service park is situated right in downtown If you’re in Valdez, chances are you’re Conveniently located in the heart of Valdez, Valdez, close to shops, museums, the small- there to sample the area’s phenomenal walking distance to the small-boat harbor, Alaskan Adventures Unlimited boat harbor and local grocery stores. Making outdoor-recreation opportunities, and for city center and shopping, the Totem Hotel www.alaskan-adventures-unlimited.com things even handier for your visit, Eagle’s that you’ll need to be outfitted properly. Just and Suites has guest rooms designed to fit (907) 440-9148 Rest is also a ticket agent for glacier cruises, stop at The Prospector, where the friendly any lifestyle or budget—from luxury suites to Experience Prince William Sound and the kayaking, rafting and fishing tours in Valdez. and knowledgeable staff will handle all your standard rooms and private Alaskan cabins, Gulf of Alaska aboard the Halibut Grove needs. For everything from fishing Prince all at affordable prices. The hotel has been or Valdez Pearl with Alaskan Adventures Fish Central William Sound to skiing Thompson Pass, The newly rebuilt and now includes a pool and Unlimited. View humpback whales, orcas www.fishcentral.net Prospector has full lines of clothing, footwear, fitness center. and Stellar sea lions while pursuing barn-door (907) 835-5002 outdoor equipment and fishing gear. halibut. Clients who fish with Captain Mel Valdez’s one-stop shop for everything a Valdez Convention & Visitors Bureau Grove will also have opportunities to catch visiting angler might need, Fish Central Shark Tooth Charters www.valdezalaska.org trophy-class lingcod or hard-fighting salmon offers charter reservations, boat and fishing www.sharktoothcharters.com (907) 835-2984 The Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby is a one-day tournament put on shark. rod rentals, custom fish-processing, FedEx (907) 351-8853 Valdez is one of the gems of the southcentral each August and this past summer it was won by Chinda Heston of Valdez shipping, tackle, bait, ice, an on-site fish For the best in Prince William Sound saltwater Alaska road system, whether you’re there with a beauty of a Coho weighing 14.88 pounds. © Valdez Fish Derbies. Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn market and more. Located conveniently angling, book your next outing with Shark solely to enjoy the area’s fishing or not. www.valdezharborinn.com right on Harbor Drive, make Fish Central a big Tooth Charters. Offering all-inclusive charters For travelers, your trip should start with (907) 835-3434 part of your next trip to Valdez and you won’t for silver salmon, halibut and salmon shark, contacting the Valdez Convention & Located on the picturesque waterfront, come home disappointed. We always have Captains Mike McDaneld and Dave Pope, Visitors Bureau. A quick tour around www. the Valdez Harbor Inn offers superior our fish processed at Fish Central when we each a longtime Valdez operator, will put ValdezAlaska.org will show you seasonal accommodations with loads of onsite go to Valdez and they do a great job! They you on the fish anytime of the season, fishing and year-round highlights, including points- amenities and services. In each spacious, work with all of the respected charters and aboard the 34-foot Dawn Treader. Call today of-interest, festivals and other local events, modern room, you’ll enjoy high-def cable can help place you with the right captain to plan your 2018 trip on these fabled waters. and the fish derbies. Here you will also find TV, premium pillow-top beds, high thread- and crew for your group. links to places to stay and eat as well as to count linens, free high-speed Wi-Fi, a fridge, Solomon Gulch Hatchery operated by a number of reputable fishing guides and microwave and more. You can also choose Lady Luck Charters Valdez Fisheries Development Association charters. an in-room whirlpool and/or harbor views. www.ladyluckcharters.com www.valdezfisheries.org The acclaimed onsite restaurant and lounge (907) 835-9044 (907) 835-4874 Valdez Fish Derbies offers stunning views with fantastic cuisine For your next Valdez fishing excursion, Come to Valdez, AK, and visit the largest www.valdezfishderbies.com and cocktails. improve your chances by fishing aboard pink salmon hatchery in North America! (907) 835-5680 the Lady Luck. Offering guided salmon and Take a walk through VFDA’s self-guided If you plan to fish, you’ll want to purchase Eagle’s Rest RV Park and Cabins halibut charters all season long, as well as tour and learn about its unique fish culture a derby ticket before dropping your first www.eaglesrestrv.com Sitka blacktail deer hunts and remote drop- operations, the aquaculture industry, Alaska’s offering into the deep. Home to Alaska’s (800) 553-7275 off service for hunters, Lady Luck Charters salmon enhancement programs, and their oldest fish derby, Valdez offers more than Located at 139 East Pioneer Drive right in the operates a pair of vessels, both featuring economic benefits to the sport fishing and just the Halibut and Silver Salmon derbies heart of Valdez, Eagle’s Rest is one of our heated cabins, heads and all-around fishing commercial fishing industries. Also, there are (highlighted by $10,000 cash prizes for the largest halibut and silvers of the year), witnessed by the growth in popularity of the Women’s Silver Salmon Derby and Kid’s Pink Salmon Derby. Check out ValdezFishDerbies. com for all the schedules, entry rules and prizes; then head to Valdez and buy that ticket.

