 |
 |
 |
 |
Family & Crew News
The entire staff remained the same for 2002. Ian and John both returned for another summer of work at ZBL. Ian received his bachelor degree at Bard College in May, and although he has no definite plans of an immediate career, his possibilities are endless. Since he enjoys working in the outdoors, he is staying at ZB this fall and is planning on traveling the world this winter.
John came back for a second year, and was a wonderful help in getting the lodge ready for business. He spent his winter both vacationing in Mexico and working for Fish and Game in Oregon, landscaping the shores of the Coos River.
Dawn and Jim enjoyed a long vacation in Florida, which gave them an opportunity to enjoy their grandchild. Dawn discovered over the winter that she loves the computer. She has since purchased her own, and when she is not in the kitchen cooking, she is on the computer surfing the net or corresponding by email.
This year Jim once again guided for Alaska Trophy Safari for his 10th season. Over the winter, he built detailed models of airplanes and ships, keeping with his love for history.
Marty and Linda had a nice vacation in Florida to visit some friends and family. Once back at the lodge, they continued to work on their house. A water line was put up to the house as well as being wired for electricity. The inside of the house received sheetrock, paint and paneling. Their new home at ZB will soon be finished.
After working the winter in Dillingham flying for Pen Air, Glen started up his own charter business, Kingfisher Aviation, here on Kodiak. He was busy flying vacationers and locals around the Kodiak this summer.
 |
“The best thing about it is when you get here you still feel like you’re at home.” - Monty Davis
Kyle continues his studies at University of Idaho over the winter and will be graduating in May with a Marketing degree. This past May he flew the Aeronca Sedan back to Kodiak from Idaho. Kyle and Glen utilized both airplanes to fly for the lodge this summer, which made air travel quick and efficient.
Andy started his own welding business contracting out to Emerson Boat Works, the boat building place he has worked for the past few years. With great snow machining weather, Andy was one of the seven who rode from Kodiak to Old Harbor, one of the southern most villages on the island. It was a great feat going through valleys, around the glacier, and over rivers. They have been attempting this ride for years, and this year they finally made it.
In March, Andy and Lin bought a house in Kodiak. Both are pleased with the purchase; it is a nice three-bedroom house with a small (very small) garage. When Lin wasn’t packing/unpacking and sorting through household items, she spent her winter teaching preschool and loving it. She enjoyed being with kids again as she greatly missed it.
Huge Halibut of the Summer...
 “Would you cut the string?! (laughing and then more seriously) It was exciting knowing I had a big fish, but after 30 minutes it went from fun to a challenge real quick.”
- Rocky Parsons (On how it felt to catch a 210 lb halibut).
|
1
|
|
| Fishing Adventures
The likelihood of catching a king salmon trolling in the ocean this year was high. Martin Johnson hooked into a 28 pound king. You didn’t have to raft the Karluk to catch one, but either way it was caught, it was a fight!
Hooking the first king was everything I was told it would be,” Monty Davis said. “I have never had anything on the line that pulled as hard as that did!”
Halibut fishing went in streaks this summer. Every day was different, but when you hooked one you never knew if it was a 20 pounder or 200! As Rocky Parsons said, it soon became work, but the joy of pulling one into the boat over rides any thoughts of quitting. He should know for he brought a 210 pound halibut into the boat.
Anyone who says a halibut doesn’t fight doesn’t know what they are talking about!” says Pete Peters after hauling in a 78 pounder. Although it was a hunt for the larger ones earlier in the season, the bigger ones moved arrived this summer in August and September. Once they arrived, it wasn’t unusual for a boat to come back with at least one halibut over fifty pounds. Following are those guests who hooked into a nice one this season:
Harold Carlin 60#
|
Randy Hitchcock 160#
|
Laura Sterand 60#
|
Susi Luscher 89#
|
Cathy Rutherford 51#
|
Martin Jaeggi 71#
|
Glen Rutherford 79#
|
Dr. Job Menges 130#
|
Willi Graw 50#
|
Mark Vuckovich 120#
|
HT Hyde 58#
|
Charlie Morris 75#
|
Fred Wright 68#
|
Rocky Parsons 210# |
Kathy Wright 54# |
|
Bill Willcutts and Jeff Weeks bring in the reds!
Just shortly after July, the sharks arrived. Out in numbers bigger than usual, one could actually see them swimming and finning near the boat. More than one person who hooked into a large, unknown fish that we now think to have been a shark. ȁIt was something big and something angry – just about spooled me before we cut the line,” told Glenn Rutherford.
