THE ULTIMATE ALASKA FISHING BLOG

4 Things to Do Before You Come Fishing in Alaska May 10th, 2012

Guide Confessions: 4 Things to Do Before You Come Fishing

It’s May. In a few weeks, I’ll head up to the Alaska Rainbow Lodge to meet with Ron Hayes, our guides and all the operations teams that get the lodge ready for business. As I prepare to leave, let me pass on a few things you should do to get ready for your own trip up to Alaska Rainbow Lodge.
 

1. Cast your fly rod. If the last time you cast it was last summer, it’s time to get that rod out and practice, practice, practice. You’ll be very glad you did.

2. Double-check your travel plans. Are all your flights, connections, accommodations and rentals in order? It’s always a good idea to go back over these plans to make sure nothing has changed. Doing so could save you lots of time and money.

3. Take inventory of your equipment and apparel. Go to the packet of information we’ve sent you and study the equipment and apparel list. Get a bag and start packing all the equipment you have, then make a list of things you’ll need. Does your GORE-TEX rain jacket leak? How about those waders and boots? Do they still fit comfortably? Everything on this list is there so you will be warm, dry and comfortable. Take some time to work your way through it sooner rather than later. (Don’t have this list yet? Contact Ron to get it.)

4. Pack a small carry-on. Pack a small carry-on bag for the flight that connects you from Anchorage to King Salmon. In that bag, put your waders, boots, socks, long underwear, jacket, fleece, hat, rod, reel, bug spray, sunglasses and wallet. If bags get delayed, you’ll still be fishing! And that’s what this is all about.

I look forward to fishing with you this summer at the Alaska Rainbow Lodge. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call Ron Hayes.

Best to all of you,
 
Michael Bales
 

Come fishing with the Alaska Rainbow Lodge this year.

 

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Summer Preparations: Checking for Ice on the Kvichak May 10th, 2012

A message from Ron Hayes:

Summer Preparations: Checking for Ice on the Kvichak

 
In a few weeks, a barge with our shipping container full of supplies, parts and equipment will leave the Port of Seattle, head to King Salmon, Alaska, and then up the Kvichak River to our lodge. This one-way trip is thousands of miles and takes several weeks – but the planning and coordination takes months and lots of experience.

How do we get it right? How do we make sure we have everything our customers could possibly need or want? Simple: we plan for anything and everything. Then we back up that plan with another “what if” plan. It just doesn’t make any sense to make a mistake at this point in the game.

When the barge arrives in King Salmon, I’ll be waiting there to meet it to double-check every last detail, all the parts and inventory. Then I’ll slowly fly my float plane up and down the Kvichak River looking for ice. One large piece of ice coming down that river can wipe out everything, from the dock to the barge and planes. I want to see for myself that the river is clear. If the river is clear, I’ll call back to King Salmon and send the barge up.

My crews and I will spend the next several weeks opening up the lodge, getting everything ready for our first customers of the season. The Alaska Rainbow Lodge is a very special place, and my job is to make absolutely certain every customer has the best experience that can be delivered. Perhaps that’s why 80 percent of our guests are returning customers.

If you’re still thinking about the Alaska Rainbow Lodge for fishing this summer, please call me today. We still have openings in June and July. And we prepared especially for you. Come fish with us this summer. Come fish the Alaska Rainbow Lodge.
 
As always, thanks for your business,
 

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From Spin Fishing to Equipment: Ask Michael April 30th, 2012

From Spin Fishing to Equipment: FAQs from Michael

We’ve talked plenty about the experience at Alaska Rainbow Lodge, but maybe you’ve still got some questions you want answered before you book your trip. Here are my answers to a few of our most frequently asked questions.
 

 
Q: Can I spin fish at Alaska Rainbow Lodge?
A: Absolutely! Almost everyone will use both fly-fishing and spin fishing during their visit. Lots of our guests will only spin fish. If you are a classic spin fisherman, this is your lodge.

Q: What if I don’t know much about fly-fishing?
A: If you want to learn how to fly fish, our guides can really help. With about 30 minutes of instruction and practice, you’ll experience what it’s like to catch Salmon and Rainbows on a fly rod. (You’ll catch fish on a fly rod—even practicing.) But if you’d rather spin fish, the choice is always yours, every day.

Q: Should I bring my own equipment?
A: Our spin fishing equipment here at the lodge is about as good as it gets. With top-of-the-line Shimano rods and reels, you can leave your favorite rigs at home, use ours, and never miss your equipment. But feel free to bring your equipment if you want.

