Welcome to Alaska

Location, Type of Fishing:

One of the world’s finest fishing lodges, the Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge is located on the wild tundra and wetlands of Bristol Bay’s Alaska Peninsula, some 250 miles southwest of Anchorage. High above the south shore of the clean, rushing waters of the Kvichak River, this picturesque fishing lodge is just downstream from the small fishing village of Igiugig on Lake Iliamna, Alaska’s largest body of freshwater. Navigable by boat for its entire 50-mile descent to the bay, the Kvichak River is one of Alaska’s premier fly fishing destinations for prize rainbows, char and salmon. Home to one of the most productive, wild salmon fisheries remaining in the world, the Kvichak has the world’s largest run of sockeye salmon with as many as 30,000 fish per hour streaming passed the lodge during its peak. Favored among fly fishermen and guides alike for its phenomenal rainbow fishing, the Kvichak is a big river with a uniform gravel bottom that can be fished with snag-free drifts, and is dissected in several spots by many small braids that allow for easy wading. Fly fishing for rainbows is available all season-long, right on the home waters in front of the lodge. While it’s not necessary to go elsewhere in search of fish, most fly fishermen still very much enjoy exploring the various runs in numerous remote areas, affording great seclusion and quietness as well as unbelievable fishing. Day trips to a variety of rivers around the region are just a short hop from the lodge in one of the lodge’s four float planes. Alaska Sportsman’s perfect location offers the best fly fishing for trophy rainbows and sockeye salmon, along with extensive access to char, silver and chum salmon venues around the region, making it one of Alaska’s most complete fly fishing programs.

 

• Season: June- October
• Species: Salmon, Trout, Char, Pike, Grayling
• Rods: 6-11 wt. Fast-action
• Rates: 7 nights/ 7 days fishing $9875.00

                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

 

 

 

What Makes It Special:

When summer runs of salmon begin to make their way into the seemingly boundless variety of rivers and streams around the lodge, hungry rainbows can always be found where salmon are spawning. The incredible selection of waters available for large rainbows in the region during that time will blow your mind. When you discover “secret” streams where trout and char haven’t seen a fly all year, and realize that you’re the only angler fishing to them, you’ll become a true believer. When it comes to unbelievably good fishing, these awe-inspiring locations are truly as good as it gets. Like most lodges, the Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge offers fly-outs. While many lodges simply drop you off at a spot, leaving you alone with miles of hiking between holes, the fly-out program at Alaska Sportsman’s goes a bit further to make your Alaska experience more special. Your guide stays with you and your fishing partner the whole time, keeping you safe and showing you where the fish are, many times bringing in rafts for you to float huge stretches of river. Fishing to pod after pod of strong healthy rainbows can get silly at times, and you might wonder if you’ve found Nirvana. Your arm should be tired at the end of the day from fighting so many strong fish, but you’ll still find it hard to leave when it’s time to go. All fly-outs end with beautiful, wild Alaskan scenery out the plane’s window on the flight home to fish a little more on the Kvichak before dinner. If you still haven’t had enough, don’t worry, there’s still enough time go out after dinner in these long, summer days to catch just a few more.

 

 

Fishing:

After ice-off in early June, big fish drop out of Lake Iliamna into the river in anticipation of the bounty that will be provided by the returning salmon, pushing aside resident fish to take over the best feeding areas. Easily considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most fly fishermen, these trophy rainbows average 24-26 inches, with several extraordinary specimens commonly pushing up well over 27 inches. It’s easy to see why these waters are arguably the best rainbow waters in the state, which speaks volumes when you consider all of the great rainbow fishing Alaska has to offer.  When the sockeye return to the Kvichak at the end of June, the sheer number of fish in the river at that time is nothing short of other-worldly. Fresh from the ocean and silvery-shiny, it’s difficult not to catch one when there are so many around. Sight-fishing to sockeyes is a blast, as you can watch aggressive fish move to take a streamer. You won’t find a better place to fly fish for sockeye in all of Alaska. As hard a fighting sportfish as you can find, these fish are strong and vibrant. There is a limit on the amount of sockeye you can keep depending on the strength of the run, but you will want to keep a few for the cooler as they have some of the best tasting fillets of all of the salmon. The sockeye run continues through the month of July, when the coho, chum and pink salmon begin to arrive in the month of August. Coho, or silver salmon, are prized among fly fishermen for their hard hitting strikes and epic fights that usually have them tail-walking across the surface of the water and getting aerial with a series of spectacular jumps. Pinks and chum, while underrated, can be text-book eaters, taking a well-drifted presentation just like they’re supposed to.

