Retired US Army Sergeant First Class Joe Wesner, here with son Zach, 6, was among multiple Purple Heart recipients who took part in Safari Club International Alaska’s 2025 Warriors On Safari moose hunt near Delta Junction. The experience was so much more than just harvesting bulls for the service-wounded veterans. (CODY YARD)
CORRESPONDENCE X @AKSportJourn Facebook.com/alaskasportingjournal aksportingjournal.com Email ccocoles@media-inc.com
WOUNDED VETERANS’ HUNTS OF A LIFETIME
As we prepare to honor our troops on the November 11 Veterans Day holiday, Tiffany Herrington details the Safari Club International Alaska Chapter’s Warriors on Safari moose hunt near Delta Junction. A group of Purple Heart recipients got to experience the trip of a lifetime thanks to some generous volunteers, but this particular hunt was far more than just harvesting bulls.
31 CASTING AND BLASTING ON THE ALASKA PENINSULA
A chance to try out a new subgauge shotgun on a ptarmigan hunt took Scott Haugen to the rugged Alaska Peninsula and Becharof Lodge, where not only were birds on the menu, but also Egegik River coho salmon. So how did that first-ever Last Frontier outing for a Browning A5 20-gauge go? Haugen shares his gun review as he also recaps a fantastic cast-and-blast adventure.
40
DAD, SON AND D.I.Y. FISHING
Jerry Han and his son Austin wanted to experience a fishing adventure on Prince of Wales Island, and so off they went for some epic halibut, lingcod and salmon action on a do-it-yourself trip. And as Jerry writes, “Probably the best times for Austin and I were during the unguided part of the trip. Going unguided allowed some real quality father/son time.” Jerry shares how his pretrip research made for an even greater Southeast Alaska getaway.
48
LEARN TO FISH ON THE FLY
With winter and the holidays approaching, perhaps learning more about fly fishing is on your wish list for the coming year. A new book from iconic outdoor brand Orvis breaks down the sport for newbies. We have an excerpt from it on hooking and playing trout from author Philip Monahan, a former Alaska guide who also chatted with us about his Last Frontier backstory.
EDITOR’S NOTE
and with the holiday season approaching, he’ll always remember the spinning reel he once received as a gift.
We all remember back to our childhood holiday gifts, some of which still have more meaning than others.
Our Scott and Tiffany Haugen’s From Field to Fire column (page 58) features some of their favorite Alaska-approved fishing swag that would make ideal presents for loved ones. And while I can’t remember getting much fishing gear for Christmas in my youth – sports equipment and apparel usually topped my parents’ shopping list for me – I do recall one special request as a kid.
My buddy John and I were obsessed with casting for trout at our local fishing hole in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, and so we conspired to both ask our parents for new spinning reels, specifically an Olympic reel (John wanted the VS 800 and I preferred the VS 1000 model).
Our hometown had a now-defunct store called Consumer’s Merchandise, and while these days online outlets like Amazon make shopping a breeze, looking back on it, it was a laughable process to shop there. This will age me, but for the kids out there, here’s how it went: You’d thumb through the phonebook-sized catalog in front of the store, fill out a request sheet with an item number and hand it to the clerk. Then you waited.
Consumer’s Merchandise had a conveyor belt leading from the warehouse to the store, and the only way if you knew they had your item in stock or not was if it showed up on the belt. (The
closest comparison I can make from today’s world is patiently waiting with some anxiety for your checked luggage to arrive safely at an airport’s baggage claim carousel.)
After placing my order, sure enough, my reel did magically appear, and whichever parent was with me at the time could breathe a sigh of relief that they had one less present to stress about. Of course, I also needed a spinning rod since I had a spincast model with a cheap Zebco reel that I’d been fishing with, so I had to wait for that luxury. But that was a magical Christmas.
After a warm to sometimes hot summer in the Pacific Northwest and in California, I’m delaying another trout outing until sometime this month around Thanksgiving in Northern California. But I now have a custom spinning rod made for me by friend-of-the-magazine Chris Wegeleben of Olympia, Washington-based Prolite Rod Technology (proliterods.com).
“Every rod I design and build is a reflection of the individual it’s made for. I really pour my heart into these rods,” Wegeleben told me after I tried his creation for the first time last spring.
We’re still about a month and change away from the holiday season, and I know some of your kids, significant others, siblings, nieces and nephews, or even your favorite fishing buddy might want that fancy new reel. But trust me: Amazon makes it a lot easier than it was for my parents! -Chris Cocoles
The editor loves his new Prolite trout fishing rod,
(CHRIS COCOLES)
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SETS STAGE TO BUILD AMBLER ROAD
While the administration of President Donald Trump has suggested it won’t pave the way for the Pebble Mine to ever break ground in Bristol Bay, another controversial Alaska mine-related project could indeed become a reality.
In early October, Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced their intention to reverse a decision made by the Biden Administration to block the permitting process that would construct a 211-mile gravel road connecting the Dalton Highway to the Ambler Mining district, an area of copper and zinc deposits. The road would traverse an area around the Brooks Range that features critical fish and wildlife habitat, some of the best in Western Alaska, if not North America. Opponents worry the road threatens those lands; others see an economic boom.
“The Ambler Mining District is a strategic asset for Alaska and an important pathway to critical mineral development in the United States,” said Representative Nick Begich (R), Alaska’s lone member of the House in Congress. “By advancing this access, we are creating new opportunities for Alaskans while strengthening America’s supply chain and reducing dependence on foreign adversaries for our critical mineral needs. I applaud the president’s decision to support this appeal, and I look forward to working with the administration, state leaders and Alaska Native communities to ensure this project moves forward in a way that benefits all Alaskans.”
But some from within and beyond the state’s borders don’t see the road’s touted benefits. Critics have long warned about the impact the Ambler Road could have on fish in adjacent streams and caribou that migrate in the region.
“It’s glaringly obvious that Trump doesn’t care about Alaskans or our wild places. This private mining road would threaten millions of wild acres in the Arctic, and ramming this project through is a slap in the face to everyone who’s spoken out about its harms,” stated Cooper Freeman, the Center for Biological Diversity’s Alaska director. “The caribou herds migrating through this wilderness can’t take any more obstacles. All Trump sees in Alaska is opportunities for extraction, and he’s willing to leave our state a wasteland.”
Popular sportsman personality Steven Rinella of MeatEater called the decision a “disgrace” in a post on X.
“This 211-mile industrial road will cut through one of the most remote, wild and exceptional hunting and fishing destinations in North America. It’s a direct, immediate threat against fish and wildlife habitat, subsistence traditions and the backcountry experience that makes the Brooks Range unique,” Rinella said.
A White House fact sheet proclaimed that the project “takes extensive mitigation measures, including caribou protection policies and fish passage culverts, to minimize environmental impacts.”
Skeptics disagree given the Trump Administration’s “drill baby, drill” agenda, which has mostly dismissed environmental and conservation concerns for various proposals.
Later in October, the US House and Senate both voted, largely on party lines, to overturn protections in the Bureau of Land Management’s Central Yukon Resource Management Plan. In a joint statement, Alaska’s three members of Congress – Begich and GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan – wrote that the overturning of the plan doesn’t guarantee “automatic approval” for the Ambler Road. But it’s more likely to happen than ever before – even as opposition from Trump’s own side of the aisle is gaining steam.
“I wanna start a niche political party called gun totin’, right-leanin’ tree huggers,” the rest of Rinella’s X post read.
Caribou herds in and around the Brooks Range could be affected if the Trump Administration is successful in greenlighting the Ambler Road across federal land between the Dalton Highway and a mining district 211 miles to the west. It would cut through pristine fish and wildlife habitat. (ALEXIS BONGOFSKY/U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)
AL ASKA BEAT
SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE MONTH
For Kasilof River steelhead anglers, “gorgeous fall colors” means so much more than just the surrounding foliage.
The Last Frontier may not have huntable wild turkeys to harvest for Thanksgiving dinner, but each of the last few Novembers, isolated Southcentral Alaska communities got deliveries of these frozen holiday birds via plane. Follow pilot Esther Sanderlin-Keim’s Facebook page, Alaska Turkey Bomb.
“This project represents years of thoughtful planning, coordination and dedication by our staff and partners. Successfully moving Sitka black-tailed deer from Kodiak to the Kenai Peninsula is a testament to the Department’s commitment to science-based management and enhancing hunting opportunities for Alaskans. Efforts like this help strengthen local food security and ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy and rely on Alaska’s rich wildlife resources. I want to thank everyone involved for their hard work on this project.”
