Photos by Charles Hildick-Smith
For our final day at Alaska’s Tikchik Narrows Lodge, stayed on the lakes with guide Will Paul, with the goal of catching a big char and a few northern pike. We set up in the narrows, right next to the lodge, as a chill wind blew down from Nuyakuk Lake. The weather had grown considerably chiller overnight, and the fish seemed disinclined to move very far for a fly. We landed a few small char and lake trout before Will suddenly said, “Bear!” and pointed to the opposite shore from the lodge.
A youngish, lanky brown bear was staring directly at us, and then it went back to eating lichens. At this time of year, before the salmon have arrived and berries are avialable, the bears are truly omniverous, eating whatever can offer a few calories. After about five minutes, the bear grew bored of us and ambled off into the willow, so we returned to fishing.
Will slid the boat across the narrows to fish a bucket below a drop-off just a few yards from the lodge’s staff cabins. I cast upstream and made a big mend to give the fly time to sink before it reached the drop-off, so the fly would swing straight across the top of the bucket. On my fourth of fifth cast, the line stopped halfway through the swing, and I set the hook hard. From the reaction of the fish–which was nothing–and the bend in my 8-weight, it was quickly clear that this was a good fish.
After a tough fight, in which the char bull-dogged under the boat and threatened to wrap me around the anchor rope, Will made a great swoop with the net. We idled to the near shore, so we could keep the fish in water as much as possible to get the hook out and capture a few photos. The fish was just gorgeous–very muscular and deep, with reddish lips, white leading edges on it fins, and a slight pinkish hue to its underbody.
That seemed like a good fish to end our morning session, so Will drove us fifteen minutes down the lake toward a rock cliff known as “sad face” because of how it looks from the deck of the main lodge. Below the rocks, a large, shallow bay offered both respite from the wind and a chance to catch northern pike. Charlie, the photographer, is an avid rock climber, so he spent most of the time between fish taking pictures of the various nearby rock faces, imaging climbing routes.
We started with a big red-and-white popper, a classic, but we couldn’t get any bites on top. When Will tied on a Clouser Minnow, however, the first cast produced a savage strike from a smallish pike. A few casts later, another hammer handle devoured the fly. “Time for a bigger fly,” Will announced, and he pulled a long baitfish pattern out of his fly box. Sure enough, we started catching bigger pike, but nothing trophy size. The temperature had continued dropping during the day and was hovering in the lower 50s.
Will wanted to check on another pike spot, so we headed back toward the lodge and entered another bay. We went all the way to the back, and then Will got on the oars to row us along a good-looking bank. But it seemed that the bite was done for the day, as we managed just one little fish from habitat that looked perfect for big pike. After a spectacular week exploring different waters and catching some gorgeous fish, I had no problem tipping my hat to the fish gods, reeling up, and heading back to the lodge to get ready for the Friday night celebration with the staff and other guests.
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Truly amazing! Great reads and photos! Alaska fly fishing is now on the bucket list…
When I fly fish i use a Green Mountain Rod that was the first rod I put in my hand that’s the only rod that feels good to me I would never trade it for a 2,000 one the only one I can fish with please don’t stop making that 9 foot fly rod to me it is the best in the world thank you Wayne and Lucille Sharp