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For those
of sound and sane mind, winter in Alaska is a time to tie flies, sharpen
hooks, and oil reels. It’s a time for snowmachining, skiing, and ice-skating
and is generally the time to catch up on the neglected sleep left over from
the fishing season. At gatherings around the fireplace, you’ll hear stories
of the trophy rainbow or barn-door halibut caught when the rivers were open
and the ocean was a bit friendlier. It’s usually not the time for fishing.
Wait—not the time for fishing? You must be mad!
We at Fish Alaska all too often find ourselves restless during the dead
of winter and looking for new places to jig through the ice. Have you ever
wanted to go exploring for new ice-fishing locations? You’d like to take
some friends or the family but find yourselves with not enough snowmachines
and looking at a lake too far away to reach by hiking. In pursuit of a
solution, we decided to try a different tool—the Argo.
THE CONCEPT
The Argo is a multi-purpose vehicle designed to travel through
diverse terrain. The essential design is a six or eight-wheel-drive,
amphibious off-road vehicle which can transport up to six people. There
are six different models available in the Argo line (see
www.argoatv.com),
providing different engine sizes, load capacity, towing capacity,
seating capacity, and weight. Options are many and include: 3,000-pound
winch system, hardtop deluxe with hard doors and slider windows,
extended axle dual tire kit, camouflage soft-top, gun rack mount,
running lights, fold-down windshield, windshield wiper, 81-inch steel
snowplow, roll-over protection system bars, and manual dump box. As you
can see, the Argo has options for most applications.
For our trip, All Seasons Argo in Anchorage (www.allseasonsargo.com)
provided us with an 8x8 Conquest and an aluminum hauling trailer. The
Argo was equipped with tracks over the wheels, an enhancement that
improves performance in the snow. To pull the trailer that carried the
Argo, we acquired a Dodge I-ton longbed, extended cab pickup from
Anchorage Chrysler Center in Anchorage (www.alaskatrucknet.com).
Equipped with the tools of travel, our party headed north to explore
some lakes in the Mat-Su valley. Our goal was to bring Fish Alaska
magazine readers the inside scoop on traveling in style across the ice.
THE TRIP
Four of us embarked on an early morning journey north, and by
sunrise, we had climbed aboard the Argo and headed for frozen water in
the Nancy Lake area. One reason we chose to field test an Argo is that
we find ourselves fishing in larger groups much of the time. Two can
ride on a long-track snowmachine but will probably have trouble in
deeper snow. We comfortably fit four in the Argo, stuffed all of the
gear in the trailer, and were plowing through three feet of snow with
ease.
The Argo easily handled rougher terrain, and we were able to climb
most hills in and out of different lakes. In all, we traveled about ten
miles across six different lakes, found some good fishing, and were
pleasantly impressed with the ability of the Argo to create trail and to
transport four large men over hilly terrain. Plus, we did not experience
any problems with the vehicle in the field. It always started and ran
reliably, and accelerated and stopped effectively no matter the
condition of the driving surface. It was also quite entertaining to
rally in the snow without the trailer.
OUR OBSERVATIONS
The Argo handled well in the snow, and as it is also an amphibious
vehicle, it serves as a very safe means of travel when fishing at ice-in
and ice-out when the possibility of open water exists.
As a crossover tool for hunters, the Argo offers superior winter load
hauling capacity to other conventional means, i.e., your back, a
snowmachine, a dog team, etc.
The aluminum hauling sled that we used was very effective—it always
remained upright, followed the Argo very well, and provided enough cubic
footage to store all of our gear. The track system provided for
outstanding traction in the snow.
An Argo would be a valuable tool in transporting materials to a
remote cabin site.
The Argo corners very well—forward left throttle and back right
throttle will make a sharp right-hand turn that will proceed into a
180-degree and then 360-degree spin if you continue. Use caution since
it is a moving vehicle and practice before you transport friends and
family.
RECOMMENDATIONS
At 7 a.m. on an Alaska winter day, it is cold. Spend the extra money to
get a top on the Argo to keep you warm.
Go for the larger model of Argo—it will allow you to comfortably
transport four large people and will provide more space for gear.
If you plan on using the Argo in the winter, you might consider two sets
of tracks for the wheels. They really got the job done in the snow.
Alaska can present harsh conditions, especially in winter, and an Argo
has the capability of taking you places that you will not be able to walk
out from in a day, so plan accordingly. Bring a thorough tool kit,
replacement parts, and overnight gear. Be safe, not sorry.
This probably goes without saying, but read the owner’s manual. Plan your
necessary maintenance and avoid any major pitfalls by knowing the machine.
Marcus Weiner is publisher of Fish Alaska magazine. He can be
reached at
mweiner@fishalaskamagazine.com.
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