Valdez Outfitters www.valdezoutfitters.com (907) 255-4555 Offering a wide variety of services to suit any traveler’s needs, Valdez Outfitters, owned and operated by longtime Valdez resident Tim Bouchard, makes it their mission to take care of you while in Valdez and beyond. If fishing is your plan, they offer a complete array of salmon charters in addition to multi- species trips for halibut, lingcod and bottom fish. They have a full tackle shop and offer boat rentals as well. They also provide Alaska Photography Workshops and a Valdez Sightseeing Tour. Group sizes are small, so individuals gets plenty of attention. Their great crew is lots of fun and know how to fish!

Valdez Saltwater Adventures www.valdezsaltwateradventures.com (907) 304-3474 Seasoned Alaska visitors already know the experience, knowledge and passion exhibited by your charter operator means the most in ensuring a great trip, and this is exactly where Captain Will Everett, owner and operator of Valdez Saltwater Adventures, excels. Fishing aboard the 34-foot Bold Eagle, guests receive first-class service and have a range of options, whether enjoying a single- to multi-day combination fishing trip, targeting halibut, salmon, lingcod, rockfish, and salmon shark, or venturing into Prince William Sound for a memorable sightseeing and photography excursion.

66 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 67 along the way, including Worthington, Blueberry and Thompson in particular, while just before arriving in Valdez anglers can drop in for some action on the Lowe River. Closed to salmon fishing, the Lowe does offer some seasonally strong fishing for Dolly Varden, especially anywhere its several clearwater tributaries meet the mainstem. Just a few miles from downtown Valdez, one finds Dayville Road, a 5.8-mile paved side road (with bike trail) that leads to shoreside camping, picnicking, fishing and scenic views along Port Valdez at Allison Point. The salmon—millions of pinks and silvers—are drawn here by the Solomon Above: Tour the Solomon Gulch hatchery. © Valdez Gulch Hatchery. Even during the good Fisheries Development Association. Upper right: Try your tides of August and early September, when the luck with family and friends aboard the Lady Luck with runs are peaking, there is plenty of room to Lady Luck Charters. © Lady Luck Charters. Below right: move about and cast, and all with the bay, the All smiles aboard the Lena Claire with these young mountains and the city of Valdez presenting a halibut anglers. © Brian Rhodes/Valdez Outfitters. quite impressive backdrop. end of the month. However, the first of the pinks begin to show in Once arriving in Valdez, there are half-a- mid-June as well, and by the end of the month, humpy fishing is dozen RV parks and campgrounds that cater excellent. Good places near Valdez to try are Jack Bay and Allison to road-bound anglers, as well as nine hotels Point in the eastern part of the sound. Bright, feisty pinks will continue and somewhere around 30 B&Bs. You can’t to gush into Valdez waters from June into August and typically start go wrong with Eagle’s Rest RV Park or the winding down about the third week in August. A few sockeye and Best Western or Totem Inn. There is also the chum salmon will be mixed into the summer catch, but they’ll be small-boat harbor, where one can get serious gone by peak of the silver fishery in early September. about saltwater fishing so reach out to Valdez If you’re in search of bottomfish, the time to get started is even Outfitters, Shark Tooth Chartes, Lucky Lady earlier, as halibut take an upswing in mid-May, with the early part Chaters and Valdez Saltwater Adventures to of the season best for trophy flatfish. Small boat anglers target slabs find the best arrangement for your group. in the northeast part of Prince William Sound at Jack and Galena Everything from half-day to multi-day bays, Port Fidalgo, Knowles Head and Bligh Reef. Bigger halibut are adventures are offered from Valdez’s fleet of usually found farther outside near Orca Bay, along the north side of saltwater charters. Halibut, lingcod, rockfish, salmon sharks and depending on the time Hinchinbrook Island and around Montague of year, the gamut of Pacific salmon are all Strait and Island, but these are long runs available—just pick a captain, register for the for small boats. Larger boats out of Valdez derby and then at the end of the day, drop sometimes make overnight trips for halibut to your catch by Fish Central to have it processed the edge of the gulf. and kept frozen while you continue your stay. Halibut action remains strong through July For many of those in the know, Valdez is and August, slowing in September when the first and foremost a silver salmon destination, fish head for the deep water in the gulf. with Prince William Sound boasting both Lingcod fishing in the area opens July 1 wild and hatchery silvers. Silvers arrive in but is tightly regulated—always make certain Valdez Bay about the first week in August, to check current regulations for size and peak at mid-month and run strong into area restrictions. Rockfish anglers will find September. Outside the narrows, anglers can steady action kicking off in May and running begin the hunt for coho about the second through mid-September. The outer areas of week of July. According to local reports, most Prince William Sound are particularly good. July fish are still out near Bligh Island, a 25- As with lingcod, the rockfish limits are tight mile run from town, moving closer to shore and close care must be taken to ensure you as July progresses. In mid-July, in the Valdez understand and follow the regulations. area, anglers are zapping silvers in Jack Bay, But regardless of species, and virtually any Blackstone Point, Sawmill Bay, down through time of year, you can be sure a trip to Valdez Bligh Reef and in Anderson Bay, Shoup Bay will be well worth the effort, whether flying, and Gold or Mineral creeks. Other productive boating or driving into town. The sheer size spots are the mouths of Galena and Jack of Prince William Sound and the multiple bays, Pt. Freemantle, Busby Island and the species of gamefish available, combined with Anderson waterfall. the fact that these areas often see less angling In late August, coho anglers head over to pressure than other big-name ports, makes the hatchery water off Allison Point. By the Valdez an angler’s paradise. Everything else third week of September silvers are crowding about the town—its accessibility, the endlessly the breakwaters and docks downtown, and the spectacular scenery, the variety of excursions shorelines at Allison Point and Esther Island. on offer and the amenities and services For other salmon, the Valdez season takes available—make it a must-visit destination. off in June, the top time for the limited king fishery. Returning ocean kings begin moving into Valdez waters about mid-June, and Troy Letherman is editor of Fish Alaska according to ADF&G, the run is over by the magazine. 