Tag: pacific salmon

Enchanted Lake Lodge is located on 54 private acres within beautiful Katmai National Park. The lodge is perched high on a knoll overlooking Lake Nonvianuk and Enchanted Lake and offers breath-taking views in every direction. With the Kulik and Alagnak Rivers reachable by boat, and the Moraine, Funnel, Battle and American Creeks, as well as the Brooks, Big Ku, and Kvichak Rivers a short flight away, Enchanted Lake Lodge is perfectly situated for trophy rainbow trout. And that’s what they do!

If you’re looking to pursue big rainbows with a fly rod, this is the lodge for you. Early season dry fishing is followed by salmon fry on the surface, and both provide exciting sight fishing opportunities. Once the salmon drop their eggs in July, fishing egg patterns turns into high gear. The guides are focused on one thing, catching you the biggest rainbow of your life.

The trout fishing season at Enchanted Lake Lodge runs from June through September, offering a variety of Alaskan trout fishing experiences.

All of Enchanted Lake Lodge’s seven guides have a wealth of fly fishing experience in the Katmai region and have all worked in Alaska numerous years before coming to Enchanted Lake Lodge.This allows guides to cater to each guest’s specific abilities and desires.

Each morning Enchanted Lake Lodge’s professional Alaskan guide staff meets guests at the lodge’s private airplane dock. Once aboard one of the lodges immaculately maintained DeHavilland Beavers, anglers are flown to one of the countless trout streams in the surrounding wilderness. Typical flights are short – 15 to 20 minutes – since the fishing lodge is situated in the heart of some of the world’s best rainbow trout fishing. Anglers will spend the rest of the day exploring a diversity of unpressured Alaskan trout water.

Lunches are served a field, over-looking a favorite run or the native Alaskan wildlife. A usual day consists of eight to nine hours of fishing.

The start of the Alaskan fishing season in early June means diverse trout fishing methods: dry fly, nymphs, salmon fry, and streamers. The areas biggest hatches occur as the weather warms during June, making this the best time for catching large, surface-feeding rainbow trout on the dry fly.

This time of year also brings the salmon fry migration. These salmon hatchings from the previous summers spawn are a favorite of rainbow trout, which chase them aggressively and without caution. The majority of takes are explosive, surface busting strikes. Anglers usually fish the smaller streams with dry flies and larger rivers with streamers. The end of the month brings both the Sockeye salmon and King salmon into the waters surrounding Enchanted Lake Lodge.

The 4th of July typically marks the height of the sockeye salmon run in the northern Katmai. As the sockeye migration increases, the salmon fry migration comes to a close, though the dry fly fishing can still be spectacular. July is a transition month at Enchanted Lake Lodge, as the effectiveness of standard fly-fishing methods gives way to egg fishing. For anglers looking to experience the great variety of techniques for catching big trout, this is the month.

August is the best month for egg fishing for Alaskan rainbow trout. The trout move into streams and gorge themselves on eggs as the salmon begin to spawn. Alaskan rainbow trout are gluttons this time of year, as they must store fat for the approaching winter. Much of the August fishing is done by sight casting to large individual rainbows.

As the sockeye begin to die off in September, the egg fishing slows to a stop. The rainbow trout move toward the outlet streams and tail waters and are typically caught by swinging large streamers. This is the time for Alaskan streamer fishing at its best: fish are strong and extremely fat yet somehow still very hungry. They have a lot of water to work with, however, and are a challenge to land in larger streams. Some of the largest trout are hooked during this time of year.

Like many Alaska fly-out fishing lodges, Enchanted Lake Lodge lays in dramatic contrast to the rugged landscape in which it was built. Enchanted Lake Lodge provides the luxury and service one would expect from any world-class resort.

Eight cedar guest cabins, each with its own private bath, allow a maximum of 12 guests to live in comfortable privacy. The main lodge offers a complimentary bar, well-stocked with fine wines, beer, and liquor. Appetizers are served each evening by the fire while guest lounge in comfortable, over-stuffed furniture in the great room, which is decorated with the flare of the Alaskan fishing lodge: Alaskan animal furs, mounted fish and native Alaska artwork. Outside are several decks offering unparalleled views of the Alaskan wilderness. Dinners are gourmet and served in a glass-enclosed dining room in front of panoramic, pristine views.

