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ALASKA ALASKA

SPOR SPORTING ORTTI NG JJOURNAL OURNAL VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 2

A

www.aksportingjournal.com PUBLISHER

James R. Baker ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Andy Walgamott EDITOR

Chris Cocoles ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Tom Reale WRITERS

Paul Atkins, Krystin Bablinskas, Christine Cunningham, Louis Cusack, Scott Haugen,Tiffany Haugen, Luke Kelly, Jeff Lund, Bixler McClure, Steve Meyer, Dennis Musgraves, Mike Pung SALES MANAGER

Brian Lull ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Lee Balliet, Becca Ellingsworth, Shawna Flores-Cravens, Mamie Griffin, Mike Herring, Mike Nelson, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold

DESIGNERS

Dawn Carlson, Beth Harrison, Sonjia Kells

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509-929-0398 www.catchercraft.com 8 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

PRODUCTION MANAGER

John Rusnak CIRCULATION MANAGER

Heidi Belew DISTRIBUTION

Tony Sorrentino, Gary Bickford OFFICE MANAGER / ACCOUNTS

Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER

Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

ads@nwsportsmanmag.com ON THE COVER

Sig Hansen is as close to a rock star as a crab fishing boat captain can be. Hansen’s daughter, Mandy, joins his boat’s crew on the Discovery Channel hit show, Deadliest Catch, this summer.

(THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL)

MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE 14240 Interurban Ave South • Suite 190 Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 1

101

FEATURES 16

39

33

SIG AND MANDY Fans of the Discovery Channel’s 10-year-old reality show, Deadliest Catch, have gotten to know fiery crab-boat skipper Sig Hansen and his Northwestern crew. But this season, Sig’s teenage daughter, Mandy, came aboard with the crew to learn the ropes of fishing the crabbing vessels of the Bering Sea. POLICING SANTA CLAUS TOWN North Pole is a charming town with a Christmas theme, where letters from “Santa Claus” are sent around the world. But there is also the everyday life of an Alaskan city. We caught up with North Police Department chief of police Steve Dutra to talk about his department.

69

THE SHIP OF HEROES As we get ready for the Fourth of July and to celebrate our nation’s quest for independence, kudos to Pete Bennison and Debra Keller, who restored the Modoc, a United States Navy rescue tug – and World War II participant – and Coast Guard cutter into a floating fishing lodge in Southeast Alaska. Luke Kelly tells us about this very unique way of enjoying an Alaskan adventure. (ALASKAN MODOC ADVENTURES)

PREPPERS 101 Alaskan and former Army Ranger Rodney Dial has vowed to protect his family from a potential massive earthquake the state has endured before. Besides customizing a badass tank the family calls “War Machine,” the experienced diver has also taken advantage of his scuba gear by storing muchneeded supplies – just in case – below the surface to hide them from possible looters.

CHULITNA KING’S RANSOM Our fishing junkie, Dennis Musgraves, inflated a raft with fellow “Alaskan Salmon Slayer” angler Chris Cox, and shoved off in the Chulitna River to catch (and release) some massive kings.

121 DIY HUNTING TIPS, PART II Last month, veteran hunter

Paul Atkins provided the gear checklist for do-it-yourself trips in Alaska. Paul concludes his series with where to go, what to hunt and how to get there.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 13 25 43 44 53 81 93 107 115 133 142

The Editor’s Note A Fourth of July race up Mount Marathon The Dishonor Roll Alaska Highway trip: the final stretch How did gold find us?

Summer Arctic grayling trips Fishing deep for steelhead, trout Lingcod season opens July 1 From Field to Fire: Catching giant halibut Alaska Peninsula brown bear hunt Loose Ends: Chicken halibut for all

Alaska Sporting Journal is published monthly. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index 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 Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus tax. Copyright © 2014 Media Index 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.

10 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

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EDITOR’S NOTE

The Modoc used to patrol the sea for the United States Navy and Coast Guard, but now the ship ferries anglers to hot salmon spots as a luxury floating fishing lodge.

(ALASKAN MODOC ADVENTURES)

y dad isn’t much of a fisherman, nor a big traveler, but I think he’d be honored to take a trip to Alaska and catch a few big ones off the Modoc, the floating fishing lodge that was the brainchild of Alaskan Modoc Adventures (224-8297103; alaskanmodocadventures.com) proprietors Pete Bennison and Debra Keller.

I was wandering through the Washington Sportsmen’s Show in Puyallup last winter, chatting up various Alaska-based companies, when I ran into their booth. As soon as Keller mentioned her lodge was not only a ship, but a ship with a fascinating background that included World War II naval battles, Russian spies and the Coast Guard, I was hooked.

Correspondent Luke Kelly chatted with Bennison about the idea behind converting the Modoc into a luxury hotel that also provides rather easy access to the waters off Ketchikan, since it's already conveniently in the water. The ship’s resume includes serving as a U.S. Navy tug in the Pacific Ocean theater during the Second World War. Later the ship made reconnaissance work off the Soviet Union coast at the height of the Cold War, plus 20 years of Coast Guard service before Bennison eventually purchased the vessel and began the tedious work to restore it.

But Dad, a petty officer who served on a submarine repair ship and mine sweeper during the Korean War, would definitely appreciate the significance the Modoc held to those who served on it.

Now the craft is more focused on tracking salmon runs than tracking suspicious Soviet spy rings.

We think this is a great month to profile the Modoc with Kelly’s story, given the festive Fourth of July vibe. You’ll soak up the service this ship and its various crews performed over the years, and perhaps plan to take a trip to Southeast Alaska and spend a few days on the Modoc’s deck, reeling in fish and being a part of a ship’s life-after-retirement plan. -Chris Cocoles

M

JULY 2014

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 13

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Captain Sig Hansen was not exactly eager to have his daughter, 18-year-old Mandy, join the crew of his crabbing boat, the Northwestern, and be a part of the Discovery Channel reality show, Deadliest Catch. But he’s now glad Mandy was able to experience life as a Bering Sea crabber. (DISCOVERY CHANNEL) 16 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

DADDY’S GIRL HEADS TO SEA

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I

DEADLIEST CATCH SKIPPER’S DAUGHTER JOINS THE CREW

BY LUKE KELLY

magine, for a second, what it would be like to work aboard a crab fishing boat on Alaska’s Bering Sea during opilio crab season.

It’s January. There are 800-pound metal crab pots swinging dangerously close to your head, threatening to knock you unconscious, or worse.

The below-zero wind smacks and numbs your face, piercing right through your waterproof rain gear and chilling you to the core. Ice is rapidly building on the boat’s railing, rendering the vessel just one rogue wave away from capsizing. You’ve been up for 30 hours, and you’ll be up for at least another 10, pulling pots long into the night. Exhaustion is kicking in, and you fight to keep your eyes open as the skipper screams at you to pick up the pace.

Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it? Clearly, crab fishing in Alaska is a job that, for the vast majority of grown men and women, proves to be far too difficult and strenuous. Forget about even completing a season, most adults don’t even dare to try crabbing in the first place.

Yet for 18-year old Mandy Hansen of Seattle, crab fishing on the Bering Sea became a reality this past winter, despite both her exceptionally young age, and how exceedingly nervous it made her father (and skipper), Sig Hansen. The trials the two faced aboard Sig’s boat, the Northwestern, will be showcased on Discovery Channel’s hit reality series, Deadliest Catch, which is currently airing its landmark 10th season.

The case of Sig and Mandy is intriguing because, at least in the realm of crabbing, it is incredibly rare for a skipper to have a daughter working for him aboard his boat. Crab fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, with grisly injuries occurring with an unsettling level of consistency. Despite the large number of captains who have sons working aboard their vessels, a father-and-daughter duo is still largely a novelty on the Bering Sea.

MANDY,TOUGHAND determined like her no-nonsense father has to be in the dangerous waters he commercially fishes, says that despite the inherent risks, she felt a sense of obligation to work on the Northwestern because of her family’s rich Norwegian fishing heritage, and also JULY 2014

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because the boat and fishing industry has treated her family well.

“I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time,” says Mandy, who is set to graduate high school in the near future. “I’ve always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps, and to be a part of the crew that has supported my family for my entire life.”

“I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”

In spite of Mandy’s enthusiasm, convincing her father to let her go fishing was no small feat. Sig, like his father before him, has spent a lifetime as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. He knows full well what is required to succeed in the industry, and he understands the gravity of the situations that crabbers sometimes find themselves in.

“My initial reaction (to Mandy wanting to go crab fishing) wasn’t good, I can tell you that. It wasn’t positive,” explains captain Sig. “It’s a very dangerous fishery.”

Despite what he describes as initial “shock” at Mandy’s decision, Sig eventually gave the prospect of Mandy going crabbing some serious consideration, and after discussing the situation with his wife, he ultimately conceded to allow Mandy to work on his boat.

“After a while, when my wife and I talked about it, I came around,” says Sig. “Surprisingly, my wife was actually for it. She thought that it would be a good thing, just so Mandy could get it out of her system.”

In fact, before too long, the seasoned skipper actually started to view Mandy’s decision in a positive light. “I started thinking that it’s a good thing,” says Sig. “So that she can experience (crabbing) and that maybe it could help in some life decisions for her.”

Mandy Hansen had a chance to work the Alaskan summers tendering on her father’s boat during the salmon season. But boredom and the challenge of working the treacherous seas during crabbing season became a goal of the high school student. (DISCOVERY CHANNEL) 18 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

PART OF WHAT may have swayed Sig in the direction of allowing his daughter to work on his boat for opilio season is this: Mandy had already had experience working aboard boats and in Alaska. She had spent the previous four summers working on

aboard the Northwestern, tendering during salmon season, a job that entails offloading and transporting fish from the smaller salmon fishing boats.

Still, the allure of fishing with the big boys on the Bering Sea proved too strong for Mandy. “I got kind of bored of tendering,” says the ever-confident teen. “I wanted to do more; I knew that I could do more. So I kept asking my dad (about crabbing), and he kept saying no, or ignoring my question.

But I got to go in the end.”

Last January, Mandy found herself headed north to Dutch Harbor to work alongside the weathered crew of the Northwestern for opilio crab season.

The experience proved to be just as nerve-wracking for Sig as it did for his greenhorn daughter. Sig has worked alongside various family members throughout his years on the sea, including his brothers Edgar and Norman aboard the Northwestern. But having his daughter on deck gave the veteran captain a fright that he’d never experienced before.

“You’re talking about a high school, teenage girl. It was terrifying. I’m always going to see her as the little girl; that’s just the way it is,” Sig says. “That’s why it was a tough one to swallow. But she’d already had different job opportunities on other boats; so, in my mind, she was better off staying with us. I felt safer about that, and I wasn’t about to let her go on another boat.”

Having Mandy working on deck also prompted to Sig to switch up his often fierce style of breaking in crew on the Northwestern, simply because of the nature of having his young daughter in such a hostile environment. He left much of the oldschool hazing, along with the duties of teaching Mandy the hard lessons of commercial fishing, to his crew.

“I was pretty reserved,” says Sig, honestly, of how he handled having Mandy as a deckhand. “If she was a son, I would’ve been very brutal. The fact that she was with the guys and knows my crew – she has two of her uncles on the boat – I just left it in their hands. So she was on her own, and I wasn’t going to interfere too much.”

MAKENOMISTAKE: Mandy wasn’t given any special treatment on the boat because of

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Mandy Hansen’s captain and dad, Sig Hansen, usually gets in on the usual rookie hazing to new crew members, but with his daughter aboard, he left the rest of the crew to break in the new crabber. Mandy seemed to hold her own. (DISCOVERY CHANNEL)

her status as a young woman in a maledominated industry, or because of her father’s “captain” title. For Mandy, it wasn’t about the television show or about gaining any sort of notoriety. Crab fishing was her own dream, and she had to go through the same trials that test every young greenhorn in Alaska: the high seas, the biting cold, the

20 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

ceaseless fatigue and the endless pressure.

“I was just trying to do my job. The crew would give me a task to do, and I would have to try to figure it out on my own,” Mandy says. “They wouldn’t help me until I needed it, or until I asked for it. So I was really trying to push myself.”

Sig agrees, chiming in with just the

slightest hint of pride in his voice. “(The crew) didn’t baby her. She’s not as big as the guys, or as strong as the guys. But at the same time, you know, she did her job. She gave 100 percent. And she didn’t quit. I know that she was getting tired and was in a lot of pain.”

The action that unfolded on the Bering Sea with Sig, Mandy, and the rest of the Northwestern crew this past winter will be displayed in detail on Deadliest Catch, which airs new episodes into the summer.

Nothing is guaranteed on the Bering Sea, and to find out exactly how Mandy fared on the Northwestern, viewers will have to tune in to see just how well she handled the pressure. It will be captivating, at the very least, to watch how Mandy developed throughout the season as a deckhand in the world’s most dangerous job, and also to see how Sig handled having his little girl on deck. If there’s one thing that’s constant across Alaska’s fisheries, it’s that things seldom go according to plan.

WITH A STINT of opilio crab fishing now

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under her belt, Mandy is already looking ahead to the future.

“I’d love to fish for a living, if it was possible,” she says. “I want to go crabbing more. I also think that (Alaska’s summer salmon fisheries) would be a lot of fun. I would love to be a part of the boat, to stick around there. And if I can make a career of fishing, then I will.”

Mandy’s enthusiasm and drive when it comes to being on the water is undeniable.

But the thought of her becoming a lifetime fisherwoman doesn’t exactly thrill Sig. “I think it’s nuts,” he says. “She should go to college and get an education. She can always go fishing.”

Regardless of the reservations that Sig has about his daughter following in his footsteps, he can’t refute that Mandy possesses all of the tools necessary to succeed on the Bering Sea. “The attitude is there,” he explains. “She’s always trying to prove something. Even when the kid was in gymnastics, she was second in the state of Washington. So she’s very determined, and that’s what it takes. Mentally, she’s

Page 22

got it.”

Yet the fact that there are so many variables when it comes to making a living as a fisherman gives Sig pause. “The thing about fishing as a career, there’s no guarantees. We don’t know if there will be a season next year, and we don’t know what’s going to happen.” His words ring with the authenticity of a man who has spent his life making a living on the sea.

“I’ve been doing this all my life,” he says, seriously. “It’s not a comfortable, secure living.”

Still, Sig supports his daughter in her endeavors. “But if she wants to go salmon fishing, then that’s great. I would do it in the summers, and if I was her I would go to college.”

Whatever the young, energetic Mandy decides to do in the future, whether it’s going to college or going crab fishing, she now has a season of ever-dangerous opilio crab fishing to her credit, which is something that very few people – let alone 18-year-old high

school students – can say. To say that what she did is remarkable would be an understatement.

Even the stoic Sig, who has seen many wild things happen in his years at sea, couldn’t contain how impressed he was by Mandy’s decision to spend a crab season at sea.

“I’ve never heard of a girl in high school fishing opilio in the middle of winter. Never heard it before,” he says. “So I’m pretty proud about it now, looking back. It was horrifying. But it’s still neat to look back on, and I’m pretty proud of her.”

When it comes to success on the Northwestern, Mandy has already proved that she has what it takes to get it done.

For fans of Deadliest Catch, it will be exciting to see where the future takes her.

Having a bit of her father’s hard-earned wisdom to carry along certainly won’t hurt Mandy, either.

“The only advice I can give her is just ‘don’t quit,’ and then you’re a winner,” says Sig. “That’s all we ask of you: don’t quit. And she didn’t.” ASJ

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INDEPENDENCE DAY MOUNTAIN MADNESS

Getting up the 3,022 feet of Mount Marathon requires getting low and at times perhaps some hand-overhand climbing. (KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS)

E

very Fourth of July in Seward, Alaska, hundreds of men, women and kids celebrate our nation’s Independence Day. Not by grilling meat, watching baseball or lighting off fireworks, but running 3.1 miles up and down a 45-degree incline and descent of Mount Marathon. Almost 100 years old, the race has seen frequent serious injuries and even the 2012 disappearance of one runner. Here are two stories that help explain the rationale behind the decision to run.

BY BIXLER MCCLURE

BY STEVE MEYER

“Why?” With a tone of shock and awe, this is often the response when you tell someone you are running the Mount Marathon Race.