A GRIEVING DAUGHTER’S SPECIAL MOOSE
Hunt’s Alaska
made even more
cancer
Grace and I hunted a few evenings and turned up a few moose. Our hunt lasted the duration of a cold snap in which the ambient temperature hung around minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit. We found a cow and made the stalk into 45 yards. Grace made a perfect shot, literally sending an arrow right through the cow’s heart. It was her first moose and second big game animal with her bow.
It was a great moment for Grace and it became even more special when she dialed up her dad back home. Dave had been battling cancer, though he so wanted to be with us. When Grace called, her dad’s voice was free of any of the hardship he had been dealing with. Dave’s excitement radiated through and you could feel how proud he was of his only daughter. It was one of those moments that you knew would last forever. I fought back tears, as the excitement and enjoyment they shared touched me deeply too. The phone call felt more special than the arrow hitting its mark.
Grace’s dad passed away the following April. In anyone’s passing, it’s hard to understand why. But the moments like that special phone call are the memories we can cherish and smile about as we remember them. -Brian Watkins
–Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang, after the capture and relocation of 19 blacktail bucks and does to the Kenai Peninsula, where there is no deer season currently.
BY
THE NUMBERS
9.3 Million
Pounds of snow crabs commercial fishers will be able to harvest this season, almost double what the harvestable target was last year following two closed seasons, per the Alaska Beacon.
Grace
bull moose was
special as she honored her ill father Dave, who would pass away from
the following year. (BRIAN WATKINS)
OUTDOOR CALENDAR
Nov. 1 Hunting draw application period for 2026 hunts begins
Nov. 1 Deer season opens in Game Management Unit 5 (Yakutat)
Nov. 1
Nov. 1
Nov. 1
Nov. 1
Nov. 1
Resident goat season opens in GMU 8 (Kodiak/Shelikof)
Resident late caribou season opens in GMUs 9C and 9E (Alaska Peninsula)
Resident grizzly bear season opens in GMU 9E (all drainages into the Pacific Ocean between Cape Kumliun and border of Units 9E and 9D)
Resident antlerless moose season opens in GMU 14A (Mat-Su Valley)
Late moose season opens in GMU 15C (southwest of a line from Point Pogibshi to the point of land between Rocky and Windy Bays)
Nov. 1 Moose season opens in GMU 20A (muzzleloader only; Ferry Trail Management Area, Wood River Controlled Use Area and the Yanert Controlled Use Area)
Nov. 1 Moose season opens in GMU 22B (east of the Darby Mountains, and including the Kwiniuk, Tubutulik, Koyuk and Inglutalik River drainages)
Nov. 1-14
Late goat season dates in GMU 7 (Seward; may be announced)
Nov. 1-14 Deer season dates in GMU 8 (bow and arrow, crossbow or muzzleloader only; Kodiak Road System Management Area)
Nov. 1-14 Resident goat season dates in GMU 15 (Kenai; may be announced)
Nov. 15 Late elk season opens in GMU 3 (Etolin Island)
Nov. 16 Youth deer season opens in GMU 8 (bow and arrow, crossbow or muzzleloader only; Kodiak Road System Management Area)
Nov. 20 Late resident moose season opens in GMU 19E (McGrath, Lime Village Management Area)
Dec. 13 Safari Club International Alaska Chapter Christmas Party, Anchorage Marriott, downtown (aksafariclub.org)
For more information and season dates for Alaska hunts, go to adfg.alaska.gov/index .cfm?adfg=hunting.main.
A late caribou hunting season opens on November 1 in portions of Game Management Units 9C and 9E on the Alaska Peninsula. (MELISSA GABRIELSON/ U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)
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FAR MORE THAN A TROPHY
PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS,
VOLUNTEERS
FIND REJUVENATION,
BROTHERHOOD ON ‘WARRIORS ON SAFARI’ MOOSE HUNT
BY TIFFANY HERRINGTON
At first light near Delta Junction, a thin layer of frost glistens across the tents, and coffee steams from tin mugs as the camp stirs awake. The sound of generators hum low against the stillness of the Interior. Inside the mess tent, volunteers move quickly – packing lunches, checking gear, topping off fuel cans and waking the hunters who have traveled thousands of miles for the kind of experience that only Alaska can offer.
This isn’t a guided hunt in the traditional sense. It’s a mission with a deeper purpose.
Each fall, the Safari Club International Alaska Chapter’s Warriors on Safari program brings together a select group of Purple Heart veterans for a moose hunt unlike any other. The hunt, held in the DM795 Unit southeast of Fairbanks, offers 100-percent disabled veterans a chance to experience the Alaskan backcountry with the support of volunteers who handle everything from camp logistics to meat processing. The goal is simple but powerful: to give back to those who’ve already given more than most ever will.
Marine Corps veteran Jamie Lantgen calls it “exactly what I needed; a reset.”
A DIFFERENT KIND OF MISSION
Lantgen joined the Marine Corps in 2004, serving as a scout observer and
later as a joint terminal attack controller with 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company. As a sergeant, he led a firepower control team on deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. On December 10, 2010, during a foot patrol near Sangin, Afghanistan, he was struck by an IED blast that killed his friend, Staff Sergeant Stacy Green, and severely wounded his team.
“I spent nearly two months in the hospital and had shrapnel damage across the entire upper right side of my body,” he says. “Even after all of that, serving as a marine was still the best job I could ever imagine.”
Hunting, he says, has always been therapy. It’s what grounded him long before and after his time in uniform. So when he heard about Warriors on Safari, he didn’t hesitate.
“I’ve been an avid hunter all my life, and hunting moose has always been a dream of mine,” Lantgen says. “After a long guiding season back home in South Dakota, this was my chance to hunt for myself – for once.”
The trip turned out to be more than a hunt. It was a homecoming of sorts.
“The teamwork was seamless, the animals were plentiful and the laughter was nonstop,” he says. “We’d be swapping deployment stories one
For US Army veteran Raul Gonzalez (middle, with friend and fellow Army vet Juan Lara and Sergeant First Class Colton Spradlin of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion and a hunt volunteer), participating in a moose hunt put on by Safari Club International Alaska’s Warriors on Safari program was cathartic after he was wounded in Iraq. “I feel that I’m once again seeing things in bright colors. Sunrises and sunsets give me goosebumps now,” he says. (DAVID
VAN TUYL)
minute and laughing until we couldn’t breathe the next. It felt like we’d known each other for decades.”
For many of the hunters, the bond forged in camp – around the fire, in the field or during the long drives through the tundra – is as meaningful as the hunt itself.
“The highlight of the trip,” Lantgen says, “was seeing everyone harvest their bulls and the joy it brought the group. No competition, no bragging – just genuine happiness for each person’s success.”
OUT OF THE GRAY
Army veteran Raul Gonzalez from Texas describes his time in Alaska as life-changing.
“I arrived in Alaska and didn’t realize how I was not seeing things in color in my life,” he says. “After this hunt, I feel that I’m once again seeing things in
Gonzalez (front) and crew glass for moose. (DAVID VAN TUYL)
The rugged, unforgiving terrain near Delta Junction made for a dramatic backdrop. (DAVID VAN TUYL)
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Gonzalez and Spradlin go over strategies before the big moment for the Purple Heart recipient.
“The experience was out of this world,” Gonzalez says. “Alaska shows you how amazing nature is. Being out there with other veterans, I felt like a young paratrooper again – telling jokes, sharing lunch in the field, breathing in clean air. I was able to forget the stress of the world.” (DAVID VAN TUYL)
bright colors. Sunrises and sunsets give me goosebumps now.”
Gonzalez enlisted in the Army’s airborne infantry and deployed to Iraq with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment in 2004. That December, he was injured in combat. Years later, after hearing about the Warriors on Safari hunt from another veteran, he decided to apply.
“The experience was out of this world,” he says. “Alaska shows you how amazing nature is. Being out there with other veterans, I felt like a young paratrooper again – telling jokes, sharing lunch in the field, breathing in clean air. I was able to forget the stress of the world.”
On the fourth day, Gonzalez harvested his bull moose. But what stayed with him wasn’t just the size of the animal; it was the moment that followed.
“The brotherhood that was shared is a reminder that we still have people who will stop what they’re doing to help out,” he says. “It reminded me of
(DAVID VAN TUYL)
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the military – brothers helping brothers, physically and emotionally.”
By the end of the week, Gonzalez knew he’d found something lasting.
“I made new brothers I’ve stayed in touch with,” he says. “We check in with each other about life, about family. I left Alaska lighter, like I’d handed some of my burdens back to the land.”
VOLUNTEERS MAKE IT POSSIBLE
Behind every successful Warriors on Safari hunt is an army of volunteers. They are men and women who devote their time, energy and resources to making sure everything runs smoothly.
For First Sergeant Justin Taylor, who’s been with the program for five years, the days start early and end late.