An experienced, professional staff is always on call to cater to each guests expectations and preferences. Enchanted Lake Lodge makes guest’s comfort, fishing and safety their highest priorities.

In addition to an unparalleled angling experience, the lodge offers the opportunity to view and photograph the many natural wonders and abundant wildlife in Katmai Park. Flightseeing and photographic excursions are easily arranged to any number of sites, including the vast caribou herds of the Alaska Peninsula or the Walrus herds at Puale Bay. Katmai is also home to a huge bear population as well as moose, caribou, wolves and the American Bald Eagle. Enchanted Lake Lodge is your doorway to all that the Katmai National Park has to offer.

Our Services are Free!

Enchanted Lake Lodge 2020Rates

Rates are subject to change.

The 2020cost is $11,500.00 per person, per week (7 nights/6 days fishing).

Included: 7 nights double occupancy accommodations, all meals, all beverages, including alcohol, table wines, 6 days fly-out, guided fishing, fishing licenses, use of all boats and motors and scheduled flights to and from the lodge and King Salmon on Sundays. Some restrictions apply.

Not Included: flights into and out of King Salmon, Alaska.

Mission Lodge has distinguished itself among the handful of best Alaskan fishing lodges through exemplary service and outstanding personnel. Unless it’s a matter of safety, clients will never hear the word “no”. In terms of accommodating and exceeding clients expectations, Mission Lodge gets an A+.

Lodge management is committed to providing clients an incomparable experience and the best fishing of their lives.

Mission Lodge is located 300 miles southwest of Anchorage, near the confluence of Lake Aleknagik and the Wood River, in the heart of the fabled trout and salmon waters of Bristol Bay; the Wood River/Tikchik Lakes, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Iliamna and the Alaska Peninsula.

Location. Location. Location. It applies to Alaskan fishing as well. Interested in trophy rainbows (over 10 pounds)? Mission Lodge will fly to the Morraine, Funnel Creek, and Kvichak Rivers, but they have their own secret streams closer by.

For a combination of all 5 species of Pacific Salmon and rainbows, Mission Lodge has leases on the best of the best: Nushagak, Togiak, Good News, and again, their own secrets you’ll be introduced to and never again utter the name, except to your best friend.

Trophy rainbows, char, Dollies, Grayling, and pike: Mission Lodge has them in their backyard and accessible by boat, if you choose not to fly.

For a remote Alaskan fishing lodge, Mission Lodge is relatively easy to get to; a 20-minute ride by vehicle from Dillingham Airport, plus a 10-minute boat ride. It is medium sized by Alaska standards, accepting 22 guests. Mission Lodge is managed by Sarah and Guy Fullhart, whose commitment to operating the finest fly-out Lodge in Alaska is second to none.

Mission Lodge operates a fleet of 3 DeHavilland Beavers and has over 40 boats stashed within flying distance of the lodge. Many destinations you’ll fly in and meet your guide who will be waiting for you with a boat. Other destinations you will fly with your guide and will have a boat at your destination. Some destinations will be accessible only by foot, others will have a kayak waiting for you or your guide will bring a raft. All logistics are expertly orchestrated by the guides, pilots and staff.

Each evening management confers with guests to assess the kind of experience each client is interested in. The guides gather the necessary gear from Mission’s tackle room (which doubles as a great story telling hang out). The following morning after breakfast, guests board one of Mission’s floatplanes and fly to one of the many world-class rivers and streams in the Bristol Bay watershed.

In addition, Mission Lodge operates three mobile camps, which they move from river to river, according to productivity and time of year. Each camp is outfitted with large weatherproof tents, one or two guides and several boats with jet-motors. Guides are stationed at these camps for the entire season, and keep in radio contact with the lodge. They report daily on the weather and fishing conditions (they actually track the progression of migrating salmon) and with this information, the head guide determines the daily fishing plan. Mission Lodge has strategically placed these camps on such notable rivers as the Igushik, the Togiak, the Good News and the Nushagak, and many smaller rivers, which will remain unnamed.

Cots and sleeping bags (with washable liners) are available at the mobile camps should clients elect to spend a night on the river. Overnighting at these camps is strictly an option. Most guests fly back to the main lodge each night.

