Fishing Day

Bob does not like to bring his anglers to rivers that receive a lot of angling pressure from other fly out lodges; consequently, a day fishing with one of his guides will normally be a pretty solitary experience. The exception is the lower Copper River, as there are two other lodges in the vicinity that also have jet boat access, but there are many miles of river available, and a seemingly endless succession of picture-perfect runs and pools to spread fly fishers out on. Normally you will do day trips here, reaching and fishing the river via jet sled.

The upper Copper River float is an entirely different matter, with mile upon mile of stream with little or no outside pressure. This upper corridor is virtually untouched, it’s pristine banks lush with foliage, and dense with a mix of evergreens and hardwoods. For those willing to rough it a little, spending two days away from the lodge and camping out on a sandbar overnight, we highly recommend this experience; it is like a step back in time.

Bob will have you rise early on those days you are to fish the Gibralter River; after a hearty “Lula” breakfast feast, you’ll load into his Cessna 180, and make the quick flight over to Gibralter Lake, your jumping off destination for the day’s float. Your guide will inflate the small one-man Watermaster rafts, and each person will jump into their own and, led by the guide, ease into the stream’s mouth to begin the downstream descent. The Gibralter is really more creek than river, a smallish stream connecting two major lakes – Gibralter and Iliamna – and is a fun fishery to spend a day on. While you can certainly fish from your raft on the way down, the real action occurs when the guide has you pull to the edge of productive riffles and runs, and shows you the secrets of catching what are largely lake-run trout (coming upriver from Iliamna Lake, or dropping down from Gibralter Lake). Particularly in August and September, this little river can provide almost non-stop action for trout of all sizes; the majority are in the 12”-20” class, but fish in the mid-twenties are often daily occurrences. It is a great destination for novices and experts alike, and most people insist on two days here.

If you would like a shot at Cusack’s secret salmon and char river during your stay, Bob will normally watch for the best weather day, and plan to make a day of it. The flight is spectacular, gradually climbing through tundra hills with cascading waterfalls and frequent animal sightings, finally cresting over the coastal mountains and out over the ocean itself. Though the flight alone is worth the price of admission, the salmon fishing on this remote river is superb, with anglers catching chrome-bright fish only hours from the sea. Bring your camera for this day, not only for the flight, but for the frequent brown bear sightings along the stream. Amazing!

Every day upon return to the lodge, Lula and the girls will have wonderful appetizers ready for you, followed shortly by dinners you will not soon forget. Stuffed, you can waddle over and collapse in the gathering room overlooking the lake, and tell stories from the day as loons call into the dusk outside the lodge. Relax, you are really here, and tomorrow, another adventure awaits…