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Volume 10 • Issue 5 www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles WRITERS Dave Atcheson, Paul D. Atkins, Casey Campbell, Joseph Frueauf, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Jeff Lund, Mike Lunde, Mike Wells SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Kayla Mehring, Jake Weipert

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One of the most difficult tasks he finally was able to check off was harvesting a mountain goat. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE 14240 Interurban Ave South • Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 (206) 382-9220 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com www.media-inc.com CORRESPONDENCE Twitter @AKSportJourn Facebook.com/alaskasportingjournal Email ccocoles@media-inc.com

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 5

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CHECKING HIS LIST Come on, admit it: Even if you don’t have a written bucket list of goals, destinations or standards you want to achieve in your lifetime, you’re keeping mental notes.

For this issue, Paul Atkins (far right) jotted down his personal checklist of hunts, fishing trips and other adventures he’s either already gotten done or dreams about. Get inspired by some of Paul’s own planning and executing and make your dreams come true.

(PAUL D. ATKINS)

FEATURES 21

MUSIC MAN, OUTDOORS LOVER Texan Gary Morris was once a promising athlete, then became a beloved country music entertainer who also starred on Broadway and performed for presidents and the Queen of England. As passionate about hunting and fishing as he is about making new songs, Morris, now approaching 70, shared some of his memorable experiences in Alaska in this profile.

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ROCK THE VOTE FOR KINGS, COHO, OTHER SPECIES Salmon conservationists and local business owners who depend on the fishing industry have pushed for more protection of the Last Frontier’s spawning grounds. In November, Alaska voters will decide on Ballot Measure 1, which would provide more clarity for projects that could affect salmon habitat. Trout Unlimited’s Dave Atcheson argues why protecting the state’s most important fish means casting a yes vote on Election Day.

39 66 95 123

Prince William Sound hatcheries’ boost fishing, communities Delta-Clearwater grayling Sharing “scars” from the outdoors Company makes “Alaska-tough” tents

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GO COHO LOCO THIS FALL October means prime coho fishing in many Alaska rivers, and for Scott Haugen, it’s time to cast plugs into the Kenai and other streams. In our latest From Field to Fire column, Haugen shares his favorite lures and top tactics for enticing fall coho, and Tiffany Haugen adds a hearty Halloween-themed snack for your costume party.

101 TEACHING MOMENTS Jeff Lund can’t get enough of being a mentor. Our Ketchikan-based teacher and basketball coach also wants to inspire and shape young minds of those who want to be better hunters and steelhead anglers. “At some point, you have to look at what type of man you are and what type of influence you’re having on teenagers,” Mr. Lund writes.

Take a seat, because class is in session.

DEPARTMENTS

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 17 47 115

The Editor’s Note: Tragic death of hunter/entrepreneur/ former football player Jason Hairston Outdoor calendar Gear Guy: Best tents on the market

Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Inc. Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Inc. Publishing Group and will not be returned. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues) or $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Inc. Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168 or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues may be ordered at Media Inc. Publishing Group, subject to availability, at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Copyright © 2018 Media Inc. Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 12

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EDITOR’S NOTE

A

s a longtime football fan – but far more college than the NFL – I’ve had to accept that the game has a dark side.

The acronym CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) has become part of the lexicon in the sporting world, especially for former college and pro footballers who have suffered the long-term effects of playing a game that we watch faithfully.

So it was sad to learn that former linebacker turned big game hunter and successful outdoor clothing apparel owner Jason Hairston, 47, took his own life in September. Hairston, who I wrote about a couple years ago in a cover story (Alaska Sporting Journal, January 2016), played high school football in Southern California, was a standout collegian at UC Davis and had short stints with both the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers before neck injuries ended his football career at 24. During an extended conversation we had, Hairston told Jason Hairston, an outdoor clothing me this about how company owner who appeared on heartbroken he was our cover two years ago, took his own life in September, possibly from the that he could no longer damaging toll playing football took on play the game. him physically. (PHOTO BY KUIU) “It was really, really hard and really depressing … My focus became the NFL. Your whole life for years was focused on this sport, and then to have it pulled it from under you unexpectedly was really tough,” he said. “All of a sudden you’re lost, saying, ‘What am I going to do next?’ Your future career plans have been put on hold.”

Hairston moved on from playing football to become an outdoor apparel mogul. He founded KUIU – named for the Southeast Alaska island – which became a multi-million-dollar company. Hairston hunted throughout North America and cherished his time chasing big game in the Last Frontier.

But this husband and father of two feared he was suffering from the effects of head trauma he endured during his football career (his wife Kirstyn requested to have Jason’s brain evaluated for CTE damage shortly after his reported suicide in Northern California).

I was saddened to read about Hairston’s passing and follow-up reports about the fears he and his family had about potential football-related symptoms he was suffering from, which may or may not have contributed to his death.

On a recent rainy Saturday, I played couch potato and watched college games off and on all day, celebrated a big win by my alma mater Fresno State, but all along I kept thinking about Jason Hairston. I hope he’s somehow at peace now.

-Chris Cocoles

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COUNTRY STRONG ENTERTAINER GARY MORRIS FINDS OUTDOOR BLISS IN THE LAST FRONTIER, BEYOND

BY CHRIS COCOLES

G

ary Morris is a born-and-bred Texan who carved out a successful country music career in Nashville and was once a hit on Broadway. But his heart has taken him both west and north.

After recording five No. 1 country singles and performing for almost every U.S. president since the mid-1970s – his big break was a gig singing during Jimmy Carter’s campaign – and crooning before the Queen of England, Morris’ preferred stage now is in the wilderness, which flanks the remote southwest Colorado ranch he now calls home. And there are few places on the planet he’d rather fish or hunt in than Alaska.

“Alaska is my favorite place in the United States – maybe second to only New Zealand in the world,” says Morris,

Whether it’s fishing, performing or still making new music, 69-year-old entertainer Gary Morris stays busy.

Some of the outdoorsman’s favorite hunting and fishing memories are from Alaska. (GARY MORRIS) aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2018

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69. “I love it. You know, if it didn’t have a summer with no night and a winter with no day, I’d move there.”

Though he continues to record and write new music and stays busy with various charitable commitments, Morris is happier with a fly rod or longbow in his hands than a guitar or microphone.

The four or five trips he’s taken to Alaska are as big a part of who he is as playing the operatic lead in Les Misérables or the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music song of the year awards he’s won.

“The Alaska experience was always something that I guess I yearned for. And I’ve never had a time where I felt like I had enough,” he says. “I love the wild, and it’s the wildest place, certainly in America.”

Ever Ev ver since sin incee his ince his younger you o ng ger er days day ayss living liivi ving ing g in in Texas, Texa Te xaass,, Morris Mor orri ris is haas embraced has embr em brac br aced ed hunting hun nti t ng g and and fishing. fish shi hin ing. g. (GARY (GARY (GA GARY MORRIS) MORRIS MOR R ) RIS

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WHEN HE WAS A college athlete at Cisco College in Texas, Morris was thinking about Alaska.

“I had friends who went up there when they were 19 years old and worked on the pipeline,” he says. “And I was in college playing ball and thought, ‘Damn, I’d really like to go.’”

Except he didn’t go back for years, not until long after he became a successful performer. It was worth the wait when he made his first trip in the 1980s.

Morris flew into Cordova, in Southcentral Alaska. There he met famed hunting guide Sam Fejes, who took Morris on a memorable six-day grizzly hunt.

They put in a lot of miles, staying in a tent camp and eating meals cooked over an old WhisperLite stove. The simplicity of the moment had a lasting effect on Morris. He never got the grizzly he was after, but did harvest a black bear on a spot-and-stalk longbow hunt, “which was kind of cool.”

“I’ve always said that what Alaska offers is, there are a million ways to live and a million ways to die, and they’re all in Alaska,” Morris says.

There were plenty of other adventures in the Last Frontier. In the 1990s, he hosted an outdoors show, The North American Sportsman, on the Nashville Network. His guests on Alaska-filmed episodes included actors Ed Marinaro and Wilford Brimley. The latter fished with Morris in the Brooks Range, where they shared the river with grizzlies.

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BIG STATE, SMALL WORLD

G

ary Morris has never performed a public concert in Alaska. But that doesn’t mean he’s completely unknown in the Last Frontier. Two smallworld moments on separate trips provided some nostalgia.

“I went into a bar up there (during a trip) and quite a few friends of mine who lived in the Lower 48 had moved up there, including one woman who had been a babysitter for me and had been living in Anchorage,” Morris says. “And she happened to be in that bar the night I went in.”

On a hunting trip with longtime guide Sam Fejes, he and Morris stopped in a Cordova restaurant. Morris and Fejes began chatting about his fame as an acclaimed country music singer.

(Fejes) is a cocky guy and says, ‘I don’t think anybody up here knows who you are.’ I said, ‘Well, maybe.’ ‘They know Randy Owen (lead singer) of Alabama, but I don’t think they know you.’ I said, ‘That’s fine; I don’t care,’” Morris recalls.

He ordered a bowl of salmon chili from the server, who soon returned to the table.

“Sam said, ‘Do you know who this is?’ She looked at me and said, ‘No.’ And he said, ‘That’s Gary Morris.’ She said, ‘OK.’ I had shaved my beard off and I always had a beard on my record (covers). She goes back and brings our order out, and she pulls out her wallet with a picture. The picture is of me and her mother from a place called the Belle Starr in Dallas. And Sam just freaked out.” CC

“I’ve brought a bunch of other people up there. I’ve been in floatplanes when that migrating caribou herd was out,” Morris says. “When I hunted with Sam, we went to the lodge one day and we were in two tents in the middle of it.