68 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 69 we began our drive north. Since my last trip to POW, the road surfaces have improved and it was paved all the way to our turnout for Whale Pass about an hour’s drive from Thorne Bay. We settled into our quarters, spent a little time talking with Gregg about our plan for the week and began assembling rods for a quick trip to the outlet of Neck Lake. Silver salmon were beginning to push into the lake with waves of bright fish surfing into the mouth on incoming tides. Pinks were also present in the system, arriving ahead of the bigger and feistier coho. Upon arrival it was obvious there were salmon spread out from the bridge to the saltwater. Salmon porpoised, rolled and jumped clear of the water all around us. We cast for about 30 minutes, constantly changing spinners and spoons looking for the right color and size. A few fish turned on the baits, and Kirk hooked one briefly, before it twisted free. I switched to the fly rod and swung a chartreuse articulated dumbbell-eyed bunny leech through a slow-moving pool that had enough current to keep the fly moving. As I stripped it back towards me, the bright green fly was easy to see through polarized lenses. As the fly crossed the midriver point and continued tracking towards my rod tip, it suddenly disappeared. I gathered the slack line and buried the hook, perilously straining the 6-weight Redington rod. The first few leaps were spectacular, thanks to the 10-pound dime-bright coho buck in prime condition. With a bigger rod I would have exerted more force on the fish, but I knew better than to apply too much pressure with a 6-weight versus a hot coho. I tailed the fish after a thrilling fight and reveled in it’s shape, color and condition. Jersey Mike got his first opportunity to hold a wild coho salmon. It seemed like a minor moment to me, one of hundreds if not thousands of wild coho I’ve landed throughout the years. But for Mike it meant a lot more. Marcus prospects for silver while Brian photographs with his drone. Coho proved to be tight-lipped throughout our week. We made several trips back to the spot and had minimal success The sow black bear and her three cubs were of fisheries, everything from the rivers that before on a Delta flight from Minneapolis, with the sullen silvers. As in every DIY adventure, you need a obviously accustomed to being around hold salmon and char to lakes that contain while Brian, Mike and myself came in that plan B and sometimes C, so we changed our river salmon focus anglers. They worked their way towards the trout and even the saltwater teeming morning. The next step was to transfer to 108 Creek. That proved to be the right maneuver. mouth of the river while we continued to with a wide range of bottomfish as well our luggage to Pacific Airways, which was In the planning stages of the trip, I spoke with each man, prospect for silvers. We’d arrived on Prince as Dungeness crab. It provides secluded ultra-convenient since their check-in desk explained what I had in mind and asked for their input on what of Wales Island only a few hours prior, after fisheries in sparsely populated areas and a is within sight of baggage claim at the was important to them. We all concluded that a mixture of traveling for most of the day, and my need range of amenities in towns like Thorne Ketchikan airport, and to board one of their salt- and freshwater fishing would be outstanding. My personal to wet a line and bend a rod had become Bay and Craig. There are many protected DeHavilland Beavers on floats for a short goal was to figure out how to catch keeper-sized Dungeness intense. Jersey Mike, on the other hand, marine areas to target, and there is also ride to Thorne Bay. They offer scheduled crab so we could enjoy fresh crab in as many meals as possible. was focused on the bears. Having spent his access to open water and the intrigue of service throughout the day to several cities So on the second day of the adventure we jumped back in the life in the suburbs of New York City, he’d what lies within. In all, it combines to on Prince of Wales Island, which made it Expedition and drove to Coffman Cove to spend the day with suddenly been transported into a world make for an interesting destination for a much easier to fly from Prince of Wales Dave Rotman targeting bottomfish. Dave’s an avid fisherman where the National Geographic channel DIY angling adventure with your friends Island to Ketchikan on the same day we and good host, so running a DIY operation like his Coffman was showing in three dimensions. Alaska is and family. The purpose of this article is boarded commercial flights. Cove Bear’s Den is fitting. always not just about the fish. to share some of the fun we had as well as Our base of operations for the trip was Weather was not on our side and it restricted our ability We’d enlisted for a week of DIY exploring to include kernels of DIY wisdom learned Alaska’s Fishtales Lodge in Whale Pass. I’d to explore many locations. A low-pressure system had also and angling around Prince of Wales Island. from executing these type of trips over the stayed with Gregg Cook at Fishtales many descended on the area and word amid the local charter captains In addition to Mike, whose last trip to last two decades. years before and was excited to continue was that the bite was off. We confirmed that assessment, Alaska to visit me was 23 years removed, In any DIY adventure a certain amount exploration of the less populated and managing one small halibut and a range of hearty bottomfish were regular traveling companions Brian of logistical work is necessary to execute traveled north end of the island. Alaska’s not normally targeted for the plate. Still, Jersey Mike was in Woobank and Kirk Studebaker. Both are an interesting adventure. The farther you Fishtales Lodge sits on a prime location awe at the scenery, range of species in the North Pacific and the seasoned Alaska anglers and good men to venture from population centers and away overlooking the mouth of Neck Lake and thrilling experience of angling in Alaska’s saltwater. Each drop of have on any adventure. We were ready to from larger outposts, the more complicated offers DIY sportsmen a great spot from the bait or jig held anticipation for the myriad of delicious and show Jersey a little of what Alaska can offer. it can become. Most trips start with a which to explore the north end of the island. hard-fighting specimens that live within the icy waters. The day Top to bottom: Mike Tuman, We chose Prince of Wales Island as our commercial flight to an Alaskan city, which Cabins are comfortable and well-equipped, was spent fishing, and for guys looking for an adventure, that’s a aka Jersey Mike, was awed destination for a variety of reasons. It offers may often be the day before the fishing trip vehicles and boats are well-maintained great way to spend a day. by Alaska and the prolific a range of diverse fresh- and saltwater begins, followed by a hotel stay and then a and for visitors who chose the full service On the next morning we ventured to Staney Creek, roughly run of pinks. Dungeness opportunities. It boasts an extensive road small plane flight to a remote destination package, meals are excellent. halfway back to Thorne Bay from Whale Pass, and struck out crab destined for our system that allows mobile anglers to remain the next morning. And that’s how this Gregg left a Ford Expedition waiting targeting coho. We huddled and called for Plan B, stopping dinner. Marcus landed on the move to find migratory species. It trip unfolded. We took an Alaska Airlines for us in Thorne Bay, and after grabbing a by to ask Gregg to get the boat ready for us to take out into this healthy coho on a chartreuse leech pattern. enables anglers to experience a wide range flight to Ketchikan, Kirk arriving the day few extra supplies from the store in town, Whale Passage so we could set crab traps. While Gregg installed