Mount Marathon is the 3,022-foot monolith that towers over the small Alaskan town of Seward. Every Fourth of July tens of thousands of visitors pour into the town to watch the grueling 3.1-mile up-and-down battle. Mount Marathon is no easy climb; the average incline is 45 degrees with occasional hand-over-hand climb-

When one’s intent is getting down as fast as possible, a convenient chute of snow several hundred yards long down the face of the steep mountain seemed like a gift from above.

And was it fast: hurdling down the chute completely out of control, efforts to slow the descent with heels dug in and hands clawing the crusted edges were of no use. Running the Independence Day Mount Marathon race there is little thought to the damage a runner’s body might incur; you just go as fast as you can and hope JULY 2014

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for the best. In fact, damage is rarely felt or thought about until after ficult; it might even require sleeping on the steps of the Seward the finish and the satisfaction of having done it has a very soothing Chamber of Commerce the night before the signup window is effect. open in March.

At least it does for a while.

For those like me who enter the race and haven’t even looked The history of the race suggests it started as a bet amongst bar at the mountain, we find ourselves in a crowd of participants in patrons about who one could run up the mountain and back down downtown Seward, surrounded by a mass of spectators there to in an hour. According to the legend, the first attempt was 1 hour, 20 cheer on the runners. The starter pistol sounds, and, in cattle herd minutes, and the hardy men of frontier Alaska continued to enjoy fashion, everyone starts running uphill for a half-mile to the base the challenge, although it seems a mystery what runner broke the of the mountain. At that point, the contestants split off onto the one-hour mark first. Modern runners routinely break the one-hour numerous pathways up the mountain. No matter what path you mark with the winners hovering around the 45-minute zone. choose, it’s steep! Your best strategy is to keep the head down as My first running of Mount Marathon was in 1989. I had been rocks dislodged from the runners ahead of you come bouncing hearing about it and decided I should give it a try. I drove over to Sedown. Halfway up the course breaks out into the alpine. Not that ward on July Fourth and signed up for the race, the last year that you are in any condition or state of mind to enjoy it, but the view there were still slots available on raceday. Those who complete the of Seward is magnificent. If you’re a bit slow, runners who have alrace were granted an early signup period, but you still had to go to ready reached the top are flying past you on the descent, throwSeward and sign up for the race at the Seward Chamber of Coming shale and mud in every direction. The water crew waits at the merce to be assured a slot. Those who complete the race 10 times top with a much-needed drink as you turn around and begin the are guaranteed a slot; it “controlled” freefall down took me 11 years to win the slopes into the that privilege, and what a “chute” at the base of the Getting up the mountain with a 45-degree incline makes training for this event intense, to say the least. (KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS) huge relief it was. Getting mountain. Spectators a slot in the race without flock to the spot cheer having completed it the and sometimes witness year before or being a 10some spectacular falls. year veteran is rather difDripping blood from var-

ing. The up trail follows the mountain’s spine through mud, roots, and loose shale. The down trail sends wary runners through an avalanche chute and waterfall, sometimes requiring the competitors to slide down snow near the top of the mountain. The once-clean runners who went up the mountain come down caked in mud and blood. Injuries are present every year, but the race gained infamy in 2012 when Anchorage resident Michael LeMaitre went missing during the race.

The race started sometime in the early 1900s as a bar bet and evolved into an event by 1915. The race has been run continuously (except for a brief respite during World War II) and has since grown in popularity. Runners must win a lottery to enter or convince the race board to allow them to run on a special invite. Those who do not gain entry via lottery or special invite can auction in, costing up to $2,000 for an entry. The race allows 350 men, 350 women and 250 juniors (125 boys and girls each). Luckily for me, I have a lottery spot.

So with all the dangers and risks, why do I run it? Sometimes I ask myself that during my training, when the midday sun beats down on me among the stifling heat in the alders. My mother, Sue, ran the race starting in the 1970s and finished pretty well. A boulder hit her in the back one race and broke her collarbone, but she finished the race anyway. There is the historical aspect of being a 26 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

fifth-generation Sewardite, but there is also the freedom of knowing that this race is one of the last wild races left. Lately, the race board has been marking routes to avoid particularly bad injuries, but with each training run and each race, I still find myself bruised and sore from rocks and minor falls.

Training for the race usually begins as soon as you can get to the top, which is usually as soon as the snow recedes a bit in April.

Even with an active lifestyle and running daily, I find that nothing can actually prepare you better for running “The Mountain” than actually doing it. The first couple of trips up every year are brutal, and I find myself wondering if I will ever be able to get to the top as quickly as I did the previous summer. Some of my friends run it multiple times back-to-back. I have always wanted to do that, but never convinced myself to endure the quad and knee abuse that one trip per day entails. Instead, I usually go running on the road in the morning and head up the mountain mid-day.

After a few months of training, raceday arrives. The men’s race takes place after all of the other Fourth of July Festivities (street food, parade, dunk tanks, pie sale, etc.). It is a day of worry. For the first part of the mountain, there is pretty much only one trail through dirt, mud, roots, and alders. At the halfway point, the trail branches out, becoming more braided as you climb over the loose shale, dirt, and hard shale. Finally, when you think your heart is going to ex-

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While getting up is the grueling part of the race, the sprint down Marathon to reunite with civilization is the most dangerous portion of the 3.1-mile race. Injuries, some minor, some more serious, occur annually during this Independence Day celebration of the human spirit. (KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS)

ious parts of the body is normal, and there are EMS staff members standing by to patch you up or get you to the ER if necessary.

While all this is going on there is a parade through the streets of downtown Seward. Spectators line the streets and children dart out to grab the candy thrown from the various floats and vehicles in the parade.

The city of Seward has its share of tourist traffic from cruise ships and vacationers in the summer, but nothing compares to the Independence Day celebration when the quiet little town of Seward swells in population to 30,000-plus.

Mount Marathon is off the grid in terms of traditional runner’s races. It is a mere 3.1 miles, has little in the way of monetary or other

plode and you can’t take any more, you reach the top, run around the rock, and then bomb down the mountain. And by run down, I mean run. The down-trail is mostly unconsolidated shale and gravel, so it is possible to run down and have the shale slide with you, while absorbing some of the knee-destroying impact. After doing this and trying not to either tumble to your doom or get run over by other out-of-control runners (which happened to me two years ago), you enter into the canyon section that follows a creek down. This is probably the most dangerous part of the mountain, as you have to navigate boulders, mudslides, and algae-covered rocks. Finally, with that part done, you have to choose your method of descending: a slow-but-safe switchback, a sheer cliff/waterfall, a less-sheer cliff with jagged rocks, or lower yourself down roots. Then, it’s a “quick” downhill gravel and pavement run back into town.

So why do I do it? Perhaps it is the obsession that comes from training almost every day, rain or shine. Or maybe it is the thousands of fans who cheer every last finisher for the entire length of the run in from the mountain to the finish line. Maybe it’s because of the sensation of making it off of that mountain, again, without breaking anything (although last year I rolled my ankle on the way down and hobbled for two months). Perhaps it’s the freedom of running on the Fourth of July that brings out the patriot in the runners.

And maybe it’s because, for a brief period, you get to be the hero and look really cool covered in mud and blood as you run through town with the cheering crowd supporting you. ASJ

28 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

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With a backdrop of American flags and spectators cheering them

prize value, yet participants flags flown proudly in the on, the runners have a feeling of elation (or perhaps relief) as they head back toward the Mount Marathon Race finish line in Seward. come from all over the world to well-kept yards of Seward’s (KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS) take part in a magnificent dispermanent residents. play of the independence we Maybe it’s just a moment of value above all. The commontime that folks come toality of the runner’s uniform gether to appreciate the stops with the race bib and meaning of independence starts with the diversity of the and freedom. Whatever it is, field. There are perennial fait’s remarkable and cannot vorites like the fella who wears be adequately described in the white jump suit and the words.

Elvis Presley sideburns. AnAfter my first year runother dons a Native American ning of the Mount Marathon headdress, and there is a hearty soul who runs the race very year.

Race I was mesmerized. I couldn’t wait for the next running, and I The last time I ran in 2005, he was well over 70 years old and still had never run in any other type of footrace. Marathon isn’t really kicking the butts of a lot of younger men. about winning; it’s about doing. Reflecting back on my experience: When I first ran it was more daring myself and one of those “well, sliding through those snow chutes left my buttocks raw and bleedI can do that” challenges. I avoid crowds and generally want nothing with two weeks of soaking in a tub each night needed to reing to do with large gatherings of people. But this was different. Imagmove my clothes stuck to the scabbing sores. ine 30,000 strangers amassed in a small town in the course of a I have come to realize why this place, this race, was so special.

24-hour period; it isn’t hard to imagine that things might be a bit An event with no real rules: start running, and, if you get hurt, so be tense. Not on Independence Day in Seward, Alaska. A friendlier and it. No one insists that you wear a helmet or knee pads or gloves or more wonderfully behaved group of people with the same mentalwhatever; it’s a free-for-all in its most deliciously simplest form. ity I did to push our own bodies would be hard to imagine anywhere The race epitomized the very spirit our country was founded on, else. and what better way to celebrate than running up and down a Perhaps the vibe has to do with the proliferation of American mountain on our biggest birthday celebration. ASJ

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An experienced diver, Rodney Dial has used the sea to his advantage and stores emergency supplies in secret spots below the surface to discourage looters from getting their hands on them if they're needed if something happens.

(NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)

PREPPING FOR THE ALASKA BIG ONE KETCHIKAN FAMILY READY IF MAJOR QUAKE HITS

BY CHRIS COCOLES

R

odney Dial lives in Ketchikan. The former U.S. Army Ranger appeared on National Geographic Channel’s Doomsday Preppers last season and has spent most of the profits from his tattoo parlor to protect his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Megan, from a potentially massive earthquake and tsunami (most of Southeast Alaska sits on the Ring of Fire). Dial, an experienced diver, has a tankless, solarpowered scuba system and has hidden many of his emergency supplies underwater, in part to prevent possible looting. He also has a customized but street-legal tank he calls the “War Machine.”

We caught up with Dial and got a detailed look at his operation:

ChrisCocoles Was there an event in your life that prompted you to decide to do this?

Rodney Dial I am a lifelong Alaskan and remember being told at a young age of how my family was involved in the (Anchorage) Good Friday Earthquake in 1964. My grandmother was working in the downtown JC Penney Building that collapsed. It was a memorable moment for my family that stressed the importance of being self-suffi-

cient in an emergency situation. Growing up, my family learned how to harvest local resources, prepare for disasters and become familiar with the Alaskan environment.

CC Would you call prepping a passion or obsession?

RD Some would probably see our level of prepping an obsession, but for us it is just good family planning. We are concerned that too many Americans and even some Alaskans are becoming too“soft.”(They’re) relying on someone to save them in an emergency, expecting water to always flow out of the tap or electricity to always be on.

Many people have never experienced any real hardships in life and, for some reason, believe they never will. We find that method of thinking dangerous and potentially a life endangering gamble. In essence we see prepping as the duty of every good American/Alaskan.

CC Has your Army Ranger career and diving background been a big aid in your prepping ability?

RD My Ranger training and subsequent Jungle Expert Certification pushed my boundaries as a young man and made me realize

that with proper planning and the right mindset, I could survive in any environment.

To be certified as a U.S. Army Jungle Expert I received training in the jungles of Panama and had to survive for three weeks with the supplies I carried on my back.

My 24 years of diving experience have given me a unique ability to obtain significant resources in an area most people are unable to access. This allows a constant ability to provide food and other resources for my family.

CC You spent a lot of time in Central American jungles. Can you share some of that experience?

RD In 1985 I joined the U.S Army and became an Army Ranger. I did several deployments in Central America, including Honduras and Panama. As a Ranger, we were expected to jump in (parachute) into remote locations with only the supplies on our back, be able to complete missions, survive and return. In Honduras and Panama the focus was preparation for a guerillastyle war in a jungle environment.

CC Does it take a creative mind to figure out the best ways to protect your family from a major catastrophe?

JULY 2014

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Rodney Dial is not taking any chances about another massive earthquake like the 1964 Good Friday Anchorage quake that could strike near his Ketchikan home. One of his projects was designing this heavy-duty tank.

(NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)

RD To some degree a creative mind is important to identify risks that a family may face in an emergency and unique ways to prepare. Of more importance however, is knowledge; the knowledge of how to prepare and provide the basics to support life.

For example, the woods and ocean around Ketchikan are filled with plants and animals that can be harvested to provide food.

Without that knowledge a person could starve in an emergency or eat something poisonous.

CC Your “War Machine” is insane. Do you take pride in that vehicle like an owner of a classic car would?

RD War Machine is like a member of our family – we take care of it and know that someday it may take care of us. We look at it this way: in any protracted emergency, no matter how well a person has prepared, there will ultimately be a need to obtain some critical item or resupply; perhaps it’s something as simple as antibiotics.

In that moment, you can expect that many other individuals will also have resupply needs, some far more desperate than you. People in a life-or-death survival situation can become dangerous and unpredictable. War Machine will help assure that when we have the need to resupply we will not be an easy target for those who would contemplate violence towards us as a 34 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

means of their own survival.

War Machine is a constant work in progress. In the near future we will be repainting the vehicle in an urban camouflage pattern, adding communication devices and other protective upgrades.

CC Do you and your family travel much or do you stay mostly around Ketchikan, just in case?

RD We do not travel much and use nearly all available discretionary funds to improve our self-sufficiency.

CC I would guess an Alaska earthquake similar to the 1964 Anchorage quake your family lived through, would be more worried about an ensuing tsunami than the actual quake given what those waves have done in other parts of the world?

RD We agree. Our current home is located over 200 feet above sea level and the home foundation is anchored to bedrock. Since Ketchikan is a coastal community, the concern is that a tsunami could damage our ports and ability to receive supplies from the outside world. For the show we proved a “proof of concept” that we could store and recover supplies cached underwater. We have refined that process and now store supplies in bays and protected waterways largely protected from the areas a tsunami would likely affect. We use GPS coordi-

nates to mark the supply cashes in case a tsunami were to obliterate terrain features used to identify drop locations. We also assure that our supplies are deep enough to be protected from the surge of a tsunami.

CC In watching the show, is your daughter, Megan, who seemed a little unimpressed with your planning, coming around to what you are trying to accomplish?

RD Megan, like most children, has lived a comfortable life and it is difficult to convince her of the need to prepare. She has however, been exposed to far more survival information than the average child her age.

We feel confident that she has the knowledge necessary to identify local resources she could obtain in an emergency situation.

As she grows older we hope to involve her more in the prepping process.

CC Talk about the four P’s you have targeted in terms of prepping: plan, prepare, position and provide. What are the challenges each of those variables throw at you when trying to prep for something catastrophic?

RD The greatest challenge for most people who are new to prepping is knowledge and money. Knowledge is the most important and only takes effort. We were able to obtain significant knowledge on the natural food sources by just asking local native elders. Our current efforts harvesting and pro-

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Rodney Dial's teenage daughter, Megan, wasn't always fired up to be involved with her parents' detailed planning for a natural disaster. But Dial says Megan has slowly come around to embracing the family's beliefs in being prepared. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL)

cessing devils club are a prime example.

Knowledge is free in most cases and just takes effort to seek it out. Knowledge will allow you to plan and prepare.

“Position and providing” requires money in most cases and can present difficulties for some in reaching an acceptable level of security in a short amount of time.

When money is tight, I recommend that people take small, but constant steps to improve their survival abilities, such as saving one can of food per week or one other action item as funds allow.

CC What was your experience like on Doomsday Preppers?

RD Our experience on Doomsday Preppers was challenging, but very rewarding. In a way it was a full-scale drill for our family, putting to use the skills we have learned and, at the same time, identifying areas we needed to improve. After the filming we reevaluated our family disaster plan and identified several areas for improvement. We have worked on improving our family skills and supplies ever since.

CC Do you hope the show has opened peo36 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

ple’s eyes about the idea that you should be prepared for whatever curveballs are thrown your way?

RD One of the great things about Doomsday Preppers is that it is forcing people to think about the what if’s and realizing that some level of family preparedness is a good thing.

Not all of the potential disasters prepared for on the show will apply to all people; however, something positive can be learned from every episode.

CC Is it important for anyone, even if they don’t go the measures you’ve taken to be prepared, to just have some kind of plan in place, even if it’s a simple plan?

RD We really feel that it is the duty of every American to have at least a minimum capacity to survive some unknown (incident), for at least 72 hours. A person’s failure to plan will likely endanger others who may be tasked with risking their lives to save them.