There were grizzly tracks around our tent after we were out all day. When we came in we said, ‘Well, look what’s been here.’”

Later, Morris brought his mother Margaret and father Stanley to fish on the Kenai River. The setting also mesmerized his parents.

“I was the entertainment for the Kenai Classic. We were at the reception and I told Mom, ‘I need to put you all to bed,’ She said, ‘But it’s daylight.’ ‘Mom, it’s 11:30 at night right now.’”

The fishing was pretty good too, particularly for Margaret. When it was her turn to reel in the next fish, their guide handed her the rod. There was a 40-pound king salmon on the other end of the line.

“I can’t get it in,” Margaret kept saying. But with the help of the guide, the massive Chinook was netted, the hook spilling out of its mouth just as it was 24

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safely secured.

And she got the final laugh out of the story when she and Stanley were back in their Fort Worth, Texas home.

“My mom called up the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and said, ‘Margaret, Stanley and Gary Morris went fishing for king salmon. Margaret caught a 40-pounder. Her husband Stanley and son Gary caught a few small trout,’” Gary says.

“That got in the paper and, of course, my dad was sitting having coffee with all his boys and had to hear about that.’”

MOST OF TEXAS IS covered with private land, making it more difficult to hunt.

“My first hunting experience was a BB gun and a rat,” Morris says.

But growing up in the Fort Worth area, fishing was a little easier to access.

Nearby Grapevine Lake became a regular destination to take out the family boat and fish for bass. But while visiting an aunt and uncle in Idaho during the summer before his 16th birthday, Morris got his first taste of the true wilderness.

“When we were there my cousins tied flies and I tied a few while I was at the

house. And then we went trout fishing, and I was forever hooked on fly fishing.”

Still, as a teenager Morris was more focused on his athleticism as a four-sport star. He was good enough to earn a football scholarship as a defensive back at

Cisco (he would have continued his college career and education at Texas Tech had he not chosen to pursue singing). A career in music – he wrote and played a few songs and sang in local choirs – wasn’t even running through his mind.

But again, it was out West where Morris became inspired.

“I went to Colorado for a summer between my sophomore and junior years in college. And I was going back to play football and I met up with two boys

When he’s not touring, Morris stays away from Nashville’s country music scene and spends most of his time at his Mountain Spirit Ranch in southwest Colorado. “In this business you can choose where you wake up. If I’m not on the road, I want to wake up here,” he says. “It’s a grounding experience.” (GARY MUSGRAVE)

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“I’ve always said that what Alaska offers is, there are a million ways to live and a million ways to die, and they’re all in Alaska,” Morris says of the state he’s visited a handful of times. “Alaska is my favorite place in the United States.” (GARY MORRIS)

from Texas and we started a little trio in Denver,” he says. “And by the end of the summer I was making 1,000 bucks a week and I thought, ‘Man.’” And there was one more reason why he went away from sports to pursue a career as an entertainer.

“It was girls,” he says sheepishly.

He tried to make a go of it in Denver, but as an aspiring country singer he did what almost everyone in that genre does in the hopes of hitting it big: move to Nashville. Morris’ time with the Carter presidential campaign helped lead to signing a record deal with Warner Bros.

Morris would record a dozen albums, which spawned 16 top 10 singles on the country charts, including the five No. 1 hits. His rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings” – Bette Midler would later famously sing it for the 1988 film Beaches – resulted in his 1984 song of the year awards. He was also honored in 1982 as Billboard’s male artist of the year.

He might have been a mainstay among the honky-tonk crowd in Nashville, but Morris showed his range when he took his talents to the New York opera stage. During the height of his success in 1984, he starred as Rodolfo in La Bohème (alongside pop singer Linda Ronstadt), and later returned to the stage to play the 28

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lead role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (the album of the cast’s rendition of the opera went platinum, leading to Morris’ performance in London for Queen Elizabeth II).

“People have said, ‘Hey, you shouldn’t do that,’” Morris says of some of his career choices. “I was told it (singing with Ronstadt) would ruin my career. Well, it closed some doors like country music in terms of playing anything new. But it opened a million others. And I had no regrets for doing any of that.”

“I’ve made some bad choices, but we all do that and that’s where we are. And I’m pretty happy with where I am.”

THESE DAYS, MORRIS IS indeed content with writing new songs and appearing in concert in smaller venues. But mostly he is enjoying the good life in Colorado at the property known as Mountain Spirit Ranch.

“The closest town is Pagosa Springs.

I’m about 4 miles from the New Mexico border,” he says. “I’m at about 7,500 feet and surrounded by 13,000-foot peaks, and I’m on the valley floor.”

A portion of the Navajo River runs through his property, a great spot to break out a fly rod and cast for trout.

“In this business you can choose where you wake up. If I’m not on the road, I want to wake up here. It’s a grounding experience. We have deer and elk, bear and mountain lion and turkey and all of that right here – literally right here. It’s somewhat wild – there’s not a house in sight from my place. And it’s peaceful and beautiful.”

But as a sportsman, his biggest thrill has been hunting with a longbow. He’s hunted with rifles before and understands those who do it regularly, but Morris prefers to hunt without looking through a scope.

“Hunting with a longbow, you’re looking at the animal, and it’s a commitment.

You’re looking right at it, drawing a bow and releasing an arrow,” he says. “Something still on my bucket list is to come back up (to Alaska) and take a grizzly.

And while I’m not what you would call a trophy hunter – I’ve pretty much taken everything with a longbow – there’s something about doing that. I might even talk to (Fejes) about doing a hunt 30

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next spring.”

One of Morris’ other passions is as a benefactor for servicemen and -women.

He’s a regular partner with, among other organizations, Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, which helps veterans suffering through PTSD effects by taking them out into the field. Morris hopes to eventually start his own nonprofit organization to help troops. He hosted four wounded veterans for a Colorado fly fishing trip at his ranch in the summer.

Gary’s father Stanley Morris served under General George S. Patton during the liberation of Europe in World War II, so he thought it important to honor his father’s military background.

“I was in the Vietnam era and I was in the first lottery and got No. 12. I went to get my physical. And for the only time in my life I had high blood pressure, so I guess I worried myself out of it,” Gary Morris says.

“And since then, I don’t know how many shows I’ve done for the military, from Kentucky to Italy, and gone through the Caribbean and Central America on small bases. I’ve been to Germany and the Middle East. It’s just basically saying, ‘Thanks for keeping us safe.’”

IN SEPTEMBER, MORRIS RELEASED a new album, called Sense of Pride. He recently told the website Digital Journal that “the songs almost spewed out of me.”

One such track filled with sentimental overtones is a ballad he titled “I’m In Church.” It’s an ode to the joy the outdoors brings him throughout the seasons. Some of the lyrics are hauntingly beautiful, the perfect tribute to nature for a man who’s appreciated the impact it’s provided, particularly in Alaska.

“Fall grabs me by the collar, these mountains make me smaller.”

“Pines and aspen blind me, elk above and deer behind me.”

“All these moments still unwind me.” ASJ Editor’s note: For more on Gary Morris, check out his website, garymorris.com, where you can purchase his new album, Sense of Pride. You can also find it on various music platforms like iTunes and Spotify.

Follow on Twitter (@GaryMorrisTour) and like at facebook.com/garymorrismusic. aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2018

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Alaska anglers and others have been on the crusade to pass the Salmon Habitat Initiative, which would provide better clarity for permitting projects that may impact fish habitat in the state. (LAKEVIEW OUTFITTERS)

THE FIGHT FOR FISH

VOTING ALASKANS WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A STAND FOR SALMON HABITAT

BY DAVE ATCHESON

T

hroughout history, salmon have been part of a David versus Goliath struggle, but unlike the biblical parable, the fish have mostly been on the losing end, first in Europe and later in the continental United States. Fortunately, Alaska continues as one of the few remaining strongholds of wild salmon left on the planet, thanks mostly to its remote location and due to a few key changes in law made at statehood. Many of us worry, however, that without proper protections and updates to antiquated laws, that all might change, and in a hurry.

In recent years, for instance, we have seen the specter of the Chuitna coal mine and the Susitna River dam move forward, coming very close to reality. In fact, the biggest reason these projects did not forge ahead was due primarily to economic factors and had nothing to

do with the destruction they would have wreaked upon invaluable and irreplaceable salmon habitat. If those developments had proceeded, along with the proposed Pebble mine, which is still very much in play, Alaska would have been well on its way to joining the Lower 48 and the rest of the world in hastening the demise of one of our most valuable renewable resources, our salmon.

That’s why 13 of us – an eclectic group of Alaskans made up of guides, commercial fishers and retired biologists – penned a proposal to the Alaska Board of Fisheries asking them to urge the legislature to update current habitat permitting, using scientific criteria to bring our laws into the 21st century.

The board voted unanimously to support this, and as a result Rep. Louise Stutes put forth House Bill 199, designed

to develop science-based, statutory standards for permitting decisions in anadromous fish habitat. Regrettably, there was no serious consideration of the bill by the legislature.

Fortunately, the state constitution gives Alaska residents an initiative process, by which citizens can use a vote of the people to take up issues the Legislature fails to address. That’s what Ballot Measure No. 1, the Salmon Habitat Initiative, is: A response by the citizens of Alaska, signed by more than 49,000 of them, asking for a fair and common-sense permitting system that protects our fisheries well into the future.

CHANGE NEEDED As it stands, the current law is simply inadequate to assure suitable protection of our anadromous fish stocks. Written

aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2018

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almost 60 years ago, it simply states, “The commissioner (of ADFG) shall issue a (habitat) permit unless the plans and specifications are insufficient for the proper protection of fish and game.”