“This year I took on more of a leadership role,” he says. “Tasks like setting up camp, making sure meals were ready, restocking medical kits –just keeping the operation running.”
Taylor’s days began at 4:45 a.m.
“I’d load the [side-by-side], fuel it up, grab lunch meals, make sure everyone had breakfast,” he adds. “We’d be on
the road by 5:30 and hunt until dark, sometimes past 10 p.m. Once a moose went down, it was my job to make sure it was tagged, skinned and delivered to the butcher as quickly as possible.”
The work is demanding, but Taylor wouldn’t trade it.
“The most rewarding part is meeting these heroes and hearing their stories,” he says. “To share that camaraderie again is what keeps me coming back.”
He recalls one moment that captured the essence of Alaska.
“I was escorting a marine, Corporal William Hampton, when the quiet was broken by the roar of a grizzly. It launched onto the moose we’d been stalking – 10 minutes of chaos that we’ll never forget,” he says. “It was a once-ina-lifetime experience, and it reminded me why this place is so special.”
THE HEART OF THE PROGRAM
Few people know the program as well as Rusty Craig, one of its founding members and longtime volunteers. He helped shape the Warriors on Safari hunt into what it is today: an
operation backed by SCI Alaska, the state Governor’s Office and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
“Without that cooperation, this hunt wouldn’t exist,” Craig says.
This year, Craig helped lead planning, track logistics and ensure every veteran had what they needed.
“Luck favors the prepared,” he jokes. “But really, when tears of joy are shared among warriors, no words are needed. Seeing their reactions to success is 100 times more rewarding than anything I could accomplish myself in the outdoors.”
He’s seen the program evolve through years of trial and error – becoming more organized, more supported by local businesses and better equipped for Alaska’s brutal weather.
“This year we had heaters for every tent, cold-weather sleeping bags and generators donated by local companies,” Craig says. “SCI Alaska purchased new gear so the hunters didn’t have to worry about baggage or missing equipment. The focus was on the experience.”
Marine Corps Sergeant Jamie Lantgen (with Staff Sergeant Travis Hall, another 49th Missile Defense Battalion hunt volunteer) was hit by an IED blast near Sangin, Afghanistan, in 2010. The bonding among everyone was evident on this hunt.
“The highlight of the trip,” Lantgen says, “was seeing everyone harvest their bulls and the joy it brought the group. No competition, no bragging – just genuine happiness for each person’s success.” (CODY YARD)
Retired
Yes, there were successful harvests of bull moose. But it was so much more than that. “The most rewarding part is meeting these heroes and hearing their stories,” says Army First Sergeant Justin Taylor, who has been a Warriors on Safari volunteer for five years. “To share that camaraderie again is what keeps me coming back.” (DAVID VAN TUYL)
Craig says his biggest hope was that the veterans never saw the stress happening behind the scenes.
“My goal was to give them the hunt of a lifetime,” he says. “I think we accomplished that.”
BUILDING A STRONGER CAMP
If the program has a quiet engine, it’s Kat Steele.
Steele first joined the hunt as a guest when her husband drew a moose tag. What she found was a heartfelt, meaningful experience, but one that could benefit from more structure and visibility.
“I noticed they didn’t have a website or social media presence,” Steele says. “Without that, it was hard for the program to reach other qualified veterans who might want to apply. I offered to help.”
Her media and communications background became an asset. She created digital outreach materials, built a packing list and welcome guide, drafted liability and media waivers, and streamlined communication with nonresident hunters.
“I just wanted to make things as easy as possible before they even got to Alaska,” she says.
Working with Rusty Craig and Louis Cusack, SCI Alaska’s executive director, Steele helped elevate the camp setup.
“This year, we started planning at least six months ahead,” she says. “We had our equipment staged early, and even though the rain slowed things down, everything was ready when we needed it.”
The improvements showed. With help from Cabela’s and local sponsors, every hunter had heaters, insulated sleeping pads, waterproof gear crates and professionally catered meals.
“It made a huge difference,” Steele says. “One night, Louis and his wife even hosted a fish fry with haddock and salmon he’d caught himself. Those kinds of touches make it special.”
Steele says one unforgettable moment came when a grizzly bear interrupted a hunt – a moment she describes as “bone-chilling.”
Another came when a volunteer’s trailer went flat midtrip and the crew
Pulling off this special hunt for special people was a group effort. “The teamwork between the volunteers and hunters is incredible,” says Kat Steele (center, standing) who helps coordinate the event and whose husband is also a Purple Heartawarded veteran. “It’s not just camaraderie; it’s a shared bond that comes from shared experiences.” (DAVID VAN TUYL)
fixed it with NASCAR-level speed.
“The teamwork between the volunteers and hunters is incredible,” she says. “It’s not just camaraderie; it’s a shared bond that comes from shared experiences.”
WHY IT MATTERS
For everyone involved, Warriors on Safari represents more than tags and trophies. It’s about gratitude, giving back and connection to Alaska’s wild places.
“This program proves we’ve learned from the past,” Lantgen says. “Vietnam veterans were often forgotten. Programs like this show we understand now how important it is to support returning and wounded veterans. Something as simple as a hunting trip can have a massive impact.”
Gonzalez agrees: “Warriors on Safari reminded me of why I love this country – amazing people doing amazing things for others.”
For the volunteers, it’s about service beyond service.
“We do this purely to give back,” Taylor adds. “Many of the Warriors stay in touch after the hunt. The bonds last.”
And for Kat Steele, it’s personal.
“As the spouse of a Purple Heart veteran, this is how I give back,” she says. “I’ve spent the past three years missing my daughter’s birthday to be part of this, and my family supports it because they know what it means.
My husband and daughters now hunt together. It’s changed our lives too.”
BACK IN THE QUIET
When camp broke down and the last of the moose quarters were processed, the Delta Junction flats returned to silence. The tents came down, the heaters were packed and the volunteers headed home – tired, proud and already talking about next year.
For the veterans, the memories will outlast the weather and the long days in the field.
“I’ll always carry the memory of harvesting a moose in Alaska,” Lantgen
says, “but even more importantly, the friendships I made and the brotherhood I rediscovered.”
In the end, Warriors on Safari is about more than filling tags. It’s about teamwork, respect and the shared effort that makes hunts like this possible. It’s a reminder that the best rewards often come long after the season ends. ASJ
Editor’s note: Warriors on Safari is a program of the Safari Club International Alaska Chapter that supports 100-percent disabled Purple Heart veterans drawn for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s DM795 moose hunt. The chapter and its partners cover travel, tags, camp, food and processing costs, with volunteer support from local soldiers and community members. Veterans interested in applying can learn more through the SCI Alaska Chapter (aksafariclub.org; 907-9809018) and ADFG's draw hunt application process (adfg.alaska.gov). Author Tiffany Herrington is a Seattle-based writer.
FRESH BLASTS AND SWEET CASTS
TESTING NEW SHOTGUNS FOR PTARMIGAN AND SLAMMING COHO ON AN ALASKA PENINSULA ADVENTURE
BY SCOTT HAUGEN
Aflurry of white wings caught me off guard as I stumbled from one tussock to another. With my body shifting left on the tundra, I shouldered my shotgun and swung on a bird as it moved right. But the willow ptarmigan kept turning fast.
My first shot wasn’t even close. But with my feet set and shoulders somewhat squared, the next shot
was solid. The bird rolled on the dry ground. I’d just shot my first bird with Browning’s new A5 20-gauge. The next covey flushed straight away. Those shots were simple. A double fell from that flush.
Over an hour would pass before buddy Rafe Nielsen and I would get on another flock of tundra grouse. By then the wind was moving, holding steady at 20 miles
per hour with gusts greatly exceeding that. Birds were edgy, holding on the backside of open points and out of the wind.
It was the last week of August and the willow ptarmigan were in their summer plumage. They can be impossible to see unless they move. Though their wings are white yearround, they tuck them into their body when on the ground. Sometimes
Author Scott Haugen (left) and Rafe Nielsen, Browning’s director of marketing and communications, covered a lot of ground putting the firearms company’s new A5 20-gauge shotguns to the test on willow ptarmigan during an Alaska Peninsula cast-and-blast adventure. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
Masters of disguise, willow ptarmigan will hold tight to the tundra when winds are howling. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
they hold tight – not flushing until you’ve nearly stepped on them. Other times they see you coming from a quarter-mile away and take off. Windy conditions put ptarmigan on edge, and hunting them on open tundra can be far from easy.
We covered just shy of 6 miles that afternoon. Though we had enough
birds for appetizers, we knew – given the forecasted windy conditions – we had our work cut out for us the rest of the week.