Laura Strand had her taste of a big fish too. Once with the bait, it ran out 270 feet of line. The guide motored the boat over toward it until the line was straight down. Suddenly it ran once more, another 100 feet. They caught up to it again and began reeling it in when the line broke. |
“All the fish – fish everywhere. Thick with fish no matter what time you go. I came for the fish and the fish were here.” - Gary Kay
Coming earlier than any year yet to be remembered, the first silvers were caught by Pete Peters on July 17th trolling in the ocean. Soon they seemed to be just as plentiful as the pinks but one still had to “fish” for them. Tone Lester said laughing, “We went fishing for halibut and didn’t get any, we trolled for silvers and didn’t get any, but we tried again for halibut and got all the silvers we could catch.” The silvers were hitting the halibut hooked both when you let the bait down to the bottom and when you brought it back up again. You didn’t even have to troll for them.
However, for Harold Carlin, Bill Pittock and Randy Hitchcock trolling for silvers using leaded line on their fly rods proved to be an exciting experience. They all returned with smiles and great stories of many fish and big fights.
Dr. Job Menges caught the first silver up the Zachar River on August 15th. Although finding them through the pinks was a task, soon silvers were brought home on a regular basis. Texan, Charlie Gibson, spent many days on the river, not minding the walk for “I’m on vacation” and “I’m just glad I’m not in Dallas!” Fishing on the rock that was dubbed “Charlie’s rock” by other guests was Charlie’s highlight. ȁYou are above the river and can see a pool of silvers.”
Bill Pittock agreed, “The river was great, all the fish and fresh bear prints.” Friend Randy Hitchcock reported, “ We were catching 15-16 pound silvers on every cast.”
But it was Skip Werner who left holding the lodge record. The silver he caught jigging weighed in at 18.3 pounds beating the old record of 18 pounds. Mark Vuckovitch landed a 120-pound halibut in September.
Congratulations to all of the fisher people who visited us this season. We were glad to show each of you a good fishing time.
Returning Visitors
Welcome back! We were glad to see you again: Martin Johnson (10th time), Latonne, Monty and Ricky Davis (2nd time), Rocky Parsons (4th time), Joe Granados (3rd & 4th time), Dave Niedzialek (3rd time), Tom Uryniak Sr. (2nd), Albert & Trudy Hornbach (3rd time), Tone Lester (2nd), Fred Wright (4th time) & Kathy Dinapoli (3rd time), Skip and Janet Werner (4th time), Pam & Alan Schmeiser (5th time), Joe Ventline (5th time), Willi and Martha Koerner (3rd ), Hansruedi and Suzi Luescher (3rd ), Alfred Klumpp (4th), Otto & Cecile Heiderich (2nd time), Don Hunter (5th), Mark Vuchovich (2nd),Charlie Gibson (2nd), Dick Logchies (3rd).
|
2
|
|
June Guests
June came in briskly with sharp winds and lots of rain, but that did not stop long time guest, Martin Johnson. If he wasn’t catching a 28 lb king salmon or a 16” rainbow trout, he was teaching Lin to tie knots or working with Jim to finish elk antler knives.
Next to arrive were Fred “Sake” Sakurai and William J. Tatti from California. The rains and winds ceased a day or so before they left, but not before they caught kings, saw bears and fished reds.
Latonne Davis brought her two boys, Monty and Ricky, for a return trip to our lodge. “The best thing about it (the lodge) is when you get here you still feel like you’re at home,” says Monty Davis. The boys were here for kings and although Latonne caught the first one, the boys went on to catch their limit.
And setting another first was Rocky Parsons, who after carrying a fly fishing rod here year after year, decided to finally use it. He caught his very first fish ever on a fly – a nice red salmon. But that wasn’t the highlight of Rocky’s trip. The 210 lb halibut he caught was! “It was exciting knowing I had a big fish,” declared Rocky, “but after 30 minutes it went from fun to a challenge real quick!”
Joe Granados and David Niedzialek were extreme in catching fish while they were here. As the waves washed over their hip waders they never moved. They were going to be where the fish could be caught whether they became wet or not.
However, the next duo even out did these guys. William Willcutts and Jeff Weeks enjoyed their days on the river. As Jeff fought a fish he’d hooked, Bill went downstream to continue fishing. Soon he had one too. But it wasn’t until they began to reel it in that they realized they had the same fish. Jeff had fowl hooked it but in its struggle to free itself from Jeff’s hook, it fed on Bills. Much to Jeff’s disappointment, he could not keep the fish, but Bill could. Now that’s team effort!