CC You’ve mentioned Alaskans are always preppers of some degree. Is that a case of you have to be hearty and resourceful to make it in your state? And you can’t afford to not be prepared for the unex-

pected?

RD The Alaskan mindset seems more independent than our fellow Americans in the Lower 48. The high cost of living has also helped spur Alaskans to become more self-sufficient, from something as simple as knowing how to hunt/fish or even harvest wood to heat their home.

Most of my friends and neighbors have enough supplies to survive for several weeks and the ability to defend their homes if needed.

CC You seem like a level-headed guy. Do your friends and neighbors think you’re a little eccentric?

RD Probably, although we have always felt that most Alaskans are preppers by Lower 48 standards. Most Alaskans I know have enough food and water to survive for at least a month or two and have some knowledge of the local environment. War Machine probably is seen as a little intense by some; however, you know you live in a great state when your community doesn’t have a problem with you owning and driving a tank down Main Street. Only in Alaska! ASJ

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KEEPING ORDER IN ALASKA’S CHRISTMAS TOWN NOW THE NORTH POLE PD DEALS WITH WINTER, LOOSE SANTA’S REINDEER

BY CHRIS COCOLES • PHOTOS COURTESY OF NORTH POLE POLICE DEPARTMENT

E

ven Kris Kringle needs a little help from the local heroes in uniform.

North Pole, Alaska, home of the Santa Claus House. According to its website (santaclaushouse.com), “for 60 years we’ve put smiles on the faces of millions of children all over the world with our personalized Santa letters.”

Outside of the Santa Claus and Christmas-inspired tourist attractions, North Pole is a charming city of about 2,220 residents located just south of Fairbanks.

We were able to catch up with North Pole Police Department Chief Steve Dutra, who was gracious enough to talk about the everyday issues and strong community camaraderie in Santa’s unofficial home:

Chris Cocoles Tourism is a big part of North Pole’s economy with the Christmas/Santa Claus theme and décor. Does that create a whole new set of obstacles for the police department with a lot of out-of-towners coming in and out?

Chief Steve Dutra Although we have a large number of people who come to our town annually, it generally does not make a big impact on our call volume. The tourists who come to our city seem to be very lowkey and not the type of demographic that creates any police-related problems, although we do have calls about tourists stopping vehicles in inappropriate places to take pictures of certain sights around town. Other than that we are pleased to have the visitors.

CC What is the biggest challenge your department faces on a day-to-day basis?

SD Cold weather is the biggest challenge .

Our second biggest challenge is maintaining a vigilant traffic enforcement presence.

Our small city has two military bases on each side and a large population moving through the city every day. Our little city is a hub city for the southern portion of the “North Pole” area. We are surrounded by approximately 20,000 to 25,000 people and these people come into our city to use our stores and schools. Almost 90 percent of our crime is linked to non-residence.

Along with these strains we are a very community-orientated police department that participates in a lot of outreach.

CC Have you had to deal with a lot of wildlife such as bears, wolves, caribou, etc.,

that simply get in the way of your officers doing their jobs?

SD Luckily, we have not had a lot of contact with wildlife inside the city limits. We occasionally have a moose or two wander into the area and they do cause motor vehicle accidents. Wolves are generally on the outskirts off our city and mainly stay clear of people. We have Santa’s reindeer at the Santa Claus House, and yes, one year we had to catch one of Santa’s reindeer and return it to its pen. Most of Alaska’s caribou are north and east of North Pole.

CC How does the Alaskan winter impact the city and how your officers do their jobs?

SD Winter weather is a huge hurdle for the police. We have all learned to adapt our tactics and policing methods in order to JULY 2014

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stay safe. Cold weather can make dangerous encounters even more dangerous. Altercations with suspects at minus 10 degrees or colder can be extremely problematic in the sense you have additional weather factors that impact your ability to perform at your peak. Clothing can limit your mobility and limit your control of suspects. Cold weather exposure at these extreme temperatures is a constant concern.

We dress in multiple layers and carry a significant amount of cold weather gear to help with extended exposure. We carry hand warmers, bunny boots, beaver hats, and additional batteries for our equipment. We use specially tested coldweather oils for our weapons in order to stave off issues with our firearms. Our vehicles go through a lot of batteries during the winter months. The hard starts and the draw of our electronics cause significant issues. We also have interior heaters in the cab of the vehicle which require the vehicles to be plugged in for the winter.

This increases operational costs but decreases equipment degradation.

CC What role does the North Pole Reserve Association serve within the department as a whole?

SD These reserves are unpaid, but they still dedicate themselves to the law enforcement profession and seem eager to learn, which I think is great for the community.

CC Does that make you feel good to see those officers in action?

SD Our reserve officers serve an important role by helping to augment our staffing. I could not tell you how much I respect these men and women who volunteer to do this work. It is a noble profession and takes an enormous amount of commitment to stay proficient. These individuals have to maintain the same training as our regular officers so when we I see them working it makes me very proud. These are dedicated people.

CC Chena Lake must be a popular place in summer for fishing, boating, parties, etc. Is that a place where you’ve had to be cognizant of potential accidents or issues?

SD Our contract with the Corp of Engineers 40 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

is the only one of its kind in Alaska. We are not the primary law enforcement for most of the developed recreational areas, but we are often called upon to deal with these areas.

Our primary purpose is to protect the Chena Flood control dike from off-road vehicles and vandals.

Our rural Alaskan lifestyle breeds a lot of off-road vehicle enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the dike system that protects to North Pole and Fairbanks areas from flooding is extremely susceptible to erosion if off-road vehicles were allowed to operate without control. We vigilantly patrol this stretch of dike and surrounding property to keep this vital asset safe.

CC The 2006 school shooting plot at North Pole Middle School made national headlines, but can you discuss how the department handled the investigation?

SD I was the primary officer on this case and I can say it was the most prolific cases we have ever had. A case of this nature required the assistance of every agency in the area. We drew resources from everyone who was willing to assist.

It required our small agency to kick into overdrive and 12-hour rotations. I was reassigned full time to the case and spent six months coordinating 200-plus interviews, collecting hundreds of pieces of evidence and executing dozens of warrants. We were thankful our efforts led to a successful resolution and were glad to put this chapter behind us. We were inundated with press from all over the world. Being placed into the media under these circumstances was an eye-opener.

CC I would guess that created a lot of anxiety around that small town. How does a police department in such an atmosphere deal with the concerns of the community?

SD We dealt with it as it should be dealt with. We addressed it directly and responsibly. We shared as much information as we could and we were honest and forthright. I would have to applaud our community for having faith in our department and for this we received significant support.

CC What are some of the community/charity events the police department participates in around North Pole?

SD We participate in the G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Awareness Training) program in our middle school. This class has been ongoing for over five years and we engage the youth about a wide range of issues to include drugs and gangs. We conduct tours for Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, schools, church groups and more. We have a lot of officers who volunteer with several organizations. We participate in the annual Torch Run, homecoming and Fourth of July parades. We conduct training classes for our local Army and Air Force personnel. We also reach out and provide training assistance for our local university law enforcement academy.

CC You hear a lot about communities coming together for a common cause.

Are there some examples of that you’d like to recall?

SD I would have to use the most recent event because it is so close and personal. We recently lost two Alaska State Troopers who most of us knew and worked with. Sgt. Scott Johnson was a highly respected officer and has been instrumental in a lot for the entire community. Trooper Gabe Rich worked for our department for four years and was a good friend to all of us. We lost some fine people for no reason. I drove our department Harley-Davidson in the precession and saw the streets lined with thousands of people showing their support for our fallen brothers, and I was significantly moved. This community then showed up by the thousands to the funeral and it proved to me that our community is united. I am very proud of the citizens of North Pole and Fairbanks. I am thankful for Gabe Rich and Scott Johnson; they will be missed.

ASJ

Editor’s note: For more information on the North Police Department or the city, check out its website, northpolealaska.com.

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By Chris Cocoles

THIS ISN’T A PET SHOP e’ve all heard the heartwarming stories of how pet owners found a stray dog or cat, you know, the adorable beagle looking for hope that follows you home.

That’s great for dogs. But unofficially adopting what appears to be an orphaned calf that wanders in front your home? Don’t go there. But apparently, thinking that baby moose should be a pet, or at least that the animal is distressed and needs some TLC, has become a thing in Alaska, and a headache for state biologists.

“Natural options are usually better,” said Southcentral Alaska regional supervisor Larry Van Daele of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in an ADFG press release. “Young animals taken from their mothers have a smaller chance of survival.”

In Anchorage last month, two moose calves and their mother were spotted. At one point, one of the calves was separated, and someone thought it was a good idea to tie up the baby with, of all devices, an electrical cord. True story: The moose managed to break free and was seen running down the street with the cord dangling from it.

In another incident, a wandering calf was given the Alpo treatment and was found with a dog collar around its neck. All that moose needed was a doggie sweater to complete its ensemble.

W

Moose calves and their mother can be susceptible to lurking bears (top right) in the wild. But Alaska biologists have been forced to discourage residents from thinking a moose calf would make a good family pet.

(KEN CONGER/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE)

Fortunately, the accessories stopped there, and there was no makeshift leash inserted into the equation.

“It's people with big hearts that are well-meaning. But sometimes being well-meaning and knowing what's best for the animal are two different things," Anchorage biologist Jessy Coltrane said.

We’re all for humanitarian intentions, but a moose calf is probably a lot safer and far more likely to survive in the wild without human contact. Like the signs say at the zoo when you’re there for a visit: look as much as you like, but please, do not touch the animals.

Admit it: you wish you were here in Prince William Sound off the Seward coast taking in this view. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS JULY

AUGUST

July 1First day lingcod can be caught and kept (35-inch minimum) in Seward July 1-7 Valdez Pink Salmon Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com July 15-Aug. 15 Hope Pink Salmon Derby, Hope, (907) 7823268 July 19-Aug. 31 Silver Salmon Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com

Aug. 8-10 Golden North Salmon Derby, Juneau, goldennorthsalmonderby.org Aug. 9 Women’s Silver Salmon Fish Derby, Valdez, valdezfishderbies.com Aug. 10-18 Silver Salmon Derby, Seward, sewardchamber.org If you have an upcoming event you’d like added to the calendar, contact editor Chris Cocoles at ccocoles@media-inc.com.

JULY 2014

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NORTH TO ALASKA ON THE ALCAN

The Alcan travels through the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, which covers 682,604 acres in the Tanana River Valley. (USFWS)

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1,400 MILES WORTH OF DRIVING THE FAMED ALASKA HIGHWAY PART III OF III

BY CHRIS COCOLES

W

ell, my fellow virtual travelers, this is it. We’re nearing the end of a grueling journey through one of the iconic stretches of roads in North America: the Alaska Highway. We started our three-part journey in Fort Nelson, British Columbia, ate a Canadian donut classic and soaked in the world’s largest golf ball. Then we entered the Yukon Territory, got a glimpse of Native Tlingit life, saw road signposts from the around the world and got a little culture in Whitehorse, all while taking in some gorgeous scenery.

And now, we’re back in the USA (just in time for the Fourth of July), Alaska style. We’ll finish off our Alcan Highway trip planning by covering the area between the U.S./Canada border (Mile 1,221), all the way to the “official” end of the line for the Alaska

Highway in Delta Junction at historic Mile 1,422.

Mile 1221: U.S./Canada Border Patrol In spring, 2013, myself and my dog traveled through the border crossing

near Blaine, Wash., on the way to Vancouver, B.C. And what I remember most was being asked to put my poor pooch, Sharkie, in a little crate while I walked inside the building for a quick chat with a Canadian agent, who asked the usual questions (what’s the JULY 2014

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Delta Junction marks the end of the line for the iconic Alaska Highway.

That’s roughly 1,422 miles from where it begins in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. (WIKIPEDIA)

This circa 1950 photo features two United States Fish and Wildlife Service vehicles at the Tok Cutoff/Alaska Highway junction at mile 1314. (USFWS)

another human being. There’s what you would expect in a “city” with less than 100 residents: there’s a campground, a gas station and a store. reason for your trip? Are you doing business here? Where are you staying?).

It was a lot easier getting back into the U.S. with my American passport, but just know it could take a little while if there is a backup of cars. But it’s all part of traveling. If you didn’t want a little excitement you could have just flown to Orlando and gone to Disneyworld.

Mile 1,229: Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center This is your welcome-to-Alaska moment. You’ve just found yourself in this beautiful state for the first time and you want to get a glimpse of Alaskan nature. It’s only fitting when 8 miles after the border patrol you run into this pristine national refuge, government land full of flora and fauna and protected by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

“The Alaska Highway is the northern boundary of the 682,604 acre Tetlin Refuge for 65 miles northwest of Alaska-Yukon border. From scenic 46 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

overlooks you can view wetlands important to breeding waterfowl, and boreal forests and alpine habitats important to moose, caribou, grizzly and black bears, wolves and Dall sheep,” writes the refuge’s website (fws.gov/refuge/Tetlin/about.html).

“The preservation of these lands for wildlife represents the legacy of early conservationists. Our responsibility is to bequeath these lands and the animals living here to future generations.”

There is fishing inside the refuge, and hunting opportunities for caribou, moose and waterfowl are available.

Bird watching is also in vogue here.

According to the USWFS, species such as red-winged blackbird, sharptailed grouse and blue-winged teal are not generally located in other areas of the state.

Mile 1,264: Northway There isn’t a lot of civilization throughout your journey. So even in a town of about 70, Northway is an opportunity to stop and perhaps meet

Mile 1,314: Tok The Tok Chamber of Commerce website (tokalaskainfo.com) refers to this city of about 1,400 as the “the coldest inhabited community in North America.” It’s also a community that was developed solely for the construction of the Alcan and Glenn Highways.

How the city got its name is up for debate.

“The name Tok was believed to be derived from Tokyo Camp which was a road construction camp in 1943. The camp was part of improvement projects on the Alaska Highway. During WWII Tokyo Camp was shortened to ‘Tok’,” reports the website alaskacenters.gov.

“Another story in circulation is that Tok was actually named after a husky pup. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers were not only building the Alaska Highway but naming points along the way. The young pup, named Tok, was their beloved mascot and it was unanimously decided to name the junction after the puppy.”

We hope the puppy version is the real origin of the city. Speaking of dogs, the

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The Burnt Paw is a bed and breakfast lodge in Tok that specializes in not just cozy cabins but also raising sled dogs. Some of their husky pups are around the property in the summer for guests to watch frolic while they train for the Alaskan winter. (BURNT PAW CABINS)

48 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

Page 48

Burnt Paw (907-883-4121; burntpawcabins.com) is a Tok bed-and-breakfast lodge that also specializes in raising and racing sled dogs.

Mile 1,317: Mukluk Land Now we’re talking. This theme park’s website (muklukland.net) describes itself as “Alaska’s most unique destination.” Who are we to argue? There is a miniature golf course (imagine bragging to anyone who will listen about that world’s largest golf ball sighting back in B.C!), an arcade and a museum that owners George and Beth Jacobs refer to on their site as “unusual collections.”

Slate.com paid a visit and cited a doll collection, a giant cabbage and “an impressive collection of beer cans and a ceiling plastered with flattened cereal boxes.” The website calls Mukluk Land “the most bizarre theme park around.”

Sign me up.

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Mile 1,422: Delta Junction (end of the road) Success! It hasn’t been an easy trip.

There have been stretches of empty highway, sporadic opportunities to stop and get a soda or water, or even find a place to bunk for the an evening and find a good draft beer or glass of wine with your dinner. But isn’t this what travel should be about? The last thing you want is a predictable and tourist-infested Club Medlike atmosphere that seems scripted from the get-go.

Instead, come prepared with your own snacks, get gas when you have a chance; find a quaint little B&B and say forget about no Yelp rating to choose one. Eat at the little mom-and-pop diners and stop at a one-room museum and soak it up.

But if you’re too tired after all this smalltown North America experience, you can always merge onto the Richardson Highway and head the extra 100 miles or so to Fairbanks, which with a population of 32,000 and change might feel like midtown Manhattan after what you just did. ASJ

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You’ve come this far, so you might as well stick around the Last Frontier and make this long drive through two Canadian provinces and the 49th state worth it and find some time to hunt or fish. (USFWS)

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QUITE A FIND HOW DID THE GOLD YOU OBSESS ABOUT GET HERE?