The problem is that this statute and its underlying regulations provide only this nebulous description with no defined parameters for what constitutes the proper protection of fish and game, with each administration interpreting it in its own way. What the Salmon Habitat Initiative does is it directs those within the Department of Fish and Game to define those parameters, using science-based standards – thus creating certainty in the permitting process – so every applicant will know what to expect and we can be assured that a robust permitting process will be employed for projects that threaten significant harm to salmon habitat.

Under the initiative, habitat permits would be separated into those with “major” and “minor” impacts. Those in the minor category would be streamlined, while scrutiny would be increased for major projects such as the proposed

Pebble Mine.

It also allows ADFG to authorize blanket “general permits” by region for activities with comparatively little to no impact, such as ATV use, trails, and docks. The initiative also gives added voice to the people, with the inclusion of public notice and comment periods before ADFG issues a fish habitat permit that falls into the major category.

The initiative would also cut down on the amount of public funds used in permitting by requiring project developers – not the state – to pay for the costs associated with gathering information for their fish habitat permits.

DIGGING IN FOR A FIGHT There has been considerable pushback to the initiative, especially among large corporations that see protecting salmon habitat as a hindrance to some of their projects and to their profits. Almost immediately a rather formidable group was created to counter the initiative. They dubbed themselves Stand for Alaska.

They have been busy gathering funds from various corporate interests, includ-

ing Donlin Gold, BP and Pebble.

The Goliath in this battle, they have amassed more than $9 million by the time of this writing, with which they have launched an extensive advertising campaign, bombarding the airwaves and print media with what many see as fear mongering and outright distortions.

One of Stand for Alaska’s biggest claims is that this initiative would shut down any and all development. It’s an incorrect assumption in any case, but one that should be completely put to bed since a recent Alaska Supreme Court decision concluded otherwise.

The court, in allowing the ballot measure to go forward, removed two provisions it found were too restrictive on ADFG’s ability to issue permits for projects having permanent impacts to salmon habitat. It ruled that the remainder of the initiative gave ADFG sufficient leeway to issue permits considering scientific standards and the public interest.

Even with these two provisions removed, those of us deep in the trenches in our fight for salmon believe this still represents significant progress in the

Alaska’s salmon fishing industry and local conservationists have come together during this fight, which includes the Pebble Mine project. (BRANDON HILL)

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get the word out and counteract the juggernaut of advertising being put out by foes of the initiative.

A CHANCE TO AVOID REPEATING HISTORY

“There has been considerable pushback to the initiative, especially among large corporations that see protecting salmon habitat as a hindrance to some of their projects and to their profits,” author Dave Atcheson writes. (FLYOUT MEDIA)

When it comes down to it, the simple fact of the matter is this: If a company adjusts its development plan to address anadromous fish habitat, its project can go forward. This is the minimum we should expect so that Alaska doesn’t repeat the mistakes that have been all too common in Europe and the Lower 48.

Bringing this law into the 21st century is just plain common sense and good policy. It’s the least we can do for our salmon, our children, and ourselves. I would urge everyone who’s voting on Nov. 6 to take a look at the initiative itself.

For more info, go to standforsalmon .org and savebristolbay.org. ASJ

effort to protect our dwindling natural resources. Among those taking up the grassroots effort to push the initiative forward, the Davids in this case are the likes of sportfishing business owners, tribal councils and commercial fish-

Editor’s note: Dave Atcheson is with Trout Unlimited Alaska. He is also an author whose latest book is Dead Reckoning, Navigating a Life on the Last Frontier, Courting Tragedy on its High Seas. For more on the author, check out daveatcheson.com.

ers. They stand alongside conservation groups such as Cook Inlet Keeper, the Wild Salmon Center and Trout Unlimited. These groups, working mostly on a shoestring budget with the support of local members, are doing their best to

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A FISHY IDEA THAT WORKED

A staffer feeds sockeye fry in the indoor raceways at Main Bay Hatchery in Prince William Sound. Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp. was founded in Cordova, with the first hatchery opening in 1974. (PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AQUACULTURE CORP.)

ALASKA’S SALMON HATCHERIES OFFER SUPPORT FOR FISHING INDUSTRIES

BY CASEY CAMPBELL AND MIKE WELLS

W

hen the Good Friday earthquake shook Alaska in 1964, the damage wasn’t confined to buildings and homes. In some coastal areas, the land and ocean floor were uplifted dramatically and impacted the productivity of aquatic habitat for decades.

For the fishing towns of Cordova and Valdez, the fertile salmon spawning grounds of Prince William Sound all

but dried up. But this wasn’t the end of the story.

The people of Cordova created the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp.

(PWSAC). The nonprofit transformed an old cannery at the Port San Juan into a prolific wild salmon hatchery. As the late U.S. Senator Ted Stevens recalled in the 1970s, “In desperation, the community of Cordova banded together to build a

major fish hatchery, which was one of the greatest community projects I have ever witnessed in Alaska.”

Around the same time, the Alaska Legislature introduced the Fisheries Rehabilitation, Enhancement, and Development (FRED) Division within the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and funding was provided to the department to construct hatchery facilities across

aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2018

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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At the net pen complexes at Cannery Creek, fry are held for eight to 10 weeks for further development before they’re released. (PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AQUACULTURE CORP.)

support the Valdez economy. The Solomon Gulch Hatchery would later become a consistent producer of early-run pinks as well as coho salmon, extending the common property fishery as well as significantly expanding sportfishing opportunities in Valdez. This also led to the development of the annual Valdez Silver Derby, which has become an economic boon for the community.

FINDING A NICHE

the state and to staff them. Through the 1970s and 1980s, FRED and the Sport Fish Division collaborated on a number of projects statewide to improve opportunities for commercial and sport users.

Shortly after opening the hatchery in 1974, PWSAC recorded the largest salmon run of any hatchery in the world.

The Alaska seafood industry was once

again working to meet the demands of the global marketplace, as well as support the coastal economies of Prince William Sound.

In 1980, Valdez leaders in fisheries and business founded the Valdez Fisheries Development Association Inc. (VFDA) and built the Solomon Gulch Hatchery in Port Valdez in an effort to

Hatcheries are the solution Alaska’s founders intended for us to cultivate decades ago, when fishing politics of the 1970s differed little from the fish wars waged today. Back then, there was still a strong desire to work together.

When salmon runs collapsed, a group of individuals representing various user groups joined to find ways to not only save our wild salmon but help them flourish – all while remaining dedicated to the environment and the sustainability of Alaska’s fisheries.

Fluctuating fish runs caused by natural cycles offer little stability for Alaska’s salmon users. Fisheries are the

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second-largest contributor to Alaska’s economy after oil and gas, and history has found hatcheries provide reliable and sustainable salmon returns for all users.

Whether your favorite means of fishing is sport, subsistence, personal use, or you depend on commercial fishing for your livelihood, hatchery-raised salmon have likely benefited you and your family. Recently, hatcheries have also divided those who depend on salmon across our state. While some concerns should be addressed and in many cases are, this is diverting our focus from finding new

solutions to promote sustainable fisheries enhancement in Alaska.

A BOOMING INDUSTRY Today, Alaska’s economy is thriving due to the foresight of many before us, and today many users depend on our fisheries enhancement programs. Hatcheries generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual economic output, from commercial, sport and subsistence fishing revenue. The hatchery program is a solution endowed to us by early Alaskans to meet the challenges of Alaska’s seafood

industries and sustainably provide for the world’s strong demand for Alaskan wild salmon. We should be working together to continuously improve our program as we learn more about the natural environment and human interactions with it.

Currently, there are many research projects related to Alaska salmon. One major research project, the Wild Hatchery Interaction Study, is conducted by ADFG and studies the genetics, scope of straying hatchery-raised salmon, and the population fitness of interacting hatchery and wild salmon. This project

Getting in some research work from a Prince William Sound skiff at Cannery Creek. (PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AQUACULTURE CORP.) 42

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“Research has found that hatcheries present a rare opportunity to supplement our natural resources while limiting impacts to the environment that supports our fisheries,” authors Casey Campbell and Mike Wells write. “It is clear that the demand for Alaska’s wild salmon by all users is greater than what the natural environment can support.”

the environment continues to change.

Innovation and determination are the lifeblood of Alaska, as was etched in history by hardy Alaskans like those survivors of the 1964 earthquake. Thanks to them – along with Ted Stevens and other visionary leaders in Alaska’s fisheries – the state’s hatcheries play a vital role in ensuring the promise to future generations that they, too, can enjoy and benefit from healthy salmon stocks.

To fulfill that promise, we must work together and rely on sound science. So grab your pole, grab your net, and help us carry on a tradition older than Alaska itself. ASJ

(PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AQUACULTURE CORP.)

was developed to better help understand our salmon ecosystem in a way not possible before. Results of this study will chart a new path for Alaska salmon, plus the Alaska hatchery program.

Research has found that hatcheries present a rare opportunity to supplement our natural resources while limiting impacts to the environment that supports our fisheries. One of the big-

gest challenges facing Alaska’s salmon resource is that we love it too much.

A VISION FULFILLED It is clear that the demand for Alaska’s wild salmon by all users is greater than what the natural environment can support. New solutions and research will be needed to determine how to sustain these runs as demand continues to increase and

Editor’s note: Mike Wells was born and raised in Valdez, Alaska and has served in various roles in commercial fisheries, oil spill response, and the Valdez Fisheries Development Association throughout his career. Casey Campbell was born and raised in Alaska, and has been involved in Alaska fisheries as a commercial and sport fisherman for over 25 years ranging from Southeast to Southcentral Alaska. Learn more about salmon hatcheries statewide at salmonhatcheriesforak.org.

