Tikchik Narrows Lodge – Bristol Bay Area, Alaska

October 22, 2020 Fishing,SCA Articles

Twenty-six years ago I visited Tikchik Lodge – I returned for a week in early July 2020. It’s a good thing they don’t depend on the frequency of my return visits!

Was it as good as I remembered? Yes!

The lodge and operation are still almost flawless. The rooms are comfortable, but because of the intense heat during most of my visit, it got to be in the 90s inside; without the provided fans it would have been unbearable. Food is plentiful and excellent, considering it is a remote fishing lodge. The staff couldn’t be more pleasant and professional. Great shore lunches – fresh salmon and pike.

Most guests are not fly fishermen at all; some will try fly fishing as a novelty; some will fish with fly or lures, whichever seems to be easier. I was the sole person who would fish fly rod only whatever the circumstances, which made me on occasion a pain in the ass for the guides (which they accepted gracefully) and less effective in fishing for salmon. But both were OK with me. I brought all my own gear – a five, seven, nine and ten – and got to use them all.

I don’t count fish that I catch, but if I did I’d have to say I lost count. Chum salmon, dollys, char, lake trout, grayling, so many three-foot pike that it got boring and many beautiful rainbows including the one (measured 28.5 inches) in the photo. (By the way, that’s the guide in the photo, not me.)

I was absurdly pleased to receive the coveted “Tikchik Trophy Rainbow Club” pin, pictured below. All the fishing was from the boat – I would’ve preferred some wading, but not practical/advisable here – and the only boat-related difficulty I had was from my remarkable ability to step on the line whilst casting. Two days stand out: sight fishing in the Narrows for huge rainbows (three caught, one pictured) – and of course losing the Big One; and catching one rainbow after another on dry flies for a remarkable four-hour stretch.

So how did it stack up against a 26-year-old memory? Salmon fishing was down; the guides said the runs were just not there in the same numbers in 2020. I caught so many pike and grayling that it got boring. And rainbow fishing? Still exceptional, and unexpectedly phenomenal on dry flies. The guide said he didn’t even know fishing with dries on the Pack was a thing.

Would I go back again? You bet! Of course, it’s unlikely I’ll be above ground in 26 years so I’d better plan for an earlier trip.