Mission Lodge’s strategic location in the heart of the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska, places it within easy flying distance to the finest fishing waters in the state to fish for sockeyes, chums, kings, pinks or silver salmon, in addition to rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, arctic char, grayling and pike. If you’re looking for the greatest variety, we suggest the late June/July time period, when you can catch sockeyes, chums, pinks (even years) and king salmon in addition to the fresh water species. If you’re interested in silver and pink salmon (in addition to the fresh water species), we recommend August and the first two weeks of September. If your primary interest is rainbow trout and char, we recommend early June, the middle of the season (mid-July through August) and the month of September.

If weather prevents the planes from flying (which happens an average of 3 days out of a four month season), jet boats docked at the lodge can transport guests to several rainbow trout, char and grayling streams that feed into Lake Aleknagik, as well as the well-known

Agulawok and Agulapak Rivers, which are loaded with grayling and 2-8 pound rainbow trout and char. In addition, guests can travel by boat (with guide) to the McClung River or on foot to the Wood River, which has an excellent run of sockeye salmon, char, pink and silver salmon.

The lodge itself is a modern facility, emphasizing comfort and taking full advantage of the surrounding Alaskan beauty. The well-traveled angler will appreciate the lodge’s dedication to service and commitment to detail.

Mission Lodge’s facilities are deluxe, even by Alaska standards. Twenty guestrooms allow each male guest to be accommodated in a private room with a shared bath and each couple to have a private room with a private bath. The lodge is spacious and includes a large lounge with big screen TV, dining room, private meeting room upstairs, sauna, and hot tub.

A large deck surrounding the facility is just steps from the dock, float planes and boats. Large bay windows frame views of Lake Aleknagik and the beautiful mountains beyond. Alaska is a rugged, immense land of startling beauty – a great place to just step out of everyday pressures and relax. At the end of the day each guest retires to his or her own private room.

Aircraft safety is the absolute top priority at Mission Lodge. Mission Lodge was the first fly out Lodge in Alaska to voluntarily obtain an FAA #135 airtaxi license, which requires stringent maintenance and certification. Now the #135 license is an FAA requirement for all flyout lodges.

Because of a short growing season, all native species must be released without exception. If you are interested in taking back some salmon, your guide will fillet or steak them, vacuum pack them in suitable portions and freeze them. Upon your departure your catch will be put into an airline-approved waxed fish box for the trip home.

Our Services are Free!

Misson Lodge 2023 Rates*

The 2020 cost of a 7-night/6-day stay at Mission Lodge is $14,395 per person.

The lodge operates on a Friday-to-Friday basis. A 50% deposit, payable by check to Angler Adventures, is necessary to secure a reservation. Final payment is due 95 days prior to arrival. We offer trip cancellation insurance to all our customers.

Included: transportation to and from Dillingham, lodging, meals, use of Mission Lodge’s laundry facilities, liquor, soft drinks, tackle (fly and spinning rods and reels), neoprene waders, flies and lures, fly-outs, guiding and packing of fish for shipment.

Not included: airfare to Dillingham; City of Aleknagik’s 9% tax; fishing license ($70, subject to change), plus an additional $45 for a king salmon tag when applicable; fuel service charge (up to $300 pp/week).

While gratuities are at the discretion of the customers, we are often asked to suggest a guideline. At Mission Lodge a guideline would be approximately 15% – 20% of the trip cost per person.

COMMENTS FROM CLIENTS

 “Mission Lodge is the finest lodge I’ve been to. The service and thoughtfulness of the lodge staff is unsurpassed.”

“The fishing was as good as it gets. The Mission Lodge staff is totally dedicated to arranging whatever you have in mind. One day of grayling fishing (with dry flies and a light rod) was the best fishing experience I’ve had. Another day we fished what has to be the best silver salmon river in Alaska.”

“Accommodations, food, management, guides and equipment are all excellent. These people worked hard for us. The lodge is extremely well run, better than any other lodge I’ve been to. One day of chum salmon fishing was the best fishing I’ve ever had on a fly rod.”

“The Mission Lodge staff are among the finest people I’ve met in the fishing business. We fished for a week and only saw a float plane from one other lodge. They do a superb job.”

Brig/General Louis Frank USMC, Nashua, New Hampshire (Veteran of nine Alaska fishing trips)

Other References Available on Request.