Q: When’s the best time to book a trip to Alaska Rainbow Lodge?
A: June and July are amazing at the lodge. August weather can be great, but June and July are our postcard months. And the fishing is world-class stuff.

Our job here at Alaska Rainbow Lodge is to deliver you to the world’s greatest Salmon and Rainbow habitats and help you catch these beauties. The only thing we care about is that you have the time of your life. So grab your spinning gear, and come to Alaska Rainbow Lodge.

Just call Ron Hayes and he can send you all the information you need to book your trip this summer.
 
 

Trips won’t last long. Book today!

 

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First-time fly fishers make a killing April 30th, 2012

A message from Ron Hayes:

First time fly fishers make killing at Alaska Rainbow Lodge!

 
In a previous newsletter, we introduced you to our excellent guide staff headed by Michael Bales. Most of our guides spend up to 300 days a year on the water. Think about that. That’s 300 days on the water, with clients, pursuing a common passion, to become better at each and every facet of this lifestyle. They are among the best guides in the world to help you become a better fisherman. From casting, presentation techniques, approaches to technical water, and matching the hatch to preserving our habitat, our guides will help you in every aspect of fly-fishing. It’s a tremendous asset at your call every moment of every day. All you have to do is ask.
 
We guide many first time fly fishers as well as experts. The great thing about our guides is that they can help the novice become proficient in casting while catching fish. (Try and accomplish that anywhere else.) For the expert, our guides can help you fine-tune any aspect of your approach, from casting to presentation, and if you want, will discuss subtle nuances until you’re both blue in the face.
 
For some, fly-fishing with Alaska Rainbow Lodge is a dream come true. For others, it’s a yearly tradition. But here’s the catch: if you come once, you’ll discover that no matter where you go, nothing else will ever compare.
 
We have the lodge. We have the guides. We have the planes. And we always, always have the fish.
 
All we need is you. Call me today. I’ll book your reservation and send you everything you need to know to come fishing at the Alaska Rainbow Lodge.
 
Call today and thanks,
 

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Evenings at Alaska Rainbow Lodge April 10th, 2012

Guide Confessions: Evenings at the Lodge

The planes have landed. The fishermen have stored their rods, hung up their jackets and waders, and placed their wet boots in our mudroom. Showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, they all gather in our spacious lounge, casually sipping cool drinks while tasting hors d’oeuvres of smoked salmon, fresh fruit and pate. Tales of the day’s adventures, of mighty battles, of fish lost and fish won, fill the room. I can see it on every face. I hear it in their stories – how they describe everything in marvelous detail – hoping that the time, the people and place will forever be remembered precisely as they were. This is my favorite time at the Alaska Rainbow Lodge.

In about an hour, we will all sit down for a remarkable dinner, served course by course with a fine wine. Ron Hayes, our legendary owner, will tell a story spanning 50 years of hunting, flying, fishing and survival in the rugged outback of Alaska that you will never forget. Never.

This is Alaska. This is the Alaska Rainbow Lodge. There is only one Ron Hayes and his stories and adventures will last forever. Just like the memories you’ll make every day when you come.

I look forward to fishing with you at the Alaska Rainbow Lodge. Book your trip today. Call Ron Hayes. He’s looking forward to your call.

 
 

Trips won’t last long. Book today!

 

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Hanging off the Buoy: A Day in the Life of a Lodge Pilot April 9th, 2012

Hanging off the Buoy: A Day in the Life of a Lodge Pilot

by Ken Bethe, Pilot at Alaska Rainbow Lodge

Today, we’ll be flying deep into the Katmai National Park, an incredibly scenic flight through mountainous terrain and over deep blue alpine lakes and streams. It’s been a fine day so far, with great flying conditions. We’ve been fishing this area for the past few days, targeting Silver (Coho) Salmon, Chum Salmon and Dolly Varden Trout on the fly rods.

This isn’t the place for inexperienced pilots. We land at the outlet of the river where it meets the ocean, where tidal fluctuations routinely vary six to eight feet or more, between mean high and mean low. When the tide is out, sand bars are often exposed, and the strong crosswinds, low water and a multitude of other factors challenge even the most experienced pilots.

We taxi the plane up beside two jet boats moored to a buoy, shut off the engine and exit onto the floats in time to catch the buoy and tie the plane to it. Here’s where coordination between the guide and pilot play such a key role. Together, we grab the buoy rope and tie it off to the front cleat on the aircraft float (before the current/wind/tide decides otherwise) trying all the time not to slip off the floats – or be dragged off by the buoy – into the 40-degree water. This requires some pretty quick thinking and movements, any of which could land you in the drink.

