There is a certain allure in traveling to new places. Whether exotic or mundane, a new destination can always remind us why we travel. I am inspired by people like my mother, who travel the world for the experience and a growth in understanding of other cultures.

For fishermen there is a similar draw to the new. The first float on any river always has me wondering what fish or obstacle lies around the corner, much as a saltwater charter into yet unexplored territory can lead to new discoveries. Last month, I took the Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Whittier to Cordova with my wife and we both experienced the childlike curiosity of being in a new place.

For me, though, there is comfort in going back to a destination that I have enjoyed and found success. For the rainbow junkie in me, this place is the Naknek River. In such a large, dynamic system, there are always new lessons to be learned.

Last fall, my brother-in-law Wayne Norris and a friend, Alan Remsen, joined me on a trip to the Naknek River and Bear Trail Lodge. As usual, it felt like home. We are always glad to see Morry and Donnalee Moorcraft and to be back on the river again. Between Aunt Ollie's special dishes and Seth Barker's hearty meals, we were fueled and ready to fish for trout in the big river. Combining fall temperatures, winds, and unusually high, off-colored water, the system was more daunting than any of our previous experiences.

At the outset, we were having problems finding fish. At the end of the first day, we had landed two trout. One was in the mid-20 inches range and gave us some hope that we might find fish. On Day 2 we were blanked. Skunked. Not one nibble. When you spend a whole day on a river in which you have caught many trout on many occasions and catch nothing, you naturally begin to question your ability and sanity.

Fortunately, necessity is the mother of invention. Being such, we began to try an ever greater number of new spots and settled into a hole now known to us as "Wayne's Hole" Once there we began changing presentations and patterns in an attempt to find the right combination.

Alan started us off by catching three trout, each a bit larger than the last, each coming to hand in about 20 minutes of fishing time. All three of us then fanned out and began to work the different slots. Finally, I started seeing some action and when the 5th fish in about 10 casts bent my rod double and began to race downstream, I knew that we had found what we were looking for. Measuring 31.5 x 16 inches, it was one of those rainbows that you remember for a long time.

We had just a little time the following morning to fish, so Wayne and I motored to his hole at daybreak. He began to catch one fish after the next, and when we decided that we had time for one more fish, he hooked his trophy. A coordinated effort yielded a 30- x 16-inch trout, a picture of which now hangs on our trout hall of fame in the Anchorage office.

As I look at it now, I'm reminded that even the most familiar fisheries keep their secrets well.  And sometimes, when taking the time to revisit a favorite spot, you can find an entirely new experience waiting for you, which for both travelers and fishermen is the greatest reward.

~Marcus Weiner
Publisher