Record-size searun Arctic char and numerous grayling. Very remote fly-in above the Arctic Circle. Mid-July through mid-September. Volatile weather, bugs can be bad, very rustic accommodations, good food, satellite phone. Stark, beautiful scenery, occasional Arctic wildlife, some native cultural exposure. Lots of flying, minimal guiding, 8-wt. rods, floating and intermediate lines, easy wading, waders and raingear required, relatively easy fishing.
Have you ever wondered where fly fishing industry insiders go to fish? Well this is one of those truly secret spots, a destination so closely guarded that we agreed not to disclose the exact location of these rivers where the world’s largest searun Arctic char (Salvelinus malma) return each year to provide exceptional sport for a few very lucky anglers.
Your trip is hosted by legendary Alaskan bush pilot Phil Driver of Midnight Sun Adventures at his Wulik River Lodge high above the Arctic Circle. To get there you’ll travel by Alaska Airlines jet from Anchorage to the northern outpost town of Kotzebue where Phil will pick you up in his wonderful retrofitted de Havilland Beaver and fly you another hour north into the very shadow of the Brooks Range.
If the char are in the system the fishing here can be sensational and is relatively easy, swinging large streamers downstream on floating and intermediate lines. Accessing the water is facilitated by two single-passenger Super Cubs which fly anglers up and down the river, landing on gravel bars adjacent to good pools. This adventure is best suited to skilled anglers who need little guiding help beyond finding fish. And you gotta love to fly!
If you’re blessed by the weather gods, and the rivers stay shallow and clear, a good pool will hold dozens of trophy-size char weighing 10 to 15 pounds (with the occasional potential world-record bruiser eclipsing 20 pounds!), and countless Arctic grayling. Once you find the fish the action is literally non-stop.
This is solitude at its purist, adventure at its richess, angling at its finest. At any given time throughout the day you might spot grizzly bear, musk ox, caribou and moose from the air as you fly up and down the rivers in search of fish. Then after you can’t make another cast or fight another fish Phil will pick you up and fly you back to camp for a delicious rib-stickin’ dinner of steaks, roast turkey or local king crab legs. Then wrap yourself around an after-dinner cocktail and listen to Phil’s incredible tales of his pioneering life as an Alaskan bush pilot. You won’t believe what this guy has done and seen all over the Arctic, from Alaska to Russia!
If you’re looking for a week of true adventure angling don’t wait too long to reserve your trip. The window of good weather in the Arctic allows for only a very short fishing season and Phil books up quickly and completely.
Definitely not a family location, but could be a good father/son destination if kid is a serious angler.