Once we get the boats secured to the floats, we unload the fishing gear and lunch paraphernalia, and transfer the guests aboard.

The pilot and plane remain with you for the day, so we can coordinate a timely departure if the weather changes unexpectedly. I usually hang off the buoy while our guests are upstream fishing, and watch the tide ebb and flow. Today there have been a couple seals swimming around the plane, chasing salmon and each other. They’ve been putting on quite a show. I have my door open and they periodically swim up to look me over. I’m sure they can’t figure out what the heck this plane is all about!

I’m always glad to see the boats returning to the plane after a successful day of fishing, and I look forward to listening to the guests tell the stories about the fish they caught and the bears they saw.
 
 

Let us show you the view from up here. Book your trip today!

 

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Book Your Fishing Trip for June & July April 9th, 2012

A message from Ron Hayes: Book for June & July

You need to come fishing with me in June or July.

 
Trust me on this. You NEED to come fishing in one of these months. The weather is the best we have all year, you can dry fly fish and the sheer number of fish is never higher. Here are a few photos to pique your interest…

Call me today. I’ll save a spot for you and your friends.
 

 
 

Yes, there are bears in the rivers you will fish. We watched this big boy for about 30 minutes while fishing the opposite side if the river. He never moved an inch until a salmon came close and then SPLASH! That bear was a crafty fisherman.
 
 

We were fishing for Leopard Rainbows, but occasionally hooked up with a Sockeye. Most of the time we broke off intentionally. But on this rare occasion, this Sockeye was landed on a Sage 6wt. Something we don’t recommend, but it sure was fun.
 
 

This was my friend’s first time to go fly fishing. And his first trip to Alaska. I think he’s hooked, and hooked up with a 28-inch Rainbow!
 
 

That’s Mike Dragon, a guide for Alaska Rainbow Lodge. He’s taking us up the Kamishak to fish for Silvers and Char. Fishing that day in mid August was a National Geographic day. Perfect weather, hundreds of Char and bears just about everywhere you looked. Best day ever with a fly rod.
 
 

Click Here To Reserve Your Fishing Adventure! Or call us at 1-800-451-6198. We’ll answer all your questions.

 

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The Rivers We Call Our Own March 29th, 2012

Guide Confessions: The Rivers We Call Our Own

It’s early March. I’m in Florida at home, clicking through maps on Google Earth, studying the Alaskan rivers in the Katmai National Park area with names like: the Alagnak, Kvichak, Moraine Creek, Upper American, Lower American, Brooks, Kamishak, Egegik, King Salmon, Strike Creek, Nushagak and Naknek. These are just some of the rivers we fish for King Salmon, Chum Salmon, Silver Salmon, Pink Salmon, Arctic Char, Leopard Rainbows and Grayling. There are actually more than 20 rivers close by that we fish and call our own.
 

 
If you’ve been to the Alaska Rainbow Lodge, these rivers’ names will bring back a flood of memories. Did you ever fish the braids on the upper Kvichak? Do you remember a stretch called Bourbon Street? It’s a gravel bottom, fast moving, gin-clear stretch teeming with Salmon and big Rainbows—the perfect place to hook-up double after double. How about Brooks? Remember fishing for Rainbows right alongside hundreds of bears? Could you ever forget that day as long as you live? What about drift fishing Moraine Creek—remember the pilot’s fly-by and the view from the bluff above the river? As you looked into the streams below, you could see thousands of bright red Sockeyes in the currents, and bears splashing up and down the rivers.

You see, this is what Alaska Rainbow Lodge is all about—wild and remote places, rivers stacked with fish, where every single precious moment is an adventure of a lifetime.

Each evening after dinner, I visit with all my guests to plan the next day’s fishing trip. Together, we look at a map of the rivers, discuss any special interests and then make recommendations on where we know that type (species) of fishing is best. An important distinction in the Alaska Rainbow Lodge approach to fishing is the chance to fish a different river every day. Rarely will you fish the same river twice during your trip—unless you want to! This gives you a chance to see as many diverse and spectacular environments as possible during your stay.

From the mountains of the Kamishak to the abundant waters of the Alagnak, the Alaska Rainbow Lodge is looking forward to an outstanding season of fishing with you.
 
 

Let us show you our Alaska – our rivers – in 2012.