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Goat season opens in Game Management Unit 1C (Southeast Mainland) Brown bear season opens in GMU 10 (Unimak Island) Bison season opens in GMU 20 (Fairbanks-Central Tanana) Deer season opens in GMU 3 (Petersburg-Wrangell) Youth deer season opens in GMU 5 (Yakutat) Anterless moose season opens in GMU 15 (Kenai) Second resident caribou season opens in GMU 13 (Nelchina-Upper Susitna) Elk season opens in GMU 8 (Kodiak-Shelikof) Fall brown bear season opens in GMU 8 Moose season opens in GMU 14C (Ship Creek drainage above Joint Base Elmendorf/Richardson Management Area)

Editor’s note: For more specific regulations, check out the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s hunting regulations handbook.

Download it at adfg.alaska.gov. aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2018

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

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aksportingjournal.com | MAY 2017

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

54

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ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL

OCTOBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

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MONTH TO BREAK OUT PLUGS FOR KENAI, OTHER RIVERS' COHO

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I

t’s October and there’s a lot going on in Alaska. And one of my favorite things to do this time of year is to go after fat, hard-fighting silver salmon.

There are many ways to catch coho, but one of my favorite approaches is casting plugs. When talk of plug fishing for coho comes up, most minds turn to backtrolling from a boat. While back-trolling flatlined plugs for coho works well, casting can be even better, especially in Alaska’s many smaller rivers and streams.

A WILY TARGET Because coho occupy such a variety of water types, they can be challenging to fish for late in the season. While coho travel through fast-flowing water, they routinely hold in slack water. Coho are notorious for staging in the mouths of rivers and small streams, even in lakes and sloughs where the current is virtually nonexistent. Some of these slack holding waters may be only a few feet deep, and some more than 30 feet deep.

Coho will also hold on the inside corner of river bends. Some of this water can

This Th T his is b big ig ccoho ig oho oh ho co ccouldn’t oul uldn ldn dn’t ’tt rresist esiis es ist a sa ssardine-wrapped ard din inee wr wrap ppe p d 4 5 Mag 4.

4.5 Mag Li Lip, ip p,, o one nee o off ne n nearly ear arlyy 2 20 0 sa ssalmon salm alm lmon on llanded on and an ded ded de during duri du ring ing g an an afternoon afte af tern te rnoo rn oo on on tthe he rriver. ivver er. (SCOTT (SCOT (S COTT T HAUGEN) HAUG A EN) EN)

also be very shallow, meaning plugs may not be the best option. But if there’s any depth to these inside corners, especially in the form of ledges where coho might stack up, then tossing plugs can be highly effective. Even if it’s 3 feet deep, a plug can be worked slowly.

If casting from a boat, try getting the plug near shore, well beyond where the fish are holding. By the time the plug reaches its fishing depth – achieved by reeling, since most plugs float – you want

to be in the strike zone. Casting into shallow water and retrieving to deeper water is not always the best option because if coho are gathered tight to shore, the plug may pass over them before reaching the desired depth.

One of the best places to cast a plug is from a boat over deep, slow-moving water.

This allows you to cover prime water, and in deeper sections, coho are more receptive to traveling long distances to attack.

If coho are tucked tight to shore, then

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FIELD

Holding a Halloween party? Tiffany Haugen likes to combine wild game with a tomato sauce concoction to create a scary yet hearty treat. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

A SUREFIRE WILD GAME TREAT

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

H

appy Halloween! Just about any wild game can be ground and added to a flavorful tomato sauce, providing an easy meal to feed a few or a crowd.

Holding a costume party? Why not impress and scare guests at the same time? It’s easy to keep the filling warm and put these sandwiches together all evening long. This recipe doubles or triples well to feed a crowd, and if by chance you have any, leftovers freeze well.

2 tablespoons olive oil 1½ pounds ground wild game 1 cup diced onion 1 cup diced red bell pepper 4 cloves diced garlic 1 6-ounce can tomato paste ¼ cup water 2 tablespoons brown sugar

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2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 2 teaspoons chili powder ½ teaspoon salt Six pitas Three slices white cheese (American, Muenster, provolone or Swiss) 12 pimento stuffed green olives Toothpicks

cheese; you want at least five “teeth” for each pita. Place toothpicks through olives, which will be the “eyes." Warm pitas 10 to 15 seconds in a dry skillet or microwave, if desired.

Place a scoop of sloppy Joe mixture on one half of each pita. Fold pita over, place cheese along the top fold of the pita and secure the olives on top of the pita.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper until soft – about five minutes. Add ground venison and sauté until browned – about five minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste, stirring constantly for five minutes. Add water, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, chili powder and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Cut several triangles out of the

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular Cooking Big Game book, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or visit tiffanyhaugen.com for this and many of her other cookbooks.

Tiffany is a full-time author and part of the Cook With Cabela’s online series. Also watch for her on The Sporting Chef.

OCTOBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

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the best approach is casting from the bank. Be sure to cast beyond the fish and reel just fast enough to get the plug within a few inches of the bottom, without getting hung up in the rocks.

BE PLUGGED IN My favorite all-around plug for casting for coho is the Mag Lip 4.5. The 3.5 size also works well, and the 3.0 is great for casting in smaller, clear coastal streams.

Wrap the Mag Lip with herring, sardine or anchovy – adding more scent – and the presentation gets even better.

While fishing the Kenai River in late fall with well-known local guide Mike Fenton (fentonbrosfishing.com), he introduced me to just how effective wrapped plugs can be when targeting coho.

“These coho love scents, just like the kings do,” Fenton pointed out. “But the key to a good casting wrap is making sure the fillet stays in place through all the casting and retrieving.”

He puts multiple wraps on a plug with his bulk thread spool. The 4.5 Mag Lip is also Mike’s favorite casting plug. Coho are tenacious, so this is not too big of a plug by any means. In fact, I like the larger size because it offers more flash and movement.

It can carry more scent in the form or a wrap, and the rattles send out agitating

sounds that coho love this time of year.

WATCH YOUR SPEED When fishing a plug, control the depth through the speed you reel. For this, a spinning reel along the lines of a Shimano Symetre 4000 that’s spooled with P-Line’s 12-pound CXX X-Tra Strong works great. A large-capacity reel allows for heavier pound test, which is important when controlling fish in shallow water where fish can run great distances.

Put this set-up on a G.Loomis STR116325, a fast-action 9-foot, 8-inch rod with a 6-12-pound-test rating. It’s capable of working ⅜- to 1½-ounce lures, or something similar. Then simply tie your plug directly to the mainline via duolock snap swivel and get to fishing.

This October, try casting plugs for coho. You’ll be impressed with how effective it can be and how hard these fish fight. My best day of casting plugs for coho came on Halloween, a day I’ll never forget. ASJ Editor’s note: Signed copies of Scott Haugen's popular Bank Fishing For Salmon & Steelhead book can be obtained by sending a check for $15 to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or from scotthaugen.com.

Mike Fenton battles a Kenai coho. Fenton, a longtime guide in the area, ranks late October among the best time to be on this famed river. (SCOTT HAUGEN) 64

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WHERE THE TROPHIES ARE FEW FISHERIES CHURN OUT MORE BIG ARCTIC GRAYLING THAN THE DELTA CLEARWATER RIVER

BY MIKE LUNDE

E

merging in the flats below the Granite Mountains between Delta Junction and Tok is a stream as clear as top-shelf gin. This crystal-clear, spring-fed river flows for 17 twisting miles before it joins the glacially silted Tanana River.

As it meanders through subalpine forests composed of white spruce and black birch in a series of riffle-pool sequences, the occasional longer cobble or sandy-bottomed runs provide temporary but dangerous quarters for mayflies. The longer they tarry, the more likely it becomes that a hungry 18-plusinch Arctic grayling will swim their way.

A GRAYLING BONANZA The Delta Clearwater River is recognized as one of the top grayling fisheries in Alaska, and it’s home to fish that are well above average compared to other roadside and even remote fisheries.

Fisheries biologists for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimate the average size of these grayling is around 14 to 15 inches, with fish in the 18- to 20-inch range definitely possible.

Some even bigger ones – to 21 and 22 inches – might even bite.

ADFG considers an 18-incher as 66

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meeting the minimum standard for a trophy grayling. Although Alaska’s top fisheries for the species are typically in out-of-reach systems, places like Nome and Ugashik Narrows – where the original state record was guided by Fred Cicco, a former state biologist – the Delta Clearwater is one of the best accessible via the road system.

The abundance of mayfly hatches over the course of the open-water season is the likely contributing factor to how productive and good the fishing can be here. Fishery managers at ADFG’s Delta Junction office implemented a slot limit for the river and all fish over 12 inches have to be immediately released, which protects the larger, slower growing fish, yet still allows anglers an opportunity to harvest smaller fish for the frying pan. Fresh grayling makes for delicious table fare. Popular recipes include broiling them with butter or margarine or wrapping them with thick-cut cherrywood or honey-smoked bacon.

MAYFLY HATCHES Grayling often exhibit foraging behavior that is similar to trout in Lower 48 river systems, with aquatic and terrestrial

OCTOBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

The Th he Delta Delt Delt De ltaa Clearwater Clea Cl earw rwat ater ter er R River, ivver er, a tw ttwo-hour woo-ho our u d drive r ve ffrom ri r m Fa ro Fairbanks air irba bank nks ks an and d five fiv ve hours hour ho urss from ur frrom m Anchorage, Anc ncho horaage hora ho ge, offers off off ffer e s quantity er quan qu a ti an tity ty and and d quality qua ualilility t fishing ty fish shin in ng for for A Ar Arctic ctic ct icc grayling graayl y in ng for fo or Interior In nte teri rior ri or aanglers. or ng gle lers rs. rs s. (MI ((MIKE MI M KE K LUNDE) LUN LU UN NDE) DE) aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2018

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invertebrates being the dominant prey preferred to other available options.

