Description

Departments

4   Fish Alaska Online

6   Alaska Traveler

10  Creel

12  Fishing for a Compliment

16 Gear Bag

18  Salmon Sense

20  Fly

22  Saltwater

26  Flyfishing

28  Conservation

62  Recipe

64  Ad Index

66  Final Drift

On the Cover

Fish Alaska Publisher Marcus Weiner and Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge owner Brian Kraft celebrating Brian’s flawless rainbow. Thanks to Jeff Pfaender for guiding us onto this sweet fish, and for snapping the photo.

© Fish Alaska magazine

32

Attention to Detail: Next Level Service at Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge by Marcus Weiner

Top-notch. First-rate. Premier. Next-level. Strong words, and appropriate descriptors for one of Bristol Bay’s very best lodges, Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge (ASL) sits on the banks of the world-famous Kvichak River and takes clients to all the great Bristol Bay fly-in locations. Publisher Marcus Weiner extols what make ASL so special.

40

West Side Cook Inlet Razor Clams by Melissa Norris

Though razor clams are not doing well on the road-accessible east side of Cook Inlet, clam populations on the west side of Cook Inlet are still healthy and offer generous harvest opportunity—if you can get there. Publisher Melissa Norris employed Bottom Line Charters for a day trip to harvest a year’s supply of delectable razors on the west side.

48

Where Grayling Dance by Andrew Cremata

There are many places off the beaten path where grayling dance, unnoticed, unpressured, and eager to gulp down almost any fly or nymph you send their way. As with any fishing, though, getting away from the highway is sometimes paramount to finding these gems.

54

Somewhere over the Rainbow “Trout” by John Cleveland

John Cleveland has fished the Naknek a few times in past years and has always enjoyed it, but the megatron rainbows of the Naknek always evaded him—until last fall, when it all came together in a nuclear crescendo while fishing with Bear Trail Lodge. At Bear Trail, the Naknek is just one of many options. John also visited Featherly and Idavain creeks on this trip.