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I’ve always dreamed of going to Alaska.
As a young angler in the UK, twice a year I would receive bundled packages of Fly Rod & Reel and Fly Tyer magazine from my great Uncle Carl (the only other fisherman in the family).
I’d gaze deeply until tranced by photos of strangely shaped and glamorously colored Salmonids backdropped with snow capped mountains in far far away places, so alien from the species I grew up chasing.
I knew back then that being there in those photos myself was an unachievable dream, but that was over 40 years ago. How beautiful life is. I’m still struggling to inwardly digest that those pictures came to be my reality this year.
Two seasons ago, mid season guiding on the Yucatán, I met a charming young couple in the village of Mahahual. Chapin (Chip) and Skylar (Sky) Lamont had guided 7 years for another outfit in Alaska but now had been given the opportunity to build their own lodge, yup! You read it right, build their own lodge!? If this sounds like a dream job or in any way easy, call me, this article is too short to explain.
The new lodge should be open next season and is called Katmai Sky Lodge, it’s idyllically placed amongst some of the best fishing and Bear watching areas in Alaska.
What these guys have taken on and are achieving is like nothing I have ever witnessed before. It’s remotely placed between King Salmon and Brooks falls, 26 miles from the nearest neighbour and every single nut, bolt, tool and piece of timber has to be flown in by float plane. Couple this with a short construction season, plans and supplies being largely controlled by the weather, a tall order finding skilled staff during peak season and you’ll realize it’s about as extreme as it gets when it comes to lodge building nowadays.
Chip and Sky came back last season and one afternoon we got the chance to walk the beach, chase a few Bones and we got to chatting about their project. To my delight they asked if I’d like to come up, see what they were building, swing a hammer, hike, fish and get scared by Bears. Having dreamt of this for 40 years how could I say No?
I’m going to Alaska! It’s happening. But what rod(s) do I need? The variety of species and flies to throw at them is way more diverse than all my previous fresh water fly fishing thus far. I feel out of my depth but expert advise was on hand. Sure I could throw a dry fly on a 9’ 6 weight and a good sized streamer on the same rod but could I mend a long line at ease to skate a Mouse or swing a heavy articulated fly on a sink tip in heavy flows efficiently? Would I be able to control a larger (high protein fueled) fish at range in those currents? I was happily out of my comfort zone but very ready to find out.
The guys at Thomas and Thomas suggested the 10’ 7 weight Avantt II, a new addition to the Avantt range. Of course I had a 9’ 6 weight with me but I would find out the 1007 was the only rod I would need.
My first day fishing and I’m in the float plane with new friend Jon Oody who’s guided Alaska but hails from Tennessee as a Musky, Bass and Carp guide. We get dropped off by float plane and hike an hour to a creek that feeds the Naknek river.
I unbag the Avantt and the first thing you notice is its weight in your hand. There’s an involuntary moments pause in disbelief as it feels lighter than what you know you are holding.
The creek was 30-50’ wide and much alike the freestone rivers I’ve fished in the Rockies it’s a mix of wide shallow straight aways with swinging bends on sheer banks with deeper buckets. John says he’s going dry or die for the risers and I’m keen to get in and out of those deeper holes with my depth charging streamers. Line of choice Orvis Hydros Steelhead Salmon WF7.
We both get a couple of smaller resident Rainbows in the first hour or so and John then gets into some rising Arctic Grayling. Having heard that they would eat Mice I was keen to put this to the test. No leader adjustment needed and from the head of the pool I’m casting, mending and skating a large articulated Moorish Mouse fly amongst the creases and back eddies. The Avantt effortlessly translated my arms every movement into correctly placing the line where intended. The extra foot lifting line free from the surface film and replacing it smoothly without overcompensating. Having missed a couple of splashy rises (operator error I’m sure), I’ve hooked one on the Mouse! Those Grayling fight harder than their European cousins and again I’m instantly glad for the rods length helping to steer that fish and that huge sail out of the flow and closer to the bank I’m standing on.
The Avantt 1007 finds a lot of reserve power from the middle section in such moments. Until then I hadn’t felt this during casting, mending and setting.