70 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 71 DIY Tips: 1) Bring the best rain gear you can afford, includingrain boots. It will rain in Alaska, especially in the fall and especially in Southeast. It averaged about a half-inch of rain per day while we were there in mid-August. You will be rained on and if you get wet, you will struggle to stay warm. Same holds true for waders and wading jackets. Pack your gear in dry bags.

2) Dress in synthetic and wool layers, avoid cotton. I prefer Merino wool garments like those made by Smartwool and Ice Breaker, which are warm and will still keep you warm when they are wet. Both wool and synthetic garments also dry quickly.

3) Bring your food with you in fish boxes, eat the food and return with the frozen fish you’ve caught in the boxes.

4) Wrap your fish in plastic wrap before you vacuum-seal it. I brought a Foodsaver Titanium G800 with us and a roll of plastic wrap. I started doing this over 10 years ago after seeing it done at Larry Lund’s Togiak River Lodge. It’s proven to extend the life of my fish in the freezer substantially and I am able to maintain the quality of the fish I’ve caught for over a year in the freezer.

5) Think through the types of fishing you will be doingand make a list of the items you will need. Include a few spare Brian captures the moment with a photo from his drone, while rods and reels. Polarized sunglasses should be on everyone’s Kirk battles another bright pink salmon on the fly. list. We were able to access Log Cabin Sports in Craig for additional items we forgot. Had we been farther off the beaten path, we’d have been stuck with whatever we a new transducer for the sonar on the boat, we shuttled to 108 brought, so start with a list before packing it all up. That helps Creek to prospect for silvers. What we found was a treasure chest of me forget less items. bright pinks. 6) Take an accurate assessment of the weight of your items I’ve spent many glorious days battling pink salmon. They are quick for the entire group. Check with the flight service you are to bite, fight like their life depends on it (especially when freshon using for weight restrictions on luggage. Many operate small an incoming tide and close to the salt), and make for fine table-fare planes and put a 50-pound restriction for luggage per person when chrome bright. I especially like them smoked. Many experienced before assessing extra charges. Book an extra flight or space anglers tend to look down their noses at the smallest Pacific salmon on a flight if you have extra gear. It’s up to you to determine species, but for guys like Jersey Mike who have never landed a if you want to try and stay light or pay more to bring more creature-comforts along. In our case, we brought a lot of Pacific salmon of any kind, this creek plugged full of salmon was the gear to cover the range of potential fishing scenarios, so we thing of dreams. paid more. Brian and I started with fly rods while Kirk and Mike threw hardware. Brian was first to come tight and so began a two-hour fish frenzy where 7) Bring a marine chart, either electronic or in print, and a GPS. DIY means you have to be strategic in where you fish, the skilled angler landed about 30 pinks. We gave Mike some tips as particularly in the saltwater, so understanding the underwater he learned how to present a spinner to the pile of fish stacked up in the topography is often the difference between success and deep run that spanned about 40 yards. At one point, I realized we had failure. Some crafts have sonar / fish-finders aboard; ask your a quad hookup. We kept a dozen chrome pinks destined for a fish box service provider about that but be prepared with a backup for Jersey to bring back home. I kept the heads and guts to be used for plan. crab bait. 8) In addition to a good fillet knife and sharpener, bring We were fishing near the mouth of 108 Creek, which is but a few band aids, medical tape and antibiotic ointment. Cuts seem miles from the Whale Pass boat harbor. Gregg gave Brian and I an inevitable on DIY adventures. Also bring extra batteries and a orientation on the saltwater boat, while Kirk filleted salmon and Mike roll or two of duct tape. watched his skills with the knife. We jumped onboard and headed out 9) Have a daily backup plan because of weather and if for a short ride to find a likely spot to drop the crab pots. Baited with fish aren’t present. Anadromous species don’t follow a strict fresh pink salmon parts and the halibut head, we drooled over the schedule, so they might not be where you expect them to potential bounty of fresh crab. We figured we’d let the traps soak for an be. Weather is unpredictable, especially in Alaska, and the hour, come back and check them and then head back in as we had just best laid plans can be undone rather quickly when dicey a few hours of daylight left. While we let the pots soak, we cast spinners weather arrives. Most importantly, be flexible and roll with the punches; you’ve traveled all this way to enjoy Alaska and all and trolled herring in the saltwater outside the mouth of Neck Lake. it has to offer. In order to keep a Dungeness crab in southeast Alaska, it has to be male and at least 6.5 inches across its carapace, not including spines. 