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Edge of the Earth
#12367089
08/01/17 04:03 AM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,446
Dfitz
OP
"Nice Guy"
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OP
"Nice Guy"
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,446 |
I wanted to share our trip to Alaska. My step father Jim has been fishing in Alaska since the late 70's. This is our annual Father/Son trip, we have been going to the same lodge for over 20 years (1991 was the first year he took me) and consider everyone their family. Bud, Chip, Steve, Carol, Adam, Will, Tim are some of the best people you will ever meet, and our friendships have led to other successful fishing adventures. This year was nothing short of incredible. We had clear skies and great temps, the float planes could fly every morning to take us to different rivers and didn't have to leave early to bring us back. The fishing was excellent, it was low water again this year, makes 4 years in a row with warmer summer temps and less snowpack in the winter. And the sockeye run in Bristol Bay was the largest every recorded, so no need to freak out over this weather cycle just yet. The escapement goal for Sockeye is for 500,000 fish to get past the netters and there were over 2,000,000 that had made it past the counter and the run wasn't over, we were there 2nd week of July. All the salmon making it back to spawn is great for the resident fish, lots of eggs to eat this year and lots of smolt next year. Fishing around the lodge gives you a chance to catch big Rainbows, Lake Trout, Char, Grayling and Pike. We decided to fish locally 2 of the days, a good decision. Most importantly, Jim, in his 81 year young body, was getting around like a champ and catching big fish. We spent one morning trolling around the lake for some easy fishing and ended up having non stop action, Rainbows, Lakers and Char were hungry. The rest of the trip was fly fishing. We were "holding our heads right" this year and caught a bunch of trophy fish. It has been many amazing adventures for us, hiking to small creeks for Rainbows, and camping on gravel bars in search of 30" Rainbows, with bears catching salmon within shouting distance (we camped in 2004 on the Upper Nushagak, the fishing was so good for Rainbows and Dolly's that the lodge set up an overnight camp for guests the next year to sleep and get more time on the river) , and catching fresh Kings on the fly in small rivers by the coast. This trip is the highlight of the year for both of us. We call it fishing the Edge of the Earth, it feels like it to us, we are truly blessed to be able to fish there and fish it with our friends. If everything goes as planned and our other fishing friends can make it next year, we are going one more time for a last hurrah, if not it will always be some of the best memories of my life. Please enjoy the pictures IMG_0272 by Fitz, on Flickr P7121343 by Fitz, on Flickr Lake Trout triple P7121347 by Fitz, on Flickr P7121356 by Fitz, on Flickr P7101269 by Fitz, on Flickr P7101274 by Fitz, on Flickr
Don't worry about the mule, just load the cart
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367091
08/01/17 04:04 AM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,446
Dfitz
OP
"Nice Guy"
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OP
"Nice Guy"
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,446 |
IMG_0171 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0155 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0158 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0176 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0218 by Fitz, on Flickr P7111277 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0253 by Fitz, on Flickr P7111281 by Fitz, on Flickr P7111331 by Fitz, on Flickr
Don't worry about the mule, just load the cart
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367094
08/01/17 04:05 AM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,446
Dfitz
OP
"Nice Guy"
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OP
"Nice Guy"
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,446 |
IMG_0292 by Fitz, on Flickr Osprey [/url] IMG_0277 by Fitz, on Flickr Immature Blad Eagle in the middle P7121359 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0302 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0446 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0425 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0387 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0436 by Fitz, on Flickr IMG_0415 by Fitz, on Flickr
Don't worry about the mule, just load the cart
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367117
08/01/17 04:27 AM
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,067
McKinneyLonghorn
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,067 |
Looks like an awesome trip. Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367130
08/01/17 05:12 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 882
Naggler
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 882 |
Thanks for the awesome pics...what a trip!
"Ahhh, yes yes...who has time? Then again, if we never take time, then how can we ever have time?"
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367134
08/01/17 06:00 AM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,146
Robert Hunter
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,146 |
Great fish Andrew glad you got around to posting them. Will start looking at going on the next run up there for sure!!
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367321
08/01/17 12:53 PM
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 728
split cane rod
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 728 |
Tikchik Narrows Lodge..... What an amazing place! Some of the most pristine wilderness I have ever seen. Fitz, your photos are spot-on when it comes to showing the amazing fishing. As you said, the excellent staff makes the experience even more special.
You probably remember the summer I worked there, we had some of the worst weather they'd had in a decade. The guides and pilots worked their tails off. We still sent people home with the experience of a lifetime.
This place is, most certainly, a bucket list item for me.
Thanks for sharing.... And bringing back some wonderful memories for me.
JR
Split Cane Rod
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367394
08/01/17 01:33 PM
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Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 13
SightCastFishing
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 13 |
Awesome. You got some great pictures of that rainbow! Looks like one hell of a trip.
Sight Cast Fishing
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367730
08/01/17 04:33 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 92
Texjbq
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 92 |
Awesome trip report! Thanks for sharing and posting.
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367742
08/01/17 04:40 PM
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 563
1960texan
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 563 |
Fitz, all I can say is WOW! Sounds and looks like you had an amazingly good time. I would imagine that quite a few of us are secretly planning trips to Alaska now!
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367815
08/01/17 05:40 PM
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 4,541
J-Moe
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 4,541 |
INCREDIBLE post and pictures I'm jealous for sure.
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12367912
08/01/17 06:53 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 293
mickeytfc
Angler
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Angler
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 293 |
Great pics, simply awesome!
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. Henry David Thoreau
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12368145
08/01/17 10:29 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,446
Dfitz
OP
"Nice Guy"
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OP
"Nice Guy"
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11,446 |
Thanks everyone for the nice words
Don't worry about the mule, just load the cart
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12368845
08/02/17 04:01 AM
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 2,106
Ledeez
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 2,106 |
Teamgetsome$$$
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Re: Edge of the Earth
[Re: Dfitz]
#12368856
08/02/17 04:17 AM
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Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 8,487
Smurfs
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 8,487 |
Awesome pics, thanks for sharing. I won't be posting any of my pic's now!
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