Late June and early July fishing forecast for Lake Trout, Arctic Char and Dolly Varden looks spectacular. As we touched on in earlier newsletters, the 2009 Sockeye Salmon run was recording breaking. Returning Sockeye Salmon to Crescent River in 2009 exceeded 150,000 fish. Unbelievable! What does all this mean? For the trout enthusiast much more aggressive and dense populations of Char, Varden and huge Lake Trout chasing Salmon smolt in June and early July.

Beginning in June of 2010, millions of Salmon fry/smolt will make a mass exodus from the Crescent Lake on a journey to the ocean. This will bring the predatory and ever gluttonous Lake Trout from the bottom of the lake near the surface in pursuit of these nutritious fish. Also, joining the frenzy will be Arctic Char and Dolly Varden. Not only will this increase the amount of fish but also size. Lake Trout, Char and Varden on 5wts or light action G-Loomis spinning rods. I am getting excited just writing this! RML carries all rods, reels, tackle and breathable chest waders as well as a fully stocked fly tying table.

Redoubt Mountain Lodge prides itself on having talented and professional staff. On this note, RML is excited to report head guide, Andrew Sells, will be returning for another season as well as guide/photographer extraordinaire, Daniel Wood. In addition to returning staff, Redoubt Mountain Lodge is thrilled many returning guests have secured reservations for 2010.

As of January 1st, RML is offering two specials for the 2010 season. Specials include “Solstice Celebration” in late June-early July and “Among the Bears” in August. These all-inclusive packages won’t last long so take a moment and check out 2010 Specials for details and prices.

For constant updates and new pictures or just to say hello, join us on Facebook.

• August 17th-20th
• August 22nd-26th
• August 29th – September 2nd
• September 6th – 10th
• September 20th – 27th

Coho (Silver) Salmon is considered the premier sport fish in Alaska. Silvers’ aggressive tendencies combined with an acrobatic nature leaves anglers with a memorable experience. One of the best characteristics of Silvers is their fondness for a variety of lures. These fish can be targeted with eggs, spinners, spoons, flies, jigs and whole host of others.

For the fly fishing guests, “Chinese New Year” has been the fly of choice. Created and named by head guide, Andrew Sells, it combines an articulated body with pink, black, red and streaks of flash-a-boo. Tying methods can be revealed at lodge fly tying table.

RML is now outfitted with numerous fly rods including 5,6 weights for the Trout & Char and 8 weights for the Salmon. For ease of packing, breathable chest waders are also available at the lodge. Feel free to bring your own gear if you would like.

For Alaska adventures in June, July and early August, please contact us for availability. Fish on!

The month began fishing hard with Madwood Joe from Alabama. The group of well-traveled, avid fishermen came to fish, fish and fish some more. Each day, 8-10 hours were spent targeting the acrobatic fish with drinks & competitive horseshoes until sunset.

Eric from Texas was back for his 2nd trip of 2009; one trip a season is never enough. Coho fishing was incredible. “Last Chance” was the primary fishing hole, producing upwards of 20 fish/day.

Trail Ridge Air enjoyed a “company day” at the lodge with employees and family. It was nice to have the people who transport our guests & supplies come out to relax (finally)! As an added bonus, Santa Dan made an appearance to present K’eyush a gift on her 2nd birthday. As the evening approached, stories from over the years were shared on the deck overlooking a picturesque Crescent Lake sunset.

Another “Glacier Hike” was completed! Guide Matt led guests, Rhonda & Joe, on a full-day expedition to the backside of the hanging glacier visible from RML. The group pushed-off the beach around 9am and returned just in time for appetizers. Needless to say, after dinner the hot tub was put to good use!

Roger Devore hosted a photography workshop Sept. 8-13; his first at RML. Photographers of all levels joined the group to capture the beauty of Lake Clark National Park. The well-fed “Alaskan grizzlies” put on quite a show during the 5-day workshop. Bear, eagles, salmon & pristine wilderness provided plenty to “focus” on.

Sept. 13-19 the lodge was filled with two groups of “RML regulars”. These groups caught not only limits of silvers but also numerous Dolly Varden & Arctic Char in full spawning colors. A great time was had by all!

With the 2009 season coming to a close, the calendar for next season is already filling up! Let the countdown begin…..2010 season will be here soon!

Bear Viewing at RML is well underway by August 1st. The “Lake Clark National Park Bear Viewing Tour” offered thru Rust’s Flying Service begins. Guests arrive from all over the world to enjoy a fully guided day of bear and wildlife viewing. The vibrant red-bodied Sockeyes are picture perfect stacked up in the glacial-blue waters of Crescent Lake. As the majority of Sockeye Salmon spawn in shallow pools, the bears have an easy “full course” meal.

Fly-fishing at RML in August was excellent. The fish are very aggressive with an abundance of food in the water from the spawning Salmon; the Dolly Varden, Arctic Char & Lake Trout are on “hyper-bite”. Our Char and Varden averaged 17″ 3-4lbs with many caught in the 25-28″ range. Many guests visit to practice their talent, while others pick up a fly rod for the 1st time. It’s always enjoyable introducing guests to this art & watching them catch their first fish on the fly.

