Over the past week the silver salmon have showed up in a major way.  They’re stacked up in the salt and should provide upcoming guests with spectacular displays of aerial assault, keeping lines tight and wearing out guests!

While we’ve had unseasonably rainy and overcast weather, fishing has been off to a great start with many days of halibut limits, several saltwater kings and lots of freshwater days of double digits on rainbows, dollies and sockeye salmon.   Nine-year old Cole Singer from San Diego recorded an early season record with more than 30 rainbow trout landed and released on a fly rod in a quick morning outing.

First tanner crabs of the year!

A rainbow being released

A bed of flowers growing in the middle of the river

Fighting a big sockeye

]]> http://www.kodiaklegendslodge.com/blog/2010/07/08/first-two-weeks-2010-alaska-fishing-lodge/feed/ 0 http://www.kodiaklegendslodge.com/blog/2010/06/18/kll-joins-roc-collection-for-corporate-travel/ http://www.kodiaklegendslodge.com/blog/2010/06/18/kll-joins-roc-collection-for-corporate-travel/#comments Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:11:09 +0000 admin http://www.kodiaklegendslodge.com/blog/?p=181 We are pleased to be a part of the Dream Outdoors ROC Collection, a prestigious collection of top-notch experiential travel operations.  For more information on ROC, please see below or click here.

Kodiak Legends Lodge Delivers Return On Commitment (ROC)

For Corporation Meetings and Incentives

KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA (June 18, 2010) — Kodiak Legends Lodge, a premier Alaska fishing lodge and wilderness experience, is now part of the experiential travel Dream Outdoors ROC (Return on Commitment) Collection.

“It’s no longer enough for an organization to send top performers to an exotic destination and act as if the corporate mission has been accomplished,” said Dream Outdoors (DO) president Matt Pfohl. “A good time may have been had by all, but if the experience doesn’t positively change the bottom line, then you could argue the money spent has actually been wasted.”

With its ROC Collection, Dream Outdoors has a better solution—and no better place to make it come to life than the Kodiak Legends Lodge, a dream destination for Alaska fly fishing, and Alaska hunting enthusiasts.

Unlike traditional lodge and resort properties, members of the ROC collection—the only worldwide portfolio of experiential properties dedicated to helping companies create results—worked intimately with Dream Outdoors to design programs that address real business issues and create opportunities for professional and personal development in spectacular settings. Sample programs at Kodiak Legends Lodge include Leadership on the Fly, Finding the Kodiak in You, and Crabbing for Dollars. Custom programs can be developed by DO upon request.

Dream Outdoors and Kodiak “provide the ability for corporate groups to not only experience a truly unique meeting environment but design performance-related programs that drive real results,” according to Bruce Kososki, the lodge owner and a former Chevron executive. “With the help of the ROC team we have put together a truly powerful professional development itinerary that is effective and yet fun, integrating elements of our business strategy and the world-class Alaska sport fishing and wilderness adventure Kodiak Island offers.”

All ROC programs start with an understanding of an organization’s vision and the discovery of each individual’s interests through a proprietary questionnaire process. Based on this data, ROC partners help corporate groups take advantage of everything from leadership development to incentives, from executive retreats to client hospitality programs.

In fact, Kososki and several of his leaders from the international companies he owns will be spending a week at the lodge this summer reviewing their strategic plan and engaging in high-performance daily activities—thereby proving once and for all experiential meetings and incentives can be great for business.

Kodiak Legends Lodge is offering a free roundtrip charter flight from Anchorage directly to the lodge for groups with six or more guests—a savings of $1,000 per person.  Maximum lodge capacity 14- 20 based on single or double occupancy.

For more information email info@kodiaklegendslodge.com, call 877-KOD-4111, or go to www.roc.dreamoutdoors.com.

As we enter the 2010 season one of the most exciting research efforts we have underway is prospecting for Salmon Shark fishing opportunities.  Clocked by the U.S. Navy reaching speeds of up to 50 knots (making it one of the fastest fish in the ocean) and reaching weights approaching 1,000 lbs (although the average is 200-400 lbs), the Salmon Shark is a mackerel shark and a close relative of Great Whites and Makos.

