TOM & BRYAN’S ALASKAN SUMMER ADVENTURE PT.3 | KULIK LODGE
The final stop of the summer 2014 Yellow Dog Alaska tour had us boarding the Katmailand Navajo Chieftain charter in Anchorage for an early morning flight back to the interior and the Katmai wilderness.
Reservations manager’s Melissa Albert and Linda Windberry run the show in the Anchorage office for the Katmailand program, and had us loaded up and on our way to the world famous Katmai National Park and Kulik Lodge – one of Alaska’s premier fly-out lodges and one of the most storied operations in the Bristol Bay region.
Originally opened in the 1950’s by Alaskan pilot and sportfishing pioneer Ray Peterson, Kulik Lodge has one of the best track records and programs worldwide, and over the last six decades that have really dialed in their platform to offer anglers a true Alaskan fly-out lodge experience.
Still owned and operated by the Peterson family after three generations, Katmailand owner Sonny Peterson has put together a team and program that rivals that of any fishing lodge in the world, with some of the best aircraft, pilots, guides and staff around. Yellow Dog has had a longstanding relationship with the Peterson’s and Kulik Lodge since we first started our company, so the charter flight felt like we were coming home to visit old friends in one of our favorite locations on the planet.
After arriving to the lodge’s private airstrip, we enjoyed a hot breakfast before heading out on the river to take advantage of the lodge's renowned home waters - the Kulik River. Of all the lodges in Alaska, Kulik has some of THE best home water, as it is located directly on the banks of the Kulik River.
Located in the heart of Katmai National Park, the river connects Kulik and Nonvianuk Lake. The Kulik River is an absolute fish factory and a piece of water that stays clear throughout the entire summer season. The Kulik is also home to excellent runs of Pacific salmon, which in turn makes it the perfect habitat for wild rainbow trout, arctic char and grayling.
For those wishing to see some of the other world famous watersheds of the Katmai Region, Kulik also offers daily fly-outs to rivers like American Creek, Battle, Moraine, Alagnak, the Kamishak, and dozens of others that give anglers the option to pick and choose the fishing scenario they would like to experience that day.
As far as the flexibility, great home water, and the opportunity to experience the very best of Katmai National Preserve and the fisheries that it has become famous for, we really can’t think of a better option than that of Kulik Lodge.
After three days of solid rainbow trout fishing action, it was time for the Yellow Dog crew to head back to Anchorage and the next step of the adventure. Tom would be meeting his group or anglers to head over to Kamchatka and the Ozernaya River for the next Yellow Dog hosted trip, while Bryan would return to Bozeman to begin pouring through the mountains of great images from this year’s Alaskan visit.
To learn more about angling opportunities in Alaska and to begin planning your trip for next summer, contact Yellow Dog today and we will work with you to put together a great experience to fish the last frontier.