Crystal Creek Lodge is located on the famous Naknek River, about 285 miles south-west of Anchorage on the western edge of Katmai National Park. This is protected, unspoiled, untracked wilderness which few fishing outfits can access. Fortunately, Crystal Creek is one of the few. Crystal Creek Lodge offers guests a perfect combination of luxurious accommodations and world-class Alaskan fly-out fishing.

To take full advantage of this wild fishery, the lodge uses a fleet of planes and strategically placed boats. With these tools, Crystal Creek can access a radius of roughly 100 miles of fishable territory. This includes world famous destinations such as the waters of the Katmai National Park, the Becharof, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, the Illiamna and Nushagek River drainages, Wood-Tickchik State Park and the Togiak National Wildlife Reserve.

Crystal Creek has obtained special permission from the state to access and fish many of these areas.

The Naknek River, which offers all 5 species of Pacific salmon and is one of Alaska’s premier fisheries for trophy rainbows, can be reached from the lodge in only a few minutes by boat.

Having this resource so close at hand means that spectacular fishing is available even on bad weather days when fly outs are impossible. This proximity also allows for half-days of fishing which is why Crystal Creek is one of the very few Alaskan lodges to offer half-week packages.

Crystal Creek has developed an intimate knowledge of the area in and around Katmai National Park over their 20 some years of guiding there. The sheer size of this fishery puts it to a daily test. Although Crystal Creek specializes in targeting huge rainbows on the fly, the vastness of accessible water allows for an abundantly varied fishing itinerary.

From the lodge you may choose to target all five species of Pacific salmon, including king, chum, silver, pink and sockeye, Atlantic grayling, arctic char, Dolly Varden, northern pike, lake trout and rainbow trout.

Each of the lodges 8 full-time, Orvis endorsed guides can show you exactly where an how to find any of these fish. The guides are very flexible and will consult with guests each night at dinner to plan the next day’s fishing.

Salmon limits at Crystal Creek coincide with state limits. The lodge will carefully clean, vacuum pack and freeze all kept salmon in airline-approved wax containers for the trip home.

Resident species, such as trout and char, are designated as strict catch-and-release game and must be fished for with single, barb-less hooks.

The actual lodge at Crystal Creek is luxurious, even by Alaskan standards. Constructed of massive logs, river rock accented by custom cut, knotty pine paneling, the 7,500 square foot main lodge consists of 5 double rooms, 4 with either 2 full size beds, or a queen and a full size bed, and the 5th “King Room” with a king sized bed. Each room has a spacious private bath.

There is also a wader-drying room, full bar, game room, chef’s kitchen and dining room overlooking the Naknek River. There are also two disconnected double-occupancy cabins with private baths. While the lodge can comfortably accommodate 18 guests, they normally take a maximum of 14 guests at a time (private groups of up to 16 can book the entire lodge by special request).

The in-house chef creates delicious fare with a dedication to locally grown vegetables and fresh caught fish, crab, oysters and scallops. Chicken, beef and pork are also served. A full bar is available, stocked with domestic and imported spirits and beer. At dinner, choose from an extensive collection of wines from the lodge’s wine cellar.

Although many guests prefer to bring their own tackle, Crystal Creek Lodge also offers guests a full line of Orvis rods, reels, flies and waders to use, free of charge. Laundry service is offered by the lodge as well. Just as importantly, there is a professionally licensed massage therapist on staff.

And for the hardcore salmon fisherman, Crystal Creek also offers their incredible Yantarni Salmon Camp. This is an outpost camp on the wilderness southeast coast of the Peninsula Wildlife Reserve, 125 miles from King Salmon. Yantarni Camp fishes three small rivers right at tidewater which fill on each tide with massive numbers of chum, pink and silver salmon. Fresh from the salt, these dime bright salmon are at the peak of their strength and fighting ability. Guides will carry you upstream on ATVs to chase these runs as the move in on the tide. Chums and silvers are of large average size, mostly ranging from 10 – 20 pounds and the numbers can be staggering. This is some of the finest high volume, small stream fishing to be found anywhere in the world. The camp is situated right on the river and your fishing hours are limited only by the duration of your stay in camp.