10) Choose your base of operations carefully. Many DIY Limit for out-of-state anglers is three per day and it is ten per day for operations exist throughout the state; we work with many on Prince of Wales Island and around Alaska. Most offer a Alaska residents. For a complete list of all the regulations for this fishery, good product from your living quarters to the vehicle and go to http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/fishregulations/ boats they provide. First decide where you want to go, PDFs/southeast/2017se_sfregs_shellfish.pdf. then research the providers in the area. Be sure to confirm The anticipation was palpable as we hauled up each trap. The first, what will be provided and what you will be responsible located mid channel in about 30 feet of water, held a few undersized to bring in order to have the best trip possible. If you crabs. The second trap, dropped closer to shore, was empty. We ever want a recommendation, reach out to us at info@ fishalaskamagazine.com. added more bait and lathered the baits in Pro-Cure Crab and Shrimp

72 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 73 All packages include an SUV, three meals If you go: per day and fish-processing. Alaska’s Fishtales Lodge www.alaskasfishtaleslodge.com Log Cabin Sports 907-846-5317 www.logcabinsports.com Located in secluded and sparsely 907-826-2205 populated Whale Pass, Gregg Cook’s Located in Craig, Log Cabin Sports is Alaska’s Fishtales Lodge sits on the outlet the place to go if you need to purchase of Neck Lake. Providing self-guided fishing or hunting gear on Prince of Wales packages which include a cabin, skiff and Island. They carry a wide variety of fishing vehicle, Fishtales Lodge also offers a full- and hunting items to help you succeed on service package that includes meals and a DIY adventure. Tim and Melissa Lacour housekeeping. The facilities are top-notch, have owned the store since 2003 and are and boats and vehicles are more than long time Prince of Wales Island residents adequate to get you around the roads and who enjoy hunting and fishing. The store is protected saltwaters in search of piscatorial full of friendly and knowledgable staff. pursuits. I’ve known Gregg for about 10 years and he’s a quality man who puts McFarland’s Floatel family first and treats others with respect www.mcfarlandsfloatel.com and dignity. He’s also full of stories and is 907-401-3947 quick to laugh and smile. His operation is Jeannie and Jim McFarland’s operation is a family-affair and guests are treated like located a short distance from Thorne Bay. extended family. Guests rent two bedroom, fully furnished cabins, and can also procure a skiff and Alaska Sea Otter Sound Lodge vehicle. An on-hand fishing tackle and www.seaottersoundlodge.com marine store makes it easy to grab last- 877-569-7042 minute items. Jeannie and Jim are friendly Tim and Murtie Comer run a great hosts whose love of the business and operation located to the west of Prince of sharing it with others is evident. Guests Wales Island on Heceta Island. Their remote target salmon, bottomfish, crabs and location means less fishing pressure from clams. other charters or DIY anglers. Guests stay in private cabins and can access salmon Pacific Airways and bottomfish grounds in Sea Otter Sound www.flypacificairways.com with a short boat ride. The entire operation 877-360-3500 is located on floats in a protected bay. Headquartered in Ketchikan, Pacific They provide quality boats, rods, tackle and Airways offers daily scheduled floatplane excellent food. Fish is packaged and boxed service for passengers, freight and mail for your return home. Anglers at Alaska to Thorne Bay, Hollis, Metlakatla, Craig, Sea Otter Sound Lodge can also charter Kasaan, Saltery Cove and Klawock. day trips on the big boat with the lodge We flew on DeHavilland Beavers, and captain. all flights were smooth and on time. They operate both Cessna 185 and Coffman Cove Bear’s Den DeHavilland Beaver aircraft and offer www.coffmancovesbearsden.com charter services. 907-329-2327 Dave Rotman provides affordable lodging, Thorne Bay Lodge self-guided fishing, vehicles and meals in www.thornebaylodge.com Coffman Cove. Dave is a very pleasant 503-680-1755 person, who loves fishing and enjoys Brent Dickinson owns and operates Thorne showing anglers why he loves Coffman Bay Lodge. Vacation packages include Cove. Anglers can choose to rent Dave’s a crew cab truck, two-bedroom suite, saltwater boat, a Hewescraft called the Lori full kitchen and processing facilities. In G. It’s a comfortable, well-equipped boat addition to being a great location for a more than capable of getting anglers into DIY fishing adventure, Thorne Bay Lodge fish in protected waters. Anglers stay within also specializes in DIY black bear and 2- or 3-bedroom suites in the lodge triplex. Sitka blacktail deer hunts.