We were on the upper end of the Alaska Peninsula, along the banks of the Egegik River. We were there on a castand-blast adventure with Becharof Lodge (becharoflodgefishing.com), where I first
visited 19 years ago. I’ve been going back nearly every year since, both for the coho fishing frenzy and ptarmigan hunting action.
I’ve taken some dandy brown bears in this area over the years, too, along with big bull moose. The wildlife viewing is spectacular. It’s a part of Alaska that’s very dear to me, and I’ve covered much of the state in the last 35 years, having lived there off and on for almost a decade.
THE NEXT MORNING WE were up early, hitting the river for coho. After a couple solid hours of fishing, we grabbed the A5s and hit the tundra.
The ptarmigan hunting here is self-guided, adding to the joy of the adventure. These were also the first A5s in the new 20-gauge model to hit Alaskan soil. It was a fitting place in which to test the little cousin to one of the most famous shotguns in history, Browning’s A5 12-gauge.
The 20-gauge is an inertia gun. It weighs only 5 pounds, 9 ounces. Hiking with it every day was simple and never a burden. In fact, toting it all day was easy, as was handling and swinging this
lightweight beauty on speedy birds.
A smaller aluminum receiver on this recoil-operated Kinematic Drive System shotgun, along with its streamlined design, equate to speed and consistency in every handling aspect. I ran a lot of shells through the A5, and rarely was I squared up.
Ptarmigan are fast, and that means quick, reactionary shooting is a must. Shot opportunities must be instantly seized or they are forfeited. I know there were shots I made with the A5 that I could not have pulled off with a heavy double-barrel shotgun. And face it: Having that third shot available is a bonus, especially when covering miles and spending hours tromping the tundra every day.
I’ll be the first to admit I struggle shooting the A5 12-gauges for waterfowl. For that job I prefer a Browning Maxus. But something about chasing upland birds with the bantam A5 20-gauge was noticeably different. I got on birds fast and connected on a high percentage of shots; some even surprised me.
There’s no doubt the iconic humpback receiver of the A5
20-gauge delivered precise and direct eye-to-sight contact, making for rapid target acquisition. In fact, the squared receiver seemed to act as a block, allowing me to quickly focus on each moving target. The optical perspective and sight alignment is streamlined, making for smooth, natural swings, shots and follow-throughs. It made shooting fast and easy.
We were hunting on a refuge, thus required to use nontoxic shot. While
Winchester’s Game & Target highvelocity 2¾-inch steel 6 shot was the primary load I shot for ptarmigan, I also ran 3-inch bismuth and tungsten super shot through the A5 20-gauge. Each load shot and patterned very well. I was greatly impressed with the performance of the TSS in the high winds and on long-range shots.
WE HIKED OVER 6 miles each of the next four days and logged 8 miles on one of
Oftentimes, covering the tundra with your eyes, not your feet, is the best way to locate ptarmigan coveys. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
them. All but one of those days saw us facing winds upwards of 30 mph, with even heavier gusts at times. Shooting conditions were far from easy. The conditions, plus the birds, were the ultimate test for the A5 20-gauge.
Last summer the berry crop was lacking on this part of the Alaska Peninsula. Crowberries abounded within a few hundred yards of the river, but inland they were void. An unseasonably dry summer squelched any berry propagation. Low-bush cranberries were almost nonexistent, and I didn’t see a single salmonberry or blueberry – a rare occurrence. Typically, blueberries blanket the tundra for several square miles.
Nonetheless, ptarmigan numbers were high, about as good as I’ve seen them in nearly 15 years in this region. We only jumped a few flocks of ptarmigan as they fed on crowberries and green leaves.
Instead, most of the birds that we came across were seeking shelter from the heavy winds. Finding them required a lot of walking.
AFTER CATCHING A LIMIT of coho on morning number three, Nielsen and I were on a mission to secure limits of ptarmigan. Killing 10 birds each wouldn’t be easy, not in the high winds, and given the fact we agreed to shoot everything on the wing.
Sustained winds of 30 mph prevailed. While ptarmigan flush into a headwind, they’re quick to turn, making for some of the most challenging upland shooting imaginable.
One single jumped too far in front of me to shoot, but it banked hard, hit wind currents and instantly circled behind me. Nielsen shouldered his A5 and made the best shot I’ve ever seen on a speeding ptarmigan. With the wind, that bird had to be moving 40 mph, yet Nielsen dropped it with one beautiful shot.
After 3 miles of hiking we ran out of crowberries. Figuring the ptarmigan would be hunkered down in the sporadic smattering of willows, we split up. Nielsen hunted the south shoreline of a 15-acre pond sunken in the tundra. I skirted the northern edge. Nielsen
picked up a brace of ptarmigan. I put the move on a family flock huddled on the backside of a barren knoll. Cresting the rolling hill, the instant I popped into view, the ptarmigan took wing. Quickly, I raised my gun, picked out a plump bird and fired. It fell. The flock turned away. Two more shots saw a pair of ptarmigan drop.
An hour later the wind was still howling. Rain began to fall. Figuring that was the break we needed to concentrate birds, we focused on hunting around tall stands of willows about 4 miles from the river. We jumped over 400 birds in a short time, but they were already in growing winter flocks – some that contained over 50 birds. That many eyeballs made for tough hunting with birds already on edge. Almost every bird we saw jumped well before we could move within shooting range.
After many frustratingly failed encounters, we hiked back to the river in the hopes of finding ptarmigan feeding in low spots, out of the wind. The move paid off. We’d soon be cleaning limits of ptarmigan.
The legendary humpback receiver of the A5 aids in a direct eye-to-sight contact and for quick target acquisition. Haugen and Nielsen used several different kinds of nontoxic shot while hunting ptarmigan on a wildlife refuge. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
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There were more than just the birds on this trip. Nielsen caught his share of coho on the Egegik River, casting flies he tied himself just for this occasion. (SCOTT
That night we shared our bounty with others in camp. I’ve tasted many pheasant, chukar, forest grouse and quail, but early-season ptarmigan is about the best-eating upland bird you’ll ever sink your teeth into. I miss those days of hunting ptarmigan when my wife Tiffany and I lived in Point Lay, then Anaktuvuk Pass, in the 1990s, where ptarmigan flourished.
THE NEXT MORNING WE were back on the Egegik River. Nielsen put the
smackdown on some hefty coho with his fly rod, on flies he tied himself. I caught my five-fish limit casting spinners. By 10 we were hiking across the tundra – A5s in hand – trying for another cast-and-blast double.
Not only have I struggled shooting A5 12-gauges over the years, but inertia guns left me flustered more than once in Alaska. But this new little subgauge caught my attention. Its performance across five days of hunting in the rain and driving winds with only
a wipedown and swab of the barrel afterwards left me smiling. The easy handling and ability to quickly acquire fast targets made me want to shoot the A5 20-gauge even more. I look forward to using it on other upland hunts this season, as well as in the duck blind. ASJ
Editor’s note: For signed copies of the Haugens’ best-selling cookbook, Cooking Game Birds, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott’s adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
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GOING D.I.Y. FOR P.O.W. HALIBUT, LINGS
HEAVY PRETRIP RESEARCH PAYS OFF FOR FATHER-SON DUO
BY JERRY HAN
Having been interested in fishing since I was old enough to walk around in diapers on the fishing piers of Texas, I’ve always been fascinated by the stories of giant salmon and halibut that come out of Alaska.
Even now that I’m older and getting AARP flyers in the mail, Alaska still fascinates me. I’ve been to different parts of Alaska several times – chasing kings on the Nushagak River, targeting Gustavus barndoor halibut and giant lingcod. However, it’s been harder and harder to justify in my mind going back to Alaska with the cost and very strict regulations that guided nonresident anglers face.
It had actually been more than several years since I’d last fished Alaskan waters for those very reasons when my fishing partner, Jon Crawford, said that there were a couple of spots open with his group to fish unguided at Prince of Wales Island’s Calder Mountain Lodge (caldermountainlodge.com), so I gave some serious thought to going back.
After getting my beautiful wife’s permission to go and also take our youngest son, Austin, the real work began. These days, I have three kids who were all exposed to fishing within four weeks of their birth, and they are all very capable anglers. But Austin is the one who lives and breathes fishing, and I knew this trip would be pretty hardcore, plus the other kids didn’t really dig the idea of leaving the dock at 6:30 a.m. and returning at 6 p.m.
Prior to this trip I had heard of Calder Mountain Lodge, Prince of Wales Island and the Port Protection area from Jon and the TV show Port Protection. I knew the area was supposed to be pretty good for fishing, but going unguided presents some unknowns, such as where to fish, what kind of gear to bring and use, and do you even need to bring gear, etc.?