Although Rudy Ramirez, Jr. came to see the wilds of Alaska, he got roped into fishing. Much to his delight, he found the wildlife he wanted to see was right near the fishing holes (and he often out fished the fisherman!). “I couldn’t believe I saw that many bear,” Rudy told us. “I figured one or two, but not one or two an hour!”
Tom Uryniak returned this year bringing his sons, Tom Jr. and Mark Rapp. As it was their first time in Alaska, the boys hoped to see bear and did they ever. Less than 50 yards away they watched a sow protecting its three cubs from a juvenile bear. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience but Tom Sr. commented, “I’m glad to be here (lodge),” to which Mark added, “We were constantly watching over our shoulders.” That should be an experience they won’t soon forget!
|
Our next guests, Peter & Margrit Kern and Kirt & Ursula Mayerthaler, traveled all the way from Switzerland. Although it wasn’t their first time in Alaska it was their first time seeing bear and Ursula’s first time fishing. Imagine her delight hooking into a salmon for the first time with bears fishing on the same river. But maybe Kirt described the trip best, “Good lodge, friendly people, great food, kind guides, jumping fish, cold beer, clean rooms. Big pleasure to be here.”
Also from Europe were guests Waldemar Burkler and Erich Klarer. They did not let the weather dampen their fishing excursions. Coming back to the lodge wet from the rain was worth the fish brought on shore.
Brian Sweeney, two year resident of Anchorage, Alaska, came to see our beautiful island. ȁI had the most extraordinary thing happen to me yesterday,” Brian said when asked what the highlight of his trip was. ȁIt was the whooshing of eagles wings as they were diving. They sounded like a kite, but louder.” It is amazing the sound wings can make as they push the air with their wings.
Tom & Fiona Taylor at the top of Zachar Bay Mountain!
July Guests
July brought Glenn, Cathy and Jordan Rutherford to Alaska. “The highlight was just being away from all the people (in Colorado),” said Jordan. Glenn added, “It was nice not knowing what day it was – and not caring.” They saw a whale spouting in the distance, a salmon shark swimming near the boat, and bear on the river.
The next guests, Todd and Laura Strand, were amazed with the amount of fish. We caught fish throughout the day,” said Todd. The halibut were biting that day and it was let the line down, haul the fish up and repeat. Laughing Laura replied, “I have blisters on my hands!” Who says fishing isn’t hard work!
Tom & Fiona Taylor felt that every day brought a new and different experience. They enjoyed a foggy hike up the mountain with Ian. Pete Peters was glad to have his son-in-laws, Larry Wilson and Carl Neuss and grandson, Alex Neuss, here with him. They had a great day up the river. “ By the end,” Carl said, “I could tell what I caught by the way it fought.” But the best day by far had to be Pete’s. In one day he caught his limit on halibut, pink salmon and silver salmon while out in the boat – the one halibut weighed 78 lbs!
|
3
|
|
| July Guests continued...
Wildlife enthusiast, Laurie Nakano and Debbie Endo, came to see bears. Although, Debbie thoroughly enjoyed seeing sea otters, the highlight for them both had to be the bear. Both have been to Alaska twice before in hopes to see Alaskan animals, and did not see bears either time. “Seeing bears at Frazer Lake, the two sows with three bears each was great,” Laurie said.
Molly Borja had many exciting days fly fishing up the Zachar River, but none beat the day the bear came. It played and lounged on the beach while she fished giving her an experience most people will never have.
It was wonderful to see Albert and Trudy again this year. They had a nice boat ride with Marty and Linda which all enjoyed despite the rain. Flying back from Frazer, they spotted at least 50 mountain goats, a new sight for them both. And both wanted to me make mention of Dawn’s wonderful cooking. “Her Caesar Salad is better than the Millennium’s in Anchorage,” Trudy raved.
Ken and Kaye Burgdorff didn’t know which way to look! The bears at Frazer were a real treat for them. “We saw all kinds of interesting and different behavior of the bears in their natural habitat,” Kaye said. “It was unbelievable!” And although they came to see the bear, they spent one day fishing. “That was unexpected fun!” Ken said. They caught three halibut to take home with them.
Willi and Thomas Graw had a great fun both fishing and wildlife viewing. While trolling for silvers, they got close to a sea otter, so close that the otter didn’t fit in the lens of the camera and they had to back off. What an experience!