While stoneflies and caddisflies are common aquatic insects that Arctic grayling consume throughout Alaska, it is the mayflies that dominate the food web of the Delta Clearwater.

According to Reinhard Neuhaser, guide and owner of Alaska Fishing and Rafting Adventures (800-819-0737; akrivertours.com), the timing of the mayfly hatch varies day to day with environmental conditions such as photoperiod, air temperature and barometric pressure or wind speed predetermining when it comes off.

On average, the mayfly hatch starts around noon, but it can be delayed until 1 p.m. or later, depending on the aforementioned environmental factors. It typically lasts from three to four hours, but in some scenarios it can last until the early evening. The hatch starts as early as middle to late May and runs into October, when the water can be bone-chilling and thick with fall-run silvers.

Common mayfly species that hatch on the Delta Clearwater include baetids,

ephemerellids and heptagenids. Most exhibit the light bluish dun or shades of olive for their morphology. It is typically during this hatch that Clearwater grayling jump frequently. Since the fish are so highly dependent on mayflies, it is important to match the hatch.

Before mayfly hatches come off, traditional dry fly patterns such as Elk-hair Caddis, Stimulators, Griffith Gnats and Mosquitoes in sizes 12 through 16 work effectively. Under slow conditions when these typical patterns don’t produce results, try nymphing with a long tapered fluorocarbon leader.

TACTICS, TECHNIQUES AND PRESENTATION Given the high degree of water clarity, the use of indicators is somewhat optional but it is recommended to use short-line techniques and your hand to feel for feel strikes. Adding weight in the form of size BB to 3/0 split shots assists tremendously in getting either weighted or unweighted nymphs within close proximity to or right on the bottom.

Maintaining a tight line is necessary for

Summer is the best time to plan a trip to catch grayling on the Delta Clearwater River, which flows 20 miles in a spectacular setting. (MIKE LUNDE)

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detecting light bites.

Compared to other grayling systems in Alaska, heavier fly rods are required to combat the windier conditions associated with the area, where a calm day can transition into a not-so-calm one as alpine winds from the Delta Mountains sweep into the vast valley. While rods in the 1- to 3-weight category are superior for grayling in smaller stream channels of headwater systems, they can be very undergunned for dealing with the subalpine breezes here. Those in the 5- to 6-weight category are fairly adequate in these scenarios.

Match a fast- or moderate fast-action fly rod to a lightweight large arbor reel to assist with counterbalancing the rod appropriately. Reels should be spooled with 12- to 20-pound Dacron flyline backing and nail-knotted or Albrighted to the floating flyline of choice.

My personal recommendation is a standard weight-forward (WF) flyline or in some circumstances “uplining” the flyline one weight heavier than the rod being used. For example, uplining a 4-weight means a 5-weight WF fly line

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Unlike many other side-by-sides, the Roxor will feature a very CJ-7-ish steel body mounted on a steel frame. The powertrain will be the ultimate off-roader’s dream: a turbo-diesel four-cylinder motor and five-speed manual – an automatic option will also be available – mounted to a low-range transfer case. The 2.5-liter diesel produces 62 hp at 3,200 rpm, along with an impressive 144 foot-pounds of torque at 1,400 rpm.

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Mayflies are the most common food source on the river, so it’s wise to go with patterns resembling the prolific insects. (MIKE LUNDE)

is used instead. Advantages of uplining a fly rod include increased power in windier conditions, ability to turn over longer leaders, and longer casts.

Sinking lines are unnecessary in your

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approach for grayling, but sink-tips are excellent for swinging streamers on single-hand rods.

A small up-and-coming group of anglers is exploring the benefits of mi-

OCTOBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

crospeys. These smaller guns of the spey fishing world allow anglers to cast and skate larger terrestrial hoppers or swing smaller streamers to areas where backcasting room is extremely limited.

They’re also for those looking for the ultimate drift for a presentation.

An underrated technique is to fish during the autumn silver run up the Delta Clearwater. These fish are destined to spawn in the middle and upper reaches of the system. As escapement numbers substantially increase throughout late September into October, some grayling will switch their foraging behavior to include salmon eggs, a prey item that requires no energy to chase down compared to other possibilities.

During silver fishing trips with Alaska Fishing and Raft Adventures, guides such as Lee Squires, Will Samuel and yours truly will often have clients dead-drift 8mm beads in various color combinations on fluorocarbon leader indicator rigs, using either fly fishing or spinning rod set-ups.

In some scenarios into late fall, we will have clients swing micro flesh-fly

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patterns on a BB split-shot rig or sinktip connected to the floating fly line.

The presentation is suspended in the middle of water column or in close proximity to bottom.

A 6½- to 8-foot ultralight to lightpowered spinning rod matched with 4to 6-pound mono or fluorocarbon line is excellent for this technique, given the nature of how clear the water is.

DELTA CLEARWATER RIVER ACCESS There’s minimal shoreline fishing opportunities on the river. What’s available is centered around Delta Clearwater State Campground at mile 11 from Jack Warren Road, which connects to the Richardson Highway about 2 miles outside of Delta Junction. A well-defined hiking trail leads upstream from the boat launch and parallels the shoreline for approximately half a mile to Clearwater Lodge.

The trail also continues downstream for a half mile. Bushwhacking is the name of the game after that point if you want to be adventurous.

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With regulations that require larger grayling to be released, the Delta Clearwater is a good river to try and land a trophy fish and maybe take home some delicious fillets from smaller ones. (MIKE LUNDE)

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Minimal backcasting room exists along the streambank, so pay close attention to your biomechanics or use roll-casting fundamentals when necessary. A small riffle just upstream of Clearwater Lodge allows anglers to walk across the stream to an inside bend and from there venture downstream or upto explore more trophy grayling habitat.

The Delta Clearwater River accommodates nonmotorized vessels very nicely. Kayaks, canoes and pontoons or catarafts allow adventurous grayling fishermen to float downstream to one of two take-out locations.

The first take-out is on Clearwater Lake, just upstream from the confluence of the Delta Clearwater and a sidechannel of the Tanana with the mainstem Tanana. Anglers typically row upstream and across the lake to a small boat launch. The second location is an adventurous and breathtaking float through spruce- and birch-enriched shorelines and eventually down the mighty Tanana for 4 miles until the Alyeska Bridge at the Richardson Highway. A maintained boat launch is also available there.

Powerboats have endless options to fish the lower sections of the river as well as the upper headwaters. Jet boats are preferred, though props can be used with caution, depending on your boat-driving experience on Alaska rivers.

NOT JUST SALMON If you’re looking for fishing opportunities in the Interior for the sailfish of the north, look no further than the gorgeous spring-fed waters of the Delta Clearwater. It’s only a two-hour drive southeast of Fairbanks or five hours from Anchorage. One of the top trophy grayling fisheries in the state, it’s well worth the ticket to admission if you’re tired of fishing for other species or perhaps your freezer is full of salmon and you need an alternative to spike your adrenaline before winter sets in.

Scan through that flybox, break out the beads and pay close attention to the underwater world around you to select the right pattern for the Delta Clearwater. An airborne grayling connected to your favorite graphite toy is only seconds away. ASJ 74

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OCTOBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

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Author Paul Atkins’ bucket list of harvesting Alaska’s big game animals has taken some time to fulfill, but having a checklist of to-do hunts makes it more fun. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

CROSSING OFF ANOTHER FOR AN ALASKAN SPORTSMAN OR -WOMAN, HAVING A BUCKET LIST IS WELCOMED

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

I

“

want to hunt sheep; been wanting to for years.”

“Do you know what it takes and where to go?”

“You do know that getting a Dall sheep is at the top of my list and I really need to get one as soon as possible.”

Have you ever heard somebody say something like that or had that conversation? I’m sure you have. Even though it sounds cliché, maybe you ponder it as well; I know they’re in my thoughts.

Having a bucket list isn’t something new and whether it pertains to hunting, fishing or even seeing the sights of the world, we all have one.

There was a time that I wanted to set foot in every state in the U.S. I’ve gotten close – 42 out of 50, which isn’t too bad. Maybe someday I will. The baseball fan in me also wants to see every major league ballpark before I die. I haven’t yet – not even close – but it’s still something I’d like to do. aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2018

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Hunting and fishing, and more specifically chasing a certain species, is the same way. Many have accomplished such dreams, completing Super Slams of this and that, whether here in Alaska,

North America or around the world. But of all the guys and gals who have accomplished these feats, I’ve never heard one say they were done or didn’t have something else that was on their list.

In Alaska, a bucket list can be long and take years to accomplish, but the chance of success is readily achievable and can be done under the right circumstances and with a determined set

Sometimes it requires a little extra logistics and knowledgeable people to help achieve goals on your list. Transportation plays a big part in that. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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of goals. Surely there are many of you out there who scoff at the idea because putting meat in the freezer and enjoying time with family in the outdoors is all you need. I envy that and respect those individuals who chase that dream. Heck, for most of us, that is what we all want to do anyway.

But there are some of us who like to pursue different species and test our skills against the elements, the environment and the animal itself. I know I do.

I also think that a person can do both – have fun and stock the family larder.

WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED in Alaska, I wanted to hunt caribou more than anything else. I dreamed about it for years and to be honest, caribou are what drew me to the part of the state I live, Kotzebue. The Western Arctic Herd was huge in those days. If you wanted one, this was the place to be, but they were hard for me in the beginning.

It took three years before I had any luck. Though the bull was small, I was happy that I had accomplished my goal.

I’ve taken many since – more than I can

count – but it was that first small bull that holds the fondest memory.