Jerry Han (right) and his son Austin went the do-it-yourself route to experience some outstanding Southeast Alaska fishing on Prince of Wales Island. (JERRY HAN)
You never know what kind of sea life you’ll encounter in these somewhat sheltered waters. (JERRY HAN)
So, the phone calls and text messages started going about six months prior to the trip. I downloaded nautical charts, called friends who had fished the area before (a surprising number had) and watched as many videos as I could find on YouTube about fishing in the area. The bottom line is that I made myself as familiar as possible with these waters and had lots of help from people who had been there.
Then before Austin and I knew it, it was game time.
WE LOADED UP THE gear, headed to the airport and spent the next week chasing everything that we could. But first, a little bit about our experience at Calder Mountain Lodge. Starting with the pickup and boat ride from Petersburg to the lodge, we were greeted by very friendly staff who made it a point to get to know us and make us feel welcome.
There are actually two lodges up there that are both part of Calder Mountain Lodge – a smaller one and the original lodge, which is larger. The lodge we stayed at was the smaller one, which was very nice and relaxed. Their second, larger lodge was a little more bustling, with more guests, a pool table, vending machine and a gift shop. It was actually really nice to go from the smaller lodge to get a little soda pop and shoot a couple games of pool with Austin.
Reeling in a big saltwater prize from the deep. (JERRY HAN)
THE FISHING WAS PRETTY awesome, with most days seeing us get into halibut in the 40- to 50-pound range, although another guest landed a 237-pounder while we were there. We also got into some XL-sized yelloweye, lingcod and assorted rockfish. Jon’s boat brought in the largest yelloweye I have ever seen.
The salmon were more elusive, with the coho still hanging out in the open ocean, but this year was a pink year and they were absolutely everywhere, providing tons of action.
As an unguided fisherman you are allowed two halibut of any size every day versus one slot-limit fish as a guided angler. We averaged two or three halibut every day around 50 pounds, and usually a smaller chicken. The lingcod fishing was fantastic; we found spots that allowed us to catch and release eight or nine really nice lings every day as we waited for slack tides to halibut fish or between salmon trolling. Nonresidents are allowed one lingcod between 30 and 35 inches and one lingcod over 55 inches per year; the daily limit is one.
We ended up keeping two 34-inchers for both Austin and I. Jon’s boat came close to the over, with Ben Goodey landing a ling that measured 52 inches.
Austin taking in the scene at Calder Mountain Lodge on the island’s northwest tip, Point Baker. (JERRY HAN)
Jerry shows off one of the nice lingcod he and his son caught on the adventure. (JERRY HAN)
The halibut bit well for the guys. (JERRY HAN)
PROBABLY THE BEST TIMES for Austin and I were during the un guided part of the trip. Going unguided allowed some real quality father/son time. We fished for whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. We made decisions on where to fish together, and just talked and joked around with each other. Those moments/ memories are what I really enjoyed; not the amount of fish we put in the boat.
Sounds like a killer, no-brainer trip, right? Well, the down side to going unguided is that you have to put in the research time if you are going to maximize your opportunities.
Another variable is boat control. You don’t have a guide keeping your gear fishing properly and who knows what the fish are doing – it’s all on you. Throw in wild tidal currents and winds, and it can be very difficult and frustrating.
However, the nice thing about Calder Mountain Lodge is that you can also hire a guide to take you out. Chris, the guide who I met up there, runs a very nice offshore-style boat and really knows the area well. If you go, it may be well worth it to have Chris take you out for a day to learn the water and techniques so you’re familiar with the area.
All in all, I loved this trip and its challenges. As I men tioned, it had been quite a few years since I’d been to Alaska, but I’m already getting things planned to go up to Calder Mountain Lodge again. ASJ
“Going unguided allowed some real quality father/son time. We fished for whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted,” Jerry writes. “We made decisions on where to fish together, and just talked and joked around with each other.”
(JERRY HAN)
Coho were a little harder to come by, though the Hans enjoyed a lot of pink salmon action. (JERRY HAN)
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After spending time as a fishing guide in Alaska’s famed Bristol Bay region, Phil Monahan turned to a career as an outdoor editor and writer, and his love of fly fishing inspired a new book for newbies to the sport. (PHIL MONAHAN)
SO YOU WANNA BE A FLY ANGLER?
BOOK EXCERPT: FORMER ALASKA FISHING GUIDE’S HOW-TO TUTORIAL ON HOOKING, PLAYING TROUT
Phil Monahan’s love for fly fishing was born in New England when he was a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire. But he really found his niche when he spent multiple memorable summers guiding in Montana and Alaska (see our interview with Monahan on page 52), where he fell in love with the trout swimming in Bristol Bay rivers and helped visiting anglers land their fish of a lifetime on fly gear.
“I learned an incredible amount from my fellow guides and clients and by simply being on the water every day for three months in a row,” Monahan writes in a new how-to book for beginning fly anglers, in collaboration with iconic outdoors brand Orvis. “This was my fly fishing university, and I made the most of it.”
Monahan also worked as an editor and writer for outdoors media outlets like American Angler, allowing him to chase his fly obsession on waters around the globe. Now he hopes his new book can give others the same obsession he developed.
“My goal for the book is that it helps people make that first step into fly fishing and find enough success to keep going,” Monahan says. “My life has been so enriched by the sport that I want others to feel some of that magic.”
In an excerpt from the book, Monahan offers a tutorial on how to set the hook and land those trophy trout you tempt with a fly.
The following is excerpted from The Orvis Quick-Start Guide To Fly Fishing, by Philip Monahan and published by Lyons Press.
Bringing a good trout to the net after a tough fight is the definition of fly fishing success. (CHARLES HILDICK-SMITH)
BY PHILIP MONAHAN
If you’ve chosen the right fly, made a good cast and presented the fly well, then that moment every fly fisher loves may occur: a fish eats your fly. Especially when you’re using dry flies, the “eat” is thrilling, as you suddenly feel connected to the quarry you’ve been seeking. But it’s not the end of the story. If you want that fish to stay connected, you have to set the hook. It’s surprising how often a fish takes that hook point in its mouth but doesn’t get hooked, so you’ve got to do whatever you can to ensure that the pointy part is buried in the fish’s jaw. Next, you’ve got to play the fish in such a way that you bring it in as quickly as you can, keeping it away from obstacles such as submerged trees and downstream rapids, but without applying so much pressure that the tippet breaks or you pull the fly out. Finally, you’ve got to get this fighting, twisting, slippery thing in the net. Only then can you take a moment to admire the fish and celebrate your accomplishment.
HOW TO SET THE HOOK
Two common mistakes that novice fly fishers make are that they fail to set the hook at all or they set the hook too hard, breaking the fish off. As we discussed earlier, a fish can eat a fly and spit it back out very quickly, so it’s important that you are paying attention and can react quickly. (As with almost everything in fly fishing, there are a couple exceptions to this rule, which we will discuss below.) Oftentimes the fish will hook itself, so all you have to do is come tight by picking up any slack on the water, but it’s best to tilt the odds in your favor by making a good hook set.
STANDARD HOOK SET
The basic hook set involves nothing more than quickly raising your rod tip to the sky and stripping in any slack between you and the fish. Fly hooks are sharp and the mouth of a trout isn’t particularly hard, so you don’t need to drive the hook home. Simply coming tight to the trout is almost always enough to seat the hook point. If you rear back and yank on
the line, as if you were setting the hook on a largemouth bass eating a rubber worm, you stand a pretty good chance of popping the tippet, especially if you’re fishing anything lighter than 3X.
This hook-set technique works best with dry flies and nymphs, when you don’t have a lot of slack in the line. As soon as you see the trout eat the fly off the surface or the strike indicator go under, get that rod tip high and strip until you’re tight to the fish. Now you can begin to play the fish in order to get it in the net.
The one caveat here is that the standard hook set works best when the fish is upstream or across-stream from you. Hooking a fish downstream of you is more difficult because of the angle: the hook-setting motion pulls the fly directly away from the fish’s mouth. In some cases, you must wait an extra beat before setting the hook. After the fish takes the fly, it will turn to head back to the stream bottom. If you set while the fish is turning, you’re more likely to bury the hook in the side
AUTHOR PHIL MONAHAN ON ALASKA ADVENTURES
Alaska Sporting Journal editor
Chris Cocoles caught up with author Phil Monahan, who previously was a guide in Alaska.
Chris Cocoles Congratulations on the new book, Phil. Great read and so informative for beginning fly anglers. What inspired you to pursue this particular project?
Phil Monahan I’ve always been frustrated by the fact that people don’t try fly fishing because they believe it’s too complicated or too hard to learn. I don’t believe that it is, and I wanted to share some skills to help folks make that first big step and find success.