74 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 75 Attractant Oil, and dropped them both pot two and I chalked it up to Pro-Cure mid-channel and 100 yards closer to the scent and good bait. With nothing left to mouth of 108 Creek. do but celebrate, we headed back home to The next morning we headed back to cook fresh crab, have a few adult beverages 108 Creek to look for coho. While the and satiate the palate with the delectable coho weren’t yet pushing into 108 Creek, crustaceans. Brian had also brought some fresh pinks were abundant. It gave us the ribeye steaks to accompany the feast, opportunity to catch them in many different and before long the only sound was lip- ways. From twitching BnR Twitching jigs smacking and the crack of crab shells. to casting Acme Kastmasters and Little Weather kept us from making any kind Cleos and on to running a bobber and jig of run to open water, so we replicated this and swinging pink streamers, all proved successful program for the next two days. effective and gave us the chance to learn and Fish salmon in the morning, take a break improve on new techniques. It also gave for lunch, fish salmon in the afternoon and us the chance to gear test new items, rods make a run to check the crab pots before and reels from companies including Penn, dinner. Each night, and sometimes for Okuma, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, Cousins, breakfast, we gorged on Dungeness crab. Plueger, Fin-Nor and Redington. Like I even managed to bring some home and little kids at a stocked trout pond, our rods make crab cakes. Days were spent laughing, Kirk Studebaker caught many pinks during the DIY adventure. were bent more than not and the sounds of cracking jokes at one another and relishing whining fly reels, splashing fish and happy the time together in a pristine place, living world we live in, time spent off the grid anglers blended with the sound of moving off the bounty of the sea and for the tug on without all of the distractions is a precious water. Jersey Mike caught his first fish on your line. commodity. a fly rod and as far as he was concerned, it In the end we all remember trips for We caught many salmon, learned and was a true trophy. High marks for Plan B. different reasons. This was not the best succeeded in catching Dungeness crab, and I drove the boat to the crab pot buoys fishing that I’d ever experienced in Alaska. spent time with dear friends sharing what with a heightened sense of expectation. Nevertheless, it was one of the best trips. Alaska really means. Fishing is part of the They’d been soaking for most of a day and It’s been a long while since I’ve had so equation, but Alaska offers much more had fresh bait and Pro-Cure scent. When many gut-busting belly laughs with friends. than that. the first came over the rail, stuffed with Exploring Prince of Wales Island with an many crabs and several keepers, you’d have open mind on a quest for adventure will Marcus Weiner is publisher of Fish thought that four homeless men just won always yield rewards. In the fast-paced, Alaska magazine and can be reached at the lottery. A similar result was found in constantly busy, ever digitally-connected [email protected].

76 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 77 Ginger Coconut Cut the shrimp into ½- to 1-inch pieces and soak the raw shrimp overnight in the lime juice Seafood Chowder like you would ceviche. Recipe by Alaskan Poach the king salmon in the stock and then Brewing Company strain the stock with a very fine strainer. Remove the salmon and pick out the bones. Roast a chopped golden beet on the stove top until done. Ingredients Add the chopped zucchini and yellow squash, 2.5 pounds of spot prawns, peeled (save shells chopped leek, corn, fennel seeds, minced ginger, for fish stock) cilantro and chopped fresh fennel to the stock 2.5 pounds of king salmon and boil until the vegetables are tender. Add the 4 organic limes, zested and juiced coconut milk and cream. Then salt to taste with One can coconut milk the anchovies. One can coconut cream After it comes to a boil, add back the One cup fresh ginger (save peel for fish stock) salmon, shrimp with lime juice, lime zest, sliced 5-7 anchovies for salting chowder to taste mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, red pepper and Two small zucchinis, chopped in 1-inch pieces roasted golden beet. Two small yellow squash, chopped in 1-inch Carefully heat until simmering. Serve pieces hot within ten minutes of garnish additions One bulb fennel, chopped including fresh cilantro leaf, fresh mushroom slice One golden beet, chopped and tiny amount of salmon caviar pearls on top 1 cup mushrooms, sliced of the leaf. 1 cup small cherry tomatoes One leek, thin cross-cut halves 1/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen One bunch cilantro 1 tsp ground fennel seed 1 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp ground coriander 4 bottles of Alaskan Brewing Co. White 4 whole cloves Alaskan Brewing Company 1/8 cup salmon roe caviar 5429 Shaune Drive Juneau, AK 99801 Make fish stock by boiling spot prawn shells in 907-780-5866 the white ale with the pepper, ground coriander, Monday-Friday: 8am - 5pm ground fennel, ginger shavings, chopped fresh Saturday-Sunday: Closed fennel tops, chopped leek tops and cloves for an www.alaskanbeer.com hour. Let it cool overnight.