Next on my list was moose, the holy grail of hunting for many here in the state and even out of state. Moose are big, formidable creatures that can weigh close to a ton, and until you’ve been close to one you can’t fathom their sheer size. What’s more impressive or more intimidating is the amount of work it takes after you get one down. Hunting them is a grand experience, but when they say the work begins after the shot, they’re right!

I was able to mark moose off my list early, in only my second year living here.

Like that first caribou, the bull wasn’t big; he was small, but with subsistence rules and wanting moose meat, I pulled the trigger and filled the freezer. He was and still is the best eating moose I’ve taken in all my years here in the Arctic.

Young bulls always are.

Even though I could cross him off, I still yearned for that magical 60-incher that everyone talks about. I searched, hunted and explored every inch of Northwest Alaska trying to find one, but

I never had the opportunity until many years later.

Before then, however, I was lucky enough to tag along on many moose hunts and kills with friends and family, ones where big bulls seemed to fall in their laps. It was incredible to see: huge bulls, some over 60 and 70 inches, were taken, fulfilling their dreams of taking “the big one.” I shared in those accomplishments and that was enough, but like I said, it was only recently that I accomplished that same goal.

MOOSE AND CARIBOU WERE the big two for me, and for many there isn’t anything else or better. But eventually your mind starts to wonder, what else can I add? What other opportunities are there where I can be successful and, if so, can I do it locally? Or do I have to venture off to other parts of Alaska in order to get it done? And that is what’s great about the Last Frontier; yes, you can!

Alaska is big, with an abundance of wildlife spread across the state. Combining this with following the rules and having the right tags, most of us have the

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Atkins never gets tired of chasing caribou. They’re nomadic and to see them in large herds during migration is truly amazing. He took this bull close to his home base Kotzebue 15 years ago.

(PAUL D. ATKINS)

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ability to hunt those species wherever we choose.

Bears came next for me. With such a large population – one that seems to be ever increasing – black and brown bear both came off the list pretty early. I was able take my first grizzly here in the Arctic 20 years ago, then a brown bear on Kodiak, plus numerous black bears down south. They were fun hunts and something I’ve truly enjoyed.

I do know that taking a grizzly bear or at least hunting for them is on the bucket list of many people. Over the years I’ve been told numerous times by hunters everywhere that “hunting a grizzly” is the number one animal they want to take. They also ask if I have a guide license. I don’t.

Most hunters know that as their list gets shorter, each item requires more effort on a wide variety of fronts. Maybe it’s time and money due to those species being very expensive to hunt and requiring a lot of time to achieve the goal.

Maybe it’s the tag and the difficulty of drawing one in order to just get the chance to go. It could be any of the

If he doesn’t hunt another day, Atkins says he will be happy knowing what it took to take this billy and the memories of that successful mountain goat hunt, “the pinnacle for me.” (PAUL D. ATKINS)

above, but for the most part – and you can bet on this – it will involve mountains and your ability to climb them, or at least conquer some obstacle.

ANIMALS LIKE WILD SHEEP AND mountain goats are lifelong dream hunts for most, but for some they aren’t at the top. They’re down a bit for me – say, No. 9 or 10.

It’s not that they’re tougher to bag or harder to kill. Rather, it’s getting to 88

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where they live and then outsmarting them. That is only half of it, as you still need to get them field dressed and back down the way you came up. It’s just a fact of life and isn’t for everybody.

I was lucky with sheep. In the old days and not that long ago, we had a very healthy and populous herd here in the Arctic. Numbers were good, which allowed us to hunt sheep on a subsistence tag just about every year. They’ve since dwindled due to weather and a

OCTOBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

variety of other reasons and the season has been closed.

It was a blessing, though, and the five rams I did take in those days accounted for some of the greatest and most adventurous times of my hunting career.

Sheep hunts are like that – experiences that aren’t really about killing, but about accomplishing goals and enjoying the time there. However, if you do get lucky and get to mark a sheep off your list, then you’ve really accomplished something.

Whether it’s a bear or bull, there’s something cathartic about being able to check the box on that bucket list. It might take a lifetime to mark off each and every standard, but with each one you’ll feel a sense of satisfaction that you’re working towards something special.

(PAUL D. ATKINS)

Like sheep, hunting mountain goats has become very popular these days in Alaska. A lot of guys are achieving that goal every year. With ever increasing numbers you can hunt them just about anywhere, and on Kodiak Island the population has exploded. Tags are pretty simple to get, and with a two-goat limit, why not?

Nonresidents still need a guide, but bagging a goat isn’t as tough as it used to be. You may have read my recent goat experience (Alaska Sporting Journal, November 2017). It took me three trips to get it done, but I finally did it. Though I was successful and it was the pinnacle for me, I don’t want to do it again!

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THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY of other goals on my list that I’ve been lucky enough to fulfill. Muskox for one, but only due to where I live and the ability to draw a tag. Many say you get one every year and I do, but it took me 10 years of filling out endless applications to get my first one.

It has been a blessing and the meat from these guys is the best in the business. Lately muskox have become my moose for the year.

Like many, I’ve taken wolf, fox, lynx and the underestimated snowshoe hare, and yes, they were all on my list. But there are also a few others that have eluded me. Buffalo, or bison, is one of

OCTOBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

those and at the moment ranks at the very top (as it does for many Alaskan residents). The Department of Fish and Game has done an excellent job when it comes to the bison herds we do have.

Due to excellent conservation methods and management practices, the herds have expanded, which has produced some incredible hunting if you’re lucky enough to draw a tag. I have not, even though I’ve been applying for years.

Maybe next year.

A bucket list doesn’t just apply to big game; it can also include waterfowl and even fish. I know several sportsmen and -women who devote their entire outdoor experience to chasing ducks. With all

the species we have here in the state, it’s a no-brainer. These dedicated waterfowl hunters value the experience just as much as they love to pursue our feathered friends, and they know their stuff.

If you don’t believe me about the fishing effect, head to southern Alaska during late spring and summer. Anglers from all over the world come to fish these waters in hopes of hooking a world record or in most cases just catch a variety of species that you can’t get anywhere else.

Some even travel the state in pursuit of taking the “Salmon Slam,” or come up here to the Arctic in hopes of landing a few of our species. Like I said, most bucket lists are long and varied.

These days, my list is much shorter, but there are those species that I would still like to chase. Bison, as I mentioned, but there are others. Polar bear is one, but not until I win the lottery and get my passport updated to hunt them in Canada (subsistence hunt).

One of the more common ones however, or so they say, is the wolverine. To

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be honest, I’ve only ever seen one in all my years up here and that was while I was camped on the Omar River cooking breakfast. We were hunting caribou and he decided he liked bacon, I guess. Before I could reach my rifle, he was gone, but it was still cool to see.

BUCKET LISTS AREN’T FOR everybody, but I believe that deep down in our souls we all have one. Maybe it’s simple, like getting your kid his or her first caribou or moose this fall, or maybe it’s just to get a bigger bull than you did last year. Maybe once in your life you’d like to limit out on ptarmigan in one day. But ultimately it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re out there having fun and enjoying what our great state has to offer. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer and author from Kotzebue, Alaska. He has written hundreds of articles on big game hunting, and fishing throughout North America and Africa, plus surviving in the Arctic. Paul is a monthly contributor to Alaska Sporting Journal.

THE FULL SEND

Author Jeff Lund, here taking a break along a Southeast Alaska shoreline, has seen a lot during his time hunting and fishing in the Last Frontier. The highs and lows are part of the deal Alaskans sign up for. (JEFF LUND)

THE ‘SCARS’ OF GOING FOR IT – AND NOT – IN ALASKA’S OUTDOORS

BY JEFF LUND

W

hen I was a kid I would compare scars with my buddies.

“Got this one when …”

It was a posturing thing, a way of showing others that you were mixing it up with life. It’s part of being a kid; well, it used to be. But at some point, the fragility of life becomes more evident and wisdom prevails.

Sometimes, I hate that.

THE PARTIAL SEND As an Alaska resident, I have become aware of the ability I have to take total responsibility in the acquisition of meat.

That is, I can provide for myself, rather than outsource the growing, butchering and shipping of protein. So, I live off fish I catch and meat I hunt whenever possible.

Over a weekend, I took my skiff to an inlet just outside of cell phone range on

a mission to procure spring black bear meat. I anchored the skiff, inflated my raft and rowed around the flats as the tide came in. It was totally quiet except for the strokes of my paddles. I was awake and aware on a level that cannot be recreated in any other context.

Bears usually emerge just before sunset, especially on hot days like this one was. In Alaska, 62 degrees is considered

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After A Af terr gl te g glassing assi sing gab bear earr an ea aand d wa wai waiting itin iti it ing ar aaround ound dfi five ve hour ho hours urss for ur fo or the th he chance ch han ance cee to to ta take ake ke a sshot, hot, hot, ho t LLund und un d walkked walk wa walked d away awa wayy without with wi thou th hou outt scoring s or sc oriin ing a br b bruin, uin, ui in, n m making akiin ak ing th this his ttrip rip ri ip on onlyy a p only partial a ti ar tial a ssend. al e d. en d (JEFF (JE (JE EFFF LUND) LUN LU UN ND) D)

plan with buddies, saying I would likely be back that night, but I would stay until the following afternoon if I got a bear. I had an emergency locator. The next day was supposed to be calmer and warmer. Perfect camping weather.

I had no good reason to head back to town. But I did just after the high tide.

While I consider myself junior varsity Alaska at best because I am far from hardcore, I’ve solo hunted and camped before. I have readily ventured down an alpine slope opposite camp on my own to chase a blacktail deer visible only between banks of fog.

This, instead, was a partial send.

BE ADVENTUROUS, NOT STUPID hot, and if your flesh is covered in black fur, it’s scorching.