CC How did you get your start as a fisherman?
PM My paternal grandfather was an avid sportsman – hunting, fishing, trapping, you name it. He always took my brothers and me fishing on the ponds near his house when we visited. Reading his sporting magazine was my first glimpse into the wilder world of field sports.
CC From your bio it looks like you didn’t get into fly fishing until you were well into your post-graduate college years at the University of New Hampshire. What prompted that and how did you become such a fly fishing savant?
PM I had gone to college in New York City, which meant I had few opportunities to fish. My older brother, Brian, who lived near UNH, had taken up fly fishing and wanted to teach me. I think he needed a fishing buddy. I fell in love with fly fishing instantly and devoted all my free time to becoming better at it. I read voraciously and watched all the Saturday morning TV shows.
CC What was the moment that took you to Alaska to guide?
PM I did it the old-fashioned way. I mailed old-school cover letters and resumes to every lodge in Alaska, and one of them actually responded. The job turned out to be a disaster, but it got my foot in the door.
CC I ask this of a lot of people who’ve spent significant time there and
experienced something crazy, but do you remember having a welcome-toAlaska moment?
PM The guy who initially hired me was both bankrupt and insane, which is a bad combo. But he did own a beautiful lodge on the Deshka River. He dropped me off there alone to get things ready for clients. I found myself in the Alaska bush without a gun, with a lodge full of non-working equipment, fending for myself for two weeks. I nearly set the forest on fire at one point while trying to burn the lawn.
CC Did you have a special guiding moment on an Alaska river that you can share?
PM [Emails midcurrent.com/storiesessays/patience-pays-off-in-alaska; the following is a sample from that piece]: As we watched the trout rising against the bank, Tom noted that there were a few small mayflies on the water –an olive-and-rust species neither of us had ever seen before – so we decided to start with a size 18 olive Comparadun.
After half a dozen drifts, we knew the
Phil Monahan’s time as a guide, including a stint on Alaska’s famed Bristol Bay rivers, was a special period in his life. “It was incredible, spending time surrounded by bears and casting for big rainbows hundreds of miles from civilization,” he says. (PHIL MONAHAN)
fly was wrong because the fish didn’t even bother to inspect it. Over the next half hour, we ran through the rest of Tom’s small mayfly patterns – duns, emergers and unweighted nymphs – to no effect. Instead of getting annoyed or frustrated, however, Tom seemed to become only more interested and focused on the dilemma. It was clear that he had no intention of giving up on this fish, which continued to rise in its maddening rhythm.
Tom’s attitude was contagious, and I rummaged through my vest for a box of patterns I’d used the summer before while guiding on the spring creeks of Paradise Valley, Montana. When he saw how small the flies were, Tom raised his eyebrows. “Never thought I’d be using those in Alaska.”
We’d deduced that the fish was probably eating emergers, taking them right in the surface film. I tied on a size 22 olive CDC Emerger, and Tom laid down a perfect cast. For the first time, the trout showed real interest, but it still refused the fly. We knew we were on to something.
[See the above link for the rest of Monahan’s story.]
CC It looks like you’ve spent a lot of your Last Frontier time in Bristol Bay? How special were those days?
PM I spent just one summer guiding at Rainbow River Lodge (rainbowriverlodge.com), on the Copper River. It was incredible, spending time surrounded by bears and casting for big rainbows hundreds of miles from civilization. I was lucky enough to be there when you could have a spot like the confluence of Moraine and Funnels Creeks all to yourself.
CC On the subject of Bristol Bay, some of your time at Orvis has been spent speaking out against and fighting the Pebble Mine. Why does that mean so much to you to keep that area protected?
PM When you spend enough time in the region, you learn how special – and how fragile – the ecosystem is. I knew that Pebble was an existential threat – not just because of the mine itself, but the extensive infrastructure that would be required to support it. Roads, pipelines, ports would all ruin the place that I had come to love.
“When you’re a guide, you really see just a tiny portion of the state,” Monahan says of his Last Frontier adventures and future trips he’d like to take there. “I’d love to fish in the Southeast, in the Yukon, in Western Alaska. Catching a sheefish on a fly would be a dream.” (PHIL MONAHAN)
CC Have you been back to Alaska in recent years, and do you still have places there you want to fish in again?
PM I spent a week at Tikchik Narrows Lodge (tikchiklodge.com) last summer. I had never been to the “west side” of Bristol Bay, and I loved it. When you’re a guide, you really see just a tiny portion of the state. I’d love to fish in the Southeast, in the Yukon, in Western Alaska. Catching a sheefish on a fly would be a dream.
CC I know salmon are the top priority for a lot of Alaska anglers, but tell me about fishing for trout there.
PM I was very lucky that Rainbow River Lodge was focused on trout rather than salmon. I find trout more fascinating and challenging than salmon, especially during that window before the salmon arrive, when the trout are eating insects and smolts. The Copper River was remarkable for Alaska in that it had big hatches of stoneflies, caddisflies and mayflies that brought trout to the surface.
CC You’re a well-known and respected outdoors editor and you’ve also represented Orvis for a long time. What’s it been like to be associated with such a prestigious brand?
PM There were pros and cons. As editor of American Angler, I engaged with the entire fly fishing world. Once I went
to Orvis, I was sequestered within a single company. That said, Orvis was a great company with great values, and they believed in the power of sharing information. You’ll note that no other company has a blog site like Orvis News. And they gave me free reign to represent the brand. Plus, I worked with incredible people, from Tom Rosenbauer [the longtime fishing writer who wrote the foreword in Monahan’s book] to the guys in product development.
CC You’ve guided in two of the nation’s most storied fishing states, Alaska and Montana, but how much have you enjoyed your fly fishing experiences in your home New England states?
PM New England will always feel like home for me, and I’m happiest working up a mountain freestone stream, casting for wild brook trout. Casting a dry fly while wet-wading on a mountain brook trout stream is heaven for me. I can get lost in the rhythm of working from pool to pool, covering the water, and trying to make accurate casts and good drifts. I sometimes completely lose track of time, though, which can get me in trouble.
And that moment when a trout smashes the bug is always a thrill, even if it’s the 20th time that day. Finally, holding a brightly colored brookie – with its brilliant reds and blues – completes the experience. CC
or corner of the trout’s mouth.
The standard hook set also applies to when you are swinging wet flies or streamers. Because there is already tension on the line as the fly swings through the current, trout will usually hook themselves. All you have to do is raise the rod tip, and the fight is on.
STRIP SET
Whenever you are stripping flies –whether it’s a streamer or a bass bug –you’ll want to use a strip set to set the hook. When you feel or see a fish strike, instead of raising your rod tip, keep the tip low as you use your line hand to strip quickly until you are tight to the fish. By keeping your tip low, you get a straight pull on the fly, which is most effective. Again, beware of striking too hard;
although you won’t usually be using a light tippet, you do run the risk of yanking the fly out of the fish’s mouth. If you’re accustomed to fishing dry flies and nymphs, you may be programmed to raise the rod tip whenever you get a strike. This will definitely lower your hooking rate, so it pays to prepare yourself to make a strip set instead. Train yourself to keep the rod low, and use the line, rather than the rod, to set the hook.
SWEEP SET
Two situations that make the hook set more difficult to hook fish are if the fish is downstream of you or if you have a lot of slack on the water. In these cases, you’ll want to employ a sweep set, which takes advantage of the water
tension on the line to set the hook.
As described above, the standard hook set may pull the fly away from a fish that’s downstream. Instead, set the hook by sweeping your rod rearward, low and parallel to the water, and making a quick strip. Sweep the rod to your downstream side to avoid dragging the line across your body, where it could get caught on something. This will also increase the likelihood of achieving a better angle for the hook set. Once the fish is hooked, you can raise the tip.
In some cases, you need some slack on the water to achieve a good drift, but that same slack makes it more difficult to get tight to the fish. When a fish eats, the rod-tip-to-the-sky setting motion may do nothing more than pick up the slack nearest you. A sweep set removes the slack from the line and uses the tension of the line still on the water to drive the hook home. Again, sweep the rod to your downstream side, and once the fish is hooked, you can raise the tip and start stripping like a madman to remain connected to the trout.
PLAYING FISH
Once you’re tight to the fish, your main goal should be to get the trout to the net as quickly as possible without pulling so hard or clamping down on the line so much that you break the tippet. Obviously, this becomes more difficult with bigger fish, heavier current, and lighter tippet.