BY MIKE PUNG

G

Placer gold usually starts as rocks that break apart and ends up in alluvial deposits of sand and gravel or finds its way into stream or riverbeds. (BRAD JONES/GOLD CUBE)

old is where you find it, but how did it find me?

It is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. You know, that table that teachers made you memorize in school just long enough to get a C? Well, gold is a dense, soft, malleable metal with a bright yellow color and luster. Yep, it's pretty. And pretty heavy too, in fact 19 times heavier than water. That means a water bottle full of gold would weigh as much as a small car battery.

I know the answer to your next question: that water bottle would be worth $23,000 or more. Coveted by kings and kids for crowns and cell phones, it will always be a part of our modern world.

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The Gold Banker (top) and Gold Cube are utilized to separate your gold from lighter materials like sand and silt. (MIKE PUNG/GOLD CUBE)

Sure, it's heavy, pretty and worth a lot, but how did it get here to Alaska?

I guess you can call it a byproduct of the Big Bang: Supernovas, the stars that go boom and release all their energy of a lifetime in a single moment.

54 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

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GOLD PROSPECTING

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So desirable is gold that miners have built expensive, heavy-duty equipment like this dredge to extract the metal from large gravel deposits. (MIKE PUNG/GOLD CUBE)

58 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

This is what it takes to form gold and send it flying all over the universe.

The gold that has been found today is gold that hit us after the earth settled down a bit, about three billion years ago.

Gold that arrived before that eventually sank to the earth's core.

Remember, gold is really heavy so it wants to sink. So why can we still find it at the surface?

That's easy: some sort of geological episode brought some gold back up to the surface for us.

Processes like glaciation, hot spring formation, volcanoes and the shifting of continental plates are credited for its origin.

All this shifting, dragging and pushing all the mountains around caused friction to really heat things up.

Anything that can melt, such as rock, gold, etc., all flowed together.

Then, as tectonic plates started to pile up, they formed new mountains.

With all this force, cracks occurred.

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So what better putty to use in mountain cracks than liquid quartz with gold? That has my vote, for sure.

Think about water: the same way small drops of water can form a puddle, gold tries to do the same thing while it's flowing around in the rock.

The more successful gold was at it, the bigger the blob.

Today those blobs are known as nuggets.

When the cooled rock is still stuck in the mountain, it is known as a vein.

When the vein is loaded with gold it is called a pay streak. Mining that follows loaded gold veins through the mountain is called "hard rock" mining or "lode" mining.

Mother Nature has a way of helping us as well.

Weather, for one, will erode mountains and break apart the host rocks that are holding onto the gold. When this cookie crumbles, it takes the gold with it.

Good news for us, right? You bet it

62 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

is. Now the gold is on the move and it likes to sink. Water will move it around with forceful floods. The water will send it downhill, usually ending up in a river or valley.

In other words, it moves from one place to another place.

Mining this misplaced gold is "placer" mining – pronounced like plasser, from a Spanish word translated as alluvial or glacial deposit of sand or gravel. We just hope there's gold in “them thar” sands.

There are a lot of ways to collect this elusive yellow metal using hands, pans, pick, shovel, and even sheep's wool (as in the Greek legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece).

Many people have looked for gold and have found it for many years. So, how could there be any gold left? It's that Mother Nature gal again working her magic. Don't want to wait? You could be a hardy soul and use equipment to speed up the process.

Or you could just be lucky. Picture

So now that you know how gold found us, it’s time for you to find that gold nugget that says, “I’m yours.” (CHRIS RALPH/WIKIPEDIA)

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GOLD FEVER! While the 19th Century saw the discovery of recent history’s largest gold nuggets, sizable ones are still being found in Alaska and elsewhere. Here’s a short list of some of the biggest finds of all time, and some found in the past decade or so: Nugget’s Name

Size (troy ounces*)

Location

Year

2,315.5

Victoria, Australia

1869

Unnamed

1,593

Sierra Buttes, Calif.

1869

Boot of Cortez

389.4

Sonora, Mexico

1989

Ruby, Alaska

1998

Welcome Stranger

Alaska Centennial Nugget 294.1 Devil’s Ear

214

Siberia, Russia

2014

Fricot Nugget

201

American River, Calif.

1864

Unnamed

177

Southwestern Australia

2013

Mojave Nugget

156

Randsburg, Calif.

1977

Unnamed

8.7

Randsburg, Calif.

2009

Unnamed

4

Rogue River, Ore.

2012

* A troy ounce equals roughly 1.1 regular, or avoirdupois, ounces.

66 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

yourself walking down a path with four of your buddies ahead of you. You look down and see a rock and it just seems to call out to you, "I'm yours."

So what choice do you have? You pick it up. It wanted you, not your buddies or the hundreds of people before them who didn’t find it. It's a quartz rock with a vein of gold in it, and now indeed is all yours.

No one ever in the history of the world has ever seen this gold, touched it, or felt its weight. Now it's your gold, because it found you! It just happens that way sometimes. No other explanation really is valid in this situation; you can't or won’t make sense of it.

Gold is where you find it. All you have to do is get outdoors and get where it can find you. ASJ Editor’s note: The author is owner and operator of Gold Cube, which sells gold prospecting equipment. You can learn more about him at goldcube.net, or call (800) 649-0256.

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PADDLING FOR KINGS

This was not a leisure rafting trip.

The trip covered three days and more than 50 miles of paddling the Chulitna River in the Susitana Valley. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

CHULITNA RIVER A CHALLENGING BUT FULLFILLING TRIP

BY DENNIS MUSGRAVES iver rafting is a popular outdoor activity that allows unique access to the wilderness found in Alaska. Floating just about any river in the 49th state provides an opportunity for some incredible angling experiences.

Luckily for me, my good buddy, Chris Cox, owns a 14-foot self-bailing inflatable raft which gets put to work every season drifting the Kenai River and chasing trophy trout. Floating the majestic emerald river and catching feisty wild rainbow trout with Chris is always a sweet outing. But both of us think, just like a certain catchy television commercial slogan, “more is better than less.”

We’re obsessed, and neither of us is ashamed to chant like kindergarten-age children when it comes to fishing in Alaska, “We want more, we want more.”

Chris and I have spoken often about making possible floating and fishing adventures yet to be experienced beyond the Kenai Peninsula. Expanding on using the raft for fishing exploits in places we had

R

never fished before is intriguing. Since the raft can easily be transported on a trailer or deflated for loading onto an airplane, there is no reason not to maximize the full potential of the equipment and go exploring.

The Chulitna River in the upper reaches of the Susitna Valley had been the subject of our discussions for probable destinations.

After several weeks of researching the river and learning about previous experiences of others, our curiosity finally turned into planning a three-day float. The moderately flowing river, easy access locations and the allure of king salmon present in the system had us eagerly agreeing to take our inaugural trip in late June.

The Class II waters of the Chulitna are a tributary of the mighty Susitna River. The gray-colored, glacier-influenced river flows south more than 70 miles. The river’s source is from three forks starting at Broad Pass (Alaska Range) and eventually converging into the main stem. The East and Middle forks are clear running water from snowmelt and rainfall, and flow under the Parks Highway. Both bridges are popular river access points and within a one-day

drive from either Anchorage or Fairbanks.

Our plan was to take two vehicles, park one at a highway turnout near Chulitna River Bridge (milepost 132.9), which was the takeout point, and drive together to the East Fork Bridge (MP 185.6) and depart from there.

Dividing the river into three segments with two overnight camping stops afforded us plenty of fishing time and rest between rowing the sections. Since neither of us had previously experienced the river, it was a good idea to allow for extra time anyway.

PERFECT SUMMER WEATHER and over 20 hours of sunlight greeted us on the first day of the trip. Chris and I arrived at the launching site with loads of anticipation. It did not take much time to unload the large bright blue raft, position it at the wayside of the river, and transfer camping and fishing gear from the truck. After mentally doublechecking everything, donning our PFDs, we maneuvered the raft to a floating hover in the water.

Chris assumed his role as pilot and skipper of the vessel and climbed into the cenJULY 2014

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Downed tree trunks made navigating a challenge, and at one point the raft and all the gear had to be portaged around to find open water again. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

ter seat. A tubular rowing frame inside the raft allowed for raised seating (two forward positions for passengers and one centered for rowing) and pivoting oar locks on each side. As Chris secured the oars, I took on duties as first mate, the proverbial “Gilligan” of the crew.

With an assertive head nod from Chris and hearing a confident “ready” from him, I gave a forceful push off with both arms, pushing the raft in the direction of the river’s main current and hopped aboard.

Embarking on a self-guided fishing adventure in Alaska is euphoric. Leaving be-

IF YOU HEAD TO THE CHULITNA Location The Chulitna is a 77-mile-long, Class II which flows south from the upper portion of the Susitna Valley.

There are three forks in the upper valley which converge together to form the river. The East and Middle Forks run clear from rainfall and snowmelt. Public access for putting in each section is located at the point which they flow under the Parks Highway.

The two forks merge at a confluence, doubling size, and continue to flow south about 15 miles to join up with the West Fork. The West Fork is glacier influenced and runs gray. The river continues 35 miles to a takeout point. The float trip can be done quickly in two days or comfortably in three to five days.

70 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

Anglers will find a variety of salmon species, depending on the time of the year, with resident rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling. The multiple-day float trip can be done by either canoe or raft.

Where to stay Primitive camping is available along the banks of the river. Campers need to be aware of a sizeable population of both black and brown bears found throughout the area due to the high concentration of salmon present in the tributaries along the route. There are no services provided while floating the river, however a Princess Lodge is located nearby the Parks Highway bridge takeout point (mile marker 132).

What to bring

hind the comfortable safety of the roadside and civilization was exciting. As Chris began to navigate the 40-foot-wide cascading river, I shouted over my shoulder in his direction, “Hope we got everything.” There is no means or motor on the boat to power us back to the river bank we just left behind.

We were committed.

We’d preplanned waypoints and likely areas that held king salmon along the route.

First stop would be the confluence of the middle fork, about 5 miles downstream. Locations where streams or rivers join together typically serve as a holding spot for migrating salmon. The water of the east fork is gin-clear and moderately turbulent; Chris had no troubles negotiating a good glide path. The river cut a winding route though a densely wooded scenic landscape, including intermittent steep grades of exposed rocky hillsides towering over us. As Chris continued to actively row, keeping the raft on a good drift, I kept a sharp watch for hazards. Sweepers or fallen timbers are common, and staying vigilant is a must. I also kept a lookout for fishy-looking shadows in the depth of the water.

Some portions of this stretch of the Chulitna were very skinny and shallow. The

Anglers can use conventional or flyfishing gear. Anglers can target salmon by casting large bright-colored, in-line spinners or spoons and retrieving them with a deep and slow presentation in the water. Drifting a Corky and yarn or plastic squid with a weight to keep things deep will also produce good results.

Fly-fishing methods for salmon include drifting subsurface bright streamer and leech patterns. Sinking line or sink tip is a preferred choice.

Resident fish can be caught buy downsizing the hardware. Using beads and flesh patterns for fly fishing methods are a sure bet.

Strict rules apply for sportfishing in Alaska and anglers should be aware of all the regulations before they cast a line. Current regulations, additional information and emergency orders can be found at the Alaska Department of Fish & Game website (adfg.alaska.gov). DM

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bend. Chris and I had to remove all the contents and equipment from inside the raft, and carry the bulk about 300 feet. This took several trips with the final leg ending hoisting the large rubber raft. Needless to say, it took a lot of energy and effort while sucking some motivation out of both of us.

Teamwork prevailed getting the raft and contents back together, and we soon shoved off again. The remaining distance went rather quickly and we avoided any further hardships. As we approached the river junction we both began scouting for a landing zone. Chris paddled, aiming the nose towards a lengthy sand bar section of shoreline just below the intersecting rivers.

“Let’s try there,” he said.

The author releasing a king salmon back into the Chulitna. There were no fish kept on this trip, but when the water was clear, there were plenty of fish to be caught with either bait casting setups or fly rods. (DENNIS MUSGRAVES)

raft actually got high-centered a couple times and we had to dismount, wading aside the boat to keep the bottom from

72 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

dragging. At one point we even had to portage the raft across dry land. A huge tree had fallen across a very narrow shallow

AFTER BEACHING AND anchoring the raft, we each hurriedly grabbed a rod of choice and spread apart short distances from each other on the sand bar. Chris selected a 10weight fly rod and I opted for a more conventional 8-foot heavy-action casting combo. My plan after surveying the site was to chuck large in-line spinners and

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crank them low and slow across the wide portion of the river (which had doubled in size from the both forks joining together).

Chris was casting a large colorful streamer, sinking and mending line to allow it to dead drift in the current.

I casted, rolled and retrieved my hardware only twice before I got a big hit. “Fish on!” I hollered to Chris. I could tell from the powerful head shakes, line being ripped from the reel and my fishing rod getting doubled over that I had I hooked into a decent-sized king salmon. We did not plan on harvesting any fish on the trip, so the fish was brought in as quickly as possible, kept in the water and photographed before being released back to the river. I was elated after landing my first Chulitna king. Memories from the strain and struggle I experienced portaging the raft a few hours prior disappeared. It was all worth it.

Chris and I played dueling banjos for the next couple hours, catching and releasing several healthy kings from the spot before deciding to eat lunch, pack it up and continue down the river. Our next stop would

74 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

be another 10 miles downriver where Honolulu Creek dumps into the river. This location was known to be a good area to fish for king salmon and we set up our first camp there.

The water remained clear and shallow, though the river doubled in volume after the East and Middle fork merger. We sighted many king salmon swimming in the river while being carried along in the current. Of course, we stopped often to cast our lines and managed to catch and release several more fish.

Fortunately, we had no other issues with skinny water or fallen trees blocking the river. However, a few odd areas along the bank looked like a group of lumberjacks came through and clearcut trees. Upon closer inspection of the football field-size areas with downed timber, we discovered it was the work of beavers. Although I never actually saw any of the animals, I did see the evidence of what they could chew up, or, more accurately, chew down.

The last half-mile paddling the river gave Chris a bit of a challenge just before arriving

at Honolulu Creek. A tricky set of boulders protruding from the water required skillful oar work to steer the raft and avoid a boating blunder. Chris managed the section like a pro and landed us just downstream of the creek confluence.

Although we traveled approximately just under 20 miles of river the first day, it seemed considerably longer because of the several stops we made to fish. It was now time to pitch the tent, light a campfire and set folding chairs under the midnight sun.

We relaxed after the adventurous day with a bottle of cold brew, reminisced about kings caught and lost until we turned in for some needed sleep.

DAY TWO WAS late rising. Chris and I both knew the river’s West Fork was a short distance down from Honolulu Creek. The gray-silted water would soon spoil the clear water we had seen all of the first day. Our research prior to the trip made it no surprise that fishing for kings would not be possible in these conditions. The upcoming 35 river miles before the takeout were going to sim-

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ply be a boat ride, which neither of us looked forward to.

In order to avoid a skunk for fishing on our second day, we decided to spend most of the day fishing for kings just downstream from Honolulu Creek before packing up camp and rafting the remainder of the route. Chris and I easily located several salmon holding in a deep channel on the far side of the river, and it would not take us long to secure our fishing rods and start casting. Taking turns catching and releasing a number of quality kings near the confluence was thrilling.

It was difficult leaving the prime location with all the king salmon action. Inevitability we had to in order to stay on our scheduled three-day timeline. After a good six hours of fishing into the early evening we decided it was time to shove off and began reloading the raft. We said goodbye to the salmon with plans to return again another day.

Pushing off and floating the raft began much like the day prior. Staying true to the map, the West Fork confluence came up less than a mile from the Honolulu Creek

78 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

honey hole. The Chulitna again doubled in volume when it met the West Fork, losing all of its clarity from the mud-colored dark silt. Protesting the effects on the river I grumbled, “Wow, 35 miles of this?” Chris’ reaction was a deflated silent shoulder shrug as he continued to row the oars in an attempt to pick up our pace down the river.

I did my best not to mope; instead I absorbed the breathtaking scenery around me as we quietly floated the curvy waters. My front-row seat had me riding high with a wonderful perspective of the Alaskan wild all around me. Chris continued to paddle the raft about 20 miles before we decided to camp on the shore for the second night.

A campfire, food, and a good rest were in order for the skipper after a half-day worth of paddling.

going early, put on our rain gear, broke down camp, and headed to the takeout point. The remaining 15 miles dragged in the cold intermittent rain, but we had enough energy for a couple high-fives when the Chulitna River Bridge finally came into view.