Far from roughing it, Yantarni accommodations are in heavy duty wall tents with wood floors wood burning stoves, electric lights, carpet, and comfortable beds with sheets and down comforters. There is a common bath/shower area with unlimited hot water and a spacious dining tent with common area for relaxing. A number of Yantarni camp options are available including combo lodge/camp, full camp and lodge with a camp overnight packages are available. Please call for details.

In addition to fly-out fishing, Crystal Creek Lodge also offers a variety of other activities designed to take advantage of surrounding natural beauty. A few examples are guided wildlife tours centered around bears, walrus, sea lyons and a multitude of birds. You might also spend an afternoon exploring the local watershed in a kayak (single and double kayaks are available at the lodge for guests’ use), hiking, or enjoying a guided cultural tour.

Our Services are Free!

All rates based on double occupancy accommodations

The entire lodge can be rented by private groups upon request. Please call or email for prices and availabilty.

These Rates Include: Transfers between the King Salmon airport and the lodge, accommodations as described, daily guided fishing, daily housekeeping, laundry service (mid-week), all meals, use of the lodge’s rods, reels and waders, all flies and lures, preparation and packaging of harvested salmon.

These Rates Do Not Include: Airfare to and from King Salmon, gratuities, beer, wine, and liquor, fishing license, fish or game stamps (in season), massages

Bristol Bay Lodge, for nearly 50 years, has helped define Alaska wilderness fishing. Bristol Bay Lodge overlooks Lake Aleknagik and the surrounding mountains. The lodge is strategically situated in the heart of America’s largest state park: The Wood – TikChik Park, as well as the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, giving Bristol Bay Lodge the advantage of being utterly surrounded by pristine wilderness. The lodge’s proximity to the watersheds within Wood-TikChik Park and Togiak National Wildlife Refuge means less travel time and more time catching fish.

Bristol Bay Lodge has been in operation since 1972. Over that time the lodge has worked hard to establish and keep access to the best fishing in the parks. Briston Bay offers diversity of species and fishing methods. Bristol Bay Lodge is the best place for anglers looking for the complete Alaska fly-out experience.

Three hundred and fifty miles southwest of Anchorage lies Bristol Bay and its vast watershed, home of the finest freshwater sport fishing in North America. In the heart of the watershed lies Wood-TikChik State Park, containing 14 major lakes and their connecting river systems. Guests at Bristol Bay have access to this entire pristine Alaskan fishery. The Kanektok, Goodnews, and Togiak rivers are among the most productive in Alaska. Chinook (king) salmon, sockeye (red) salmon, chum salmon, pink (humpy) salmon, coho or silver salmon, Dolly Varden, arctic char, arctic grayling, rainbow trout and northern pike are all present in vast numbers at various stages of the Alaskan fishing season.

Each night at Bristol Bay Lodge, guests get together with their guides to schedule the following day’s fishing. Bristol Bay Lodge guests also have the opportunity to fish two of Alaska’s most renowned rivers, the Agulowak and the Agulopak, inside Wood-TikChik Park. These rivers provide productive fishing for

spotted Alaskan rainbows, grayling, char, and Dolly Varden all summer long. They are also host to the single largest sockeye salmon run anywhere in the world. On average, several million fish return to the Wood-TikChik lakes system and surrounding watershed every year. Bristol Bay Lodge guests generally begin catching the first sockeye around the 4th of July. Dry fly fishing, nymphing, and streamer fishing are all productive techniques at different times during the summer.

Additionally, just a short boat ride from the Bristol Bay Lodge’s front door is the world-famous Agulowak River, celebrated for its productive Alaskan rainbow trout fishing as well as its populations of grayling, char, Dolly Varden and sockeye salmon. Being able to access such productive fishing by boat is also a safeguard against the inevitable days of un-flyable weather, during which many other lodges cannot fish.

Much of Alaska’s best fishing water is accessible only by floatplane. Bristol Bay Lodge flies guests to their fishing destination in legendary DeHavilland Beaver floatplanes. These airplanes are comfortable and reliable, earning the nickname “workhorses of the North.” Each aircraft is in excellent condition and all are well maintained throughout the entire season.

Bristol Bay Lodge employs three pilots through the summer. Each pilot has more than three decades experience flying in Alaska and some have flown for Bristol Bay Lodge for more than 16 years. Jet boats are kept on many different rivers during the season for easy access to the most productive fishing waters. The boats ensure prompt, easy and comfortable access to the prime fishing grounds.

