A fishing adventure begins
Spawning colours
Mission Lodge, Alaska Peninsula
I've mentioned that Alaska is big (and very beautiful), but it does lack a few things that most of take for granted. For instance there is a distinct shortage of roads. So the only way to move around this vast state is by plane. And if you want to land, then a float plane is the most sensible form of transport.
Fishing lodges often have these magnificent flying machines to move their anglers to the fish. To my mind the very best are de Havilland beavers. These old beasts sport a huge radial engine and fly slow and low over the wilderness, allowing views of bears and moose, as you move majestically and noisily to your destination.
Our destination this day, the last of our time at the deluxe Mission Lodge, was Gwechiak River. Unlike almost everything else in Alaska, this river was small, perhaps even intimate. But its clear waters held a large number of startlingly coloured fish. The most dramatic were arctic char in their spawning livery. Alongside the char were smaller numbers of luminously red salmon. The image of these large fish in a small stream, underneath the rain, will remain with me for ever.
A fishing adventure begins
Spawning colours