Even though there was not fishing every day, we each enjoyed and learned a lot from the successful three-day trip. Discovering a new river system neither of us had seen before, coupled with the fun shared catching and releasing plenty of powerful king salmon with a close friend, made the event very memorable. The experience of selfguided rafting on the Chulitna River increased our confidence and grew our interest in rafting additional unexplored places in Alaska. As long as I can get a couple days of fishing done on the trips, count me in. ASJ

THE THIRD DAY and last leg welcomed us with overcast skies and a light drizzle. Alaska weather patterns can change suddenly, and from our experience we knew to be prepared for the damp conditions. Knowing there would be no fishing on this day, we got

Editor’s note: Author Dennis Musgraves spends about 100 days a year sportfishing Alaska’s waters. For more information about his and fellow anglers’ organization, Alaskan Salmon Slayers, go to alaskansalmonslayers.com.

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The Tangle Lakes are just a short walk away from the parking lot and camping areas, and hungry grayling swim in the them. (STEVE MEYER)

TANGLING FOR A GRAYLING OPTIONS TO CATCH ALASKA’S ‘SAILFISH’ UNLIMITED

BY STEVE MEYER

T

he iridescent colors of the Arctic grayling are never captured in photography. The indescribable beauty of these small “sailfish” as they come out of the cold mountain waters they inhabit is never adequately represented in a picture.

It isn’t a case of “is it live or is it Memorex?” It is live or it just isn’t. Grayling are reminiscent of northern pintail drakes, not as flashy as a wood duck or even a mallard; but they exude a class act that is difficult to match in the world of waterborne creatures.

It has always been surprising, and probably a blessing, that

visitors to Alaska do not often venture off the beaten salmon path to experience grayling fishing. Perhaps it is the grayling’s relatively small physique or the perception of difficulty to access where they live that keeps anglers away. If “trophy” fish are critical to the trip, then access can be an adventure that leaves little room for other species.

If size, indeed, does not matter, there are several places in Alaska that offer spectacular grayling fishing with a bit of side-tracking from the salmon streams or the saltwater halibut and rockfish endeavors so popular among visiting anglers and, for that matter, Alaska residents.

GET TANGLED UP Tangle Lakes, located 20 miles west of Paxson on the Denali Highway, is easily ac-

cessed by highway vehicle. The lakes are located on either side of the highway and fishing is readily available a stone’s throw from parking and camping areas. For those willing to hike a bit there are a series of lakes and streams south of the highway that stretch out for several miles. Numerous inlet streams along these lakes provide a virtual guarantee that grayling will be lurking in the runoff and picking off insects caught up in the flow. An hour’s walk from the Denali Highway at virtually any time of the summer season will find the prospective angler in complete privacy.

Along the way there is every chance of seeing caribou, moose, ptarmigan and the occasional grizzly bear. The terrain consists of rolling alpine hills covered in shrub willow clumps, the occasional stunted spruce and

berry patches. Game trails provide nice pathways between the various lakes in the system, and this area is protected from allterrain vehicle use.

The Tangle Lakes grayling typically run 10 to 12 inches, with an occasional 15- to 17inch fish. What they lack in size they make up for in numbers; if your casting arm is up to it, a 100-fish day is possible. However, the limit is five per day and they are best eaten immediately after catching, as grayling do not freeze well. In order to enjoy the possibilities of this area with somewhat of a clear conscience, small flies with barbless hooks are the order of the day. Incidentally, lake trout are also present in the Tangle Lakes drainage. While they are not nearly as prolific as the grayling, they do provide a fine option for grilling over an open fire.

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Releasing an Arctic grayling back into the Tangle Lakes. If you want to keep any, five is the limit. (STEVE MEYER)

The Tangle Lakes campground is fairly large, and relative availability of sites is completely dependent on visitor traffic. There is a good boat launch, but if you choose to go before late June do not be surprised if the lakes are still covered in ice. A ½-mile east of the Tangle Lakes campground is the Tangle Lakes Inn, which has rooms available (book early) and also puts out a very good menu with a friendly bar.

82 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

Moving further west on the Denali Highway there are outfitters in the McLaren River area that will take anglers by jet-boat into some rather remote country that is said to produce much bigger grayling. Having not done it I cannot attest to it firsthand.

THE CRESCENT COUNTRY A large percentage of visiting anglers travel further south to the Kenai Peninsula

to fish salmon on the Kenai, Kasilof, Deep Creek, Ninilchik and Anchor Rivers, plus halibut and rockfish out of Homer. While king salmon fishing is not what it once was, sockeye fishing is still fabulous on the Kenai and the Kasilof during June and July. Halibut seem always available in the summer. Nevertheless, anglers who have made the long trip to Alaska may not be aware of an opportunity to fish for some pretty decent-size grayling if willing to put out a moderate amount of effort.

Nestled amongst steep mountains that are the home to Dall’s sheep, black bear, brown bear, moose, Barrow’s goldeneye and willow ptarmigan, Crescent Lake remains one of the few places on the planet that an angler can reasonably hike to and have a very good chance of hooking a trophy-size Arctic grayling.

There are two routes that access Crescent Lake via hiking trail. The most popular is accessed by following Quartz Creek Road (turn off at the Sunrise Inn in Cooper Landing) to its end where there is a large parking lot with directions to the trailhead across the

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On those days when the grayling are a little more picky for fly anglers, a larger selection of flies can be helpful. (STEVE MEYER)

84 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

road. The trail winds through primary growth forest as it climbs along Crescent Creek for the 6-mile hike. It is a gradual gradient that is often done by folks on mountain bikes and offers some spectacular views of the creek most of the way. When you come across the old Forest Service bridge about 3 miles up the trail, don’t worry; I’ve crossed it over 100 times and it has never collapsed.

Just prior to arriving at the lake, the trail breaks out into open-country grassland, willow, some spruce stands and alder clumps.

Another bridge crosses the creek where it starts downstream from the lake. A couple hundred yards further up the trail, in a stand of mountain spruce, is a U.S. Forest Service cabin that is available by reservation online (fs.fed.us/recreation/Zreservations). A row boat comes with the cabin, which is close to the lake although not immediately on the shoreline. The brush line on either side of the lake at this end comes right down to the shore. Going uplake on the left or east side, there are some open areas fishable from the shoreline.

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THE BIRDS, THE BUGS AND THE BEARS When we hike into Crescent Lake, we typically fish for a couple of hours. Then we’ll wander the area and watch our setters point ptarmigan or glass the hillsides to find black bear cubs playing on the high slopes across the lake. The mountains on the west side of Crescent on the Carter Lake side always seem to have black bear sows accompanied by cubs. Taking a break from fishing to watch the antics of bear cubs is always rewarding. The weight of packing in a pair of good binoculars is worth the effort. And brown bears are in the area; they are usually seen near snow patches 1,500 feet above the lake’s elevation.

In the many years of wandering this country I’ve never had a bear incident. Occasionally there will be bear scat on the trail, but midsummer bears are on the hillsides eating berries. I’m not saying to ignore the possibility but it certainly isn’t like fishing the Russian River with bears in spitting distance.

And don’t underestimate the bugs. There are times in these places when the black flies are insidious, and, without a head net, you are at their mercy. Mosquito dope has no impact on them, but since there are mosquitoes, it’s always good to have some strong repellant handy.

Whatever way one chooses to access Crescent, both locations are great places to spend a summer day (and night). If you want to plan a day trip, packing a lunch is always an option. Or you can pack in a small camp stove, such as an MSR Whisperlite, a small fry pan, salt, pepper and butter and cook your catch on the lake shore.

These areas have minimal available firewood, and while you can probably scrape up enough to build a small fire if it isn’t raining, I wouldn’t count on it. Being able to cook your catch on the spot certainly adds a measure of satisfaction to the trip.

Spending the night is easily done thanks to the campsites in various places around the lake. SM

At the very least, wear knee-high rubber boots, or better, pack some stocking-foot waders. Being able to get out away from the brush and cast is greatly enhanced with waders and is particularly important for fly fishing. The lake upstream from the bridge gradually widens into a large and relatively shallow flat that typically teems with grayling. On calm days, they are evidenced by the constant dimpling of the surface as they feed on insects.

The water is gin-clear, and on calm days the fish are easily seen below the surface.

Being a mountain lake, the early-morning and evening are usually the only calm times.

Mountain thermals create winds that inevitably ripple the surface from midmorning into the later stages of the afternoon.

There is an alternate access point to Crescent Lake via the Carter Lake Trail that starts at Mile 34 of the Seward Highway (heading south on the Seward Highway approximately 4 miles past the Seward “Y”).

The climb up for the first 1.5 miles is much steeper than the Quartz Creek route. Described by most as difficult, the trail is good,

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just steep.

The first 1½ miles are primarily spruce and hemlock forest that breaks into a magnificent subalpine meadow; in summer this area is cloaked in wildflowers. To the left is Carter Lake, which the trail skirts as it continues to Crescent Lake.

The hike to Crescent Lake from Carter Lake is simply magnificent, and 1.7 miles later takes you to a high overlook of the lake.

There are numerous side trails that lead down to the shore. To the right there is a shallow inlet stream that enters a large flat at the north end of the lake. To the left the shoreline is intermittently brush-choked with some open areas with gravel that can be successfully fly-fished without waders.

Most of the northeastern shoreline can be fished from the bank if you are casting spinners. The flat cove at the extreme northeast end of the lake can be chest-waded nearly all the way across. Heading south along the shoreline the visible rocks beneath the surface make the water appear shallow; it isn’t. Just a few feet off the bank it drops rapidly so use caution when trying to get out

88 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

A feisty grayling puts up quite a battle in the Tangle River a mere 200 yards from the parking lot, reflecting just how easy it can be in Alaska to have outstanding fishing steps from your car. (STEVE MEYER)

and cast a fly.

THE GRAYLING WAY Grayling have a reputation for being voracious feeders that will hit virtually anything that they can get in their mouth. True enough, at least sometimes. For many years we have fished the July 1 opener on Crescent Lake and it had always been spectacular until 2013. Arriving just after sunrise the

lake was flat and calm, the clear skies promising a warm day, and all looked perfect.

Well, it was unless you factor in that the grayling wanted nothing to do with anything we threw at them. There were fish there, easily seen under the surface of the water, and they milled about the wake of the outlet stream we fished. We tried virtually every fly in the box, and even tied on a white curly tailed grub, usually a go-to favorite. Yet not

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a strike or even interest shown to any pattern we presented.

In desperate times I always carry a lightweight pack rod and reel to throw small Mepps and Vibrex spinners, two lures that are also nearly foolproof. But still we had nothing.

There are normal lulls in feeding, though typically these last maybe an hour. It just wasn’t to be on this day. No matter, occupying this gorgeous piece of real estate is always worth the price of admission even when the fish aren’t biting. This was just one of those fluke days, and returning some days later the fishing was back to the norm, which is catching and releasing grayling in the 15- to 20-inch class until your arms are worn out.

A recent regulation change opens the 2014 season on Crescent Lake June 11. The limit for grayling is two fish per day.

A lightweight pack rod and reel combo is perfect, as is a 4-weight fly rod, although these fish fight well enough if you have as big as a 5or 6-weight it is still going to be great fun. Whether you don waders or not is up to you. These places can be fished regardless, but waders do enhance your opportunities.

Weather prediction in mountain passes is perhaps best done with tarot cards. In other words, don’t count on any forecast as the gospel.

Rain squalls are a part of mountain fishing, so a lightweight set of raingear is welcome when the skies open.

Grayling are a special fish that make their way in some of the wildest places left on the planet. The opportunity to enjoy these fish is readily available, you don’t want to miss what is for many, a once in a lifetime opportunity. ASJ

90 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

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JULY 2014

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Depth becomes an important variable when dealing with a river’s current speed.

It’s also critical for your jigs to have a lot of movement and bounce off the bottom and entice a fish to strike. (JEFF LUND) 92 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

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GETTING PAST THE SHALLOW END

STEELIES, TROUT CAN BE HAD IN DEEPER WATER

BY JEFF LUND

I

t wasn’t my biggest steelhead, but it was one of my best.

I wasn’t completely surprised because it was a spot where I had hooked plenty of steelies during the winter and now the spring run. But when you make a successful adjustment in the face of a variable, it can make you feel like a kid and an expert at the same time.

A week to the day ago I fished the same spot and brought three to hand. There is a particular shelf on the far side where fish like to stack up, and, as long as I didn’t cast too far, I wouldn’t get snagged up.

Then came the rain. The river tried, but there was too much precipitation to keep up; its shores swelled. The gentle grade of its length became a torrent, carrying debris and repositioning downed trees.

It was the type of rain that makes inconsequential stretches look really fishy. You know there are gravel bars that are now 4 feet under water, but you’re not sure where they are because you stuck to spots that held fish and didn’t bother to think, “When this thing is about at flood stage, this might be a great spot to pick up fish.” It’s hard to fathom an extra 4 feet of water and extrapolate that across the entire width to calculate the current CFS. When you do, you’re not sure you want to go wading around looking for that fishy bar.

MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT Once the rain stopped it took three days for the water to become remotely fishable and I was there. My back shelf is usually a thin slot of holding water across the current, so a roll cast, immediate mending and a sharp eye allow me to get my jig to hit JULY 2014

ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL 93

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The author landed this colorful steelhead on a switch rod, which he likes to use on steelhead and trout in bigger waters.

(JEFF LUND)

94 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

the for a few seconds before the current lifts it out. The high water made it impossible for me to think I could get my jig to get down fast enough. So I worked the near edge.

Depth becomes vital when dealing with current speed. When you drop pieces of shot from your hand while trying to affix them to the line, they drop straight down and you never see them again. But on a line and in the current, even heavy nymphs or jig rigs get caught and suspended. If you’re indicator fishing, the bobber frequently moves faster than the jig, providing a pulling effect, which again brings your fly up from where it needs to be.

I doubled the weight of the jig and moved my indicator higher on my leader so that the jig was deep enough to bounce off the bottom. That way I knew I was deep enough and my hook wasn’t being carried over the head of any holding steelie in the swift current. It’s not an innovative idea, but I’ve seen many fail to execute an adjustment to faster or deeper water. There

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is a difference between “should be near the bottom,” and “is at the bottom.”

If you guess the water to be 5 feet rather than its usual 3, don’t believe it until you actually see the indicator bounce because the jig has hit rock. Then you know for sure you’re not wasting your time.

I like taking my 11-foot, 7-weight switch rod when indicator fishing for steelhead or even trout in bigger water because adjustments can require more spine, and covering specific water is important. It helps with chucking heavy stuff because a simple roll cast will suffice.

Heavy nymphing rigs or jigs can be a nightmare to roll cast with a single-hand rod so the switch makes things easier and keeps you fishing longer. Required mends are done with ease as is repositioning for the next drift.

PAYING ATTENTION This depth in fast-water logic applies to whatever river you’re fishing, and is not just exclusive to Alaskan water. If you’re

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Steelies like this one in fast-moving water or deep currents sometimes need a few days after a heavy rain to be reachable again in deeper water.

(JEFF LUND)

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JULY 2014

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Page 98

on a guided adventure in the 49th state, which is notorious for having temperamental weather, then pay attention how your guide adjusts for depth and color from day-to-day. If the mission is to catch fish, no one knows it better than a seasoned guided, so absorb adjustments because he or she might be more about you catching than explaining what was done to combat conditions. Paying attention to the whole process will make you a better angler upon your return to your home water, even if you’re not chunking flesh flies at rainbows or jigs at silvers. Fishing fundamentals are fishing fundamentals and you might just find yourself using a little trick you learned on a 30-inch rainbow to catch a 14-inch brookie.

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98 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

THE METHOD MARRIAGE When the water was fishing at normal and low pre-spring levels I picked up a few fish on the swing, even when I was suspending a jig under an indicator. Conventional wisdom says that when using an indicator, you keep it as still as possible and provide

enough slack to keep it from dragging. So to hook a fish that way seems incorrect. But really, if your goal is to catch fish, you have to be prepared for the marriage of methods.

As my indicator reached the end of a run I knew was holding fish, I let it swing as I would if I was using a standard swing approach. The jig swung up off the bottom a bit and across the current, but was low enough to be in the strike zone. Boom. Fish on.

If the water is too high and fast for you to be swinging through a fast section, let the indicator stop at the end of your drift and pause. The jig might lift perfectly for a fish and you’ll have yourself a fast-water catch.