Bristol Bay Lodge’s two outpost camps give it another advantage that no other Alaskan fishing lodges can offer. Bristol Bay is unique in providing the opportunity for guests to enjoy two intimate, comfortable (recently upgraded) outpost camps situated on private water (an extremely rare commodity in Alaska). A maximum of four guests overnight along side these private streams, affording the opportunity to fish all night under the midnight sun or just enjoy sitting around the campfire in the middle of a vast Alaskan wilderness. Nevertheless, a full staff is always on hand. Both camps have fixed beds with fresh linens warm full sized, fleece-lined sleeping bags, heaters, running water, and full service lavatory. Each camp also has three guest tents, accommodating two fishermen per tent, as well as a cook’s tent where breakfasts and dinners are served. The camps are staffed full time by two experienced guides and a camp chef to take care of all of your needs. For many guests, this overnight experience is often the highlight of an otherwise unforgettable Alaskan fishing trip.

The main lodge at Bristol Bay accommodates up to 26 guests per week. The well-appointed facility offers casually elegant wilderness living filled with creature comforts and an atmosphere of camaraderie. The lodge is equipped professional kitchen, the dining room, a large living room and bar, a library and a huge fly tying bench laden with everything one needs to tie quality flies suited to the surrounding rivers.

The famous see-through fireplace is fronted by a panoramic view of Lake Aleknagik. In warm weather the lodge’s decks are the favorite gathering places for appetizers, cocktails and weekly barbecues. The hot tub and sauna get heavy use after fishing. Set around the lodge, but private in every regard, are four cedar cabins, often used for small groups or families.

Our Services are Free!

Bristol Bay Lodge 2020 Rates

The 2020weekly rate at Bristol Bay Lodge is $10,850 total, per person per week, including private charter.

Included: The price includes all meals, lodging based on double occupancy, fully guided daily fishing excursions(one guide per two anglers), R/T airfare Anchorage/Dillingham; all fly-outs; round-trip transportation between Dillingham (Alaskan port from which we transport guests to the lodge) and the lodge, fishing license and King Stamp, all waders, boots, rods and reels, all necessary lines and lures, professional vacuum sealing and preparation of salmon for shipping home, airline approved wet-lock fish box, Alaskan visitor’s fishing license.

Not Included: The price does not include transportation to/from Anchorage to/from home city, accommodation in Anchorage, terminal tackle — flies, lures, lines, etc. (these are available for purchase in our tackle shop), alcoholic beverages and gratuities.

*An additional fuel surcharge may apply.

EACH MONDAY THE LODGE TAKES 4 TO 5 GUESTS. THE RATES ARE THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS SATURDAY.

FAMILY & SPECIAL WEEKS:
Family Week – Contact us for dates
We used to call this Father/Son Week but had requests for mothers, daughters, son-in-law’s, cousins, nephews and grandchildren too!

WEATHER: June temperatures are usually warm, 60-70 degrees, and Bristol Bay experiences lengthy days . . . almost 20 hours of daylight.

FISHING: The lodge enjoys excellent fishing for all resident species at this time. Some of the lodge’s best catches of arctic char, dolly varden, rainbow trout, lake trout, northern pike and arctic grayling occur in June. You’ll also be fishing for king salmon, chum salmon, and will have a good chance at sockeyes.

Midsummer Family Week – Contact us for dates

Bristol Bay has an increase in demand for family weeks at different times of the season with children so busy with other summer activities. The lodge gets many three-generation parties. Midsummer offers warm weather and lots of fish. Many catch rainbows and grayling on dry flies. The sockeye salmon are in by the millions and the dolly varden run is in high gear — 50 dollies a day is not uncommon. This is a great time to bring the family and introduce them to fly fishing or further their experience.

PRICE: The ‘head/heads of the house’ or adults fish at our regular rate of $10,850 and the “children” for 50% or $5,425. These rates apply for up to 2 parents and 4 children per family group.

WEATHER: Late July and early August temperatures are normally between 55 and 65 degrees, and the days are still lengthy for long fishing hours. While generally sunny, rain is a definite possibility at this time of year.

