The Fly Out Team had an opportunity to visit Talaheim Lodge this past July for a week of fishing, filming, and enjoying the home style hospitality and family atmosphere of a genuine Alaska bush lodge. Owner Mark Miller has been operationg the lodge on the Talachulitna River in Alaska since 1976. Much has changed since Talaheim's humble beginnings, as the lodge has expanded their adventures to what Mark has coined, "Heli-Fish Alaska, New Zealand Style!" The helicopters open up the doors for anglers to access the small streams that are inaccessible by boat or float plane. These unfished waters are the cornerstone for Talaheim's fishing program, and it really is an experience you cannot find many other places in Alaska. The fish are wild, there are no crowds, and the experience is genuine to the spirit of the Last Frontier.
What really impacted me about Talaheim Lodge, was the surrounding area. Located in the foothills of the Tordrillo Mountains, the clear salmon streams and rivers collide with the giant peaks and glaciers that Alaska is famous for. The flightseeing alone is worth the price of admission - utterly jaw dropping. This is not a 1-dimensional fishery. There are many things to see and do that the lodge takes advantage of. I have to rank Talaheim among the top most scenic lodge locations I have visited in Alaska.
The world’s longest ongoing salmon research reveals the astounding complexity of wild ecosystems.
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Scientist Daniel Schindler and his daughter, Luna, watch the "red wave" of sockeye salmon navigate up Sam Creek, home to one of the earliest-spawning populations in Alaska's Bristol Bay ecosystem. by Jonny Armstrong
Don't take our word for it - Read the article on the world's longest ongoing salmon research from Daniel Schindler and why Bristol Bay deserves our attention and protection. Read the article.
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on Wednesday, 08 January 2014.
Posted in Article, News
Here's a great demonstration of the "Reach Cast" - an aerial mend that is subtle and quite useful. For me, I used this technique before I ever knew it had a name. This is a very useful mend for many types of fishing situations.
This is a good exercise in reflection and self examination. I think all anglers should write or at least contemplate their own personal fly fishing poetry, as it allows us to put the sport in perspective. A very nice example here.
From the filmmaker:
A fragment of Mel Krieger's "Patagonia - 40 years fly fishing in ARGENTINA - this is for us the most emotional and beautiful few thoughts about fly fishing describing the very essence of being a fly fisherman... Rest in peace Mel...
The team at Fly Out has been so lucky to work with the Claus' family at Ultima Thule Lodge to tell their incredible story of wilderness, adventure, family, and the genuine Alaska experience. Today we are launching the teaser of a new web series - Beyond. The video series will explore the specialities and uniqueness of Ultima Thule Lodge, the flying culture, and the truly vast wilderness it's located in. It won't take you long to realize this is a truly special place that stands out as one of the world's great adventure lodges.
This video showcases Iliamna Lake and briefly shows some of the 2013 research of the Alaska Salmon Program's Iliamna Lake research station, one of four main facilities in Southwest Alaska . The program was established by the University of Washington in the 1940's and the majority of it's research is focused on ecology and fisheries management relating primarily to salmon and the environment in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Check out our program at: fish.washington.edu/research/alaska/
I am very grateful to be a part of such a long standing, and prominent program that allows me to work in the field in such an incredible setting with fantastic folks. This video was often shot between, or during field sampling events so thanks to all those who supported me by continuing to work while I fiddled with camera gear.
Filmed and edited by Jason Ching Additional footage provided by Cyril Michel
A fantastic audio interview from Ashley Ahearn of EarthFix with Jim Lichatowich, the author of the new book, "Salmon, People, and Place". Lichatowich is a biologist who has worked as a researcher, manager, and scientific advisor for more than 40 years. In this audio piece, he gives a glimpse of his book which explores the problems wild salmon face in our complex world. Particularly, he speaks on the philosophical shift on the use of hatcheries.
From the interview:
"The fish factory and the machine metaphor are a perfect match. The mechanistic worldview reduced salmon-sustaining ecosystems to an industrial process and rivers to simple conduits whose only function was to carry artificially-propagated salmon to the sea. The mechanistic worldview still has a powerful grip on salmon management and restoration programs in spite of a growing scientific understanding that the picture of ecosystems created by the machine metaphor was seriously flawed."
A very interesting article when thinking about salmon conservation in the state of Alaska, and the direction we are going. See the full article at EarthFix
Trust me - it would be much easier to make floatants, line cleaners, fishing tools, and other niche fly fishing products without thinking of the environment. Loon Outdoors does it the hard way, by making a enviro-friendly product that also is effective in the field. Loon Outdoors is a fantastic brand, with an ethos that is truly admirable among fly fishing companies.
A fantastic audio interview from Ashley Ahearn of EarthFix with Jim Lichatowich, the author of the new book, "Salmon, People, and Place". Lichatowich is a biologist who has worked as a researcher, manager, and scientific advisor for more than 40 years. In this audio piece, he gives a glimpse of his book which explores the problems wild salmon face in our complex world. Particularly, he speaks on the philosophical shift on the use of hatcheries.