The basic hook set involves little more than throwing your rod tip to the sky, picking up any slack and coming tight to the fish. (SANDY HAYS)
The keys to playing fish are to use pressure firmly but wisely so as to protect your tippet, and to not allow the fish to use the current or obstacles against you. (CHARLES HILDICK-SMITH)
Guide Ivan Tarin applies side pressure to lead a fish out of the main current. “The most common mistake new anglers make is that they simply squeeze the fly line against the cork handle so hard that they don’t allow the fish to take any line at all,” author Monahan writes. (SANDY HAYS)
GIVING AND TAKING LINE
Although it is important that you don’t allow any slack between you and the fish, you must be ready to give some line. The most common mistake new anglers make is that they simply squeeze the fly line against the cork handle so hard that they don’t allow the fish to take any line at all. A large fish or one that uses the current to its advantage can easily break a light tippet or a poorly tied knot. You must let a fish take some line when it runs, surges or dives toward the bottom. While keeping pressure on the line, allow it to slide outward under your finger until the fish stops again.
If you suspect that you have a big fish, you can try to “get it on the reel,” – that is, you can allow the reel’s drag system to apply the appropriate amount of pressure and to release line when necessary. A good drag system is more sensitive and can respond quicker than you can to a sudden surge by the fish. To get a fish on the reel, you either allow it to take all the slack when it runs or quickly reel up all the slack with your line hand while maintaining tension on the fish. The risk is that while you’re worrying about the slack line getting onto the reel, you’ll accidentally let some slack develop between you and the fish, which can allow it to shake the hook and get away.
Most fish don’t require that you use
the reel, so get used to stripping fish in.
Only go to the reel if you feel like you’ve hooked a fish large enough to threaten your tippet. Of course, if a fish makes a long run and takes all the slack, you should use the reel for the rest of the fight.
PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE FISH
After you’ve set the hook and the fish has made its initial run, your goals are to tire the fish and control it, so it doesn’t run too far away or have access to any obstacles – logs, sharp rocks, etc. – that might break the tippet. Keeping your rod tip high at the beginning of the fight helps get the slack off the water and prevents the fish from diving to the bottom, where it feels safe from predators. In general, your goal for the first few seconds is simply to hold on and maintain tension in the line between you and the fish.
Next, the fight begins in earnest, as the fish may run in any direction or try to get to anything that makes it feel safe. The best way to control and tire a fish is to apply side pressure whenever you can. Lay your rod over until it’s parallel to the water’s surface, and pull in the direction opposite of where the fish is trying to go. If the fish tries to run upstream, apply side-and-downstream pressure, for instance. When you pull against a fish, do so smoothly and always be ready for
the fish to react and take some line.
When the fish gets close enough that you’re ready to net it, be very careful. Many trout are lost at this point, as the angler tries to control the rod tip, the fish and the net. Try to avoid bringing the flyline-to-leader connection through the tip-top guide, because if the fish runs again, that connection can snag in the guide, causing the tippet to break.
NETTING TROUT
Make sure that you carry your net in such a way that it’s easily accessible with one hand. When you feel that the trout has been tired out and you’ve got it close enough, grab your net. The problem is that you’ve got 9 or 10 feet of leader and line beyond your rod tip. Reach behind you with your rod hand, holding the rod tip high, and reach toward the fish with your net hand. Put the net halfway in the water, lead the fish into the net, and lift with a scooping motion. Ideally, you want to net the fish headfirst, but a thrashing, twisting trout doesn’t always cooperate. Be very careful not to touch your tippet with the net, as you could cause it to break. ASJ
Editor’s note: Order the book at amazon .com/Orvis-Quick-Start-Guide-FlyFishing-Everything/dp/1493036483. For more on the author, check out orvis.com/ uncategorized/phil-monahan.
XMAS WISH LIST, FISHING EDITION
GREAT GEAR IDEAS FOR ANGLERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
BY SCOTT HAUGEN
Imiss those winters when Tiffany and I lived on the North Slope in the 1990s. It forced us to slow down, relax, catch up on sleep and get recharged for the months ahead.
With the busy holiday season fast approaching, here’s a look at some fishing gear I tested in parts of Alaska this past season. These are items I liked and will keep using, and they’d make great gifts for a loved one – or yourself.
POWERPRO FISHING LINES
The first time I used PowerPro’s Maxcuatro fishing line was jigging for sheefish near Kotzebue through 7 feet of ice. The big fish of the day tipped the scales to just over 40 pounds. I landed more than 30 sheefish that trip, and the thin braid held up to being repeatedly raked over the edges of the ice holes, at the surface and subsurface. Then I took it to Mexico, where I casted surface plugs for barracuda. Obviously, a steel leader was in order, but the thin braid allowed me to cast long distances in high winds and land feisty water wolves, one after another.
This fall I fished 40-pound Maxcuatro for coho. I tied spoons, spinners, twitching jigs and plugs directly to the braid. Even lightweight 2.0 Mag Lips were easy to cast with the thin line, which has a diameter rating equivalent to 8-pound test. The thin line bucked heavy Alaskan winds and accounted for dozens of coho without any breakdown, despite fishing amid boulders, around sweepers and along vertical cutbanks.
High-visibility PowerPro in 30-pound test was my go-to line for float fishing. Be it cured eggs, jigs or soft beads, this mainline is perfect. It holds all bobber stops and floats with precision and consistency and it’s easy to see, which optimizes mending and drift efficiency.
I know what you’re thinking: Neither line is cheap. So, when it begins to fade and show wear, simply reverse it onto another spool. The fresh line that was buried inside your spool will be like new. A lodge I fished at got a bulk spool of PowerPro and are on year two of outfitting all their rods – over 60! – with it, thanks to recycling the unused line close to the spool. Do this and you’ll get years of use from these high-quality lines, and you’ll land way more fish, thanks to their toughness. Info: powerpro.com
SHIMANO RODS AND REELS
I didn’t think my favorite Stradic spinning reel could be improved upon. I was wrong. I spooled two Shimano 3000 Vanford reels for two weeks of salmon fishing on the Alaska Peninsula. Whether running braid or a copolymer, these are the smoothest, fastest spinning reels I’ve fished with. And the drag system is so speedy to react, it makes managing the fight of heavy, tenacious salmon a breeze. I caught and released over 150 salmon, including chums up to 23 pounds, and the reels worked to perfection.
I also test-drove Shimano’s new Technium spinning rods. I fished the 9-foot, medium-heavy-power, fast-ac-
The holidays are just around the corner, and our Scott Haugen has some great fishing gear recommendations as you prepare for gift shopping. The author was very impressed with his Shimano rod and reel setup, which accounted for loads of coho this fall.
(SCOTT HAUGEN)
LIST, EDITION
TWO WAYS TO WHIP UP TASTY SPOT PRAWNS
BY TIFFANY HAUGEN
When Scott and I lived in Hyder, Alaska, in 2019 and 2020, we loved catching and eating spot prawns fresh from the bay in front of our tiny little town. I miss those days. Last summer, Scott went to Prince of Wales Island. He brought home lots of bottomfish and salmon. He also nailed the spot prawns, a type of large shrimp. He vacuum-sealed meal-sized portions of them to freeze and bring home. A couple of the packages got shoved to the back of our freezer, but they were still great to eat. These two recipes are what made them so delicious. Of course, fresh is best, but don’t underestimate the flavorful delight these little gems offer, even when frozen.
GARLIC BUTTER SHRIMP
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled and cleaned
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup baby greens, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
In a medium skillet, melt butter on medium-low heat. Add minced onion and garlic and let caramelize for seven to 10 minutes. Turn heat to medium-high and add shrimp. Sauté just until shrimp begin to turn pink.
Remove shrimp from the pan and deglaze with white wine. Add tomatoes, greens and parsley and sauté for two to three minutes. Salt and black pepper to taste. Add cream and as soon as bubbles appear around the edges, add shrimp and cook until desired doneness. Serve with bread to soak up the pan juices.
HERBED SHRIMP AND TOMATOES
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled and cleaned
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Five fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
One tomato, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, lemon juice and orange juice. Let sit for five to 10 minutes at room temperature. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat.
Add marinated shrimp and sauté two to three minutes. Add chopped herbs and tomato to the pan and sauté an additional one or two minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice if desired. ASJ
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s popular book, Cooking Seafood, visit scotthaugen.com.
With garlic and butter (top) and tomato and herbs (right) are two of chef Tiffany Haugen’s favorite ways to prepare the spot prawns husband Scott brings home. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
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tion rod the most, as some of the coho and chums I targeted were in deep holes and fast-moving currents where some backbone was needed for the fight. I also fished the medium-powered Technium in wider, more gentle water, also in a 9-foot model. Both rods held up to salmon after salmon and made landing and releasing them simple and fast. A couple buddies caught fish with them and were quick to comment on the lightweight, strong feel of each rod.