FISHING: All resident species are available, with excellent dry-fly fishing for rainbow trout and grayling. The sockeye and pink salmon are running, as are the sea-run Dolly Varden. There is also a chance to catch an early silver salmon.

The Arolik River, near the Kanektok in Western Alaska River, is as clean, clear and pristine habitat for spectacular leopard famous for it’s rainbow trout and all 5 Pacific Salmon as you’ll find in the world. There is no lodge on the Arolik (anglers sleep at Alaska West) and no guided anglers other than Alaska West clients are allowed on the river.

Long held in secure stewardship by the Yu’pik elders of the Native Village of Quinhagak, some five miles to the north, the Arolik River runs through Alaska’s remote western coast. The Arolik is an intimate lake born stream heading from the Ahklun Mountains and terminating in the Bering Sea. From the foothills at Snow Gulch it is braided on much of its run as it cuts through the tundra while being shrouded by willow, alder and cottonwood shrubs with many grass-lined banks.

The Arolik is fished from the Alaska West camp, located on the Arolik’s “big sister,” the Kanektok. Both rivers have clear water, easy wades, and a plethora of fish. The Arolik also has all five species of Pacific Salmon, Dolly Varden, Char, and a particular abundance of the well conditioned, acrobatic and broad-shouldered Leopard Rainbows.

The Arolik is so clear, the small stone and pebble riverbed seems to have no water flowing over it. The resident Alaska trout must camouflage themselves against the river bottom to protect themselves from predators. This survival effort has produced some of the most beautiful Leopards you will ever be lucky enough to see. The lack of easy hiding places for these trout and the clear Arolik water creates sight-casting opportunities. Native Arolik Rainbows will take a variety of wet and dry flies, including mouse patterns, leeches, egg patterns, flesh flies and occasionally some caddis and stoneflies.

The clarity of the Arolik’s water, its grassy banks, and the aggressive leopard rainbows make it a great place to fish mouse flies. The Arolik trout are so aggressive, especially for a big meal like a mouse, due to the few short months the leopard rainbows have in the feeding season. Fishing mouse patterns is all about fishing big flies for big, explosive takes. While the Arolik can be very productive, rainbows can also be challanging. The Alaska West guides have spent years figuring out their habits and really know the Arolik River.

The Arolik subscribes to the strictest conservationist angling ethics. It is fly fishing only; catch and release is a strict exercise for all trout and all other species. Rod count per day is restricted to maintain the integrity of the Arolik’s pristine exclusivity and minimize any human impact.

Anglers fish the Arolik two to a boat. An experienced, registered guide captains each boat. All aluminum flat bottom boats are use, which are propelled by jet driven outboard motors. These craft are able to navigate in very shallow water, availing more water to anglers than is accessible via other means. The boats are light enough to row effectively, making powering up river and rowing down a common method of pursuit.

Arolik clients are accommodated at the Alaska West tent camp on the Kanektok River. The Arolik anglers are transported from the Alaska West camp daily, by boat down river to Quinhagak, then by vehicle on a road from Quinhagak to the mouth of the Arolik, then again by boat upriver on the Arolik. This entire trip will take an average an hour or more, depending on the final destination on the Arolik. There are no structures whatsoever on the Arolik, which is the way anglers fishing there prefer it.

Back at Alaska West you will have all the basic necessities of the serious angler: a floor at your feet, a bed in a heated tent and a roof over his head. Guests will be able to hear the birds through the walls and the midnight sun will light their rooms in July. Guests shower in privacy thanks to shower tents and a large supply of hot water.

For your dining pleasure, Alaska West offers “camp cuisine.” It isn’t what we would call gourmet, but it is prepared skillfully and creatively in a fully staffed kitchen. The serious angler will find few culinary shortcomings. Dinners are an enjoyable and fitting end to an active day of catching fish.

Now you see why it is named it simply “The Arolik” and tagged Alaska’s Private Reserve. The uniqueness and exclusivity that is the Arolik is an experience outside of commonplace. Be one of the lucky few anglers to experience this unique, pristine fishery. Come visit this secret and special place that is the Arolik. Space is limited to 6 rods so please book early.

 Our Services are Free!

Trip packages are all-inclusive and start from Quinhagak, Alaska. Please contact Angler Adventures to request a current quote. Since the Arolik is fished from the Alaska West camp on the Kanektok, most anglers divide the week between the two rivers.