Like Larry Csonka, in the summertime Salmon Sharks head north to Alaska to pursue all varieties of Pacific salmon, particularly feasting on pink, sockeye and chum salmon.  It has been estimated that Salmon Sharks consume from 12-27% of the annual Pacific salmon run.   In addition, they feed on squid, sablefish and herring.

In the past several years we have hooked up with quite a few salmon sharks when we’ve been in pursuit of halibut or salmon in Uyak Bay.  Occasionally we’ve landed “half a halibut” with a chomp taken out of it like the one pictured above.  In other cases, we’ve gotten solid hook-ups with these sharks and fought them until they broke our line.

During the off-season we spent a lot of time learning sharking techniques with our good buddy and world-renown, extreme fly fisherman Conway Bowman.  Conway pioneered the sport of catching makos on a fly rod in the waters off San Diego – these aggressive sportfish catapult to heights of up to 20 feet, gyrating and somersaulting like Olympic gymnasts.  If you are ever in San Diego when the makos are in town (from May through September), head out with Conway for the big game fly fishing experience of a lifetime.

With Conway’s guidance, we’ve learned how to target sharks and are equipped with steel leaders and heavy duty tackle geared towards landing these dangerous predators.  We’ll also have a heavy weight fly rod or two to try to target them on the fly.

For those of you that may be interested, there is a terrific, educational one-hour special program on Alaskan salmon sharks on National Geographic called Icy Killers: Secrets of Alaska’s Salmon Shark. More information on this show can be found here.

“Once a year, one of natures great spectacles takes place on the northernmost coast of the Gulf of Alaska. It is a predestined collision of two massive migrations – a David and Goliath event – when thousands of ravenous salmon sharks gather to attack millions of Pacific salmon. The salmon are desperately trying to reach their spawning grounds in Prince William Sound. The sharks are there to gorge themselves. But sharks? In Alaska? Of the roughly 400 known shark species in the world, this is one of the few equipped to ply these icy waters. In the end, the salmon run on an urgency born of their need to reproduce while the sharks run on hunger. This one-hour spectacular travels with the salmon shark and the salmon in the most revealing portrait ever of this rarely filmed, little-known shark: Alaska’s Icy Killer.”

“It is not how abundant nor how considerable our catch be, but rather to the sport, and the manner in which our quarry, the noble trout, is angled.” – J.B. Martin

“Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains.” – Henry David Thoreau

“In the best stories about fly fishing … big fish are caught or lost; people say wild and spontaneous words; event becomes memory and sometimes, in the hands of a master, bleeds into art.” – Nick Lyons, author of Bright Rivers and Confessions of a Fly Fishing Addict

“Fishing takes anglers to the best places, at the best times of year.” – Anonymous

“Three-fourths of the Earth’s surface is water, and one-fourth is land.  It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn.” - Chuck Clark

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Babylonian Proverb

“I am not against golf, since I cannot but suspect it keeps armies of the unworthy from discovering trout…” – Paul O’Neil

“Reading about baseball is a lot more interesting than reading about chess, but you have to wonder:  Don’t any of these guys ever go fishing?” – Dave Shiflett, quoted in Houston Chronicle, 29 April 1990

“There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting licked in the process.” – Paul O’Neil, 1965

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” – Henry David Thoreau

“I don’t want to sit at the head table anymore. I want to go fishing.” - George Bush

“The fish is not so much your quarry as your partner.” – Arnold Gingrich

“Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are made for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration.” – Izaac Walton

“The only thing bad about winning the pennant is that you have to manage the All-Star Game the next year. I’d rather go fishing for three years.” – Whitey Herzog

“Fly-fishers are usually brain-workers in society. Along the banks of purling streams, beneath the shadows of umbrageous trees, or in the secluded nooks of charming lakes, they have ever been found, drinking deep of the invigorating forces of nature – giving rest and tone to over-taxed brains and wearied nerves – while gracefully wielding the supple rod, the invisible leader, and the fairy-like fly.” – James A. Hensall, MD, 1855

“Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once.” – Lee Wulff

“Fishing is much more than fish. Fishing is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers.” – Herbert Hoover

“The angling fever is a very real disease and can only be cured by the application of cold water and fresh, untainted air.” – Theodore Gordon

“There are only two occasions when Americans respect privacy, especially in Presidents. Those are prayer and fishing.” – Herbert Hoover

“If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles.” - Doug Larsen

“Often, I have been exhausted on trout streams, uncomfortable, wet, cold, briar scarred, sunburned, mosquito-bitten, but never, with a fly rod in my hand, have I been in a place that was less than beautiful.” – Charles Kuralt-1990

“If fishing is interfering with your business, give up your business.” – Alfred W. Miller

“Some go to church and think about fishing, others go fishing and think about God.” – Tony Blake

“What a tourist terms a plague of insects, the fly fisher calls a great hatch.” - Patrick F. McManus

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” -Chinese Proverb

“There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind.” – Washington Irving

“Somebody just back of you while you are fishing is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your girl.” – Ernest Hemingway

“The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.” – John Buchan

“Fishing is a…discipline in the equality of men – for all men are equal before fish.” – Herbert Hoover

“…of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy.” - William Sherwood Fox, Silken Lines and Silver Hooks, 1954

“The only reason I played golf was so that I could afford to go hunting and fishing.” - “Slammin’ Sammy” Snead

“There is no greater fan of fly-fishing than the worm.“  - Patrick F. McManus, Never Sniff a Gift Fish, 1979

“Even eminent chartered accountants are known, in their capacity as fishermen, blissfully to ignore differences between seven and ten inches, half a pound and two pounds, three fish and a dozen fish.” -William Sherwood Fox, Silken Lines and Silver Hooks, 1954

“Only after the last tree has been cut down; Only after the last river has been poisoned; Only after the last fish has been caught; Only then you will find out that money cannot be eaten.” – Cree Indian Prophecy

“Angling may be said to be so like the mathematics that it can never be fully learnt.” - Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler

“Many of the most highly publicized events of my presidency are not nearly as memorable or significant in my life as fishing with my daddy.” – Jimmy Carter

“More than half the intense enjoyment of fly-fishing is derived from the beautiful surroundings, the satisfaction felt from being in the open air, the new lease of life secured thereby, and the many, many pleasant recollections of all one has seen, heard and done.” – Charles F. Orvis

“If fishing is like religion, then fly-fishing is high church.” – Tom Brokaw

THE TESTAMENT OF A FISHERMAN, Robert Traver 1964, (Judge John Voelker 1903-93)

I fish because I love to;

Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly;

Because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape;

Because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion;

Because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience;

Because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don’t want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters;

Because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness;

Because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there;

Because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid;

And, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant – and not nearly so much fun.

Captain Colburn has a special connection with both Kodiak Island and Larsen Bay.  He began his crab fishing career in 1985 at the age of 22 – he arrived with zero experience and $50 to his name.  With an adventurous spirit, unrelenting determination and aspirations of a giant pay-day, he set off as a greenhorn aboard the 135-foot Alaska Trader.

Colburn excelled in the the harsh, difficult work environment and loved the adventure and challenge of the elements.   He rose through the ranks and eventually purchased the Wizard, which he captains on the TV series Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel.  The Wizard is a former WWII vessel that was converted to a fishing boat in 1978.  It is 155 feet long and is a perennial top-five king crab producer.

Captain Colburn plans to return to Larsen Bay to fish with us sometime in the future – he went salmon fishing here 25 years ago when he first came to Alaska.

We are big fans of catching crabs like on Deadliest Catch, so much so that we have created our own version of the TV show, crabbing without any of the risk.  We bait and soak crab pots out in Uyak Bay (in front of the lodge) so we can catch our own delicious tanner (snow) crabs.

This off-season we built a “crab shack” – a screened-in gazebo-like structure with a great, panoramic view of the bay.  The crab shack will be a gathering place for guests to enjoy crab boils and cocktails and wind down after a day spent in the field fishing or wildlife viewing.