ȁI did everything I came to do,” reported next guest Dennis Davis. Not only did he catch fish, fish, fish, but he go the chance to see bears too. “I was quite surprised at how they climbed the hill, like a mountain goat.”
Fog hindered flight schedules for several groups of people, but Doug Berman and Fred Grobstein took it all in stride. “It was worth waiting for,” Doug said. With a rainbow shining as they prepared to head out fishing one morning who could complain? And it was just this unpredictable weather that left the biggest impression on Fred. “I think the highlight was watching the changes in the light moving second by second across the landscape. Even if you watched the same place, the view was never the same.”
Timi Shays-Workman Kayaking!
|
“I’ve seen a lot of bears over the three years and I have never seen two cubs with matching cinnamon bands around their necks until this year. ”
- Trudy Hornbach
August Guests
While waiting for the fog to lift, Don and Jeri Goldsbrough took in a few sights in the town of Kodiak. Don said, “You (lodge) have a unique ability to make everyone feel like you’re visiting with friends and family.” And bear – they saw plenty! “It doesn’t get any better than this,” reported Jeri. “We saw two mothers and their cubs. That was just amazing!”
Mother and daughter, Nancy Shays and Timathea Shays Workman, got off the plane excited. Seeing eagle on the flight down was just the tip of the ice burg. They left rich with experiences. “Ian took us to a place on the river that was “magical”. We saw the fish lined up in the river, bald eagles flying over and just took in the scenery. It doesn’t feel like wilderness out here it’s so natural it feels like home.”
Traveling from Michigan, Paul Weikert and Gary Kay came to Alaska to get away and fish. Gary reported that the fish were thick wherever they went, but the most unique fish caught was a dog shark. Paul enjoyed just being remote. “The highlight for me is knowing that I’m at a place that very few people will ever be – and taking in the immensity of Alaska: the mountains, the ocean, and the fish.”
Tone Lester returned with wife, Karen and friends HT & Laura Hyde. Their experience at the lodge was diverse from fishing reds, to catching a 50 lb halibut, to hauling up an octopus, to kayaking, to looking for a lost contact on the trail, and HT even saw a bear! Laura said she’d never forget the sound of an eagle’s wings that flew over them while they were kayaking.
Not only did the next group go home with boxes of fish, but also they enjoyed giving one another a hard time and joking. Roy Wise, Brian Wise, Bill Purcell and Dr. Job Menges caught everything including starfish and sea bass. But the most talked about fish was the 130lb halibut that “Doc” caught. To our surprise that large fish wasn’t his highlight. 𠇏or me it was getting in the plane and flying over Kodiak, and getting exposure to new and beautiful parts of the US.” But one of Roy’s highlights was halibut fishing and the other, “Seeing the two sets of bear.”
Fred and Kathy Wright did not know how to catch a halibut under 50 lbs! Each time out they came home with at least one big fish. Kathy reported that her arms hurt from all that fishing, but she wasn’t too tired to try kayaking for the first time.
We were happy to welcome back a true Southern gentleman, Charlie Gibson. Fishing both the ocean and the river provided him with diversity and a couple of new experiences. He says that catching his first halibut and seeing his first bears were highlights for him.
|
4
|
|
August Guests
The next group had many personal firsts as well as lodge firsts. Skip & Janet Werner, Harold Carlin, Randy Hitchcock and William (Bill) Pittock had many stories to take home. The first day out halibut fishing, a 160-pound halibut wore Randy out – but he loved it! Then Janet brought home a large Yellow Eye or Red Rock fish. She had never seen one in all the years they have been here. Just seeing it was one of Skip’s highlights. “It is one of the most beautiful fish you have up here.” Another highlight for Skip was catching an 18.3-pound silver salmon that out beat the lodge record. Not to be left out, Harold caught a halibut on his fly rod (Yes, you read that right!). While trolling with lead line, he hooked a halibut. What a fight. And Bill did it all: halibut fishing, silver fishing and trolling with the fly rod. His favorite – the river and seeing fresh bear prints.
Larry Reardon and two sons, Michael and Steve, enjoyed the first raft trip down the Spiridon River this season. However, Larry pointed out that with it being a two-day trip, it was more of a fishing trip than a raft trip. Each fishing hole seemed to be plugged with large fish. Michael enjoyed the seclusion. Steve described that seclusion well when he said, “seeing more bear than people made me feel very relaxed”. 𠇎very year you surprise us with something new,” Larry commented. “The raft trip was perfect – it was like a dream. I can’t wait to see what’s next year!”