Alaska West stands out as one of Alaska’s premier camps, and in a state that abounds with world class fishing camps, that’s saying a lot. The camp sits on the Kanektok River which runs 110 miles from Kagati Lake to the Bering Sea. One of the Kanektok’s true strengths as a fishery is its relatively small size. This is a very “wader friendly” river, and perhaps one Alaska’s best to target king salmon on a fly rod. Many larger rivers require a boat and very heavy gear to target kings. Flyfishing from bank, beach or gravel bar for huge king salmon is a world-class fishing experience that few other lodges can offer.

The Kanektok is considered by many to be Alaska’s best allround river hosting impressive numbers of all the major anadramous and resident species. All five Pacific Salmon species – including king, pink, chum, silver, and sockeye – surge past the Alaska West campsight every summer in huge numbers. Since the camp is less than four miles from the river mouth, these fish are fresh from the sea, bright, well-fed, and tireless fighters. To be sure, many will be very thankful that the camp loans out tackle to replace broken rods; these fish won’t come in easily. Fishermen are taken out in pairs with a guide on an 18 foot, jet-powered skiff each morning. The angler should not be surprised at landing over twenty fish in a day and will get used to having sore arms at dinnertime.

Dolly Varden, grayling, and arctic char are also abundant on the Kanektok, as is the spectacular Leopard Bow. This magnificent strain of rainbow trout, is so nick-named for the dramatic and thorough speckling. Rainbows are abundant to about 26-27 inches in the Kanektok River.

Alaska West’s camp itself is comprised of heated guest tents, shower tent, and a roomy dining tent. All meals are included and are clearly prepared with the hardest working of anglers in mind.The Alaska West Camp is not easy to access. Plan on at least a day and a half of travel to get there. Even from Anchorage, two more single-prop flights, connecting in Bethel, must be taken before arriving at the mouth of the Kanektok. The last leg of the trip is over water, motoring up river to the campsite several miles inland.

This is wilderness fishing at its best; tracking across such a formidable expanse is all part of the experience. Keep in mind that Alaska West owes its abundance of salmon to its location on the extreme outskirts of civilization. Upstream from the camp are miles of flat, uninhabitable scrub, punctuated by thousands of glacial ponds. Dense, weathered thicket extends downstream and dissolves into the Bering Sea.

Despite the sun sometimes shining 22 hours per day, it is cool this far north even in the summer. Bring dependable rain gear and plenty of warm clothing: short sleeves are practical during infrequent periods of morning sunshine; shorts will only take up space in your bag.

Fishing starts as soon as the boat lands and even the weariest of the maximum eighteen guests will spring for his rod. From this moment on, fishing ceases only briefly for eating and sleeping. Anglers rise early to gobble a quick breakfast, pack a lunch, and pass through the heated wader tent. The first fish are hooked before 8:00am. The rest of the day is spent in pairs, exploring miles of pristine water on small skiffs with jet-powered outboards and one shared guide. These guides have to be truly committed to work in such an isolated spot and are happiest when they are able to show the guest exactly how much the Kanektok has to offer, including a streamside lunch of your freshly caught fish. All flies and leaders are provided to guests at no charge.

Boats arrive back in camp around 6:00pm with just enough time for fishermen to freshen up in the heated showers and commune in the dining tent. After dinner the true enthusiast has hours of daylight left to work the river on foot. When at last his arm is exhausted, the angler will return to his heated tent with wooden floor, and screened front door. Inside there are two cots with full bedding, a space heater, lamp, plenty of room for standing and for hanging damp equipment, and, thankfully, a mosquito coil. These are simple accommodations but few wakeful hours will be spent within them. The most enthusiastic angler will be put to sleep soundly by these Kanektok salmon.

Our Services are Free!

(Rates Subject to Change)

The 2020 cost for Alaska West ranges between $6,595 per person. The second, third and fourth week of July a special ‘fish with family’ discount is offered. Please call with details.

Included in the rate are: accommodations; meals; soda; flies and lures; a guide/boat for each two anglers; and freezers for storing fish and preparation of fish for shipping.

Not included in the rate are: air fare; fishing license (currently $55)/salmon tag (currently $35); Arolik Days ($100 per person, per day); tackle (except back up tackle if you break a rod), alcohol; tips.