We’ve had a busy, productive off-season — we attended several sporting shows, built out a new website, renovated and upgraded the interior of the lodge and constructed a new screened-in “crab shack” to hang out in during the evenings for crab boils and cocktails.  We also broke ground on a private, two-bedroom cabin, bought new furniture (that we shipped all the way from Thailand!), and dramatically increased our fly fishing capabilities.

We have made a large investment in equipment and gear – more than a dozen high quality Orvis Helios rods and reels and plenty of waders. Lodge guests will no longer have to lug their waders and rods up to Kodiak – we’ll take care of outfitting you head to toe!

With our new guides, equipment and several new rivers we’re adding to the line-up, there is no question that we have the most comprehensive fly fishing program on Kodiak Island.  From the most inexperienced to the most adept, we encourage all aspiring or expert fly fisherman to join us to catch salmon, steelhead, dollies, char and rainbows!

We look forward to the best season yet for Kodiak Legends!

Genetic code aside, nowhere in the book of life does it say that hunting and fishing have to be for men alone. Not only are more and more women getting in on the act, but they are also heading to where the wild things are with the guys in their life. Couples are finding a whole new reason to be together as couples.

The girls having some fun!

“My husband has been hunting for years,” says Deana Poston of Burlington, Kentucky. “At first, I believe he thought that it was not necessarily a ‘girl thing,’ so he would go with groups of guys and leave me at home to do my thing.”

Her husband Seth began with water fowl and went to North Dakota every year to hunt duck and geese with friends. Pheasant and quail brought him closer to home.

“I decided to come along one day,” she says, “and could not believe that I actually enjoyed it. I started shooting more often and eventually became a pretty good shot. We did some dove hunting at a farm owned by my cousin, and then moved into the deer stands. We decided that we wanted to travel more, and thought planning hunting trips was a good way to do that.”

He would go off to hunt bear or maybe fish in Canada, and they would also go off fishing. But the big surprise for Deana Poston came on land and in the air.

“We have always liked to fish together,” she says, “but I did not realize we could also enjoy hunting together. We have found that hunting and fishing has been an excellent way for us to spend quality time together. We have been all over the United States, throughout the Caribbean, and South Africa together. Seth has been to Canada and Argentina as well. We have plans this year to visit many new and exciting countries.”

Even with a couple as well-traveled as Seth and Deana, the experience at Kodiak Legends Lodge (KLL) in Alaska still stood out as “amazing.” Seth, looking for a trip to take with some very important clients—who happened to be hunters—discovered KLL online and began the process of booking a week at the lodge.

“We were instantly hooked on the idea of KLL,” Deana Poston says. “We have spent countless hours telling friends and family how much we enjoyed our stay there. Our time at KLL was our first visit to Alaska.  We were awestruck by the beauty of this state, and the friendly, helpful people we met there.”

KLL was also able to accommodate the other wives, some of whom found many things to do at the lodge that did not involve hunting or fishing.

“This trip was one of the best trips we have ever taken,” she remembers. “I don’t think I have ever been more relaxed in my entire life.  Whether it was deep sea fishing for halibut and cod, going out in the bay for whale watching, hiking the mountains, hunting for black sitka deer or caribou, fishing the fresh waters for salmon or trout, walking along the beach and observing the sea otters and seals play in the water, flying to the glaciers, checking out the wildlife and watching bears—or literally doing nothing more than relaxing in the hot tub or eating delicious meals—it was the trip of a lifetime.”

Bald eagles landing just a few feet away, with otters cracking clams on their bellies close enough to see them breathing, “and bears up close and personal.” As they stood on the boat they could see and hear the water spouts of whales.

“Then huge whales would surface,” she says, “and you could watch their majestic tails as they breached the water. It was breathtaking.”

In the evenings they would go down to the beach together to start a big bonfire. They “took the time to breathe,” and to enjoy all the glorious surroundings in a “quiet and private and wonderful” place far from their old Kentucky home.

“After all these years together,” Deana Poston says of hunting and fishing with her husband, “we have something in common. I don’t know that you could ever duplicate the experience we had our first time at KLL, but I will say we cannot wait to get back there and make new memories once again.”

- Deana Poston, Ohio