Thank you Alaska & Wildman Lake Lodge
As an Aussi who has just returned from a truly memorable trip to Alaska might I be given the opportunity to thank all of those whom we met during our trip. We were made welcome by everyone we met and have to say that the fishing wasn't just good it was crazily amazing.
We started with a guided trip to the famous Kenai to target red salmon, what a stunning river particularly so to someone from West Australia where our rivers are akin to streams in AK and only run for perhaps a month or two a year.
Our next experience was at the remote Wildman Lake Lodge a small plane flight south of the neatly named township of King Salmon. The nearest road is 500 miles away and the way you get around is either by bush plane with large balloon tyres or by floatplane.
I chose this lodge as it was the only one offering dedicated wildlife viewing (for my wife) whilst I was able to fish – most of the others apart from one on Kodiak either had wildlife viewing and nothing else or just fishing and they expected my wife to simply tag along and she might?? see a bear of two.
As this holiday was a 60th birthday present to ourselves this lodge was by far and away the best option.
Now I know these lodges aren’t cheap but as this was a once in a lifetime trip we figured we had to stretch the budget – bluntly we should have stretched it further and stayed for the whole week – it was truly that special. Let me put it this way – if I get the slimmest of possibilities to get back there wild horses won’t keep me from getting there.
Our light plane transport landed on the dirt strip and pulled up literally on the lawn outside the lodge accommodation where we were greeted by all the staff.
I was lucky, as the only fisherman in the group that week I had an exclusive guide Peter who immediately asked whether I wanted to go fishing after lunch – you bet I did.
The lodge actually overlooks Ocean River which is spring fed and crystal clear all year around. Now before heading to Alaska I had learned (poorly oh soooo poorly) how to fly fish and the guide offered his personal, top of the line, gear for my exclusive use.
Walking mere metres from the lodge to the “minefield†– an area of shallow gravel bars which run for perhaps 300 yards downstream - I was greeted with the most unbelievable sight, literally hundreds of coloured up spawning sockeye as far as the eye could see.
Peter attached a “lawyer†fly – a purple egg sucking leech and instructed me to drop it immediately behind ‘that’spawning salmon which was not exactly difficult given there were hundreds in view. The weighted fly drifted all of two feet before it was engulfed by a dolly varden and my first fish on a fly was on – a good fight ensued but it was soon unhooked and released.
Next cast a large male sockeye angrily slashed at the fly as it drifted through it’s territory and another hook up and a much harder fight with smashed knuckles from the fly reel stinging like hell. And so it went on all afternoon, crappy cast or not (and there was plenty of terrible casting by me) fish after fish came to hand to be released.
The next day was the same – we jet boated to several places including a tributary containing massive rainbows only to be chased away by a grizzly and two cubs after only one good fish – you do not mess with mumma bears as they are extremely danagerous.
My tally on day two was (we lost count) somewhere in the order of 46 fish, sockeye, a lone silver, dollies and char as well as the single large rainbow – I lost at least double that as for that afternoon we had made it more sporting changing to a two weight light tippet dry fly set up – now that really is exciting – casting to tiny rises only to hook up on really large fish as well as the occasional small one.
Third day started wet and after meeting the remainder of the wildlife viewing group my guide and I walked miles along the black sands Bering Sea noting huge bear tracks and wolf prints bigger that my hand. We collected numerous net float glass balls last used by Japanese trawlers back in the fifties yet still surfacing and floating ashore 60 years later.
As part of the activities at the lodge I got a trip over the smoking caldera of Mt Aniakchak which was clearly visible from the main lodge – we passed over the caldera twice just to ensure everyone aboard the 1957 Beaver didn’t miss getting a good view
Great trip, great accommodation, food, guiding and fishing (catching) – worth every cent and when compared with exclusive lodge fishing in my own backyard – add it to your bucket list – it is a must
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