The fishing got better and better and we would both get multiple opportunities on multiple tactics. It was a rare fishing opportunity how we could both choose how we wanted to catch them. With the Avantt 1007 I didn’t have to change line or really the leader, I could drop in and out of any bucket with a heavy streamer just like I could with a 9’ 6 weight, I could get a great drift on a dry fly or I could skate a Mouse, a very rare fishing day indeed.
One battle with a larger Rainbow Trout whilst stood on an undercut bank, the fish made a long run way downstream, crossed the river and swum up a small carrier on the far bank. Standing as tall as I could, holding the rod way above my head I kept all the line out the water and straight to the fish, fortunately turning him back into the river I hooked him in. I’m not sure I’d have landed that one a shorter rod.
What a way to open my Alaska account! I knew then I wouldn’t be reaching for another rod any time soon. I couldn’t wait to bend it again.
After helping move timber from over there to over there for a day or two Sky, Chip, Jon and I found ourselves at the Sockeye Saloon in King Salmon. We were all staying the night so could have a drink or three.
One of my besties Tommy Fleming who guides at a lodge nearby dropped in. It was actually Tommy that introduced me to Sky and Chip so it was great to all sit together. As it happened Tommy had the next day off as it was the lodges change over day. He said he knew where the King Salmon would be and asked if he could borrow me.
I awoke at the beautiful Katmai Trophy Lodge and shortly after was being driven by a great friend up the turquoise blue Naknek river surrounded by huge amounts of running and jumping Sockeye Salmon. Their belly flops audible above the boats jet engine. My childhood dreams are now fulfilled. A fish would be icing but the cake is already delicious, I really don’t care about fishing at this point, the scenery, the stoke, the Eagles… uffff.
When Tommy shows me the line he wants me to rig and the fly he wants me to throw, I’m again happily out of my comfort zone. In a shallow creek, why do I need such a heavy sink tip and such a heavy fly? “Shut up and do it” was Tommy’s reply. (We go way back and he’s as fishy as it gets so it wasn’t taken rudely).
The line was a Scientific Anglers Sonar Titan 1/3/5 wf7. The fly was bigger than anything I’ve thrown before.
The technique was to strip til you see the fly, one roll cast followed by a chuck and duck. Last thing I wanted was that thing in my ear after last nights beers. The cast were short, 40’ max but the total weight out the tip really made the Avantt call on power from lower in the rod than I’d used before. The rod handled it far better than I expected and encouraged me to focus.
It’s extremely impressive how one rod could both be a dry fly rod and do this activity. I could feel the whole rod bend into the roll cast but it still plucked the fly out the top, the short back cast was easy then pushing forward the rod flexed from the mid to almost the handle and smoothly turned over that shocking pink thing and placed it where it needed to be.
Tommy called it, he said they would be by the log, 2 casts later, the rod comes alive in my hand, an instinctive strip set and I’m attached to a King Salmon. Again, the rod utilized its strength from its lower half and brought the fish close to our bank and Tommy slipped the net under it. He referred to it as a sub-adult. Not a Jack but not a huge one. It didn’t matter to me. I just caught a King Salmon.
A few casts later and I caught a Jack, a smaller fish of 3-4lbs. We released it and went to harvest some Sockeye before getting me back on Chips float plane and back to my remote tent in the tundra.
The next few days fishing were all (thankfully) back to the floating line. Catching a nice Rainbow Trout on an upstream Dry fly above the Bears at Brooks falls and so many Pike on Mouse patterns at the lake at the lodge were the highlights.
I never used any other rod during my 20 day Alaska trip. There was no need. The Avantt 1007 met and surpassed my expectations from day 1. I put it to the test with the King Salmon and if I’d had hooked a 20-25 lb fish I’m confident I'd have landed it. It was more than capable with all other flies and techniques.
I caught 4 new species on my Alaska dream trip, Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling, King Salmon and Sockeye Salmon. I’m going to have to go back a bit later in the season next time for those gorgeous looking Chum and Silver Salmon. The Alaska season is short I’ve learned but it’s very varied. I wouldn’t recommend anyone going there (or any destination) with just one rod but please make sure that one of them is the Avantt 10’ #7.
You might not use another the whole trip like me.
Best fishes,
Nick