August was an active month at RML with the summer sun keeping guests energized & ready for adventure. Some of the highlights include:

• Hike to the Glacier- Andrew guided brothers, Aaron & Kevin, to the hanging glacier at RML. The 6-hour journey was a true bonding experience & test of will. To date, only six guests have completed this challenge.
• Trek to the North Fork of the Crescent River- Andrew and Ryan made the first trek to the North Fork of the Crescent which is 5 miles directly behind RML. An antler shed from a very large bull moose was found.
• 8/18- Silvers arrive in upper Crescent River. Right on schedule. Lots of 10-12lb bright, beautiful Coho Salmon.
• King on the Fly- Ryan had the pleasure of guiding two avid fly fishermen for four days. A few 7-8lb Varden & Char and one epic battle with a 25lb Chinook Salmon on a 5 weight accentuated the trip. Species caught over the 4 days included: Dolly Varden, Arctic Char, Sockeye Salmon, Pink Salmon and Chinook Salmon.
• Oncorhynchus Nerka- Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game biologists spent a few days at RML collecting Sockeye Salmon for genetic sampling. Their days were spent on the water gathering new data and determining the health of the run. Evenings were spent around the bonfire discussing intimate details of Salmon with the RML guides.
• Silvers on “Snoopy” Rods- Special thanks to Clark Company for their annual trip. Lots of laughter and plenty of fish. We were glad to see every person surviving “Snoopy Rod Derby 2009”.

Landscape is popping with yellow, orange & red hues; an indication fall has arrived. Looking forward to a fantastic September!

July 1st-5th RML hosted an avid fly fishing couple from Washington State. As sockeye limits were found early in the day, countless dolly varden & arctic char were caught in the afternoon. Each day more & more bears emerged to compliment the beautiful weather. To top it all off, they both caught monster Lake Trout on the fly with Mark setting the new “lodge record”. Rumor has it, the picture is circulating the web as one of those “fact or fiction” photos.

RML celebrated Independence Day with the notorious Pyramid Hike to raise the stars & stripes for the 2009 season. This hike marked the 1st canine ascent in RML history, as lodge security officer, K’eyush, put her paw print in the log book.

On July 9th arrived a family with four boys from the DC area. These kids did their best to keep the guides busy with lots of fishing and nightly tubing around the lake. Patrick (age 9) became our first guest of the 2009 Water Sport season, logging the most time on the tube.

The afternoon of July 12th brought about a last minute Pyramid hike. The trek was comprised of guests from 3 different groups at the lodge. The team assembled and departed for the trailhead at 2pm with everyone reaching the summit by 5:30. Despite the annoying black flies, the mountain was conquered!

On July 16th, Wayne arrived bringing some Redoubt Mountain Lodge veterans in pursuit of “dime bright” sockeye salmon. With one to two thousand new fish arriving daily, guests were hooking up with each cast. This creates what we refer to as “boiling water”; when a seemingly quiet fishing hole suddenly erupts with a large run of fish just arriving—exciting to experience.

Fishing continued to remain “red hot” through the end of the month and into August leaving us wondering when they will ever stop. Mid-August may allow for some overlap of sockeye and silver salmon…we can’t wait!

The activity of Mount Redoubt still continues. Small puffs of steam can be viewed on clear days creating a surreal backdrop. During the winter eruptions, the lodge was lightly dusted with ash the consistency of sand. In about three days all ash was washed from cabin rooftops, trails and into the yard, providing Mother Nature’s finest fertilizer for the grass.

Our first guests arrived June 25th. After a week of fishing on the Kenai Peninsula, they were taken back by the solitude & peacefulness. With only two days at the lodge, their time was preciously planned not to miss a thing. Fishing occupied the majority of time, with over 100 Trout & Char caught and over 1000 pictures taken. While fishing their first afternoon, they sighted a large black bear strolling along the riverbank; RML “multi-tasking” at it’s best. On the morning of their departure, the regret of not scheduling more time at RML was expressed, as the floatplane arrived bound for Kenai to catch connecting flights home to Texas and Scotland.

June 26th a family of four arrived for a day-trip intended for hiking & wildlife photography, but got “hooked” on trout fishing. After numerous Dolly Varden & Arctic Char were caught, a trek to the waterfall was squeezed in before their afternoon pick-up. Over the next few days, we had guests from North Dakota, Washington DC & Germany; all enjoyed their first vacations at RML!

Wildlife around the lodge has been abundant. Numerous ground squirrels and martins around for K’eyush to pursue. A sow with two cubs made an appearance down river, while a large boar has been seen at the upper end of the lake. Andrew & guests sighted a wolverine while on a lake tour. Two beavers were gathering sticks 15′ from the lodge shore. Under the main lodge deck, we had a robin’s nest crowded with five chicks.

July 1st marked the arrival of RML Sockeye Salmon!
Fish On!

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