Alaska Lodges
I guess I am way late again, but here goes anyway. I spent 11 or 12 summers as lodge pilot/guide in the Tikchik Lakes area and Iliamna. To be honest, it's been close to ten years ago now, but I suppose things aren't too different.
All the places suggested are nice, but about $1,000 a day a person. Be careful what time you go or you will spend your time fishing for zombie chums or dishrag pinks. Both are good when fresh, but annoying when old. Silver time is great, August sometime, depending on the river. The river lodges can be great, if there isn't a flood.
There have been some good river lodges, but some are tough to access in a low performance seaplane. If you have a cub, it wouldn't be a problem. Mission lodge had a place on the Kanektok and there was one on an easy stretch of the Togiak that Tikchik Lodge used to run as a seperate business.
The Tikchik's are beautiful and the little creeks will produce some Char or Lake Trout on the northern lakes. Typically the Iliamna area has big rainbows but it's often busier there. If you can slip across the Shelikoff Straights on a calm day to Kodiak, but all means do it. There are some nice cabins for rent there, but parking is usually difficult at best.
It's all good, but the farther west the better, I always felt.
I guess I am way late again, but here goes anyway. I spent 11 or 12 summers as lodge pilot/guide in the Tikchik Lakes area and Iliamna. To be honest, it's been close to ten years ago now, but I suppose things aren't too different.
All the places suggested are nice, but about $1,000 a day a person. Be careful what time you go or you will spend your time fishing for zombie chums or dishrag pinks. Both are good when fresh, but annoying when old. Silver time is great, August sometime, depending on the river. The river lodges can be great, if there isn't a flood.
There have been some good river lodges, but some are tough to access in a low performance seaplane. If you have a cub, it wouldn't be a problem. Mission lodge had a place on the Kanektok and there was one on an easy stretch of the Togiak that Tikchik Lodge used to run as a seperate business.
The Tikchik's are beautiful and the little creeks will produce some Char or Lake Trout on the northern lakes. Typically the Iliamna area has big rainbows but it's often busier there. If you can slip across the Shelikoff Straights on a calm day to Kodiak, but all means do it. There are some nice cabins for rent there, but parking is usually difficult at best.
It's all good, but the farther west the better, I always felt.