Info: fish.shimano.com
GRUNDENS WADING JACKET AND BOOTS
Quality wading boots are a must in Alaska – both in terms of comfort and performance. I spent nearly three weeks in Grundens Bankside Wading Boots this fall. From fishing to photographing brown bears – even hunting ptarmigan on the soggy tundra – these lightweight boots
Yeti continues to raise the bar with their new French Press and Food Jars, something many thirsty or hungry, on-the-go anglers and hunters will appreciate.
were extremely comfortable. I wore them with two styles of stocking foot waders and didn’t get one hot spot. Their gripping ability was perfect in a range of settings. I’ll be wearing these moose hunting next fall.
Last year I wore Grundens Portal Gore-Tex wading jacket on a sea duck hunt – actually, multiple sea duck hunts because it worked so well. I wore it fishing this fall in Alaska. Even in 40 mph gusts on the Egegik River, with rain driving sideways, this jacket kept me dry. I love the lightweight, ergonomic fit of this tough jacket. The pocket and sleeve cuff designs are top-notch, and other bells
and whistles this state-of-the-art wading jacket offers will appeal to all serious Alaskan outdoorsmen.
Info: grundens.com
YETI
FOOD JAR AND FRENCH PRESS
Hot soup never tastes as good as when you’re on the river and it’s cold and wet. I used both sizes of Yeti’s new Insulated Food Jars – 8 ounces and 16 ounces – and loved them. They kept soups and stews hot and let me stay on the river longer, rather than going back to camp for a snack. The double-walled vacuum insulation kept food hot all morning, and the two-piece lids are easy to clean. No leaks or drips inside the backpack either. I never drank coffee until one fall 11 years ago when I was stranded in brown bear camp and we ran out of food. It was cold and miserable, and all we had was coffee. Now, I’m a wannabe coffee snob, so enter Yeti’s new French Press. I got the 34-ounce version and love it. It’s tough, features a DuraSip ceramic lining and double-wall vacuum insulation, and it made great coffee for a buddy and I on a recent fishing trip.
Info: Yeti.com
WITH PLENTY OF TIME left for holiday shopping this year, these are some handy items Alaskan anglers will want to consider. Next month we’ll look at more quality pieces of gear – those on the hunting side – I put to the test. ASJ
Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular line of salmon and steelhead fishing books, contact him at scotthaugen@yahoo.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.
Grundens Portal Gore-Tex wading jacket is made with extreme Alaskan angling in mind, and it’s very comfortable. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
(SCOTT HAUGEN)
Michlitch Company spokanespice.com
Black Hills Ammunitionblack-hills.com
The M1200 cartridge chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor is the designated ammunition for the US military’s MRGG-S (Mid-Range Gas Gun-Sniper) weapon system. The Black Hills M1200-C (Commercial) version features a 140-grain OTM projectile loaded to 2,750 feet per second from a 22-inch barrel. The match primers are staked securely in the primer pocket to ensure flawless performance during suppressed semiauto fire. The propellant is selected for temperature stability to ensure reliability and avoid velocity variation in extreme environments. When accuracy, reliability and long-range external ballistics are required, the M1200-C from Black Hills is the answer.
Hi-Point Firearms hi-pointfirearms.com
Hi-Point Firearms offers some of the best value-pricedfirearms,andthe995,1095P and4595Pfitperfectlyintothatposition. Builtaspistols,thesefirearmsaremore compactthanthecarbinecounterparts andaddmoreversatilityinasmaller size,whileofferingthesamelegendary reliabilityandaccuracy.Multiple configurationsareavailable–findyours todayonthewebsiteabove.
Alaska Butcher Equipment & Supply
alaskabutcherequip.com
Hunting and fishing processing equipment. Alaska Butcher Equipment & Supply has all you need to process your own hunt or catch! Local and family-owned.
PursuitUp
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Tim’s Special Cut Meats
timsspecialcutmeats.com All the holiday fixins! Prime rib, tenderloin, steaks, turkeys, hams and more. Also offering gift certificates and freezer meat packages. Great gifts for the hard- to-shop-for person on your list!
PursuitUp is a premium on-demand streaming app built for outdoor enthusiasts. Watch your favorite hunting, fishing and adventure shows anytime, anywhere. For just $4.99/month or $49.99/year, enjoy unlimited access to exclusive content from the Pursuit Channel and top outdoor producers. Start your one-month free trial today –cancel anytime. Stream on your phone, tablet or smart TV and take the outdoors with you wherever you go.
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Boat Insurance Agency
boatinsurance.net
The Boat Insurance Agency is an independent agency representing the best marine insurance companies. They carefully compare a number of policies to find the lowest premiums and best values for your boat insurance needs. Boat Insurance Agency is owned and operated by Northwest boaters. They have the local knowledge needed to understand boating in the West, along with your special needs. Contact them for an insurance quote and to learn more about the value and service they can offer.
All Rivers & Saltwater Charters
allwashingtonfishing.com
All Rivers & Saltwater Charters provides you the highest quality experience. From avid anglers to first-time fishermen, they always strive to improve your skill and technique. Whether you’re fishing in Seattle, Westport or anywhere in between, you can expect the highest quality service, boats and equipment.
Nomar
nomaralaska.com
The Nomar boat bag is a versatile splash-proof bag to tote your gear to the boat, to the beach or wherever a tough, heavy-duty bag is required. The top zips closed to protect its contents. Features heavy-duty carry handles and D-rings on the side to add a carry strap. Measures 15 inches by 10 inches by 15 inches. Available in lots of colors.
The Lodge at Otter Cove lodgeottercove.com
Give someone special the gift of an Alaskan adventure! The Lodge at Otter Cove’s all-inclusive three-day, fournight package includes three guided adventures, your accommodations, and all of your meals. Book before Christmas and receive 2025 pricing! Check out the website above or give Joe a call at 907-299-6450 for details.
Exquisiteknives.com exquisiteknives.com
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(RICARDO VELARDE)
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LeeLock Anchor Systems leelock.com
The perfect gift for the serious angler!
The LeeLock Magnum Skeg #LMS-04 is made specifically for Minn Kota Quest motors, boosting steering control, straight-line tracking and overall efficiency. Give the gift of longer battery life and better on-thewater performance this season!
Ideal for anglers running bow-mounted Quest motors. (Check out #LMS-01, #LMS-02 and #LMS-03 for other models.)
Make their fishing trips smoother, smarter and more enjoyable – a Magnum Skeg belongs under every tree!
Back 30 Outfitters back30outfitters.com
Kodiak Predator Adventures
907-513-5131
Early 2026 booking discount when booked before December 31, 2025, for any available 2026 dates. An entire day of offshore fishing for up to six people is $2,000. (Private boat for your group, drinks, light snacks and coffee included.)
Black Star Fishingblackstarfishing.com
For a limited time, Back 30 Outfitters is offering discounts on their whitetail hunts for the 2026 hunting season.
Located in Northcentral Idaho, all their hunts include food, beautiful lodging and guaranteed outfitter tags. Spot and stalk/glassing/stands. Normally priced at $4,500 for five days, the discounted price is $3,500 per hunter or $3,000 each for two-plus hunters. Can also upgrade your hunt to an elk/deer combo hunt! Cheaper options for semi-guided are available. Call 208-301-7050 or visit the website for more information.
Coastal Marine Engine
coastalmarineengine.com
Receive 10 percent off labor on any scheduled maintenance between January 2nd and February 28th. Please use the discount code NWSM2026 when booking your service.
Black Star Fishing Co. is a premier guide service specializing in salmon and steelhead fishing on the finest rivers in the Northwest. Spend adayonthewaterusingtop-of-the-line gear,aboardacomfortableboat,andledby afriendly,knowledgeableguidededicatedto makingyourfishingexperienceunforgettable. Now booking winter steelhead trips for 2025 and 2026. Gift certificates available!
PrOlix
prolixlubricant.com
PrOlix is a penetrating solvent/dry lube product that was lab-developed and tested by law enforcement, military and commercial shooters over many years.
The citrus-based biodegradable cleaner, pioneered in 1995, is the first successful“all in one”gun care product, now deemed“Bio-Technology.”Their recyclable (strain and reuse) products are made of 89 percent or greater renewable resources, a true commitment to sustainable practices and caring for the environment. As such, the USDA has listed PrOlix as a BioPreferred Product since 2012.
The solvent“goes on wet, cleans, bonds, and the lube turns dry to the touch.”It removes carbon, copper, lead, shotgun plastic residues and black powder. PrOlix will not damage wood, freeze or flash off, and it can be used for commercial and industrial applications as well.
To complement the PrOlix Cleaner/Lubricant (Dry Tech) line, shooters can use the equally superior“gun-oil and grease replacer”PrOlix Xtra-T Lube for a total care product.
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