This, of course, is based on the assumption you were deep enough to begin with.

So this summer, when you’re looking out the window on day two of your six-day self-guided Alaskan fishing adventure don’t see rain, see the opportunity for an even better story when the odds were stacked against you. Become that angler with the brain of an expert and the heart of a kid. ASJ

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T

“

he fish just aren’t here.” It’s a saying that any angler pursuing salmon in Alaska hopes that he or she never hears, especially if they have paid to stay at one of the state’s countless fishing lodges.

But, depending on the time of the year and the migratory patterns of the salmon, an absence of fish is simply a fact of life that every fisherman must contend with at some point. So what, then, if there was a mobile fishing lodge that could actually follow the salmon as they travel?

Pete Bennison came up with an answer to this question in the form of the Modoc, a 150-foot vessel, previously used for military purposes, that he has converted into a world-class hotel, known as Alaskan Modoc Adventures (224-829-7103).

The Modoc prides itself on being Alaska’s “only floating mobile lodge.” Bennison, who captains and owns the boat along with Debra Keller, bought the boat about 25 years ago, and then began the painstaking process of fixing it up to accommodate both his own needs and those of his guests. “It took me ten years to remodel it,” he says. “I gutted the whole thing out, took everything out of the inside, JULY 2014

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The Modoc served as a rescue tug in World War II and participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the final decisive conflicts with Japan.

It later made Cold War reconnaisance missions off the coast of Russia and had 20 years of service in the United States Coast Guard (above right). (ALASKAN MODOC ADVENTURES)

cut the house off, and started over again.”

Initially, Bennison says, it wasn’t Alaska that drew him, nor did he necessarily begin with a vision of a floating hotel. “I just wanted to build a boat to live on, and run some charters with it in the summer, which I did for years, mostly in Desolation Sound in Canada.”

Before too long, however, Bennison became aware of the opportunities offered by both Alaska’s fishing waters and its tourism industry, and decided to give the idea of a floating fishing lodge a shot.

“Three years ago, we decided to go up [to Alaska], and try the sport fishing, and we really got into it,” he says. The operation is now based out of Ketchikan, in Southeast Alaska. “There’s a big demand, and we are the only facility up there like this, so it’s kind of unique in itself.”

A STORIED HISTORY Nearly as unique as Bennison’s creation of a floating, mobile lodge is the history of the Modoc itself. The vessel was commissioned in 1944 by the United States

government. It was first used in World War II as a rescue tug in the South Pacific.

“It was used in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which was the last decisive battle of World War II,” explains Bennison. “The Japanese pretty much lost their fleet there, and (the Modoc) was a part of that.”

As if involvement in World War II were not compelling enough, the vessel also played a role in the Cold War. “After World War II it went up and spent ten years off the Russian border for reconnaissance, up off of Adak, Alaska,”

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GWIN’S LODGE The historic Gwin’s Lodge is located in the middle of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, known as Alaska’s Playground. It’s the closest restaurant and lodging to the confluence of two world-class salmon streams - the Kenai River and the Russian River - and is a favorite among fishers who frequent those waters. We are nestled at the base of the majestic Kenai Mountains across from the Kenai River in the Chugach National Forest bordering the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Our central location makes all recreational activities in nearby towns (Seward, Soldotna, Ninilchik, Clam Gulch, Kenai, Homer, etc.) easily accessible.

At Gwin’s Lodge, we strive to provide you exceptional service. We have 15 cabins that can each accommodate four to six guests and two cottage houses that can accommodate six to 10 guests. Our cabins have been remodeled with new Sealy Presidential pillow-top mattresses, bed linens, and furnishings.

We also have a tackle shop where you can buy fishing licenses, fishing tackle and equipment, snacks, drinks, sunglasses, hats, and Alaska souvenirs and gifts. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you book guided fishing trips, sight-seeing trips, whitewater rafting, fly-in bear viewing, Kenai Fjords Cruises, Alaska Railroad trips, and many other excursions at no additional charge. We only work with well-qualified and reputable guides and excursion companies and our staff are happy to help you plan and organize your trip.

(907) 595-1266 | reservation@gwinslodge.com | gwinslodge.com

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Bennison says. There, the vessel carefully monitored movements and communications by the Russians. “It was basically a spy ship,” he explains.

In 1959, once the vessel had fulfilled its duties as a spy ship, it came to Bremerton, Wash., where it was refit for what would be 20 years of Coast Guard duty before it finally came under Bennison’s ownership.

“It spent 1959 to 1979 down in Coos Bay, Ore.,” he says of the boat’s Coast Guard years. “In 1979 it was retired in Seattle, and stayed there until I got it in 1989.”

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Rockfish are among the targets of the Ketchikan-based Alaskan Modoc Adventures lodge.

(ALASKAN MODOC ADVENTURES)

The crew cleans a customer’s catch. An advantage the Modoc has over other lodges is being able to literally raise the anchor and move to a hotter fishing spot.

(ALASKAN MODOC ADVENTURES)

With the threat of Japanese attacks, Russian reconnaissance, and Coast Guard duties long behind it, the Modoc now serves a much lighter purpose: ensuring that its guests enjoy their stay in Alaska, and catch some of the state’s legendary salmon while doing so. And just as the vessel did in past wars, it fulfills this new purpose quite well, following the salmon as they move about the waters surrounding Ketchikan.

MOVING COMPANY The major advantage of Bennison’s operation lies in its ability to move. Whereas a permanent lodge may suffer at various times of the summer due to a lack of fish presence, the Modoc has the ability to move with the fish when they have migrated elsewhere.

“We go south of Ketchikan in early 104 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

summer and north of Ketchikan in late summer, where the fish runs are. So we are always following them,” says Bennison. “We can always chose where we go.”

The business operates from May to September, and when the Modoc – which is capable of housing up to 12 guests – has

Fresh fish is packaged and ready to ship out for those guests. The Modoc features three 28-foot fishing boats used to find plenty of species. (ALASKAN MODOC ADVENTURES)

found the fish, it anchors up in a private cove, and from there, the guests proceed to go fishing on one of three 28-foot guide boats that Bennison owns, allowing for even more mobility and a greater opportunity to catch fish.

In this regard, the Modoc offers a fishing experience that is one of a kind in Alaska, though there are several similar such lodges in British Columbia. If you do happen to land your trophy catch on one of these expeditions, the staff of the Modoc will fillet your fish, vacuum-pack it, and then flash freeze it so that you can take it home.

The adaptable experience on the ship, Bennison makes clear, also extends far beyond the realm of fishing. The cuisine is described as being “five-star” quality, and there are all sorts of opportunities in the wilderness offered from the Modoc that take advantage of Alaska’s seemingly endless array of outdoor sports.

“We have kayaks, and canoes, and we have jet skis, and other boats that we use to go out crabbing,” says Bennison. “So it’s not just a fishing experience; it’s kind of an overall experience.”

Guests come from all over the country and world to experience the Modoc, including one guest who actually served on the vessel when it was in use by the Coast Guard. Bennison says that some of the most popular activities both on and off of the ship include “kayaking and sightseeing, whale watching, and hiking.”

The Modoc’s website (alaskanmodocadventures.com) recommends bringing just the essentials, and allowing them to take care of the rest. Guests who do decide to go are often satisfied in the fact that not only are they taking part in a unique aspect of Alaska’s rich wildlife and fishing tradition, they are also experiencing a rare piece of United States and nautical history.

And, of course, catching a lot of fish. ASJ

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The authors spend a month every summer living on their sailboat and cruising Prince William Sound, which starting July 1 allows lingcod 35 inches or more to be kept with a daily limit of two (four in possession). (BIXLER MCCLURE)

LINGING IN THE NEW SEASON JULY 1 IS PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND LINGCOD OPENER

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BY KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS or an entire month each summer, Bixler McClure and I live aboard our 34-foot 1979 Cal 34 sailboat, Carpe Ventos, loaded with shelf-stable provisions (we have no refrigeration), to fish and cruise the many isolated coves and bays of Prince William Sound. Our fresh protein source is fish from the sea that we can keep on glacial ice just long enough to eat before it spoils. Yes, there

F

are times we actually have to stop fishing. Usually we can time fishing and ice stops, but during our summer 2013 trip, we caught an unexpected big one – a lingcod – a bit too early in our trip.

While halibut are graceful, flat, and large, feeding slowly on your bait, lingcod are the antithesis. Best characterized by their huge heads and toothy grins, lingcod are the only fish that will compete with an angler by trying to steal your catch as you reel it up. We often

run into this problem in the early season when lingcod try to take our black rockfish off our lures. We reluctantly let the lingcod go – per Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulations – and shake our fists at them. But come July 1, it is “game on” for lingcod fishing in the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound – right when we take our annual trip.

SO IN EARLY July we pulled into Fox Farm Bay, the traditional starting point in

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southwest Prince William Sound for those coming from Seward to the west.

Our fourth trip to the sound, we had talked up the many anchorages, amazing wildlife, and excellent fishing opportunities to an Australian couple with a motorsailer filled with the amenities of home, including a freezer. They followed us to the sound and dropped anchor in Fox Farm Bay. The next morning, Bixler and I joined them as we discussed the plans. Naturally, fishing was on our minds.

We pulled anchor that morning and headed north into Prince William Sound.

Salmon were jumping, whales spouting, and the seas were calm and glassy.

Bixler was at the helm, carefully reading the depth sounder for any discernable bump that we could drop a jig on. The Australians were doing the same, and we kept in radio contact, listening to their charming accents as we discussed the fishing possibilities.

“We are going to go north and try fishing along Knight Island, mate,” the Australians radioed as we began to turn into a cove.

“OK, we are going to stay here. We’ll let you know if we catch anything,” I replied. We weren’t having any luck yet and our icebox filled with melting cubes sat empty waiting for a fish for dinner.

As I switched the radio back to channel 16, I heard Bixler switch our rustic Westerbeke diesel in reverse. He had found an interesting bump on the bottom sounder and suggested we drop a jig. I grabbed a scampi-tailed lead head and attached it to my jigging pole. Bixler fished through our lures (no pun intended), carefully running his fingers over the variety of knife jigs, lead heads, and Buzz Bombs. He settled on a diamond jig, a silver-shaped diamond with a treble hook on the bottom.

When Bixler was first provisioning the boat with fishing gear, a coworker introduced him to B & J’s Sporting Goods in Anchorage (907-274-6113). The coworker told him he was not allowed to leave the store without a diamond jig.

I dropped first, watching the scampi tail twirl down through the water column. Immediately I hooked up to a nice 108 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

Ice comes in handy on a boat with no refrigeration. So keeping what’s caught chilled means it gets filleted and prepared rather quickly before it spoils. The reward is some of the freshest food you can imagine. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

yelloweye.

“Wow, this will last us for days!” I exclaimed, visually portioning up the fish for meals to come.

Bixler dropped the diamond jig. He felt a nibble and set the hook. Immediately the fish began to fight. Non-pelagic rockfish fight for a short time, and then sit as a dead weight on the line. This fish, however, fought all the way the surface as Bixler carefully loosened the drag to avoid the line from snapping.

As he reeled in the fish, it began to shake more violently. Through the greenish water we saw the familiar shape looking up at us. A big toothy grin, bulging eyes, and gills puffed out, we saw the familiar face of a lingcod. Immediately, I grabbed the gaff.

The lingcod fought as we gaffed it and pulled it up and over the lifelines. It twirled about on the deck, tangling up the fishing line, biting anything that came close.

The lingcod settled down and we stared in awe. Lingcod fishing is closed in Resurrection Bay, so it always a big deal when can land and keep such a fish.

The legal size for lingcod fishing in our area is 35 inches, the size of a small child. Though this one was only a few

inches over, it was still a monster nonetheless.

Bixler stood proudly and rustled through our tackle box looking for the scale. He was chatting on the radio to the Australians when I began to survey the meat situation. Lingcod fillets are long and when portioned properly can feed a couple for a week. We already had a nice yelloweye and our ice situation was already dim. Alaska’s exceptionally warm summer was eating through our ice and we were miles away from the nearest glacier.

“The Australians are coming over,” Bixler said excitedly as he affixed the scale to our sailboat’s boom to weigh the lingcod. “Wow, almost 30 pounds!

How are we going to eat all of this? I wish we could send it home!”

“Why don’t we?” I said. The Australians were heading back to Seward in a week and had a freezer on board. On the back of the State of Alaska fishing regulations (which we keep next to our knot book on board) there is a Transfer of Possession form that allows anyone to move fish from point A to B as long as they possess the form – even Australians. We often run into the issue when we have a boatload of fish and are 100 miles from home. Thank goodness the State of Alaska has thought of everything.

As the Australians arrived, I set to fill out the form, which included the date, location, and species. Bixler showed off the lingcod before filleting it up and explained the situation. We needed to get the fish from Prince William Sound to home in Seward, some 70 miles away.

The Australians agreed to take the fish and the Transfer of Possession form, freeze the fish on board, carry it to Seward, and then give to Bixler’s mom to put in our freezer (she’s always such a sport in these situations). In exchange we gave them a few of our secret fishing spots and offered to let them shower at our house – always a luxury when you live aboard a sailboat like they do all summer long.

Bixler carved a small section of the fillet for us and then hopped in the dinghy to transfer the fish. We bid

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LINGCOD FISH AND CHIPS Halibut is all the rage for fish and chips on any Alaskan restaurant menu, but many home chefs prefer lingcod in its place. The firm and moist texture and large flakes work well for frying in this classic fish and chip recipe. Try spicing up the “chip” side by substituting fried zucchini and a Sriracha-mayo dip!

Ingredients One portion of a lingcod fillet, skinned, deboned, and cut into 1-inch chunks One large zucchini, cut into thin slices Vegetable oil, or neutral-flavored oil for frying 1 to 2 cups flour 1 to 2 cups Panko bread crumbs 2 eggs ½ a bottle of your favorite beer Salt and pepper Lime (or lemon) juice Mayonnaise Sriracha chili sauce

110 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

Directions Fill a pot with frying oil and set stove to high or use a self-regulating deep fryer like a Fry Daddy. Oil will be ready when a test chunk of fish immediately starts frying.

Be sure to watch oil to prevent smoking.

Set up a breading station as follows in three separate bowls: flour, egg whisked and mixed with beer, and Panko crumbs.

Liberally season lingcod with salt and pepper. First roll in flour, then immerse in egg mixture, and then roll in Panko. Set aside on a separate sheet until all the lingcod has been battered.

Repeat the breading sequence with the zucchini slices. Fry the zucchini first until golden brown. Set aside on a paper towel in oven on warm until ready to serve. Fry the lingcod until golden brown. Garnish with lime juice and salt.

Mix equal parts mayonnaise and Sriracha for dipping. Serve fried lingcod and zucchini at once. Bixler McClure

Lingcod makes for a nice change of pace as an Alaskan fish and chips substitute for halibut. And zucchini is a healthy option for your chips. (BIXLER MCCLURE)

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“g’day, mates!” to the Australians who were starting on their own adventure.

A gaff is a necessity for your boat when bringing in a stubborn lingcod. The authors got a giant ling aboard and watched it flop around the deck ready to take a bite out of anything in sight.

WE DROPPED ANCHOR nearby at our new-

(KRYSTIN BABLINSKAS)

found fishing spot. I buried the rockfish fillets deep in the remaining ice and set to make fried fish and zucchini with the lingcod. We had already had a day of improvisation, and the best way I found to monitor the heat of the frying oil on an alcohol stove is with our infrared thermometer from our sailboat’s toolbox.

“What do we do if we catch another lingcod?” I asked as I read the temperature display on the infrared thermometer.

“It shouldn’t be a problem,” said Bixler as he opened a celebratory beer.

“My boss is coming out next week. He’s got a freezer on board too.” ASJ Editor’s note: Krystin Bablinskas and Bixler McClure live in Seward. You can read more of their adventures on their blog at alaskagraphy.wordpress.com.

Canal Marine Company 10 Front St. Haines AK 99827 907-766-2437 canalmarine@aptalaska.net

112 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

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FIELD

FIRE FOLLOW THE BOUNCING HALIBUT From

To

PEAK TIME FOR ALASKAN SALTWATER GIANT

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

T

he height of Alaska’s halibut season is here. For many anglers, halibut fishing means dropping heavy sinkers to depths of 300 feet or more, pumping the rod up and down until a strike comes, then reeling in a heavy fish. Sometimes the battles vary, however. Young ’buts may give a few head shakes and come up quickly. Big ’buts may pull and pull, then rely on their body

weight for resistance.