Alaska Seafood: Wild, Natural, Sustainable. It’s the consumer’s preference

78 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 79 Ketchikan Sterling Alaska Remote Lodges ...... 30 Alaska Canoe ...... 11 Alagnak Pacific Airways ...... 75 Anglers Lodge ...... 11 Angler’s Alibi ...... 39 King Salmon Talkeetna Anchorage Bear Trail Lodge ...... 17 Alaska Off-Road ATV Adventures . . 6 Adventures In Eye Care ...... 76 Branch River Air Service ...... 39 Dave Fish Alaska ...... 6 Alaska Marine ...... 26 Fox Bay Lodge ...... 45 Love-Lee Cabins ...... 6 Alaska Mining and Diving Supply . .29 Frigate Adventure Travel ...... 19 Thorne Bay Alaska Raft & Kayak ...... 28 Naknek River Camp ...... 43 McFarland’s Floatel ...... 73 Alex Hotel & Suites ...... 13 Kodiak Togiak AshBreez Boatworks ...... 20 A Smiling Bear B&B ...... 4 Togiak River Lodge ...... 39 Coast International Inn ...... 13 Alaska 1 Realty ...... 4 Valdez FishHound Expeditions ...... 33 Andrew Airways ...... 31 Eagle’s Rest RV Park ...... 65, 66 LFS Donalsons ...... 28 Best Western Kodiak Inn ...... 4 Fish Central ...... 65 Midnight Sun Car and Van Rental . .13 Kodiak Combos ...... 6 Lady Luck Charters ...... 65 Mossy’s Fly Shop ...... 18, 32 Vertigo Air ...... 4 Shark Tooth Charters ...... 64 Oomingmak ...... 82 Lake Creek Solomon Falls ...... 65 Rural Energy Enterprises ...... 7 Cottonwood Lodge ...... 14 Totem Hotel and Suites ...... 64 Tebow Financial Group ...... 82 Lake Creek Lodge ...... 14 Valdez Convention & Visitors Bureau . . 69 The Anchorage Boat Show . . . . .28 Naknek Valdez Fish Derbies ...... 67 Trail Ridge Air ...... 13 Blue Fly B&B Guide Service . . . .39 Valdez Outfitters ...... 65 Trout Realty AK ...... 33 Naknek River Camp ...... 43 Valdez Saltwater Adventures . . . . 65 True Life Chiropractic ...... 76 Salmon Heights Lodging . . . . . 39 Wasilla Bristol Bay Ninilchik Elise Buchholz, Jack White Real Estate . . 16 Alaska’s Bearclaw Lodge ...... 39 Afishunt Charters ...... 51 Extreme Fun Center ...... 78 Alaska Kingfishers Lodge . . . . . 39 Alaskan Angler RV Resort . . . . .51 Man Gear Alaska ...... 9 Angler’s Alibi ...... 39 Nushagak Whittier Cooper Landing Bristol Bay Adventures ...... 14 Whittier Marine Charters . . . . . 28 Kenai Riverside Lodge ...... 50 Nushagak River Adventures . . . . 57 Yakutat Cordova WT AK Ventures ...... 42 Glacier Bear Lodge ...... 33 Alaskan Wilderness Outfitting Company . 61 Palmer Leonard’s Landing Lodge ...... 9 Dillingham Tebow Financial Group ...... 82 Monti Bay Lodge & Resort . . . . 17 Nushagak River Adventures . . . . 57 Petersville Yakutat Lodge ...... 2 Eagle River Bent Prop Lodge ...... 42 Statewide Eagle River Polaris & Arctic Cat . . .77 Prince of Wales Island Alaska 1 Realty ...... 4 Haines Alaska Sea Otter Sound Lodge . . . 73 Alaska Marine Highway System . . .61 Outfitter Sporting Goods . . . . . 30 Alaska’s Fish Tales Lodge ...... 73 Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute . 78 Homer Log Cabin Sporting Goods . . . . .73 Man Gear Alaska ...... 9 Bay Weld Boats ...... 23 McFarland’s Floatel ...... 73 Peninsula Airways ...... 19 Beluga Lake Lodge ...... 49 Sportsman’s Cove Lodge ...... 75 Sportsman’s Warehouse ...... 84 Best Western Bidarka Inn . . . . . 68 Thorne Bay Lodge ...... 74 Three Bears ...... 8 Bob’s Trophy Charters ...... 49 Quinhagak National Homer Boat Yard ...... 23 Reel Action Alaska Lodge . . . . . 37 Alaska Outdoors TV ...... 83 Homer Chamber of Commerce . . .28 Seldovia Angler West TV ...... 80 Homer Marine Trades Association .23, 28 Between Beaches Alaska ...... 49 Bissell Insurance Agency ...... 27 Kachemak Gear Shed ...... 23 Seldovia Fishing Adventures . . . . 20 Clackacraft Drift Boats ...... 27 Lower Peninsula Power Sports . . . 23 Seward Cousins Tackle ...... 56 Nomar ...... 23 Grande Alaska Lodge ...... 31 Hyde Drift Boats ...... 24 North Country Charters . . . . . 49 Sitka Mantus Anchors ...... 21 Sloth Boats ...... 23 Alaska Premier Charters ...... 16 Rogue Jet Boatworks ...... 20 Winter King Fishing ...... 49 Fish Baranof ...... 75 Sea Eagle ...... 33 Icy Bay Soldotna SeaArk Boats ...... 22 Icy Bay Lodge ...... 26 Alaska Drift Away Fishing . . . . .11 Skinner Sights ...... 74 Iliamna Alaskan Fishing Adventures . . . . 48 StealthCraft High Performance Boats . . .25 Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge . . . . . 38 Corsetti’s Guide Service ...... 11 Temple Fork Outfitters ...... 43 Angry Eagle Lodge ...... 12 Jimmie Jack Fishing ...... 51 TEMPRESS ...... 21 Bent Prop Lodge ...... 42 Kenai River Charters ...... 51 International Talarik Creek Lodge ...... 55 Kenai Riverside Lodge ...... 50 Bradley Smoker ...... 79 Katmai Randa’s Guide Service ...... 11 Jurassic Lake Lodge ...... 68 Bristol Bay Alaska Tourism . . . . .15 Seascape Lodge ...... 51 Safari Club International ...... 5 Naknek River Camp ...... 43 Soldotna Chamber of Commerce . . 11

