The Nushagak Camp, and sister Wilderness Camp sit right on the banks of two of the finest, least-impacted fisheries in the entire Bristol Bay watershed. To experience this quality of untouched Alaska angling, one normally has to put up with the inconveniences of mobile float trips; rushing through mandatory lengths of stream daily, setting up camps every night, cooking and eating on the fly, and breaking camp each morning…and it seems nothing ever gets dry. At the Egdorf’s operation, you have all the benefits of a river lodge – comfortable, permanent accommodations – combined with the biggest attribute of remote river floats, lightly-fished waters virtually untouched by anyone outside of your fellow camp-mates.

Wilderness Camp is a two day/one night option during your stay, typically fishing well during the months of July and August. Dave will let you know upon arrival if it is fishing well, and as long as weather allows, he will fly groups of two interested anglers there with a guide (who will also do the cooking during the short stay) and let them experience this fishery. Wilderness Camp is definitely about numbers of fish, more than the chance at a lot of larger trout. Trout here average 12-16 inches, and when the salmon are in the prime of their spawning activities, it is not unusual for an adept angler to hook 30, 40, even 50 fish a day! This will be a mix of trout and dolly varden, but there are a LOT of rainbows…and during any given day, you are likely to have a shot at something larger, as well. As with the Nush, fishermen access miles of this smaller stream using jet boats, then getting out and wading the riffles and runs.

Nushagak Camp will be the headquarters for your stay, and many returning guests - particularly those in search of larger rainbows - choose to spend the entire week here. There will be days when the catch rate on the Nush will rival that of the King Salmon River, but not often. The draw here is the much higher percentage of “tanks” – broad-shouldered trout in excess of twenty inches (as well as all the dollies and grayling you care to hook!).

Each morning you will be awakened around 7 am by a knock at your door, a steaming mug of coffee – or whatever your favorite morning beverage of choice may be – and given some time to wake up, get dressed, and amble on over to the dining tent. Here you’ll be fed heaps of delicious “camp-fare” breakfast, and sent staggering back to your tent to prepare for the fishing day ahead. Though the schedule is relaxed and catered to the group’s preferences (with little to no outside pressure on their rivers, there is no need to rush to secure the best water…it’s always just there waiting for you), the guides are normally at their boats and ready to go at 8 am. Each guide is assigned a particular beat, or beats for the day (each beat being far more water than can be reasonably covered in a day by a pair of anglers), and everyone leaves at roughly the same time, but are all headed to very different areas. Typically, you will not even see other lodge guests during the course of your day, such is the magnitude of the water available. Depending on the time of year, you may motor downstream to skate mouse patterns off “woody” banks, or hit the river’s many massive salmon spawning runs; for one day of their week each two anglers will normally get a shot at fishing tiny McGeary Creek, a small and scenic tributary that often holds particularly large trout; if you’re there early to mid-season you may jet upstream and dead-drift streamers through inviting and productive smaller water; or if you choose to fish the King Salmon in July, you’ll wear your arms out casting to and landing beautifully marked rainbows and dolly varden.

Anglers will return to camp around 5 pm, shed their waders, enjoy a hot shower and head to the dining tent for hors d’oeuvres and a cold drink. Dinner is normally served at 7 pm, followed by a time of relaxing around the nightly campfire, and a sharing of the day’s experiences. Digital cameras are passed, stories are embellished, and laughter fills the fading light. It is a good place to be alive, and a fly fisherman…

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