In the end, no matter how heavy the sinker or how big the halibut, once it’s on the dinner plate, it’s nothing but fond memories. But there’s an alternative approach to catching halibut, one that’s productive and fun when carried out in shallow water.

Backbouncing has been applied on salmon for years, and some longtime halibut anglers have also put this method to use. For the most part, however, backbouncing for halibut is a fairly new concept to many folks.

The first time I backbounced for halibut was 15 years ago along some shal-

low shelves out of Homer. I later had another taste of it in small bays around Kodiak Island and parts of Southeast Alaska. Like backbouncing for salmon or sturgeon, the approach makes sense, and the fact it catches fish makes it even more appealing.

Halibut are very aggressive predators and capable of eating large fish, including pink salmon. With this year being a pink salmon run year, backbouncing for halibut will be even more effective.

On my last trip

Backbouncing for halibut can be done in shallow waters, surprisingly close to shore during pink salmon migration.

(SCOTT HAUGEN)

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Whale watching is just one of the many bonuses to be experienced when halibut fishing this time of year in Alaska. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

to Petersburg, we didn’t travel far before backbouncing 16 ounces of lead in 40 feet of water. Short runs in shallow water are something not many halibut anglers are accustomed to.

WE WERE CLOSE to shore, capitalizing on the pink salmon migration. Pinks hug the shoreline, and in the right conditions halibut move into surprisingly shallow water to feast on migrating humpies.

One of the keys to hitting ’buts in the shallows is timing your fishing with the pink salmon runs. Once the pinks start moving along coastal shorelines, it doesn’t take long for aggressive halibut to find them. And once one locates a feeding site, more slab-sides are sure to follow.

The backbouncing approach makes sense, especially from a scientific perspective. First, backbouncing helps establish a scent line, something halibut can follow right up to the bait. Because weight is used to keep the bait on the bottom, and the pumping action of the rod raises and drops the bait while simultaneously moving it downstream, the presentation is very controlled.

If the bait starts moving too fast with the current, either add more weight or let the boat slip back more quickly; in fast cur116 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

rents you may need to do both. Backbouncing is fun because it’s an active approach. All anglers and the captain must be in constant communication with one another to convey all that’s going on.

The backbouncing approach is ideal when the current flow allows lines to be fished out the back of the boat. This allows a true read to be made on the lines and helps maintain continual contact with the bottom. If anglers do need to fish off the side of the boat, just be sure to pay close attention to what’s happening, as sometimes high points on the bottom can slow one person’s delivery, which can throw off the captain and other anglers. At the same time, side currents can catch one line and carry it beneath the boat which can cause a tangle with fellow angler’s line, or worse yet, the prop.

Depthfinders are a valuable tool when backbouncing ’buts. Not only are they necessary for figuring proper depth, but they help locate fish. More importantly, they reveal the topography of the bottom, whereby allowing anglers as well as the captain to anticipate what’s down there.

Because pink salmon travel close to shore, the bottom structure can greatly fluctuate. This means paying attention to what’s ahead, or should I say what’s be-

hind since we are backbouncing, is critical to success.

In situations where backbouncing is done farther offshore, say atop shelves or on flats, the underwater topography is more user-friendly. Here, backbouncing can be applied any time of year, be it a pink salmon run season or not. Halibut often lie in and congregate around food funnels, where currents naturally carry food to them. When one of these locales is found, get on the up-current side of the fish and backbounce your way into them.

Once you experience what backbouncing for halibut is all about, you’ll be wanting more. Light weight combined with bait or jigs and a feisty battle in shallow settings makes for great fun. The best part, come the end of the day is this: your body is not fatigued from battling heavy seas, long fights and pumping pounds of lead, so you’ll be ready to get back at it the following day. ASJ Editor’s note: Signed copies of Scott Haugen’s comprehensive book, A Flyfisher’s Guide to Alaska, can be ordered for $32.95 (free S & H). Send checks to P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. Though the title implies fly fishing, this where-to book highlights hundreds of Alaska’s fisheries, no matter which gear you choose.

A fine halibut catch with good eating for all, these were taken by the author and his buddies while backbouncing shallow waters. Using light weight and covering ground are benefits of this fishing style.

(SCOTT HAUGEN)

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KEY TO GREAT HALIBUT: DON’T OVERCOOK

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN uly in Alaska means fishing, and when it comes to ocean fish, halibut tops the popularity list. Not only are these fish fun to pursue, they’re also considered some of the best table fare for game fish out there.

The light, moist, mild-flavored fish can be enjoyed simply with salt and pepper or dressed up and paired with a variety of ingredients. The key to great tasting halibut is not overcooking it.

Cooking halibut until it flakes is cooking it too long; the fish should simply no longer be translucent. Using an internal cooking thermometer is the only way to get perfect halibut every time.

Take the fish off the heat source at 135 degrees and it will continue to cook until done.

Plank cooking halibut is a great way to not only keep messy fish off of your grill, but to keep it moist. Adding a stuffing or sauce enhances the flavor and texture of the fish as well.

J

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1 pound halibut (or other bottom fish) 1 ⁄3 cup mayonnaise 1 ⁄3 cup parmesan cheese 1 ⁄3 cup black olives, sliced 2 tablespoons diced green chilies or jalapenos ½ cup Monterey jack cheese 1, 6.5-ounce jar marinated artichokes, drained and chopped 1 cooking plank, soaked at least two hours in water In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, cheese, olives, chilies and artichokes until thoroughly combined. Prepare fish fillet by cutting lengthwise through the center of fillet, leaving equal thickness on top and bottom. Fill fillet with stuffing mixture, reserving three tablespoons for the top. Place stuffed fillet on prepared plank. Top with additional stuffing mixture.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven or on a medium-high grill 18 to 20 minutes or until fish is no longer opaque

and reaches an internal temperature of at least 135 degrees.

Another alternative is direct heat plank cooking. Preheat grill to mediumhigh heat. Place plank with food directly over the heat source. Cook with the lid closed. Plank should reach heavy smoke in 10 to 15 minutes. When plank begins to smoke, check often; use spray bottle filled with water to extinguish any plank flame, and lower heat if necessary.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s new book, Cooking Seafood, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489. This and other cookbooks can also be ordered at tiffanyhaugen.com.

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THE DIY ALASKA HUNTING TRIP GUIDE

WHERE TO GO, HOW TO GET THERE PART II OF II

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

I

Setting up along a willow-lined river waiting for caribou to cross or even to call for moose is a best bet for ambush success. Patience is the key, so be prepared to wait it out.

n last month’s issue, I discussed the basic costs and gear needs for the ultimate do-it-yourself adventure in Alaska.

In part II, we will discuss where to go, different hunting techniques and other factors to consider when pursuing big game in the 49th state.

When I first arrived in Alaska back in the 1990s I had a lot to learn. As a novice lessons came quick and often, but I quickly figured out what was needed, not needed and what you could and couldn’t do. I also realized that some locations are better than others, and a specific big game animal could be more easily found in a certain area versus others. I’m still learning actually, but have a good idea of where to look.

(PAUL D. ATKINS)

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Where to Go After choosing gear and determining costs one of the biggest and most important questions is what part of the state is best for pursuing moose, caribou and other species that are affordable and don’t require a guide. I could say anywhere – and I once thought that – but not so much anymore.

Let’s start with moose. Finding a decent bull is getting to be a pretty tough challenge these days, and the idea that moose can be found behind every willow just isn’t true.

Granted, there are plenty of moose, especially along the major rivers and creeks that flow through the state. The tough part is finding the right bull or, in some cases, a bull that is legal. Some areas are definitely better than others, and many times finding a bull requires a little bit of luck. The unit you choose to apply for combined with the luck of the draw will dictate where you go and how you will hunt.

Research is the key to increasing your odds o n moose.

Determining

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and then ultimately deciding on the unit or units that produce not only the best bulls, but have the best harvest percentages, is your best bet. This information can be easily found on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s website (adfg.alaska.gov), plus you’ll learn a great deal more about moose in general. If you’re looking for more specific information, a call to the local biologist stationed in the area is your best bet. They can provide details about moose population, including what part of the unit is best for finding quality bulls. Record books are also a good source, especially if your dream is to take that bull of a lifetime.

First and foremost, you’ll have to get a license and draw a tag. All moose hunts in Alaska require a tag, and unless you’re a resident living in the unit, where a permit can be purchased over the counter, you’ll have to draw one. The application period for nonresidents and residents alike is held

in November, with results posted in February. If you choose to bowhunt there are a few bowhunting-only zones, but starting in 2016 all bowhunters will have to have been through a certified Alaskan bowhunting education course to participate.

Places along the Yukon, Noatak and the Kobuk Rivers, where I live, are ideal hunt locations for moose. The odds of drawing a tag are good and most of these areas are easily accessible for the do-it-yourself hunter. These locations are personal favorites of mine, and all have provided excellent moose hunting adventures in the past. There are many more and a few bestkept secrets, but with research, time and a little effort on your part you will soon discover the unit that will serve you best.

Everyone has their own hunting style, but when it comes to searching for moose or caribou it takes a combination of glassing, spot and stalk or maybe even an ambush. Luck and being the right spot at the right time also helps. (PAUL D. ATKINS) 122 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

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The key to big game hunting is to locate a hill or some other high vantage point close to camp and glass. Take your time and be prepared to spend some time searching the river valleys and willow thickets. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

Caribou options Unlike moose, finding caribou can be a bit easier. Even though migration patterns have changed dramatically the last few years, big bulls can still be found with hard work and persistence. Numbers are the key, giving the hunter more chances at seeing a large number of bulls and more opportunity to harvest.

Alaska has twice as many caribou as people, which is estimated at close to one million. The largest herd is the Western Arctic herd, located in the hills and river drainages of Northwest Alaska. According to ADF&G, the herd numbers close to 400,000 and the current bag limit is two.

Kotzebue is the place to be come September with a variety of pilots ready and willing to fly you to camp.

Another popular herd is Mulchatna, located north and west of Anchorage. The herd peaked at 200,000 in 1996 and has been on the decline since with an estimated total of 45,000 head today. The reason for the decline can be attributed to many reasons like predators, food supply and just the JULY 2014

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MEAT AND GREET

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For most hunters, the meat issue probably creates more tension and hard feelings among hunters, transporters and Alaskan locals than anything else. Not only do we need to follow all game laws, but also as responsible and ethical hunters, we need to be sure and have a plan for taking care of the meat. Most hunters, residents and nonresidents alike who come to Alaska do a great job of this, but there are a few who don’t.

The scenario goes something like this: a hunter comes to Alaska to kill a trophy of a lifetime. He hunts hard for a week and takes a monster bull, but about dies from exhaustion having to pack it out. The transporter then flies to camp and picks up him, the gear and the bull for the trip back to town. He tells the transporter that he really doesn’t want the meat, just the cape and horns. Can he give away the meat, he asks? “Oh sure, no problem,” the transporter replies. “We can give it to the locals, who will greatly appreciate it.”

Sometimes this is true if the transporter has made previous arrangements, but most of the time it is not. But this isn’t the transporter’s job, it’s the hunter’s.

As a bow and rifle hunter, we need to become more responsible to this issue and go the extra mile to take care of the game animals we kill. If you’re going to spend all that money for an Alaskan hunting experience, then we need to take the time and make preparations to get the entire animal home. The meat harvested will be a well-deserved reward that will remind you of that time you spent in the Last Frontier. Remember that a trophy animal also means trophy meat.

Here’s an example of getting the most out of a hunt (literally): My friend Garrett

and I had just pulled a double on a couple of unsuspecting caribou bulls after a 200yard crawl across the soggy tundra. We only had one rifle, but a quick tradeoff made it all possible and, as quick as lighting, it was done. We were in the process of field dressing the pair when I happened to catch movement to my right. Looking up I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing. A monster moose with his head swaying in the low-lying willows was walking right towards us.

What to do next?

Garrett and I just stood there staring in disbelief at this enormous moose.

The big guy kept coming with a glazed look in his eyes, seemingly mad about something. It was the middle of September and the rut was in full swing, so intruding on his piece of the tundra wasn’t a good idea. Both of us had unused moose tags in our pocket, so I grabbed the rifle and quickly handed it to my best friend. We slowly backed up, found a low spot in the tundra and waited. I heard the shot and watched as the big bull hit the ground. It was an incredible experience. Now we just had get all three back to camp. But the meat would not be wasted. PA

sheer numbers that the land can handle.

However, if you’re looking for world-recordsized bulls, this is the place to be; but unlike other caribou herds, it is a draw only for the nonresident.

The Porcupine herd, located in the northeastern part of the state, is another choice and one of the few spots where hunters have the opportunity to take more than one bull. The 40-mile herd located

south and east of Fairbanks in Unit 20 is another option for the hunter; however, there are quotas and some hunts can be closed when the quotas are filled. There are approximately 25 smaller herds roaming the state, but few are open to nonresidents, and most are open for local subsistence only.

Caribou season usually runs from mid-August until the end of September, so be sure to check the dates.

Big bull moose can be found with research, hard work and a little bit of luck.

This bull was taken by the author’s good friend Garrett, just after they took a couple of nice caribou bulls. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

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FIVE MUST-HAVE ITEMS When planning and then actually going on a DIY hunt, there are a few things that can make the hunt a lot more enjoyable.

Other than the basics here are five that I don’t leave the tarmac without: *A plastic tarp. Rain will come, I promise, so once you arrive at your hunting location gather as much wood as possible and cover it. When you think you have enough, double it. A fire is must on any Alaskan drop hunt, making the experience much more enjoyable. *Satellite phone. Having a phone (with extra batteries) in camp for emergencies is a no-brainer. *Bug dope. Bugs can be bad, especially if your hunt is in late August or early September. Head nets are also a big plus. *Duct tape. This is an Alaskan hunter’s best friend. * Loop Rope. This innovative cord with its incredible clips will keep everything from caribou antlers to a moose quarter secured to your pack. PA

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No matter where you choose to go or the species you plan to pursue, research is the key. This needs to be done long before you buy your plane ticket north. Having the knowledge and a good idea of what to expect is the key to your success.

Hunting methods Hunting style is a personal preference and by no means should anyone try and change that. But there are a few secrets that will make your DIY Alaska hunt more enjoyable and ultimately more successful.

Pursuing moose, whether with a bow or rifle, is all about locating a bull(s) to hunt.

One method that I’ve found, and is very similar to hunting sheep and goats, is to find a high spot and glass. This works great and is especially helpful if your camp is located along a river adjacent to a hill or two. Each morning climb up and prepare to spend the day. Moose are big, but the smallest group of willows can camouflage them. If you’re lucky enough to locate a bull check the wind and plan your stalk. Sometimes

this can take all day, especially if the bull you’ve spotted is a mile or so downriver.

One of the most popular methods is to use a raft and navigate downstream, paying careful attention to what lies around the next bend. Early morning and evenings are best and many times you will find a bull out for a midstream stroll.

Hunting this way is great fun, almost pleasant at times. It allows the hunter to not only see a lot of new country, but camp in a different location each night.

Calling moose is very popular too. There are several excellent calls on the market today, plus a few homemade models that will provide that soft intent grunt that only a bull moose could love. Moose will respond to cow calls and usually come to investigate, especially during the rut, which usually runs the last part of September. Rattling also works, and whether using a shed antler or a boat paddle, raking it across the willows or banging it against a rock will drive them crazy. It’s quite surreal seeing a big bull come strolling through the willows searching for a lonely cow or another bull,

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only to find you standing there.

There are many techniques when it comes to pursuing caribou. The spot-andstalk method seems to be the most popular and at times can be your only option.

Glassing for bulls and then intercepting them at a given point is the idea. This can be somewhat difficult on open tundra, but possible. You may fail more times than succeed, but if the herd is big you should have more than one opportunity. Be ready to shoot long yardages and compensate for the wind.

When you locate the caribou you’re after, find a low spot or draw and work your way towards the bull; always keep out of sight if possible. This is probably your best chance at getting close with your rifle. And make sure the wind is in your favor. Caribou have a keen sense of smell.