Septemeber Guests
Martin & Therese Jaeggi from Switzerland came for fishing and enjoyed the company of Martha Koerner, Suzi and Hansruedi Luescher—lots of laughter in the evening in the dining hall. Martha’s son Ulrich Koerner came with Vreni Goette. They caught lots of silvers and halibut and plan to have it smoked.
Dick Logchies brought his wife Lia. They had an adventure while bear viewing and catching Dolly Varden.
Don Hunter made it to Kodiak City in 2001 and had a heart atrial flutter and had to return back home to Pennsylvania for surgery. He was able to return this summer to Zachar Bay for fishing for his 5th trip (perhaps we should call it 6th as he was almost here last year). “Great to be back! Making it back again—just being here. Fishing is great. Silvers bigger than usual 16 ½-pounds and catching record-class skates.”
Mark Eaton said his highlight was seeing a mother bear and cubs close and lots of fish in the River.
Thomas Tait from Scotland had a unique experience which Mark Eaton wrote about: “Thomas had the distinct pleasure of hooking two fish at the same time on two different rods. He first hooked a big silver on his fly rod, but when a bear popped out of the woods, he set the rod down to grab his camera. Next thing he knew, the silver had pulled the rod into the water. So, he grabbed his spinning rod and was attempting to snag the fly line in the river when another silver grabbed his lure. Fortunately, that silver went straight into the fly line and snagged it. He retrieved the fly rod and was attempting to fight both fish when Mark finally made his way over to help Thomas. Mark ended up holding both rods so Thomas could quickly take a picture of the bear. Eventually Thomas landed the fish on the fly rod but the silver on the spinning rod had gone too far downstream and the fish ended up taking the lure.”
|
Cecile Heiderich highlight was seeing the bear with three cubs and many fish everywhere. Otto Heiderich liked fishing at River and seeing bears and a big fin back whale.
Fred Klumpp, one of our first German guests in 1990 returned to Zachar Bay. While at Zachar Bay Lodge, Cecile and Otto met Henry & Joe Schmid and decided to return with them. Henry’s sister has an illness that prevented them from coming and Fred decided to come anyway with Otto & Cecile. Otto and Fred both enjoyed fly fishing.
Mark Vuchovich, from Montana brought his father Gene fishing at Zachar Bay. He said the smile on his father’s face when he caught his first silver salmon was his trip highlight—also fishing, food, people, great-fine experience! Gene Vuchovich said he had to rest as he got tired of pulling in fish!
Julie Jackson came with Roma Witziz. Julie saw a fox take a fish away from an eagle when she was kayaking.
Brian Sweeney visited again in September with Darrel McClendon. He said before in July, John King (guide) chased away a bear with a fishing pole (20 yards away). The fly fishing on Zachar River is incredible. He had 25 silvers on yesterday—unbelievable. Daryl McClendon said fishing on the river is awesome, the volume of fish and watching them strike the fly from the rock.
Ian’s dad Mark Jansma liked seeing bears—mother & 3 cubs, kayaking to Little Zachar River and hiking on Ian’s trail & back (beautiful view) & living to tell about it!
Charlie and Sherry Morris from Texas—Charlie liked catching a halibut bigger than Joe’s (Granados) ha ha! Sherry liked seeing nine bears with Ian as the guide on the Zachar River.
Keith and Marion Mitchell from England—Keith said his highlight was “Breakfasts”. He liked the first day in Uyak Bay with Jim. Marion said she liked seeing whales, foxes, bears, deer, that it was quiet and pristine and seeing bears close up on the Zachar River walk.
Pam & Alan Schmeiser went on the River Raft Trip with Jim as guide. Pam: 18 bears! Spoiled for fishing for life! Unbelievable trip! Saw 5 sows with 2 cubs apiece.
Kathy & Joey Vigiano from New York--Kathy liked the walk through the woods to the Zachar River, the scenery and the eagles. Joey is 9 and liked the river walk, kayaking, eagle feathers, catching salmon and when the guide shot the halibut. Joey liked the waves when on the boat. Cambe, our Airedale, will miss playing with Joey.
Joe Ventline like seeing bears on the raft trip this year. He enjoyed the good halibut fishing this late in the season. Joe Granados also returned in September. “I liked spending 3 excellent days with Joe Ventline, here! Ha Ha Raft trip was good—I liked it.” Together they went on camping river raft trip with guide John King.
|
5
|
|
|
|