There was a large front flat, then a row of trees sectioned off a really green, football field-sized grass flat on the opposite side of the creek. Behind another strip of trees was an open plain of prime bear habitat. It was a shell game. I could only watch two of the three but it didn’t seem to matter. There had to be more than one

bear in here.

But I didn’t stick around. I spent five hours sitting and waiting, completely enraptured with the experience. Then I cheapened it.

I could have camped. I had all of my gear. The weather was good. I could have slept in my boat if the wolf trails in the woods really concerned me. But I didn’t.

I had food. I had water. I had filed a trip

I think that on a subconscious level, the logistics of a solo bear hunt may have sent me home. Bear. Beach. Tide. Daylight. All without the benefit of another set of hands and eyes or a brain if I had to track an injured bear. Maybe I was confident that had I stuck around I would have shot a bear half an hour before sunset and I’d be processing it in the dark with tide dropping.

Rather than jump into the experience

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“Once you achieve happiness, it’s not time for cruise control because you just figured out how much control you have over your happiness,” Lund writes. “It’s not an unconquerable thirst for something that will never be reached. It’s finding that love for the process and the practice of engaging.” (JEFF LUND)

and figure it out, I shied away.

It’s funny how things change. Avoiding opportunity can be mistakenly deemed smart or safe. The scars are missed opportunity rather than going over the handlebars.

Sure, I could have been out there in weather, unprepared, with no one expecting me back the following day, yelling “YOLO” above the sound of the motor.

But that’s stupid. I do not advocate idiocy.

So why else do I live in Alaska? I don’t live here to prove to others I’m not scared or to sound tough on social media. I do what I do because I get an incredible dopamine dump when doing real things and pursuing things that make me feel alive.

The modern equivalent of sharing scars is telling people about what happened the last time you mixed it up with life. The majority of these times don’t not yield actual scars, but just good stories and rather than trying to one-up your buddy, you smile because you both are engaged in a life worth talking about.

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Sometimes you sigh and finish the story with a vow never to forget ______ or to ________ again.

That’s part of it too.

THE ‘BEST LIFE’ IS CONTINUOUS If you get to the point at which you believe you have achieved your best life, you should probably reconsider because that would mean you have reached an end.

Once you achieve happiness, it’s not time for cruise control because you just figured out how much control you have over your happiness. It’s not an unconquerable thirst for something that will never be reached; it’s finding that love for the process and the practice of engaging.

I will never reach the point where I am holding a beautiful 36-inch steelhead on a fly I tied and think, “Alright, that’ll do ’er.

I’m done.”

No. It just restarts once the fish swims away.

Risk will always be something that will have to be navigated. There are many

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derivations of the “nothing worth having comes without some sort of risk” mindset. But how much risk? What about contentment? What about just being happy without wild adventures? What about just staying at home with family and enjoying shows and doing yardwork?

That’s a question only you can answer.

Only you know your schedule, your time and how you use it. But the people whose lives we look up to, we look up to for a reason. They asked for a little bit more and upon getting there, they asked for more rather than just live off old memories.

Opportunity is revealed when you start to see that your life can improve and that you can grow and have the faith in yourself to take advantage of beautiful moments life provides.

I’d rather go over the handlebars than be afraid of the bike. ASJ Editor’s note: Jeff Lund’s book Going Home, a memoir about hunting and fishing in Alaska, is available from Amazon.

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Author Jeff Lund (far left) embraces his role as a teacher at a school in Ketchikan and as a mentor for aspiring hunters and anglers. Zac Gann (right) from French Camp, California, took this bear last fall. Cody Lee (middle) was a player for, and later coached basketball with Lund. (JEFF LUND)

TEACHING MOMENTS

HE NOT ONLY SHAPES YOUNG MINDS AT SCHOOL; HE ALSO EDUCATES YOUNG SPORTSMEN

BY JEFF LUND

“O

h, oh, eat it! Eat it!”

I had to laugh at Jack’s and Alec’s enthusiasm as they watched my fly swing under the log and in front of at least three steelhead that Jack and I had seen from the bridge on which they now stood.

Jack and I were staring at the steelhead while recording a podcast about steelhead fishing. Once it was over, he called his buddy. I had taken off but then remembered I did in fact have my wading boots. I turned around and was in the water swinging my favorite fly before Jack could return with his gear or his buddy could show up.

They let me have first shot at the steelhead – either out of common courtesy, or they wanted to see if their former journalism teacher really knew what he was doing when it came to catching steelhead.

WHEN I LIVED IN CALIFORNIA, there was a desire by many to be separated

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from work. To have your private life private and your work life specific to work.

Living on an island in Alaska, the private life isn’t all that private. One of my students works at wherever I go, or if I decide to go play shuffleboard or pool at one of the local watering holes, I will encounter the parent of a student.

It’s unavoidable. There is no chance to live in another city so there is separation.

Many kids grow up calling adults by their first name, so by the time they

are in high school “Rick Collins” stays “Rick” rather than “Mr. Collins.” It’s not out of disrespect, but because it’s been that way for years. I’ve found I like it. I like that sort of accountability to keep me honest.

It’s odd to think of myself as a mentor and I don’t feel like I am, but Jack said something in the podcast that made a lot of sense. A few months after he graduated he fell on a machete during a fishing trip, cutting his hand deeply and

Without the mentoring of people like Don Busse, Lund might not have developed a passion for alpine hunting that continues today. (JEFF LUND) 102

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leaving him with severe nerve damage.

He stayed home rather than enroll since he couldn’t hold a pencil or type. So he endured a cold, wet, dark winter in his hometown without the busyness that comes with school or a full-time job.

Jack said that it’s easy to get through things like that in a place like this if you are around good people.

One of my favorite hunting buddies is Don, who was my high school basketball coach and Alaska history teacher.

I admired my dad for his passion for his craft of teaching and his willingness to look like a fool to get students to laugh, because there are students who might go an entire day without a reason to smile. I admired Don for his outdoor prowess and his genuine love for life.

He’s one of those “good people.”

When a pair of former students (one of which I coached with after he graduated) said they wanted to hunt black bear, I invited them up without hesitation.

At some point, you have to look at what type of man you are and what type of influence you’re having on teenagers.

I don’t want to use a qualifier, but given the current political climate, I probably should. I don’t mean “type of man” as an indication that only a man is capable of being a leader, a positive influence or that “being a man” means to adopt the persona of an emotionless misogynist or has to be an animal killer.

I am simply speaking about the Alec Simmons (left) and Jack Carson are the next generation of steelhead bums in the Ketchikan area. Both were in Lund’s journalism class. (JEFF LUND)

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meaning of man because I am one and I believe there is a responsibility that comes with being one. If some want to read that as I believe that only men can influence, then so be it. I can’t teach a girl how to be a woman, because I don’t know what that entails. Manipulate my words all you want looking for a fight.

I can’t stop you.

Anyway, people are the average of their influences. They learn how to be based on what they have learned through observation.

So many of the sensibilities of the previous era – that is increasingly being seen as not evolved, archaic or socially unacceptable – are things that connected people to lives worth being excited about. Someone taught you how to fish or hunt. You played outside.

You got dirty. You dealt with things.

If you were bored it was your fault, because you weren’t self-sufficient enough to find some fun. Enter the internet and cell phones.

But it doesn’t start and end there.

It’s the attitude along with it that is most dangerous to our future. A few generations ago we were all required to have skills that resulted in dirt collecting under our fingernails.

Now we can still have those skills as part of recreation and modern self-sufficiency.

OCTOBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

even though I’m unmarried and haven’t reached 40. It’s not spoken out of arrogance, as if I feel like I am a better man than most; it’s out of the weight of responsibility. Whether I like it or not, I am an influence. Bad influences are still influences.

I’ve learned that just because a man does not ask for or want responsibility, does not mean he is exempt.

You don’t even have to be successful or do things right, just don’t be a pompous jerk.

I didn’t catch the steelhead, but about an hour after I left, Alec did. ASJ Editor’s note: Jeff Lund is a freelance writer from Ketchikan. His podcast The Mediocre Alaskan chronicles his struggle to be a better Alaskan. It is available on iTunes and Soundcloud.

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MAKING SENSE OF TENTS

BY PAUL ATKINS • ILLUSTRATION BY JOSEPH FRUEAUF

L

ike many Alaskans, I’ve spent a lot of time in tents over the years.

Some places have been ideal to bivouac and some have not.

I’ve camped everywhere from the rainforest of the panhandle to the Arctic plains of the north, as well as on those infamous, rugged islands where getting it right could mean the difference between life and death. Whether pitching a tent

on rocks or tundra, steep inclines, muddy bogs or sand, or anything else imaginable, they all have specific challenges.

I’ve had to set up on ground frozen so hard you couldn’t drive a tent peg with even the heaviest hammer, as well as cold, dark, lonely places where getting the tent up quickly meant not freezing to death.

There have been places where only

one spot was available due to where we landed, while others provided endless choices, with the right one spelling the difference between success or not while hunting.

KNOW THE CONDITIONS Everyone who camps and has to deal with a tent has their prefered type. I know I do. Getting the right one begins

The tent on the left looks great, but it did not perform at all the way author Paul Atkins would have liked. The night this image was taken it rained and the wind blew, forcing the hunters to drain the water and duct tape the poles. With tents, you get what you pay for, so it’s critical to make a smart purchase. (PAUL D. ATKINS) aksportingjournal.com | OCTOBER 2018

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It might be heavy and cumbersome to some, but the Arctic Oven is worth its weight in gold. These heavy-duty tents provide shelter and warmth in the most serious of situations, especially if you hunt and camp during harsh winter conditions in Alaska. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

with figuring out what you’re attempting to do with it or why you’re using it.