Another technique is an ambush. A few years ago I was hunting in the Noatak River drainage. There was a saddle not far from camp and the caribou were streaming through in groups of 20 or so. With a small stand of scrub spruce on each side, it pro-

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vided excellent cover for a bowshot. We waited and watched as they filed by, but we didn’t find the bull we were looking for. It was great fun and truly unbelievable seeing caribou that close. Rivers are also a great place for an ambush. Just pick a spot next to the water and wait for them to cross. Most rivers and creeks are lined with dense willow, which provides the bow or rifle hunter a perfect opportunity.

The transporter Most do-it-yourself hunts in Alaska are not possible without the help of a transporter. It’s the question I get most when asked about hunting up here: “Once I arrive, how will I get to the place I want to hunt?” Unless you’re lucky enough to have a friend with a boat, you’ll have to hire a transporter.

Choosing one is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of any Alaskan DIY hunt. Transporters are not guides. Their job is to get you from point A to point B and back again. Great transporters know

the country and will do whatever it takes to get you into position to be successful.

Choosing the right transporter is the key, and the good ones are worth their weight in gold, especially if you’ve saved your money and want the ultimate Alaskan experience. Research is essential when it comes to hiring a transporter. Hunters should ask plenty of questions, get references of previous clients, and then make an intelligent choice. Remember, you’ll be putting your life and your money in the hands of somebody that you’ve probably only spoken with on the phone.

If you’re planning a DIY hunt, you will need to book early. Great transporters are booked months and sometimes years in advance. ASJ Editor’s note: Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer in Kotzebue, Alaska who has penned hundreds of articles on hunting big game throughout North America and Africa. You can find him on Facebook and at pauldatkins.com.

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BEARING STEADY ON THE PENINSULA

HELPING A FRIEND TAG OUT ON HIS FIRST BROWN

BY LOUIS CUSACK

agged out.

For many generations old and new, these two simple words have been used to announce the ending of a successful hunt, and as a young man growing up in south Louisiana hunting whitetail deer and turkeys with my father, I remember the admiration other hunters bestowed on the hunter in camp. No matter what the season or circumstances, they always filled their tags and usually well before others.

Two such men were Sonny Brehamann, a tall, dark Cajun who lived down the street from us, and Paul Edwards, a lean Mississippi veteran of Vietnam. Edwards had a look that seemed to see everything around him, winning the admiOn the last day of the hunt, the author spotted this ration of others both in bear but decided to not try and use his tag, so instead the field and on the of taking a shot he simply enjoyed watching the bruin battlefield. in action. (LOUIS CUSACK) They always filled their tags and they were respected by others. Hunters reached out to them as a source of information, and they readily shared their knowledge with them.

Members of our hunting group spoke of them like basketball fans worshipped Michael Jordan or how football fans admired Larry Csonka. They were hailed for their success, and, like most good hunting stories, stretched a bit beyond reality. I looked up to these men. I wanted to be considered a part of this elite group and I enjoyed my time spent as a tag-filling member of this fine group of hunters.

I’ve always had a thirst for adventure and a passion for remote wilderness hunting, and this adventure took my wife, Ruth Cusack, my good friend Andrew Mueller, and me to the southern end of the Alaska Peninsula on a quest Fresh bear tracks on the beach on the Alaska Peninsula. Several bears for a big coastal brown bear. were spotted around the shoreline on the hunt. (LOUIS CUSACK)

T

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Andy looked to take his first brown bear, and I was on the hunt for a real trophy-sized bruin. Ruth took a great coastal brown in the spring season of 2012 and was tagged out until the fall of 2015. So for this adventure, she would be shooting the camera.

Hunting brown bears on the Alaska Peninsula comes with its own set of challenges, and we were headed back to the land where if you don’t bring it, you don’t have it, and if something goes wrong, it’s all on you.

In camp Our hunt began on May 8 with the flight from Kodiak Island to our hunt location. It was a clear, windy morning and just the scenery on the plane ride in was worth the price of admission.

We arrived at our spot, where we made a smooth landing in the mouth of the bay, quickly off-loaded and set up base camp.

The peninsula, which is well known for its coastal winds and frequent storms, makes picking the right base camp location as important as remembering to bring ammo. This could mean the difference between having a great hunt and chasing your base camp down the beach.

I usually do my best to find a flat location with some sort of a wind break to protect our camp from the predominant wind directions, usually a bluff, moun-

Andrew Mueller (left) and the author with a bear paw. The hunters also crossed paths with a frisky wolf they took too on the trip. (LOUIS CUSACK)

tain side or clump of alders. We found our spot, and after a few branch trims, then tent and bear fence setups, were ready to begin searching the area for bear signs.

We woke up early the first morning to clear skies; after a quick cup of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal we headed up the bay to scout the area. About 2 miles up the bay we found a ridge that offered a

PREPARING FOR YOUR HUNT Remote wilderness hunting in Alaska requires more than competence with a bow or rifle. The logistics of a hunt like this requires a lot of planning; my motto has always been: Plan your hunt and hunt your plan.

Hunt preparation began almost a year prior to our departure, where the logistics of getting gear, food and flights must be coordinated well in advance to ensure that everyone and everything arrives on location.

There are many ways to plan a hunt like this and one of our first decisions was determining our route and transportation to the field. We chose to route our hunt through Kodiak Island via Sea Hawk Air (907-486-8282; seahawkair.com), which has an excellent safety performance record, and from airport pickup to shopping to transportation in the field, they run a tight ship and provide excellent service. On top of that, the owners, Roland and Joe, are great people and we simply loved 134 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

good viewing site. A short climb later we were glassing.

I use three well-known methods for hunting brown bears: glassing, glassing and more glassing. My theory is pretty simple: if you’re not glassing, you’re not hunting. We covered a lot of ground, but mostly just to go from one glassing area to another.

Andy was the first to find a bear – a

flying with them.

We needed a base camp with an inflatable raft/motor and other bulky items that cannot be checked as luggage. These items must be shipped via air cargo several weeks in advance for these trips. I find the use of a hunt planner is an absolute necessity, and I use a simple Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet to plan all of my hunts. I use it for everything from a checklist to a tracker and an emergency contact list. Over the years I have found that leaving a copy of the list with each hunter’s family members can be a great resource and source of comfort for those not joining the trip. There’s just something about a good plan that gives everyone a good deal of confidence and knowing that you have taken everything into consideration.

Heaven forbid it is ever needed, but in a real emergency, providing a list with each person’s emergency contacts along with the flight service provider and emergency services contact information can become a life-saving necessity. LC

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The hunters’ camp was protected from the gusty winds in the area, but with the exception of some foggy mornings, the sow with two cubs that were say I was on high alert when I weather was mostly perfect in this unpredictable coastal just above us on the same dropped down in creek area of the Alaskan Peninsula. (LOUIS CUSACK) ridge. She appeared to be just drainage. There was that wolf, out of the den and in no hurry locked-up and staring at me with to walk down to the beach, less than 5 yards between us. He where defending her cubs had completely circled us and against aggressive boars lookwas walking in on the same trail ing to mate would become a we were walking out on. I am not frequent event. They’d provide sure who was more surprised, us with a bit of entertainment him or me, but he bolted. I got a for the next several days and good shot at him as he scramwe had a grand ol’ time watchbled up the far bank of the creek, ing the antics of her two cubs, where I was able to make a clean while mama limbered up for the trip to stepped around an outcropping and kill shot on him. One wolf down and two the beach. walked in our direction. We set up to bears spotted, and we were just getting I spotted a decent male walking right make a shot, but the wolf caught us flatstarted on what would be one of the best across the bay. We were finding lots of handed, scrambled up the bluff and hunting trips ever. signs of bears, but not wanting to passed in front of us in the brush without Opening morning place all of our eggs in one basket, we giving us a shot opportunity.

May 10, the official opening of brown packed our gear to head to the coast What happened next was one of the bear hunting season in Game Manageto scout another location before tomost exciting hunting moments I have ment Unit 9-A, found us up early and morrow’s opener. ever experienced. After several hours back on our spotting ridge, excited about That evening, we were on the edge of without any further sightings, we dewhat this day would bring. Right off, we a bluff glassing a long strip of coastline cided to pack it up and head back to spotted the same mother bear again where we spotted fresh sign. We were camp for a good meal and some sleep along with her two cubs basking in the not there long before a lone wolf before opening morning. Needless to

136 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

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sun. The little ones provided us with a bit more entertainment until we spotted a bear on a side hill way past the head of the bay. We tried to get a better look at him, but he managed to elude us.

The next several days were spent looking at bears and hoping for an opportunity to place a stalk on one. On morning number five a bank of fog thick enough to cut and eat for breakfast rolled in, but we opted for Ruth’s breakfast burritos instead. After five days of sunshine, warm weather and tons of hiking, the little delay was a welcome break.

Around 10:30 am, the fog cleared enough to pick our way back to our spotting knoll. We were not there long before I spotted a bear walking into an alder patch on a side hill up at the head of the bay. We could see the bear crawl into the alders, but with some of the fog still hanging around it was difficult to track his progress. After glassing the edges of the alders for a while, we convinced ourselves that the bear was bedded up in them, so we packed up and

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headed after him. We slipped around the bay, and after 1½ miles we spotted him balled up in the alders having a little siesta. We were 600 yards from him, and Andy was starting to get excited about getting a shot on his first Alaskan brown bear.

With the wind in our favor and the old boar snoozing away, we got in single file to minimize our footprint and start hot-footing it from one piece of cover to the next. A method I like to use for a stalk like this is to have one person advance while the other person (two in this case) watches, hopscotching from cover to cover, keeping an eye on the bear to ensure we do not get busted.

We managed to get within 150 yards of the bear and set up on the edge of a creek bank to wait him out. The last thing we wanted to do is to try and place a shot on him in the alders where getting a follow-up shot could be difficult to accomplish.

But the old bruin walked out of the alders and offered Andy a great shot op-

portunity. Not one to pass up a good thing, Andy was already set up on his bipod and he placed a shot right in the shoulder with his .375 H&H Magnum and dropped the bear on the hill.

If you’ve ever tried to reposition a 900-pound brown bear on a side hill, you know what a task this can be, and once moved these guys have a tendency to go where they will, but Andy and I managed to get him into position for pictures and skinning. Once pictures were taken we began the two-hour chore of skinning and packing our bear up for the 4-mile hike back to camp. We finished in time for a bite to eat, a cup of coffee and evening siesta of our own before we began the trek back, arriving at camp in the dark at 1 a.m., tired but happy from a great day in the field.

A helping hand May 16 was the final day of our hunt and greeted us with clear skies and warm sunshine. We usually bring enough goodies for a special meal cele-

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bration on at least one night of our hunt, and with tonight being that night, Ruth hung back at camp to dig for little neck clams at low tide, a treat we were all looking forward to.

I broke out the two-way radios and left one with her in case of emergency, which came in handy a few hours later when she got a visit from Alaska State Troopers.

They had spotted Andy’s bear, salted and drying in the sun, so they landed their Super Cub on the beach by our camp.

Ruth called us on the radio and Trooper Joe Wittkop had asked if we would like to have our bear and wolf sealed. Heck, yeah!

So we beat feet back to camp where they checked our license and registration permits and sealed our trophies, saving us a trip once we returned home. What more could you ask for? We really appreciated Trooper Wittkop for his help and for his service to our communities. (Remember, it is against state regulations to use any radio communication to assist in stalking or hunting big game animals.)

Since we were back in camp, Andy

The bear was the first for Andrew Mueller (front), who got his trophy from about 150 yards when the bear walked out of the alders and onto open ground.

(LOUIS CUSACK)

started gathering wood for the grill, while Ruth and I worked on cleaning the clams she dug at low tide. It was celebration time, and collectively we dined on grilled New York steaks, steamed fiddleheads and sautéed little neck clams for a feast as good as anything you will ever find in any five-star restaurant.

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That evening, stuffed to the gills, we worked our way back to the glassy knoll for my final shot at filling my tag. We ended our last day of the hunt by placing a stalk on a boar that was working the head of the bay. He was another fine specimen, with a good hide and very colorful, but I opted to spend some time enjoying the opportunity to watch him and walk away in hopes that he will be around next season – all the bigger for me having let him walk.

Our pickup morning began with more sunshine, and on the plane ride back to Kodiak the air was filled clear blue skies and beautiful scenery.

I had plenty of time to reflect back on our hunt and it didn’t matter that my bear tag filled count was zero. If helping a good friend take his first brown bear, spending time with my wife on the Alaska Peninsula and 10 days of great weather does not add up to a trip of a lifetime, then I guess my calculator must be broken.

I hope we’ll come back and do it all over again in 2015. ASJ

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WHEN BIRD IS THE WORD

BY CHRISTINE CUNNINGHAM

T

here were plenty of fish being caught, but they were all small. “Chicken halibut” is what they’re called, although the origin of the term is hardly known. The definition is “a small halibut.” And, depending on who you ask, a halibut ranging from under 10 pounds to up to 50 pounds is a “chicken.” My first thought was that they were called chickens because they weighed about as much as a chicken, but chickens only weigh about 5 to 8 pounds. My next thought was that maybe the title was earned by the cliché “it tastes like chicken.” But, tuna have already appropriated the “Chicken of the Sea” title, and seafood doesn’t really taste like chicken. So why did the halibut cross the road? To prove he’s no chicken!

In order to get a better understanding of what was chicken-like about chicken halibut, I contacted the International Pacific Halibut Commission. They provided a well-researched response explaining that the term is as old as the Pacific halibut fishery and was in use in the Atlantic halibut fishery as well. The chicken halibut was found in recipes and scientific literature back as far as the 1890s. A governmental report from 1900 stated that in one area the Atlantic halibut “are so abundant that only the smaller or ‘chicken’ halibut are taken.”

And the popular Fannie Farmer and Mrs. Owens’ cookbooks from the turn of the century both reference chicken halibut as being from 2 to 10 pounds.

The commission published a technical report in 1970 stating, “Halibut between 5 and 10 pounds are designated in the market as ‘chickens,’ those 10 to 60 pounds as ‘mediums’ and over 60 as ‘large.’ The halibut in the weight group over 80 pounds are sometimes known as ‘whales.’ Weights are head-off, dressed or eviscerated.”

While it was interesting to learn that 142 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL JULY 2014

halibut weights are calculated the way I calculate my own weight, the early marketing description of small halibut did not answer my exact question of “Why chicken?” Most places have a conventional small, medium, and large of everything. I’ve never once ordered a chicken size. And if the term was only about size, a “whale” halibut would be 200 tons.

My contact at the commission provided two obvious thoughts: the small size (about the size of a chicken), or the young age of the smaller halibut (chicks). He added that, regardless of which of these (or another) beginnings are correct, it was clear that adding the adjective chicken in front of the word halibut was an embellishment meant to indicate a better quality of product. He cited sources that proved the following: “Chicken halibut … are much sought after by epicures and bring a high price in the New York and Boston markets.”

There was even a New York menu in which chicken halibut appeared as the lead course in a multiple-course dining experience: chicken halibut, diplomate.

As I pondered the definition of

chicken halibut, my line began to pull; a halibut was eating my bait. I waited a moment before reeling. This was not a big fish. This was not a “shooter,” as they call the ones so big you’ve got to shoot them (at least that makes sense!). This was not a “barn door” halibut, a term that is, at least, explainable to anyone who has hooked on to an actual barn door 300 feet under water.

This was a headshaking little chicken. It was a cockerel. It was a featherless fish.

It was a halibut weighing about 20 pounds. Only it wasn’t. It was a 10pound halibut. I frowned when I was told that it was not a “keeper” and watched the captain throw my little flat fish back into the ocean.

“There are a lot of chickens out there,” the captain said. “And maybe some turkeys.”

This, I thought, is getting out of hand.

Before I’ve even got a clue where the term chicken halibut comes from, we’ve got turkey halibut. I shook my head.

“Mine was a quail,” I said.

“More like a Hungarian partridge,” someone shouted from across the deck.

“I’m going to catch an ostrich,” someone else said.

An ostrich isn’t even a game bird, I thought. Not in Alaska, anyways.

What’s happening to the sense and sensibility of our fishing crew? I looked over at my friend who hadn’t said much all morning. She was fighting seasickness without anyone being able to tell.

She was one tough Alaska girl, and she’d been paying attention. “I’m going to catch a pterodactyl,” she said. The pterodactyl is one of the largest flying lizards of the dinosaur era, attaining a wingspan of up to 30 feet, larger than any flying birds alive today. And, to make her halibut claim more credible than any of the others, dinosaur meat is actually proven to have tasted more like chicken. ASJ

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