 

Lodge:

From the floating dock on the waters of the Kvichak, follow the boardwalk up the riverbank to the top of the stairs, past the three spacious duplex cedar cabins to the main lodge. There you will find a large chalet-style building, spacious enough to comfortably allow a maximum of sixteen guests to relax and spread out in the coziness and warmth of a beautiful cedar interior. Comfortable seating around the fireplace creates an intimate atmosphere that is perfect for socializing. The dining area and great room each have incredible views of the river and Alaskan wilderness facing the Northwest. The lodge is equipped with a fly tying bench and a small shop, should you wish to bring home something to remember your trip by. One half of each duplex cabin will comfortably sleep two anglers in full-size beds. Each room is complete with private bath, hot and cold running water and electricity available 24/7. Private balconies offer the perfect vantage point for wonderful views, as well as a place to relax and reflect on the great beauty of this unsullied environment. There you will find hooks to hang your waders as well as a place to store your rods outside. Need more room? The Iliamna Cabin is perfect for small groups or a family of four that wants to stay together. Alaska Sportsman’s is all-inclusive, with all meals included in your package

 

Season:

The fishing season opens every year on June 8 just as the rainbows have finished their spawn. Rainbows are hungry and aggressive early in the season. There are some excellent dry fly fishing opportunities for rainbows and graylings this time of year, with fish being taken on caddis and stimulator patterns before the salmon arrive in mid-June, beginning with the chinook. Mid-June is a great time of year to do a combination chinook/rainbow trip, flying-out for the day to fish chinook on another river and returning home later in the afternoon to fish for rainbow in front of the lodge. Not long after the arrival of the kings, sockeye show up in huge numbers to the lodge’s home waters. For fly fishermen, this is the real deal. Not only can you catch a lot of sockeye a short hop from the lodge, but you can also catch some big, fat rainbows setting-up below these runs, eating eggs and sometimes pieces of flesh. The king and sockeye season continues through July, just as the coho, chum and pink salmon are starting to arrive. Late July can be a great time to catch all five species in a single day. While rainbow fishing is productive all season long, August and September can be a primetime for rainbows on the Kvichak. Fall fishing can be some of the best fishing there is for big fish, as rainbows are looking to fatten up before the long, lean days of winter, fast approaching. This is also a great time for artic char.  The river will begin to freeze over in October and the lodge closes after first week of the month.

 

How to Get There:

The flight to Igiugig (IGG) takes about 35 minutes once you’re in the air. Many major airlines service Anchorage, typically arriving at the International Terminal, also known as the north terminal, and the domestic flights usually flying out of the south terminal. It is recommended that you arrive in Anchorage the day before your trip, spending the night in the city before flying out to the lodge the next day. On the day you are scheduled to arrive at the lodge, check-in at the Trans-Northern ticket counter or other private air charter that the lodge may use. The flight to Igiugig takes about 35 minutes once you’re in the air. Lodge staff will be there to greet you when you land at the airstrip of this small fishing village. You will board vehicles to take you to the dock on the Kvichak River. Your bags are packed into the back of a pick-up to be transported to the boat that will take you to the lodge about 10 minutes downstream. Upon arriving at the lodge, step off at the dock and follow the boardwalk to the main lodge where you will receive your room assignment. After settling into your room, please return to the main lodge to get your fishing license and stamps, meet the guides and receive an orientation to familiarize you with the facility, the staff and the fishing program offered at that time. Week-long packages start on Sunday and go to the following Sunday. There are also partial weeks available that begin or end on Fridays.

 

Typical Day:

Your day starts with a fresh, hot coffee delivered to your room. Breakfast begins at 6:30 am, and you are welcome to eat at any time during an 1½ hour window. There is no set schedule at the lodge, which means your guide can be available to start fishing at whatever time you want. The evening prior, Brain Kraft, your manager and host, will sit down with you to discuss what fishing options are available and come up with a plan custom designed for you and your fishing partner. You can decide what type of fishing and how much you would like to do. It is a good idea to set a start time for the morning, so that the guide knows when to be ready. The lodge offers unlimited guided fishing, the guides just need to be in by 9:45 pm that evening to get ready for the next day. You may decide whether or not to fly-out for the day, stay and fish the Kvichak, wade or take a float trip. There is always a wide variety of options available to you at the lodge. If you are flying-out for the day, collect your gear and depart from the dock shortly after breakfast. Should you decide to stay, the guide will meet you when you are ready, departing in jet boats to areas up and down the river sometimes within sight of the lodge. Lunch is a fully-catered affair where you can relax for an hour and a half around midday. If you’re on a fly-out, or you just want to have a picnic on the shoreline, the guides will put out a gourmet lunch in a scenic and remote location complete with chairs and a table. If you’re staying and fishing the Kvichak, you might enjoy taking lunch at the lodge. On a typical day, anglers will fish until about 5:30 pm, returning to the lodge for cocktails and appetizers an hour before dinner which starts at 7 pm. Many will want to take advantage of the long days of the Alaska summer, returning to fish the water in front of the lodge after dinner until bedtime.

 

What’s Included:

Round-trip air to/from Igiugig, accommodations, all meals including snacks, fly-outs from the lodge, guided fishing, fishing license and salmon stamps, Katmai National Park day-use passes, fly fishing gear, flies, beer, wine and soft-drinks. The lodge will also process any salmon you wish to keep, preparing it for travel by first vacuum sealing the fish and then packing it on ice in airline-approved, wet-lock coolers for shipment home with you aboard the plane.

Not included: Round-trip airfare to/from Anchorage, hard alcohol or liquor, and gratuities for the staff and guides.

 

Non-angling Activities:

Wildlife-viewing tours to Brook’s Falls, whitewater rafting, photography tours, birdwatching and fly casting clinics are available for non-anglers. There is a sauna, with massage therapy also available.