Are you hunting or just camping? If you are hunting, what are you hunting?

Caribou and moose camps can be quite different than, say, the shelter you take while chasing sheep or goats.

How many people are staying in that

tent is another question that comes to mind. Are you going solo or are there two or more people? It all depends on the camper’s needs.

Aluminum or carbon poles? The choices are endless.

In the old days when I used to do a lot of fly-in drop hunts I took two tents.

One was for sleeping, the other for gear.

Many would ask why, but here in the Arctic it is necessary. The constant rain pushed me to this format and seemed to work great for many years. We were comfortable sleeping in one, and then each morning we would crawl to the second, where everything we needed

T is Th This is Cabelas’s Cab bel elas las as’ s’s ’s eight-man eig ight ht-m -m man n is is a go-to g -tto go tent tent nt ffor or tthose or hosee p hose ho planning lann la nnin ing lo long ong g eexcursions xcur xc ursi sion si onss on or weeklong wee e kl k on ong g hunts hunt nts ts along alon al ong g a ri rriver ive verr or o out ut ut o tthe on he ttundra. he undr und un draa.. T They hey pr hey he p provide o id ov de go g good od dh head eeaad cclearance, cl lea eara raanc n e, e aand nd dh have avee pl av plen plenty enty en nty of of rro room oom om ffor or or cots cots co t and and d all all the the gear gea earr you y u need yo need ne d to to store. stor st tor o ee..

Th T hey are aree easy eas a y to p ut u ut p an and take and taake ke down. dow wn n..

They put up (PA (PA (PAUL AUL UL D. D. ATK A ATKINS ATKINS) TKINS N )

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for the day was dry.

Those small tents worked great, and many of those years I used products from North Face. They were tough – almost indestructible – and went with me everywhere. They didn’t weigh much, and the transporter liked the idea.

But I mostly boat hunt these days, and so I have decided that being inside a big tent is much more enjoyable than crawling outside to get gear. Call me old and lazy, but it has become more about being comfortable than anything else.

Like the rest of my gear, I study tents and the benefits of each. I choose those that will work best in a given situation.

Here are few that I own and use depending on the situation:

A Vaude brand tent is one of Atkins’ all-time favorites to camp and hunt out of. Made in England, Vaude tents are super easy and fast to put up, especially if you’re on the go. Almost bombproof, they have built-in ties that clasp to the heavy-duty aluminum poles and can handle snow and just about anything Mother Nature can throw at them. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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BILL FEELEY’S EXTREME HAGGLUNDS Montana-based Extreme Hagglunds, is an Alaskan’s best friend. Given the brutal winter and watery conditions that The Last Frontier is known for, you need vehicles capable of traversing roads that get buried in snow and can slosh through wetlands and swampy marshes on the way to hunting destinations. That’s where the various rebuilt trucks Extreme Hagglunds produces can come in so handy in the unforgiving Alaska landscape.

Owner Bill Feeley has been buying and rebuilding these machines for more than a decade now, and his vehicles are in high demand, including from hunters who must overcome rugged country to fill the freezer with meat.

The finished product - from the junkyard to a complete overhaul - is transformed into a badass piece of all-terrain machinery that can get through Mother Nature’s most challenging paths.

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ARCTIC STRONG The Arctic can be tough, especially when it comes to certain times of year.

If I’m hunting in winter – a season that usually runs seven months long this far north – and it’s super cold, I use my Arctic Oven. And even though it’s heavy and cumbersome at times, it works as advertised. Many can attest to this.

The Fairbanks company that makes Arctic Ovens manufacture their tents with a heavy inner liner that provides a “coffee filter” design to prevent condensation from the cold, and they come with a stove. It is the Cadillac of tents.

I’ve actually stayed in some of the coldest, harshest weather imaginable and felt like I was inside a cabin. They’re expensive, but worth every dime.

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It’s a bit different during August and September, when chasing caribou or looking for a moose are my primary goals. Depending on the number of days out, hunting partner Lew Pagel and I either pack up the big eight-man outfitter tent made by Cabela’s or take my smaller four-season snow tent made by Vaude.

We use the bigger Cabela’s tent for extended hunts, ones that we know we will be staying at a location for a few days. The big tent is comfortable and also allows for cots and the extra room needed for gear. For a home away from home, it’s quite comfortable. However, if we’re on the go, hunting one spot and then moving to the next, we take the Vaude. It sets up easily and quickly and is almost bombproof. We’ve had a lot of success with both.

I’ve had my share of bad experiences with cheaper tents, the kind you wake up at midnight and find your sleeping bag under water or during a windstorm becomes a flapping nightmare.

But like a good set of binoculars, you get what you pay for when you purchase a tent, so do your research and get the best you can afford, based on what you need it for. If taken care of, a good tent will last you a lifetime. ASJ Editor’s note: Follow Paul Atkins on Twitter (@aktrophyhunter).

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High Success Mountain Lion Elk Rut Hunts

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ELLIS CANVAS TENTS

Owner David Ellis says he’s most proud of his Shackleton model tents, but all of the Ellis Canvas tents are teepee-style. (ELLIS CANVAS TENTS)

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laska Sporting Journal How did you get started in this industry?

Ellis Canvas Tents owner Dave Ellis

The way I got started in the tent industry was sort of an evolution. I have always been a fabricator, starting first in the upholstery industry and then to making canvas enclosures of all kinds. The choice to get into tents was a deliberate one. I was approached by local outfitters and Southwest ranchers looking for a local tent manufacturer who could make products that fit their specific needs and were not on the market at that time. I was excited by the prospect of putting their needs into design concepts.

Before long I became noted for two distinct products in the Southwest: bedrolls and cowboy teepees. I have made hundreds of wall tents, but my specialty has always been the teepee-style canvas tent. Now, many years later I have a set of products designed to meet the needs of ranchers, cowboys, hunters and other outdoorsmen, all of which are lightweight, durable and designed to be easy to use.

ASJ Tell us a little bit about Ellis Canvas Tents’ products?

DE The tents all have one thing in common: they are teepee-style. We make several styles of teepee tents, but the one I am most proud of is the very spacious Shackleton Tent, (available) in 14 by 14, 11 by 11, and 8 by 8. You will be surprised to see how simple this tent is, only relying on three poles. The carefully designed shape allows it to stretch out to a spacious tensioned structure. It does need to be spiked in eight directions, so you will need good staking points and then you are good to go. This can be a negative in frozen ground, but remember that the eight anchor points will really keep it on the ground in windy weather.

The Prairie Tent is by far our most popular tent. It is sold in 12-foot, 10-foot and 8-foot square sizes. It is a modified cowboy teepee that has the front and rear pulled out that makes it very roomy inside. The front door actually tilts out at 20-percent angle to create a covered front door. You will never have a wet spot in the front of the tent. In fact, you can stand in the doorway of this tent with your boots in the dirt and be covered by the tent.

The Range Tent is our version of a cowboy teepee and it also comes in 12,

COMPANY NAME ELLIS CANVAS TENTS CONTACT INFO elliscanvastents.com (970) 259-2050

10 and 8 feet, but has no guylines. This makes a good working tent that can be set up close to others. It has a self-storing awning if you do want more protection over the front door. These tents have a low window in the back, a front screen door and a vent at top.

We also make our Torrent Tent, which is a rectangle version of the Shackleton Tent. It has a front and rear door, which provides better ventilation and works well in less turbulent (conditions). All of our tents are tall enough to stand in and can be ordered with stove jacks so that you can heat them with a wood stove.

ASJ Alaska tents need be durable. What are some of the highlights of your tents that make them Alaska-tough?

DE Making a canvas tent “Alaska tough”

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takes deliberate and well-thought-out fabric choices and sewing techniques. I do not rely on heavy synthetics that can underperform, especially in rainy weather. One of my special techniques is making web strapping out of the same fabric as the tent. Using this strapping and taking advantage of all seam edging, I create a skeletal design to reinforce and help support all edges of the tent. My tents can be made with or without a floor. The floorless option is more durable because floors can be damaged with heavy use. In addition, floorless tents weigh less.

My tents are as tough as they can be and still be relatively lightweight. My Alaska customers who travel in bush planes tell me they need a tent that packs up small for transport and is as light as possible. All of my tents fit this criteria. The 7.5-ounce canvas I use has been proven to work well in Arctic climates. It is well known that the teepee design is super wind resistant.

Our tents also have a variety of setup options that can help when things don’t go as planned. They come with a lightweight aluminum pole set, but can

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also be erected with a single timber from the woods or hung from a tree branch.

ASJ It looks like you have some other camping accessories.

Can you share some of those?

DE We have the very popular Cavalry Bedroll that we have been making for years, it is made with canvas and is very water repellent. We have recently added a new bedroll called The Rocky Mountain Swag; it can be completely zipped closed to protect your bedding. It is also easier to customize by changing out the pad and the type of bedding. You can choose to fill it with our super comfy foam pad, a self-inflating pad, or no pad at all. It is a big favorite of the firefighters in the West. We also make a waterproof dry bag for storage. I expect it could be real handy on a boat, in the cold north seas. I think of our bedrolls as being Alaska tough. They

OCTOBER 2018 | aksportingjournal.com

The Prairie line is one of the company’s most popular tents. (ELLIS CANVAS TENTS)

are made with 12-ounce marine-treated army duck canvas, which makes them very water repellent. ASJ Editor’s note: Like Ellis Canvas Tents at facebook.com/elliscanvastents and follow on Twitter (@EllisCanvasTent) and Instagram (@EllisCanvasTents).

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HAINES Canal Marine Co. 10 Front St (907) 766-2437 www.canalmarinecompany.com

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