 

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What it’s like fishing with Alaska Rainbow Lodge March 28th, 2012

A message from Ron Hayes:

Let’s go to Alaska

 
We are booking trips today. If you’ve been sitting on the fence, thinking about fishing Alaska this summer, now is the time to make the call. Airfares are still reasonable and we still have availability. These pictures from our guests pretty much say it all. So call today. Fish the best lodge in Alaska. The Alaska Rainbow Lodge.

Thanks,

 
 
 

The flight to the Kamishak to catch Silver Salmon and Arctic Char. This may be one of the most beautiful and remote places you will fish on your trip. Each member in our group of four landed about 35-40 Arctic Char in one afternoon. Our pilot landed on the lake at the mouth of the river. Two ARL jet boats were moored, awaiting our arrival. From the plane, we stepped into the boats and traveled about 45 minutes up the winding Kamishak River to a gravel bar. From the moment we stepped onto land we were hooking up with fish after fish. Late in the afternoon, when the guides called it a day, they had a hard time convincing us to stop fishing! This trip, which is just one day, is everything you’re looking for with a fly rod in Alaska.
 
 
 

That’s a big bear. He got that way by feasting on the millions of salmon that swim in front of his nose from his strategic perch by the river. We drifted in front of him on our rafts and he never even paid any attention to us. He was in the zone –fishing with a purpose – just like our entire group on Moraine Creek that day. Cool shot.
 
 
 

This is why we came to the Alaska Rainbow Lodge. Big beautiful Leopard Rainbow Trout. Look at those colors. These healthy wild trout are feasting on the salmon eggs and flesh from the millions of spawning salmon that pour into our Bristol Bay rivers. We caught trout much bigger, but none more beautiful than this one.
 
 
 

This photo is typical of what begins every morning on the rivers and lakes in Katmai National Park. The pilots gently land their Beavers, we unload, get in a boat or walk to a stream close by and the fishing and fun lasts all day. Our guides have this process down cold – because every moment on this trip is precious and they know it! No time is wasted. It’s a beautiful machine, designed to get you to the fish, on the fish and back home – all with a lot of style and class.
 
 
 

The end of the day. Our gang lines up for one great shot and off we go, back to the lodge for a cool beverage, fine meal, hot shower and comfortable bed. If you ever get the chance, go to the Alaska Rainbow Lodge with some close friends, great business associates, your dad and sons – that’s the best way to experience this lodge. Ron Hayes runs a tight ship. After all his years in the business, he’s got this program down to perfection.

 
 

Click Here To Reserve Your Fishing Adventure!

 

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The Pilots of Alaska Rainbow Lodge March 15th, 2012

We’ve taken our time assembling a team of the best pilots available to fly our DeHavilland Beavers and Cessna 180 floatplanes. With over 15,000 hours of logged flight time between the three, our guests can be confident that they’re flying out to Alaska’s best fishing streams with world-class pilots. Get to know them:
 

 

Ken Strickler, Chief Pilot

Ken Strickler has flown for ARL for the past 10 seasons, and has been chief pilot for nine of them. He’s happy to say there hasn’t been a single accident in all that time. After flying in and out of various fishing locations hundreds of times, Ken is an expert at handling the unique challenges of each and every takeoff, flight and landing, and he prides himself on keeping guests safe and at ease throughout every trip.

In 2001, Ken retired from the U.S. Army after 26 years, and now thoroughly enjoys not working in the off-season – spending plenty of time with his family, hunting, traveling and snowboarding.

Chip Ferguson (Pilot)

Chip Ferguson has been a bush plane pilot for the past eight years and a pilot for ARL for the past five years. Chip graduated from Texas A&M Galveston with a marine business degree and started flying while he was in college. You could say that flying is in his blood. His grandfather was a fighter pilot instructor for the Air National Guard and flew P-51 Mustangs. Chip’s father was an aerobat pilot flight competing in Texas and Florida throughout his childhood. Today, like his father and grandfather, Chip is a born pilot and spends every moment possible in the air when he’s not working in Dallas, Texas, in his family’s business.

Ken Bethe

Ken Bethe loves fishing as much as he loves flying. When he’s not escorting guests to secluded fishing destinations for Alaska Rainbow Lodge, he goes home to northwest Arkansas to enjoy freshwater fishing for Bass, Crappie, Stripers and more. He’ll occasionally spend a month or two in New Zealand’s South Island, sight fishing for giant Brown Trout and enjoying the Kiwi hospitality, while holidays are reserved for his children and grandchildren. By March, he’s looking forward to returning to the Alaskan summer.

 
 

Our capacity is limited. Don’t miss your chance to make this year the year of the greatest fishing trip of your life (until your next trip with us, that is)! Book your Alaska fly fishing experience today.

 
 

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