80 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com January 2018 January 2018 www.FishAlaskaMagazine.com 81 Big Fish Becca Story by Harold Tvedten

My son, Traeger Tvedten, did not want to bring his wife Rebecca along to fish in Yakutat, Alaska, with us at first. He thought she lacked the patience enough to fish all day, every day, for a week. Traeger had fished with me in Yakutat each year for the past 15- to 18 years. Becca was finally allowed to come in 2015 and lo and behold, she then became known locally as “Big Fish Becca.” Her first big fish was a 33-pound king salmon that took her 30- to 45 minutes to land. Becca showed great patience and gently handled the big fish. She had the lightest rod in the boat that time and only 15-pound-test line, but she proved that was plenty to get the job done. She also caught an octopus that week, and later I used a local Yakutat recipe for octopus. One tentacle is cooked in beer and wine corks for one hour. The suckers are then cut off for a salad and the skin is removed with paper towels. Then the white meat is fried with one’s favorite spices for a wonderful taste sensation. Becca also caught my son Traeger that year in Yakutat, because he proposed marriage to her at the “log dump” (a cove in the back islands) one evening. In 2017, returning to Yakutat, she was again true to her nickname. We were trolling for silvers with cut-plug herring, and again with 15-pound-test line, in Yakutat Bay. Something big grabbed Becca’s bait near the surface and took it to the bottom in about 80 feet of water. With Becca’s drag set as tight as we dared, she slowly brought the fish to the surface. It was a big halibut! We have caught bigger halibut out on charter boats but never a fish so large in a little Lund, using only 15-pound-test line. Traeger, however, felt he could get it in to the net. He was only partially correct. He got the net around the strong fish, which then tore the net into pieces. Becca still maintained “control” of the fish with her light line. Our next attempt involved placing a hook on a rope in the mouth of the fish. That, too, was only partially successful. I set the hook, but the knot came loose! Back to the bottom the halibut went, with a second hook set firmly in its jaw. Becca still had the fish on her line, and she slowly brought it back to the surface. This time Traeger tried our gaff. The fish threw the gaff and luckily Traeger did not break his wrist. Traeger tied a jig to our halibut rod and we set that hook in its mouth for the next attempt. Now we had two lines on it to help bring the fish up again from the bottom. Traeger retied another circle hook on the rope and this time the knot held. Now we had two lines and a rope on it. I could pull the head out of the water to allow Traeger to hit it 4- to 5 times between its eyes with a roofing hammer. I had purchased the hammer earlier because we wanted something to kill/stun a big halibut but did not want a firearm in a little boat, with a slimy floor and big waves that could cause an accident. It turned out to be a lucky purchase. With its aid, we finally pulled the fish into the boat and bled it out. Some Native peoples believe that a hunter or a fisherman does not harvest an animal because he or she is a superior hunter or angler, but rather because the animal or fish offers itself to the person. Either way, I believe we should have respect for the animal and not be too proud of our own abilities. This halibut offered herself to us. We gave it several good chances to escape. We made several mistakes, but we still came home with a fine fish. That was our first “day” of fishing in 2017, which was only three hours long. We then motored back to Leonard’s Landing Lodge to fillet the halibut, four silvers and one king salmon, vacuum-pack them and get them into the freezer—all within six hours of leaving the dock. Not a bad first day of fishing! Every day after that was also very productive, so we stopped fishing after four days, already having as many fish as we wanted to keep. By then we were already planning our 2018 trip, when we can hopefully find out if Big Fish Becca’s nickname holds for another year.

Regular Alaska visitor and Fish Alaska reader Harold Tvedten writes from his home in Vänge, Sweden.

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